SANTA CLARA, Calif. —In Oregon’s opening game in Arlington, Texas, the Ducks blew a 21-6 lead in the second half under the lights of an NFL stadium against Auburn. In the Pac-12 Championship Game, with a Rose Bowl berth on the line, it seemed like Oregon was going to, once again, self destruct in the second half. Utah clawed back from 20-0 deficit, only trailing 23-15 entering the third quarter.
The signs of history repeating itself were present.
But CJ Verdell came to the rescue. He ran through the teeth of a vaunted Utah defense. He turned a simple inside run into one of the most consequential plays of Oregon’s season. His run up the middle was the longest in the history of the Pac-12 championship game. His career defining performance netted him MVP honors. His 70-yard touchdown run doomed Utah’s comeback, and their College Football Playoff hopes to go with it.
For Verdell, he only had one thought during the play.
“Just get to the end zone,” he said.
Verdell’s 208 yards and three scores were not supposed to happen. The Utes’ run defense is not just the best in the conference, it’s the best in the country. Utah allowed only 56 rushing yards per game during the season. Verdell ran for almost four times that amount on Friday in Santa Clara, California, at Levi Stadium. In fact, in two consecutive carries, Verdell rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His 208 yards were the most by an individual against Utah since 2014.
“Maybe these guys got a little bit tired of hearing that we weren’t the more physical team,” head coach Mario Cristobal said.
Verdell was not supposed to outplay Utah’s star running back Zack Moss, either. Moss didn’t play poorly; he was the second-best offensive player in the game. He ran for 133 yards and caught a 24-yard touchdown pass. For the Utes, Moss was the team’s only source of offense and he kept Utah in the game with his explosive runs. But nobody was catching Verdell.
If you’ve watched Ducks football this season, you knew Verdell could be this good. In a nail-biter against Washington State, Verdell proved himself. On 23 carries, he powered his way to 257 yards and three scores. Oregon needed Verdell then, and they needed Verdell on Friday night. And both times, with the game on the line, he delivered.
It cannot be overstated how important Verdell’s impact was on this game. On a night where Justin Herbert failed to record a single passing yard in the third quarter, the Ducks needed every yard on the ground they could get. Instead of allowing the offense to sputter, Verdell decided to beat Utah where they were best — their run defense.
The blocking on the offensive line helped spring Verdell loose. One of Oregon’s biggest weaknesses in prior seasons was its inability to be physical in the trenches. Instead of wilting against a robust Utah defense, Oregon’s line matched Utah in physicality and won.
“I couldn’t have done anything on that field without the offensive line,” Verdell said. “They made the holes and they paved the way for me to make those big plays.”
Instead of collapsing in an NFL stadium like the Auburn game in Week 1, Verdell and the Ducks flipped the script in Week 15.
The Ducks now await their opponent in the Rose Bowl. But for Verdell, he won’t let the stage faze him.
“It’s just another Tuesday, another opportunity to get back to work,” Verdell said.