Head coach Mario Cristobal likes to run the ball. It may not produce the same high-flying scores as Oregon did in the Chip Kelly era, but it is certainly effective.
Last week in Seattle, inclement weather forced Oregon to run the ball 55 times. The result was 329 rushing yards, including a career performance for Travis Dye — 211 yards with a 7.5 per carry average.
“We’re really proud of the way we ran the ball the past two weeks,” starting center Alex Forsyth said. “[The] coaches put us in good positions.”
This week in a dry Autzen Stadium, the Ducks pounded the rock 46 times for 307 yards in a 38-24 win over the Washington State Cougars.
Quarterback Anthony Brown led all rushers with a career high 123 yards (7.2 per carry) and a huge extension for a touchdown in the third quarter. He would have had another rushing score if not for fumbling at the goal line while fighting for extra yards.
“Anthony continues to find ways to make plays for our offense,” Cristobal said.
Brown also had a nice night through the air, going 17-of-22 for 135 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. The Ducks weren’t forced into running the ball; they chose to.
Oregon has played with a lead in these last two weeks, and having the rushing strength to kill the clock has been a key piece of each win.
“Running was part of the game plan,” Brown said. “I didn’t know it was gonna lead to this, but I’m happy [with it].”
No one had a better second half than running back Byron Cardwell, whose pair of fourth quarter touchdowns sealed the victory for Oregon. Of his 98 yards, 61 of them came in the second half. Both touchdowns came from 20-plus yards out.
“Byron has been playing with extreme confidence,” Brown said. “I’m just really proud of him and excited to see where he’s going.”
Travis Dye also chipped in 88 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, although his fumble in the second quarter shifted the momentum into WSU’s favor.
“Travis continues to be a tremendous leader,” Cristobal said. “[He’s] one of the best players in college football.”
Oregon had a 59% success rate when rushing the ball, per Game On Paper. The two fumbles were the lone blemishes on an otherwise dominant night on the ground.
Washington State entered the weekend allowing just 162 rush yards per game — right in the middle of the Pac-12 average — but they did force more fumbles than any other conference team (17 forced, 11 recovered).
Cristobal noted the forced fumble rate, calling the Cougars “very difficult to prepare for.”
“We felt we were gonna have to earn this thing one play at a time.”
As the regular season pushes on, so does the Ducks offense, which is finding a strong identity on the ground.
