Oregon Demolishes Arizona 49-22 in the Desert

The Ducks' offense continues to operate an elite level and the defense stepped up for some big plays.

In a 49-22 victory the Oregon Ducks delivered another dominant performance on both sides of the ball.

Arizona entered Saturday’s contest with the second-highest rated passing offense in the Pac-12, averaging 340 yards per game. However, they ranked second to last in rushing defense, something Kenny Dillingham’s offense took advantage of all night.

The Ducks generated 580 yards of total offense, perfectly dispersed between their run and pass game.

After a three and out on their first drive, Noah Whittington found a hole for a 55-yard touchdown run.

On their next drive the Ducks used the run to set up a 42-yard play action shot to Kris Hutson, putting the Ducks on the two-yard line to set up a Bo Nix touchdown run.

Nix finished the night with 265 yards passing yards and completed 20 of his 25 passes. He also rushed for 70 yards on eight carries, scoring one of his three rushing touchdowns on a 25-yard play in the third quarter shortly before Ty Thompson entered the game.

Whittington led all rushers with 92 yards, while Jordan James and Bucky Irving contributed 69 and 67 yards respectively. Oregon ran for 306 yards as a team and scored all seven of their touchdowns on the ground.

On defense Dan Lanning’s team showed depth in the secondary, utilizing true-freshman Jahlil Florence, who came in to replace Dontae Manning after he made a  stellar play on third and short, holding the Wildcats to a field goal before later being ejected for targeting.

Florence finished with an interception and four tackles, tying in seamlessly with solid play from Christian Gonzalez and Trikweze Bridges. Bridges and Jamal Hill lad all Oregon defenders with five tackles and Hill was beat early in one-on-one coverage by Pac-12 receiving yards leader Jacob Cowing.

Playing three corners dared Arizona to take the ball out of the hands of Jayden De Laura and the high powered throwing offense, something that second-year head coach Jedd Fisch seemed unwilling to do as he commanded his offense to throw the ball 42 times, compared to just 25 running plays. As a result, Arizona only mustered 115 rushing yards. 

The win for Oregon is another affirmation of the Ducks' talent and potential on both sides of the ball. This was a particularly crucial game for the defense, as Oregon entered the game with the worst passing defense in the conference at 282.2 yards per game and were able to hold the explosive Wildcat passing attack relatively in check.

The Ducks are now victors of five straight games and enter their bye week at the perfect time before hosting Chip Kelly and the undefeated UCLA Bruins in Eugene on October 22.

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