EUGENE, Ore. — Cardboard cutouts can’t cheer; they can’t boo; and they sure as hell can’t sing and dance to Oregon’s patented ‘Shout’ song.
For the first time in, well, ever, the Ducks played a regular season game in front of an empty stadium and the energy was noticeably lacking across the board.
The pumped-in crowd noise was awkwardly mistimed and came nowhere close to replicating the usually deafening Autzen Stadium. Big hits were magnified and each team’s sideline provided the game’s loudest moments with violent cheers and yelling.
Heck, it even rained in Autzen: the stadium where it famously never rains.
On Saturday, all the Ducks had for motivation were themselves. Their energy proved to be the difference. Oregon slowly picked up steam like a freight train, rolling to a 35-14 victory over the Stanford Cardinal as each gear clicked into place.
Saturday’s win was the Ducks’ 16th consecutive win in a home opener.
Head coach David Shaw and the Cardinal were underdogs from the opening kick. They’ve been underdogs for months, really. The program not only lost 16 players to the transfer portal, cornerback Paulson Adebo and offensive tackle Walker Little to opt outs and linebacker Gabe Reid and cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly to injuries, but received even more bad news pregame. Starting quarterback Davis Mills, lead receiver Connor Wedington and defensive end Trey Labounty were each ruled out of Saturday’s game due to COVID-19 protocols.
With backup quarterback Jack West, who had thrown just 37 career passes, under center, the Cardinal opened with a run-heavy attack. They ran it six straight times, blowing the Oregon defensive line back and gaining yardage on every attempt. Their first drive ended in a missed field goal, but the Cardinal took a 7-0 lead on their next outing.
Then the Ducks scored 28 unanswered, with help from Stanford kicker Jet Toner who missed four field goals — not the mention the 100 yards Stanford gave up in penalties.
Saturday provided a chance for newly-hired Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead to showcase his offense for the first time. It was unquestionably different from that of former coordinator Marcus Arroyo.
The Ducks’ play calling was quick and decisive. It featured plenty of run-pass options, play action throws and even the long-awaited designed quarterback runs: a staple of past Moorhead offenses.
They rushed to the line after nearly every play, a stark contrast to Stanford’s methodical approach.
Tyler Shough unsurprisingly earned the nod as the starting quarterback. He looked alert, and proved he wasn’t afraid to take deep shots, completing passes of 44, 38, 26 and 23 yards.
Shough consistently made plays with his feet. Designed or not, he gashed the Cardinal defense over and over, at times putting defenders on skates in the open field. The redshirt sophomore rushed for 85 yards, the most in program history for a quarterback in their first start.
Shough finished the night with 227 yards through the air, a touchdown, and an interception, adding a touchdown on the ground.
The offensive line which showcased an entirely new starting group after losing a combined 220 starts in the offseason, began clicking as the game went on, helping Oregon’s run game pick up speed in the second half.
Running back CJ Verdell, who entered the game as one of just two returning FBS players to rush for over 1000 yards in the last two seasons, found his rhythm after a slow start, contributing 105 yards and a score in which he sent a linebacker flying after a massive collision.
Stanford surrendered the most rushing yards, 269, in a single game since the 2018 season. The new-look Oregon offense produced 496 yards.
DJ Johnson, who transferred to Oregon from the University of Miami as a defensive lineman, seems to have found his new home across the hall in the tight end’s room. Johnson, all 6-foot-5, 258-pounds of him, received virtually every snap at the position and was the recipient of Shough’s first touchdown pass. He ended the night as the team’s leader in catches, registering five for a total of 55 yards.
Aside from a sprinkling of miscues including an uncharacteristic Cyrus Habibi-Likio fumble, a Shough interception across the middle into double coverage and a handful of other interceptable balls, the Ducks turned in an explosive offensive performance.
Andy Avalos’ defense threw a myriad of looks at Shaw’s Cardinal team.
The unit, who in 2019 held six opponents under double digits for the first time since 1960 featured a revolving door of new faces and a deep bag of formations. Every second-string defender saw time as the defense rotated bodies at a near-constant rate.
But miscommunications at the second level led to several long runs for the Cardinal, and receivers Michael Wilson and Semi Fohoko made things interesting with a series of catches deep down the field.
Cornerback Mykael Wright was beat early in the game down the field, but rebounded resoundingly, knocking away several redzone passes in tight coverage.
Former Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell may have opted out but that didn’t stop Autzen announcer Don Essig from repeatedly mentioning the Sewell name. Penei’s brother Noah Sewell flashed in his first collegiate game. Sewell didn’t start but looked fierce defending the run game, often finding himself in the back field as he racked up four tackles including one of just two Oregon tackles for loss.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and his peers had a quiet night as the group failed to record a sack on the opposing Stanford quarterbacks.
The Oregon defense gave up 413 yards to an offense with backup quarterbacks under center, 197 of which came on the ground.
In a season which will undoubtedly pepper the Ducks with challenges, Oregon passed their first test on Saturday night in Autzen. The group will head to Pullman, Washington, next weekend where they’ll face a Mike Leach-less Washington State team.
