EUGENE — For the second week in a row, an Idaho team was competitive deep into the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium, and the nationally ranked hosts managed to escape with a win despite a series of self-inflicted mistakes because their highs outweighed their lows.
Two fumbles by the No. 7 Ducks in the fourth quarter each resulted in touchdowns and gave Boise State a 34-27 lead.
The offensive line, which had been infamous after its brutal performance in the season opener against Idaho, allowed four sacks and committed five penalties, and also paved the way for two third-down conversions on a game-winning drive.
Oregon had an 85-yard punt return touchdown by Tez Johnson and a 100-yard kickoff return by Noah Whittington, who dropped the ball at the 1-yard line and Jayden Limar picked it up to tie the game.
The defense did a pretty good job of keeping Ashton Jeanty in check, but allowed the Heisman candidate to gain 192 yards and three touchdowns, including one of 70 yards.
Ultimately, the defense forced two punts in the final 10 minutes, setting up the offense for a game-winning 11-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Atticus Sappington to give the No. 7 Ducks a 37-34 victory on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.
“We seem to like to sweat it out here,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “Usually when you have two turnovers, you don’t have a chance to win the game. I think tonight it was the special teams that made the difference. Big punt returns and big kickoff returns were really, really critical in this game.”
RELATED: What Dan Lanning said after Oregon Football beat No. 7 Boise State
The mistakes are numerous and some are repeated, especially on the offensive line. The starting lineup remained the same, but the Ducks used at least four different combinations at the three interior positions and switched at least 11 times in 57 games.
Still, the group committed five penalties for the second week in a row, allowed four more sacks, bringing the season total to seven – two more than the previous two seasons – and two snaps came early, the latter of which resulted in a fumble by Dillon Gabriel (18 of 21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns).
“We tried to shoot ourselves in the foot as many times as we could, that’s for sure,” Gabriel said. “There’s definitely a lot to work through. You talk about responding to adversity and seeing how guys come together in a game, the emotional rollercoaster that some go through. I liked how consistent we stayed, and I love the guys and how they played. …
“I think you look back and think, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s a penalty.’ Everyone makes mistakes. A fumble on the minus side of the field that created turning points that I’m extremely disappointed about because that can’t happen. There’s no answer to that. They’re things that we need to fix, but they’re fixable.”
Nevertheless, there were highlights in every phase of the game.
The offense completed three passes of more than 30 yards, including a 67-yard pass from Gabriel to Evan Stewart (five catches for 112 yards) and a 59-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown after a quick slant to Traeshon Holden.
“I thought we were looking for those opportunities and making sure we got the ball down the field,” Lanning said.
On defense, Brandon Johnson (eight tackles, 1.5 for loss), Jabbar Muhammd (six tackles, three pass breakups) and Jordan Burch (eight tackles, two pass breakups, one sack) each had several big plays.
RELATED: Despite offensive problems, the Oregon Ducks show signs of quality in defense
Four of Jeanty’s runs resulted in 130 yards and a touchdown, leaving 62 yards and two scores on his other 21 runs.
“That’s the case with a lot of teams, you can lock him up time and time again and then he’ll make a really explosive play,” Lanning said. “He just doesn’t go down. That’s what makes this guy so special.”
Special teams helped change the game. Johnson’s punt return gave Oregon a 27-20 lead with 3:57 left in the third quarter, Whittington’s return and Limar’s presence of mind in picking up the loose ball gave Oregon the tie with 9:59 left. Then Sappington, who had missed a PAT and thrown a kickoff out of bounds earlier in the evening, made his first game-winning field goal just before time expired.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Sappington said. “It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life. For me, it’s about getting the kick and moving on, getting better and focusing on the next kick.”
While the mood among Lanning and the Oregon players was one of relief after another nerve-wracking game than after last week’s win over Idaho, everyone is aware of the numerous areas that need to be corrected for a team with championship aspirations.
As Gabriel put it, “You can’t get away with everything,” and the Ducks know they can’t keep repeating the same problems or subject many Big Ten teams to multiple fourth-quarter turnovers and still win.
“Until we dominate in all the core areas of offense, defense and special teams, until we dominate in every single unit, we’re happy,” Johnson said. “We’re not even happy. What can we do to get better?”
– James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks confidential Podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup Newsletter.
