The Oregon Ducks were in search of a bounce-back game and they found it against Colorado.
Things didn’t start out well for Oregon. It struggled on both sides of the ball through most of the first half, settling for a 17-17 tie. Uncertainty remained with the play of the secondary and at quarterback, where the Ducks rotated Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie all night.
In the second half, the passing game took a backseat to the run, as the Ducks focused on the ground game. Royce Freeman was the workhorse, while Taj Griffin came in to bring a nice change of pace with his speed. Together, the Ducks totaled 361 yards on the ground.
Colorado kept things going through the air, with the Sefo Liufau-Nelson Spruce connection coming up big, time and time again. Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay and Shay Fields also were able to shake free from defenders too easily.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Buffalo were scoreless on their last five drives. Oregon was able to score on four of its last five. A touchdown on a nine-play, 45- yard Buffalo drive cut the Oregon lead to a single score.
Oregon was able to answer just one possession later, connecting on a deep touchdown pass to clinch the 41-24 victory.
Second Half Key Plays:
– Oregon’s Royce Freeman powered his way up the middle three yards for the touchdown to open the second half. Aiden Schneider makes the PAT to take the 24-17 lead.
– Oregon linebacker Rodney Hardrick forced Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau into committing a fumble early in the third. As Liufau tried to extend the play by escaping the pocket, Hardrick and a host of Ducks chasing the play hit him from behind, before he could bring the ball forward for a pass. Oregon’s Henry Mondeaux was able to recover the loose ball, giving the Ducks possession on their own 46.
– On the following drive Oregon was able to again punch it in on the ground, this time courtesy a twisting Taj Griffin for two yards. Schneider makes the PAT to extend the lead to 31-17 Ducks.
– Colorado opened the fourth quarter with a big defensive stand as Freeman was stuffed on a fourth-and-one. The Ducks turned the ball over on downs at their own 45.
– Liufau ran the ball through a gap up the middle on a quarterback draw, fighting off Duck arm tackles to capitalize with a seven-yard touchdown run. Diego Gonzalez made the PAT to cut the Oregon lead to single digits, 31-24, with 10:29 left on the clock.
– On the answering drive, Oregon’s Taylor Alie found redshirt freshman Jalen Brown for a 43-yard touchdown pass while moving out of the pocket. It was the first score of the year for Brown, and the Schneider PAT extended the Ducks’ lead to 38-24.
Three things we learned:
– Sometimes, Oregon needs not to throw the ball. In the entire third quarter, the Ducks threw the ball just twice and completed one pass. They also scored 14 points with over 100 yards rushing in the quarter.
– The defense can, indeed, make an adjustment in the second half. Against Utah, the Oregon defense allowed 28 unanswered points in the third quarter and the game became a rout. This time around, Oregon kept the opposition scoreless in the same time frame, with two three-and-outs and a turnover.
– Royce Freeman isn’t alone. Although the sophomore led the team on the ground, he got tremendous support from Taj Griffin, who ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Griffin, a faster, more agile back, showed he can complement the heavy-running Freeman when the passing game is nonexistent.
Game stats:
Oregon passing
Jeff Lockie: 8-for-11 for 54 yards and one interception
Taylor Alie: 4-for-9 for 83 yards and one touchdown
Bralon Addison: 1-for-1 for 39 yards and one touchdown
Colorado passing
Sefo Liufau: 25-for-42 for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception
Oregon rushing
Royce Freeman: 27 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns
Taj Griffin: 11 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown
Colorado rushing
Christian Powell: 10 carries for 30 yards and one touchdown
Phillip Lindsay: 12 carries for 37 yards
Oregon receiving
Charles Nelson: two receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown
Taj Griffin: three receptions for 41 yards
Bralon Addison: two receptions for 9 yards
Jalen Brown: one reception for 43 yards and a touchdown
Colorado receiving
Nelson Spruce: six receptions for 87 yards
Phillip Lindsay: four receptions for 60 yards
Shay Fields: five receptions for 31 yards and one touchdown
Total yards
Oregon: 537
Colorado: 308
Turnovers
Oregon: 1
Colorado: 3
Rapid Reaction: Oregon runs to 41-24 victory over Colorado
Christopher Keizur
October 2, 2015
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