On the third play of the Saturday’s matchup between Oregon and Portland State, LaMichael James broke away untouched for a 66-yard touchdown. Portland State defenders could do nothing but watch James dash to the end zone, taking with him any chance of a shocking upset.
It was just that kind of day for the Vikings, as Oregon piled on big play after big play en route to a 69-0 win.
The physical advantages for Oregon were obvious, but Portland State head coach Nigel Burton was most upset with his team’s execution in the mental side of the game.
“We’re very disappointed,” Burton said. “But we know that in the end, it was more mental breakdowns than even physical disparities.”
Oregon outgained Portland State by an astonishing 528 yards, as the Ducks gathered 668 while the Vikings managed just 140. Viking quarterback Connor Kavanaugh completed only eight of 21 passes for 18 yards, and the Viking offense never stood a chance against a stifling Oregon defense.
“The offense runs on me,” Kavanaugh said. “I didn’t come out and play my best, to be honest. If I’m not clicking, the offense is not clicking, so this one’s on me.”
Though it was clear that Kavanaugh felt he deserved the bulk of the blame, he also gave plenty of credit to an Oregon defensive unit that was all over the field.
“They’re big and strong, and they’re fast,” Kavanaugh said. “They started bringing some pressure, started giving us different looks, changing things up … they’re an athletic bunch, and I look for them to be successful in the Pac-10 this year.”
Turnovers also plagued a Portland State squad that lost three fumbles and threw two interceptions. For Burton, those miscues fell under the same description of a simple lack of execution.
“I expected to see us execute,” Burton said. “Execute better than we did against UC Davis (last week), and for whatever reason that did not happen. Had we done that, I don’t think that score would have been what it was.”
The mental lapses, of course, were not limited to the offense. The Vikings’ defensive unit was torched repeatedly by big plays and gave up 528 rushing yards (an Oregon school record), leaving defensive tackle Travis Beckley none too pleased.
“Nobody ever feels good when you lose 69-0,” Beckley said.
And yet, as much as this loss stung, the Vikings can do nothing but move on to their Big Sky Conference schedule.
“We move forward,” Beckley said. “We don’t ever look back. Every time we win, we watch the film, and we put it to bed. Every time we lose, we watch the film and put it to bed. That’s it.”
Burton agreed and said one positive that came from Saturday’s game was the motivation it would provide for the team.
“I know that they feel like they’ve been challenged,” Burton said. “I know that they feel like they’re embarrassed because they know that they’re better than what they gave.”
Idaho State comes next for the Vikings in two weeks, a matchup that should provide welcome relief from a non-conference schedule that proved brutal.
For now, the team will practice and look to improve every day.
“They play like they practice,” Burton said. “We had a great week of practice against UC Davis, and it paid off. I wasn’t very pleased with the way we practiced this past week, and so we’re going to make sure we practice to play the game.”
Luckily, a bye week will allow the Vikings an extra week to rest up and come prepared for Idaho State. When asked if the bye week was coming at the right time, Burton allowed a slight smile.
“I know,” he said with a chuckle, “that we’re not going to lose next week.”
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