The national anthem rang through an empty Autzen Stadium as Tyler Shough took the field for his first career college start. As abnormal as it was, Shough rose to the challenge, leading the Ducks to a 35-14 win over division rival Stanford.
“It was really weird to be honest, running out of the tunnel without the duck on the motorcycle and no fans in there, but we had to create our own juice,” Shough said. “That’s something we talked about all week, you got to bring your own juice box.”
The first quarter wasn’t pretty. Oregon started slow, and the offense struggled to make plays. Early in the second quarter the Ducks suffered from turnovers on back to back drives, including an interception from Shough.
“It took us a little while to get rhythm,” head coach Mario Cristobal said.
At the end of an imperfect first half, the Ducks led 14-7, but the offense had much more to prove.
Shough and the Oregon offense came out of halftime with a newfound confidence, getting in the endzone on both of their next two drives. He slowly settled in, continually pushing the pace of the offense, taking control both through the air as well as on his feet. Shough threw for 227 yards and a touchdown and finished second on the team in rushing, escaping the pocket for 85 yards.
The Arizona native wheeled in for a nine-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, increasing the Ducks’ to 28-7. He not only showcased his speed, but also his agility, making guys miss on several occasions; most notably, a 15-yard scramble up the middle on the same drive as his touchdown.
“Some of it’s by design, some of it’s just seeing the play break down and getting what I can,” Shough said when asked about his ability to run with the ball. “Coach Moorhead’s done a really good job preparing us for that.”
Shough was able to spread the ball effectively for the majority of the night as well, finding six different receivers for his 17 completions. Tight end DJ Johnson, a former defensive end, led the team in receptions, with five on the night. In addition, receivers Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd caught four balls a piece.
Johnson III, Redd and Mycah Pittman combined for some of the flashiest plays of the game, tracking down deep balls on several 30-plus yard plays.
Shough looked comfortable with his deep ball all night and receiver chemistry. Although there were a few plays he wished he could have back, Shough and his offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead have plenty to build on moving forward.
