For those Oregon fans with stomach problems, this football team may not be for you. The prescriptions for Protonix and Zofran might have increased in this state after watching the Ducks commit miscue after miscue, but still come home with a 38-30 win over Texas Tech Saturday night.
Oregon was flagged 14 times for 124 yards, many which set potential drives back or just ended drives altogether.
The Ducks also had some, shall we say, questionable coaching decisions that cost them at least a field goal. Thankfully for Oregon, the flags and other didn’t cost Oregon.
With just over four minutes to go and down 30-28, quarterback Bo Nix led his Ducks on a 64-yard drive that ended with Camden Lewis booting the 34-yard game-winning field goal.
Texas Tech still had a chance, but the Ducks forced Tyler Shough into a Pick-6 from Jeffrey Bassa to seal the deal. Oregon is now 2-0 and come home to play a hapless Hawaii team.
Final Score: Oregon 38, Texas Tech 30
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It was the first true game to a Big XII team for the Ducks since 2004 and they sure made it a memorable trip as Oregon’s big fourth quarter preserved the win.
Keys to the game
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- Down by two with just over four minutes to go, the Duck offense had to come up with a game-winning drive on the road and they did. Nix led Oregon down the field to set up Camden Lewis’ 34-yard game-winner with just over a minute left.
- Oregon’s defense definitely had an up and down kind of night, but when it needed to come up with a huge play, the Ducks did. Getting pressure on Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough was a hit-and-miss deal for most of the night, but Oregon finally coaxed him into an interception that Bassa turned into a touchdown with less than a minute to play.
- The third quarter was something Oregon would like to forget as the Red Raiders took control of the game right after halftime. Texas Tech outscored the Ducks 14-0 in that time and took a 30-18 lead.
- Oregon fans were wondering if Dan Lanning had learned some lessons from Year 1 with some questionable decisions and tonight didn’t exactly alleviate some of those fears. Oregon had a chance to take a 21-20 lead with an easy field goal, but instead decided to go for it on fourth down, which they didn’t convert. Texas Tech managed to score four plays later to extend its lead.
- Oregon didn’t have a monopoly on questionable coaching decisions, however. Ahead 27-25, the Red Raiders had a fourth-and-two from their own 33-yard line and opted to go for it. Shough was stopped and Oregon was able to kick a 28-yard field goal to take a brief 28-27 lead.
Players of the Game
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- Bo Nix: 32-of-44, 359 yards, 2 TD
- Troy Franklin: 6 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD
- Tez Johnson: 4 catches, 37 yards, 1 TD
- Camden Lewis: 3-for-3 FG, 34 long
- Jeffrey Bassa, 9 tackles, 8 solo, 1 INT, 1 TD
Key Stats to Know
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- Oregon was flagged 14 times for 124 yards
- Tyler Shough was 24-of-40 for 282 yards, threw for 3 TD, but had 3 INT. He also was the game’s leading rusher with 101 yards and another score
- Texas Tech defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson led with 12 tackles, 11 solo
- It was 96 degrees at kickoff
What’s Next?
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Oregon comes home to play a hapless Hawaii team that already has losses to Stanford and Vanderbilt. Ironically, the Ducks have lost three straight to the Rainbow Warriors and the last time these two teams met was in 1994 when Hawaii came into Autzen and won 36-16. That season turned out pretty well for the Ducks, however, with a Rose Bowl appearance.
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