Oregon Survives Head-Scratching Scare Against Idaho

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The No. 3-ranked Oregon Ducks (1-0) opened up as 44-point favorites for their game on Aug. 31st against the Idaho Vandals (0-1) in their season opener. Despite Idaho making it challenging for the Ducks, Oregon emerged with a 24-14 victory. This was a disappointing debut for Oregon in their home stadium.

Simple Game Notes

Despite opening up as heavy favorites, Oregon only won by 10 points. Idaho not only covered the spread with ease but also gave the Ducks a late-game scare that most Oregon fans would deem unacceptable. Saturday seemed to show a similar trend for teams that brought in a plethora of talent through the Transfer Portal. However, most teams weathered the storm in the second half. Oregon, on the other hand, did not.

After a couple of failed fourth downs, Oregon found themselves in risky territory in the fourth quarter. The Ducks gave up a touchdown on yet another trick play, cutting their lead to 17-14 midway through the fourth. Nonetheless, Oregon responded with a drive into the red zone. The Ducks found themselves in a fourth-and-7, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel caught the Vandals offsides on the play, forcing a fourth-and-2. Wide receiver Tez Johnson punched in his second receiving touchdown on the play, giving Oregon a comfortable two-possession lead with roughly five minutes remaining.

Turning Point for Oregon

Head coach Dan Lanning created himself a comfortable 14-0 lead to start the game. However, the offensive line created a lot of pressure for Gabriel. Despite being his first game with the Ducks, Gabriel exhibited a masterclass performance. After Idaho made it 17-14, Gabriel led a clutch drive to ice the game. Gabriel went 3-of-5 with 30 yards and a game-sealing touchdown on fourth down to Johnson.

What It Means for Both Teams

For Oregon, it is back to the drawing board. There is no excuse for how ugly the game was. The Ducks might have been missing veteran guard Matthew Bedford, but that is not a reason to explain why the run game was essentially non-existent. The Ducks struggled at the line of scrimmage. Ajani Cornelius had a rough game at right tackle. The entire offensive line struggled outside of Josh Conerly. The Ducks must find a way to get back to their previous success in 2023 with the run game.

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The absence of Jackson Powers-Johnson is glaring. However, Gabriel proved once again his clutch gene is real. Gabriel and Johnson were an unstoppable duo agains the Vandals. Gabriel finished 41-of-49 for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns. His veteran leadership, along with Johnson, won Oregon the ballgame.

For Idaho, this is a reason to be excited. The Vandals lost Gevani McCoy to Oregon State in the Transfer Portal this offseason. However, Jack Layne showed some fight today. The Vandals showed that they are no joke at the line of scrimmage and might be a problem for the remainder of their schedule. There is no reason for Idaho to hang their heads after its performance agains the Ducks.