Five Takeaways from Oregon vs Purdue
The Oregon Ducks took on the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, IN Friday after last week’s epic game against Ohio State and rolled to a 35-0 shutout win. Below are my five biggest takeaways from the game with explanations than each.
Oregon Starts Hot
The Ducks got off to a ripping start with 21 points on their first three drives, helping them take a lead of the same size a little over 18 minutes into the game. Many (including myself) were concerned that the Ducks would come out a bit flat following last week’s down-to-the-wire game but they put any notion of that to rest right off the bat.
It’s a testament to coach Dan Lanning and his staff that they were able to fire up this Oregon squad enough to put any trap game implications to rest early.
Ducks All Over Purdue at the Line of Scrimmage
While the Boilermakers were able to have some success getting to the edge in the run game against Oregon’s defense, anything near the tackle box was swallowed up by the Ducks essentially right away all game. This led to nine tackles for loss and two sacks (some of which were hard to discern from each other) and a complete shutting down of the passing game for Purdue.
Backfield presence continues to be a strength for Oregon’s defense and it showed up in a big way here. If the Ducks can maintain this through the season, the defense is going to put up some gaudy numbers that set modern program records.
Evan Stewart Shines Again
After a legitimate breakout performance against Ohio State a week ago, Stewart followed up by leading Oregon in receiving yards for the second straight game with 96. He did this on just four catches (and targets), showing the big-play potential he brings to the Ducks’ offense.
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It wasn’t the fastest start for Stewart as he adapted to Oregon’s offense early in the season but he’s really put it together lately and has a case as the best receiver on the team.
Purdue Shoots Itself in the Foot
The Ducks weren’t perfect on Friday but the Boilermakers derailed any chance they had at making this a competitive game. From penalties to special teams errors, Purdue came out as flat as some thought Oregon would.
Ducks on Cruise Control
Oregon made this one look pretty easy. From a strong early lead to closing hot in the fourth quarter, the Ducks never let Purdue get anything going save from a few nice runs early.
Oregon’s offense was effective throughout the matchup and the defense played its best game of the season. This type of performance should instill confidence as the Ducks take on ranked Illinois next week in Eugene.
