Ranking the Top Games of the Decade Between Oregon and Stanford (Part 1)

Over the past ten years, the rivalry between Oregon and Stanford has produced some serious drama and a lineup of meaningful and memorable games.

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon will begin regular season play against Stanford this Saturday in Palo Alto, in a game that is heavily anticipated due to the drama of their previous handful of matchups. The Ducks are seeking revenge against the Cardinal after last year’s complete meltdown when they blew a late 17-point at home.

Over the last decade, this pair of teams have become nothing short of rivals, producing a handful of classics. It seems that each year, one team is breaking the other’s heart, along with their chances of playing in a big bowl game, conference title, or even the National Championship.

Ahead of another potential thriller, we want to revisit and rank each game in the past decade, hoping to refresh our collective memories of all the theatrics and stunners that have taken place.

#10 | 2017 — No. 20 Stanford: 49, Oregon: 7

Palo Alto, CA

This was easily the ugliest game of the decade — at least for one side.

The rivalry felt dead after this one, in a flat-out brutal showing for Willie Taggart and the Ducks in his first year as head coach. Justin Herbert was hurt early in the season, and backup quarterback Braxton Burmeister (remember him?) heavily struggled to gain first downs.

On the other side, RB Bryce Love danced all over the Duck defense on his way to 147 yards and 2 touchdowns. Complete light work.

# 9 | 2016 — No. 12 Stanford: 52, Oregon: 27

Eugene, OR

In what was perhaps the most forgettable season in a long, long time for the Ducks, they were blown out at home by the 12th ranked Cardinal. This one was never even close.

McCaffrey shined for Stanford, and he did in most games, racking up 3 touchdowns on the ground and nearly 200 total yards. The man was — and still is — an absolute beast, and we’re seeing more of the same from him now with the Carolina Panthers.

Justin Herbert did all he could in this game as a freshmen, but in Mark Helfrich’s last season as head coach of the Ducks, the team seemingly never knew which way was up.

#8 | 2014 — No. 5 Oregon: 45, Stanford: 16

Eugene, OR

Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota had himself a day, accounting for 4 total touchdowns and beating Stanford the only time in his career. It was never much of a game, as Kevin Hogan and Stanford weren’t able to get much going whatsoever.

This was the first game since 2009 that did not feature two teams ranked inside at least the top 12, and marks a point where the rivalry died down a little. It was also the first game since then that didn’t drown any championship hopes of either team.

The Ducks were finally able to avoid a late-season disaster, in what was a relatively easy win.

#7 | 2011 — No. 7 Oregon: 53, No. 4 Stanford: 30

Palo Alto, CA

For the third year in a row, this game featured the eventual Heisman runner-up. This time it was Andrew Luck, who’d lead Stanford for his third-and-final season.

Oregon — who’d lost their season opener to LSU in Dallas — marched into Palo Alto and once again brought the hammer to Stanford in what was supposed to be a revenge game for the Cardinal. At this point in the season, both teams had National Championship aspirations, and it was Chip Kelly and the Ducks who’d once again leave with a win and squander the other team’s dreams.

This game was never really much of a contest, as LaMichael James had another monster 3 touchdown performance. The Ducks were able to intercept Luck twice again, and he seemingly could never get it going against the Oregon defenses over the years.

#6 | 2013 — No. 5 Stanford: 26, No. 3 Oregon: 20

Yet another heart-breaker for the Ducks. This time there was no Chip Kelly for Oregon, as he’d left to coach the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason.

The usual suspects were back for both teams: Heisman front-runner Marcus Mariota and speedster De’Anthony Thomas led the Ducks, while quarterback Kevin Hogan and running back Tyler Gaffney led a Cardinal team that was rich with now-pro players: Ty Montgomery, Austin Hooper, Blake Martinez, and Cam Flemming. This was truly a star-studded matchup.

Stanford dominated the game on both sides of the ball, and it was never as close as the final score indicates. The Duck offense was completely shut down, and Stanford was able to own the time of possession — which would become apparent as the Ducks’ Achilles heel during this era.

For the second straight year, it was the Cardinal who was able to squander the Ducks late-season hopes of competing for a Championship and boost themselves into the picture.

For matchups No. 5-1, tune into Ducks Maven on Saturday morning, ahead of the Ducks game against Stanford at 4 p.m.