Oregon tops Arizona 41-19 in Pac-12 opener

If you just look at the final score you may think Oregon was comfortably in control for the duration of the game, but it was a heck of a lot closer than the scoreboard indicates.

Oregon won its Pac-12 opener over Arizona 41-19 and jumped out to a 1-0 start in Pac-12 play. The Ducks took care of business in the 4th quarter by outscoring Arizona 17-0.

When Oregon needed to make plays on both sides of the ball late, players like Bennett Williams and Anthony Brown were able to step up and close this game out.

It’s not always going to be pretty, but it’s another win for Oregon as they now move to 4-0 on the year and 1-0 in conference play. 

Oregon got things rolling early when Brown connected with Jaylon Redd for a 63-yard touchdown on just the third play of the game. The defense came out strong as Williams was able to intercept a screen pass on the Wildcat’s first drive of the game. 

Oregon wasn’t able to finish off the drive and they had to settle for the 3. The first quarter ended with both teams scoring a touchdown as Arizona responded for a 91-yard drive. Oregon quickly responded with their two-headed monster at running back as Travis Dye ripped off a 53-yard run before CJ Verdell was able to score the very next play.

The second quarter was a bit slower and more methodical as Oregon managed to score a touchdown and Arizona mustered up just a field goal. It was Terrance Ferguson who caught the touchdown for the Ducks, giving him his second of the year. His development has been massive for this offense as it’s lacked a consistent threat at the tight end spot the past couple of seasons.

Oregon really struggled to slow down the run and get pressure on the Arizona quarterback, but the defense was able to make stops when it had to and held Arizona to just 10 points in the first half. 

The second half got off to a weird start for Oregon. Arizona drove down the field before Verone McKinley III intercepted a pass at the 2-yard line. Brown ended up getting sacked in the end-zone for a safety. Arizona put together another long drive and capped it off with a short rushing touchdown that made it a 1 score game heading into the 4th quarter. 

Oregon really started to pull away in the fourth quarter. Camden Lewis nailed a 43-yard field goal which is great to see after he struggled at times last season. Oregon got a quick stop and drove down the field before Brown found Webb for a touchdown to push the lead to two scores. Williams really put this game away when he intercepted a pass and was able to make some moves to return it to the house for a 64-yard touchdown. It was an impressive play and a much-needed one after Oregon had looked flat on defense for most of the game.

Oregon was able to get a stop on defense and bleed out the rest of the clock to win by a final score of 41-19. 

It wasn’t pretty, but Oregon was able to take care of business and make some plays in the fourth quarter to close it out. Not every win is going to be pretty every single week, but Oregon was able to step up in the key moments and put away a Wildcat team that gave it their all and hung around for most of the game. 

Conference games are never easy even at home but Oregon now starts off 1-0 in conference play and they have a tough matchup on the road against Stanford next Saturday.