There are deadly sins in football. Amongst them are turnovers, undisciplined penalties and — of course — failed 4th-down conversions. These sins had been common themes with Oregon’s rarely-blemished 2023 season. If the Ducks were going to fall to the Huskies again in the Pac-12 Championship Game, it was assumed one of these sins would be the reason. 

It wasn’t. It was the unexpected snafus that led to Washington’s 34-31 win. 

With everything on the line for the Ducks in Sin City, Oregon’s deadly sins were that the offense didn’t show up in the first half and the defense couldn’t get force stops late in the game. It cost the Ducks a chance at redemption, a Pac-12 Championship and a potential College Football Playoff appearance. 

The highly-anticipated offensive shootout got going in unsurprising fashion. Washington received the opening kickoff and quickly moved down the field with little resistance on a scoring drive. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. connected with three different receivers on a march that ended with a Grady Gross 38-yard field goal after an Oregon sack stalled the Huskies drive. Washington came away with points, but the Ducks were able to limit the damage, at least for the time being. 

An Oregon 3-and-out turned into an easy Washington rushing touchdown courtesy of Dillon Johnson. The Ducks faced a two-score deficit for the first time since the first meeting with the Huskies back on Oct. 14.

Johnson was a key factor in Washington’s win. He finished with 152 rushing yards and three total scores against a defense that had only allowed over 100 rushing yards once in conference play. An unsung hero for the Huskies as Penix Jr. was named the game’s most valuable player.

“Get the first down,” Johnson said. “That’s all that was going through my mind. We were the more physical team tonight and we got the win.”

Through its first two drives, Oregon had nine yards of offense. On the third, the offense showed signs of life. A 12-play, 72-yard drive ended in a 36-yard field goal from Camden Lewis. The Ducks were on the board, but still had a ways to go. 

It took Washington four plays to respond. The Huskies added another touchdown after a pair of darts from Penix Jr. Washington regained full control and never let up.

In a game where he broke the UO single-season record for receptions with his 78th, Troy Franklin exited the game on the Ducks’ third drive after taking a shot to the ribs. He would return, but was limited to four catches for 34 yards in the loss.

Oregon went 3-and-out again. The Huskies could do no wrong. The Ducks had no answers. They needed a miracle of Heisman caliber. 

It felt like the kind of game that Oregon had played all season. Only this time, the Ducks were on the wrong side of it. The defense was bad in the first half, but the offense was worse. It was exactly the game Oregon couldn’t afford to have, yet had avoided all season up until this point.

After relenting another Washington field goal, the Ducks strung together their best drive of the night. Terrance Ferguson hauled in a ridiculous one-handed catch to cap off a 7-play, 75-yard scoring drive right before halftime. Washington took a 20-10 lead into the half, but the Ducks had life and were set to receive the second-half kickoff. The score was a lot closer than the game felt. But the Ducks’ offense can never be counted out.

Oregon opened the second half with a dominating drive. The Ducks went 75 yards in 15 plays and used 5 minutes and 21 seconds to make the game a three-point contest again. Oregon converted two 4th down attempts and Nix found Ferguson again for his second touchdown of the night. 

Penix Jr. was the first quarterback to slip up in the battle of the heavyweights. An interception to Oregon’s Khyree Jackson gave the Ducks the ball with a chance to take their first lead of the game. Instead, Nix threw an interception of his own just two plays later. Another major opportunity for Oregon wasted by a deadly sin. 

Nix’s first interception since Nov. 4 led to another Washington drive, but the Ducks defense forced a huge stop on 4th-down.

Nix took off running on a gain of 44-yards on a responding drive that led to Jordan James rushing in for a score and giving the Ducks their first lead of the game. 

It was short lived. Washington responded again with a lengthy scoring drive to retake a 27-24 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. Penix Jr. finished the game with 319 yards and a touchdown. He made a statement over his counterpart, Nix, who finished with 239 yards and three touchdown passes. 

Oregon was again forced to punt after a drive that resembled the Ducks’ first half woes. Washington got the ball back, up by three with nine minutes remaining. It was essential that Oregon hold the Huskies to a field goal at worst.

Instead, the worst happened. Washington put together the drive of the night. In 12 plays, the Huskies went 82 yards, scored and took 6:20 off the clock. When Oregon got the ball back down by 10 with less than three minutes left, it was all but final.

“We were going to challenge ourselves to be able to handle those players when they’re running the ball with success,” Lanning said. “I thought our guys came in and they competed, they just outplayed us tonight.”

Nix’s heroic two-play scoring drive didn’t even matter. There wasn’t enough time for Oregon to mount its second comeback of the game. The opportunities ran out. Washington got the ball back and ran the clock out on Oregon’s season.

The Huskies won the final Pac-12 Championship Game, 34-31.  

As the purple confetti rained down, Washington’s recent reign over Oregon was extended. The Ducks’ six-game win streak was snapped and the Huskies punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Oregon’s first half, and inability to stop the Washington offense, sunk the Ducks in Sin City. With everything on the line, the cards came up purple and Oregon’s season died in Las Vegas.

The Ducks will await the NCAA Bowl Season Selection Show at 9 a.m. Sunday morning to see where they will play their final game of the season.

“We’ve got an opportunity to go play in a really great bowl game,” Lanning said. “And cap this thing off the right way.”