Two years ago, Washington State had a perfect Saturday. Oregon, wearing their all-white uniform combo, walked out of Martin Stadium after an upset loss for the second time in three years.
Martin Stadium, 2020: no fans, fake noise permeated throughout the stadium and cardboard cutouts in the stands. But the same objective for the Cougars: to knock off a highly ranked Oregon opponent.
In 2018, fans spilled across the field to celebrate the Cougar’s upset win. If fans were in the stands this year, they would have been turning toward the exit signs instead.
Same all-white uniform combo, but a different team, and a different year. The Ducks secured their first win in Pullman since 2014. Both Oregon and Washington State put their 1-0 records to the test in an empty Martin Stadium on Saturday, but the Ducks pulled away with a 43-29 win.
With 32 Washington State players and 17 Oregon players listed inactive for this game, meeting the minimum threshold for active players of 53 was a victory on its own.
During the first half on Saturday, it seemed as though another upset was brewing.
Oregon struck first on the board, with Shough’s screen pass to DJ Johnson.
The Cougars quickly responded with an impressive 77-yard drive that led to Lucas Bacon cashing in on an 18-yard touchdown from quarterback Jayden de Laura.
Oregon miscues led to three turnovers in the first two quarters of play. First, Travis Dye fumbled, then on a screen pass, Shough threw an interception. Then, Shough botched a handoff with running back CJ Verdell.
Momentum turned when Shough threw a 57-yard bomb to Jaylon Redd with under 20 seconds to go in the half. Immediately after, CJ Verdell rushed three yards for their second touchdown of the night. Redd went into the locker room with 95 yards in the first two quarters as the Ducks trailed 19-14.
In the second half, execution seemed to be all the difference for the Ducks, starting at the quarterback position.
They continued to find a rhythm as Shough once again flexed his mobility, finishing his first career away game going 21 for 30 for 312 yards and four touchdowns.
Just 41 seconds into the fourth quarter, Redd barraged through the Cougar defense for 11 yards, later resulting in a Johnny Johnson III touchdown, extending Oregon’s lead 28-19.
De Laura responded with a touchdown drive, but Oregon sealed the game as Shough connected with Dye for a 71-yard touchdown down the sideline.
Despite early turnovers that could have plagued them, the Ducks left Pullman with 248 rushing yards, a now-tested quarterback and as a team no longer haunted by upsets in Martin Stadium.
Now, Oregon travels home to Eugene where they’ll get an extra day of rest before they face UCLA next Sunday.
Follow Carly on Twitter @carlyebisuya.
