Oregon Ducks Gain Swagger Back With Win, But Not Quite Back On Track

Oregon went to Colorado last Saturday and many fans wondered if they would get the win. The Ducks pulled away in the second half of the game winning 41-24, but it was tied 17-17 at halftime. They played two quarterbacks in the win, Jeff Lockie started, he split time with Taylor Alie, and Alie would finish the game behind center.

Alie looked good on a 17 yard run, he was 4 of 9 for 83 yards and one touchdown. He looked the better of the two quarterbacks that played, completing a 43 yard touchdown pass to Freshman Jalen Brown. He has the most upside for the Ducks at the quarterback position and his speed is perfect for the offense. He had a chance for two big gains or touchdowns but overthrew his intended target twice. The best pass came from wide receiver Bralon Addison, who on a trick play threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Charles Nelson.

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What was no different from any game this year, was that Oregon’s rushing attack racked up the most yards, they had 361 total rushing yards to 176 yards passing. It is great that the Oregon Ducks have such capable runners to fall back on while they sort out the quarterback situation, but they can’t do that every game. Royce Freeman was again the workhorse carrying 27 times for 163 yards with two touchdowns.

Freshman running back, Taj Griffin, stepped up in a big way carrying the ball 11 times for 11o yards, along with a beautiful 62 yard run, where he really got to show his speed. He also scored his first college rushing touchdown on a two yard run. More importantly, the Ducks have another capable back that can carry the rock and taking the ball to the corner, while Freeman runs between the tackles.

Joe Walker was the standout on defense, picking off a pass and recovering a fumble on Colorado’s first two opening drives. The defense showed signs of life, although they still have many things to fix. They let Colorado hang around til the third quarter until the Oregon Ducks finally pulled away. The bright side was that they held the Buffaloes to only 24 points, the fewest points they have given up all season.

The Ducks still have many things to iron out concerning their passing attack and defense. They are third in the Pac-12 North, and will probably get a lower bowl game then they are used to. They have another game to figure out who’s going to be the starter, and how to tighten up things on the defense side of the ball against Washington State this Saturday. They host the Cougars at Autzen Stadium at 3pm on the Pac-12 Network. They are expected to win even though many are starting to realize this is a rebuilding year for the Ducks.