When recounting Oregon’s thrilling 61-55 triple overtime win over Arizona State this week, Vernon Adams Jr. said the game was the most fun he’s ever had while playing college football. A win aside, the performance appeared to create rejuvenated energy for Adams and the rest of the Ducks heading into November.
That energy was on display Saturday night, as not just Adams, but the entire team looked to be having plenty of fun during Oregon’s 44-28 win over Cal, which made the Ducks bowl eligible for the 11th consecutive year.
Autzen Stadium — the same place that was synonymous with convincing wins for the home team, but became the site of back-to-back conference losses for the Ducks — finally had fans with reasons to cheer, and reached the deafening levels that it is well known for.
“It was huge for us,” Adams, who finished with 343 of offense and four touchdowns, said. “We got that mojo going and we’re just going to keep it rolling.”
The noise was a product of the excitement Adams and the rest of the Oregon offense was bringing. The Ducks, despite a slow start which translated to an early 10-0 deficit, totaled 777 yards of total offense (a new school record) and used a rapid tempo to wear out a reeling Cal defense.
“We’re feeling good,” Adams said. “We’re on a roll.”
The win is Oregon’s third straight and also served as the Ducks’ most complete performance of the year. Three running backs rushed for over 90 yards, with Royce Freeman leading the group with 180 yards. In addition, Adams’17 completions were distributed to seven different receivers.
“Guys are getting open again, guys are getting confident again, guys are getting more experience, and I think we’re starting to put it together at the right time,” said Bralon Addison, who finished his night with five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
The confidence and experience Addison spoke of can be applied to the defense as well. Cal quarterback Jared Goff, who is projected to go in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2016, finished with 329 yards through the air, but completed just 43 percent of his passes. A lot of it was due to the plays made by cornerbacks Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson, and as a result, Goff only beat the secondary once on a deep pass, which came on a 80-yard touchdown after the ball fell through the hands of safety Reggie Daniels and into a Cal receiver’s.
“We made plays on the ball in the secondary better,” head coach Mark Helfrich said.
Oregon defensive backs coach John Neal, who moved to the coaches box for the first time this season Saturday, echoed that remark.
“They’re making some critical plays,” Neal said. “It’s relieving. We can’t just hope that they drop ball, someone’s got to knock the ball down, someone’s got to make a tackle.”
The dominating performance came with a laundry list of mistakes, however. After Oregon went three-and-out on its first drive, Cal blocked the ensuing punt and marched 38 yards to score the first touchdown of the game with relative ease. On the subsequent drive, Adams was picked off in the red zone. Both of those instances, a blocked punt and an interception thrown in the red zone, occurred in the second half.
But, the switch didn’t flip because of it, and by game’s end it was clear that the Bears couldn’t keep up with the pace Oregon was running at. For example, after trailing 10-0 in the game’s opening stages, the Ducks scored 31 unanswered points to take a 31-10 lead into halftime.
“Despite all the things we did to kick ourselves in the gut, they didn’t flinch,” Helfrich said.
It’s convenient timing for the Ducks to inch even closer to becoming the team that was picked by the media to win the Pac-12 North in August. Next week Oregon heads to Palo Alto, California to face No. 11 Stanford with a Pac-12 title berth still a possibility.
“To be where we are, I’m grateful, ” Neal said.
In his first start since his return at home, Adams said that he felt “very comfortable.” It was easy to see too, as Adams led the Ducks on eight scoring drives.
The performance created what is a familiar, yet what became a distant scene at Autzen Stadium Saturday night. The atmosphere was back to being what Addison said is one of the best in college football and the offense was back to physically draining its opposition.
Now, for Oregon, it seems to be just a matter of fixing the small mistakes. And if that happens, “watch out,” offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone said.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise
Oregon rolls over Cal, totals school record 777 yards in 44-28 win
Justin Wise
November 7, 2015
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