A look back at the defining moments of Oregon’s best regular season in five years.
Spencer Webb’s touchdown catch versus Auburn
Although the season-opening loss to Auburn will be looked at as one of, if not the most, disappointing moments of the year, the game wasn’t all negative. One play in particular captured the excitement of Oregon fans and, at the time, seemed to signify a turnaround in the team’s outlook and culture.
As the game neared the end of the first quarter, Oregon looked to extend a 7-3 lead. On second-and-7 in Auburn territory, Justin Herbert took the snap and quickly rolled out of the pocket in an effort to avoid oncoming rushers. After surveying the field, he hurled a downfield prayer.
Redshirt freshman tight end Spencer Webb leapt into the air and snagged the ball as it fell towards the end zone. While the catch was impressive, it’s what came next that electrified the AT&T Stadium and Ducks fans around the nation.
Webb came down with the ball while simultaneously stiff-arming his defender to the ground with his other arm. He then proceeded to step over the defender in an Allen Iverson-esque manner as his teammates surrounded him in a celebratory embrace.
“[The most memorable part was] just looking back at my teammates when I caught it and seeing them go crazy,” Webb said.
The touchdown gave Oregon a 14-3 lead and, although they didn’t pull out the victory, Webb’s vicious catch graced SportsCenter’s Top 10 for days.
“No Fly Zone” shuts down Steven Montez
In defensive coordinator Andy Avalos’ first season at the helm, the Ducks’ defense reached heights that the program hadn’t seen in decades. Previously known for their high-flying, speedy offense, Avalos and his group’s early season dominance forced the narrative surrounding Oregon’s program to shift.
Early on, the Ducks’ defense hovered within the top five nationally and at times looked poised to take the mantle of the nation’s best. Inconsistency plagued the group, but as they enter the Pac-12 Championship, they’re still the No. 10 scoring defense in the nation.
Some weeks, the unit looked utterly lost as opposing offenses, like Jayden Daniels’ Sun Devils, torched the defensive backs and had their way up front. At times, however, they unleashed unrelenting havoc upon opposing offenses. Their week-six dismantling of Colorado, 45-3, was one of those times.
The defense forced Buffs’ senior quarterback Steven Montez into a career-worst game, picking him off on four occasions as they allowed a meager 131 yards through the air. The pass rush got home on multiple occasions, and while they allowed substantial yardage on the ground, it simply didn’t matter as they repeatedly set up Herbert and the offense with excellent field position.
“That’s the best thing,” safety Verone McKinley III said after dragging down two interceptions of his own. “Whenever the offense capitalizes off an interception or any type of turnover, that’s what we like the most.”
The performance was so dominant, in fact, that players and pundits alike proclaimed the unit was the closest thing to a Gang Green 2.0.
Comeback against Washington in Seattle
Just minutes into the second half at Husky Stadium, Washington quarterback Jacob Eason connected with Puka Nacua to go up 28-14 in front of 70,000 strong, and the Ducks’ entire season seemed to be hanging in the balance. At that moment, ESPN’s win probability predictor gave the Ducks just a 13% chance of winning the game.
Then came one of the best performances of the season from running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who ran for 81 yards and a crucial touchdown in the second half.
Just before the end of the third quarter, following Habibi-Likio’s touchdown to bring the Ducks within seven, freshman receiver Mycah Pittman caught his first career touchdown on a crucial fourth-down play. He went for 36 yards down the sideline to bring Oregon within three.
Then, with just over five minutes remaining, Herbert’s five-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Redd put the Ducks on top, and freshman cornerback Mykael Wright made the play on the Huskies’ final drive to secure the victory.
“I knew in the second half, the team had that look in their eyes,” Pittman said. “Right when the third quarter started, I knew this game was gonna turn around.”
Game-winning kick versus Washington State
On paper, a healthy Oregon team is one of the most complete in the nation. A stout defense that, while not always flawless, can make up for it with incredible turnover-forcing plays and a balanced offense with a potential top-five pick at the quarterback position. The Ducks even boast a dangerous return game.
One position — or more accurately, one player — however, has been a weak link all season. While he plays perhaps the most unenviable position in sports, freshman kicker Camden Lewis has been disastrous.
Lewis is a mere 2-6 on kicks from 20-29 yards, and while he’s been slightly more successful from 30 yards and on, his inconsistencies have forced the hand of the coaching staff — they’ve chosen to go for it on fourth down on a multitude of occasions rather than take what should be easy points from a kick. Unsurprisingly, Lewis has caught a glut of fan criticism.
On one Saturday night in late October, though, all was momentarily forgiven as Lewis sent Oregon fans home with a sweep of the Washington schools.
After Washington State took the lead in stunning fashion, the Ducks had just 52 seconds to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Herbert led the offense down the field with several passes in quick succession, giving Lewis a chance to cap off his career day — having already hit a 30- and 40-yarder.
Some fans held their breath; others averted their gaze. But when the ball went through the uprights as the clock hit double zeroes, everyone rejoiced.
Lewis’ teammates swarmed at him from all angles, and coaches and players alike embraced. As his teammates raised the kicker into the air, his hands could be seen forming the trademark Oregon “O.”
Ducks secure Jermar Jefferson’s fumble, and the Civil War along with it
Late in the fourth quarter, the 2019 Civil War was, to the surprise of many, not yet decided. The two previous final scores in the series — 69-10 in 2017 and 55-15 in 2018 — were quickly becoming a distant memory, and the Beavers were driving with a chance to tie the game with their backup quarterback.
With the ball in the hands of star running back Jermar Jefferson, Thomas Graham Jr. stepped up to make a play for the second time in as many drives. And when Jefferson tried to hurdle him with the game on the line, he popped the ball out. Brady Breeze fell on it, and the Ducks, despite offensive struggles throughout the game, escaped with a victory.
“I turned and looked, I saw him try to go over Thomas,” linebacker Troy Dye said. “Thomas rose up, ball came out, Brady [Breeze] picked it up. Ballgame.”
That win gave the Ducks a third consecutive victory in the storied series, and concluded the program’s best regular season since 2014.
