When Nevada received the ball after an Oregon touchdown with eight seconds left in the first half on Saturday, head coach Chris Ault opted to take a knee rather than run another play.
It was an apt ending to a half that saw the Wolf Pack all but surrender at the hands of Oregon’s explosive offense. The Ducks had scored 41 points in the first two quarters alone, and were well on their way to steamrolling Nevada 69-20.
“It was good to get the explosive plays back in our game,” left guard Carson York said. “I think last game was the first game I’ve been a part of where we didn’t have any plays over 20 yards. Especially as an offensive lineman, it’s nice to get those big long plays.”
Indeed, LaMichael James wasted no time getting things started, bursting free for a 19-yard gain on Oregon’s very first play of the game. The Ducks ran into fourth down situations twice on the opening possession, but converted both, and James finished the 11-play, 79-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion attempt failed, but Oregon still led 6-0.
“Darron made some big plays for us,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said. “To jump out to a 7-0 (sic) lead is a really good start for us.”
From there, it would only get worse for the Wolf Pack.
The noise in Autzen Stadium got to Nevada’s offense right off the bat, as a delay of game whistle stopped the first play before it could start. A quick three-and-out followed, and Oregon received the ball once again.
Later in the first quarter, a field goal block by safety John Boyett led to Oregon’s second touchdown of the game. Freshman running back De’Anthony Thomas burst down the right sideline for a 62-yard gain, and quarterback Darron Thomas followed with a quick strike to receiver Lavasier Tuinei in the end zone.
The Wolf Pack looked to be threatening at Oregon’s 25 as the first quarter came to a close, but cornerback Troy Hill quickly ended that with his first career interception. On the very next play, Thomas floated a 44-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open James. The floodgates had opened.
Nevada finally found the end zone as the first half came to a close, but by then the game was well out of reach. By the end of the half, Thomas had already thrown for five touchdowns, and Oregon led 41-7.
It didn’t get much better in the second half for the Wolf Pack, as the offense stalled after three plays and James broke numerous tackles en route to a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown.
“When you go against a team like Oregon’s offense, which is terrific…and you make the mistakes that we did and you don’t force them to work for it, we’re doing horrible,” Ault said.
Nevada did respond with a touchdown of their own on the next drive, as running back Stefphon Jefferson punched the ball in from the one-yard line. But the Ducks punched right back with a 69-yard strike from Darron to De’Anthony Thomas, breaking their opponent’s will for good.
Many of Oregon’s starters departed after Thomas’ sixth touchdown pass (which tied a school record), the Ducks came away with a convincing 69-20 victory.
For Darron Thomas, it was a much-needed momentum boost after last week’s LSU loss. Yet, the junior made it clear that no one is satisfied.
“We really needed it, but we still got a lot to go,” Thomas said. “We’re not happy just because we got a win today. Hopefully we continue this and don’t need a loss to amp us up.”
Still, even Thomas had to be pleased with his final stat line. He completed 13 of 19 pass attempts for 295 yards, but the headliner came in the form of his six touchdown throws.
Two of those throws went to true freshman De’Anthony Thomas, who led the Ducks in both receiving (93 yards) and rushing (81). It was a breakout individual performance, but Thomas placed much of the acclaim on his quarterback.
“Darron, he’s going to have a great day every day,” Thomas said. “Once he get the rhythm, it’s hard to stop him. He’s real smart, he’s a great leader…and he’s going to get you the ball.”
For Nevada, on the other hand, the statistics were nearly as telling as the scoreboard. The Wolf Pack gained 516 total yards of offense, but also yielded 603 yards to Oregon, while also racking up eight penalties for 55 yards. They turned the ball over three times, all on interceptions, and allowed two non-offensive touchdowns (James’ punt return and a 67-yard interception return by linebacker Boseko Lokombo in the game’s final minute).
Oregon took full advantage of its opponent’s mistakes, and a 49-point victory was something everyone could enjoy for at least the next 24 hours.
“The scoreboard looked normal,” Carson York said. “So that was nice.”