Slow Start, Sloppy Victory Perhaps A Good Thing For No. 1 Oregon Ducks

By SPENCER McLAUGHLIN
Contributor, 750 The Game

Oregon started slow. The Ducks shot themselves in the foot with 12 penalties, 6 of which led to Maryland first downs. The offense didn’t create any explosive plays. They settled for 3 points at home after 1st and goal inside the 5.

Oregon beat Maryland 39-18 and it didn’t always feel like it.

I sense that Duck fans would have a far more negative reaction to this game if not for the most hilarious but successful touchdown drive in the third quarter. Jordan Burch ran the ball for a fake punt conversion in their own territory, backup OL Gernorris Wilson caught Dillon Gabriel’s record-setting touchdown, and starting LT Josh Conerly ran in the 2-point conversion. 

That drive felt like it cut the mounting tension inside Autzen Stadium with Oregon only up 21-10 in the third quarter. They punted to begin the 2nd half on their previous drive on a day where Oregon didn’t have the sort of offensive success it should have. Maryland’s secondary is young and has struggled this year, but Oregon’s passing game yielded just 184 yards for Dillon Gabriel without star WR Tez Johnson. Some short fields from the defense depressed that total a bit, but it was not a sharp day for the Oregon offense.

The defense wasn’t perfect either. Maryland was 7-16 on third down offensively, and while that’s usually a respectable number it felt far worse for Tosh Lupoi’s defense. Penalties ranging from roughing the kicker to pass interference extended drives for the Terrapins in Eugene. The Ducks were usually their own worst enemy to allow 18 points.

By the way, Oregon won the game by 21 points.

That’s where this Ducks team is at. Sloppy offense, infuriating penalties to keep drives alive, and its lowest passing yardage total of the season. That those things add up to a 3 touchdown victory reflects how good Dan Lanning’s team truly is. Could this be a game Oregon needed?

They had not been challenged since the Ohio State game with scores including 35-0 at Purdue and 38-9 against Illinois. The Ducks weren’t pushed down to the wire (Idaho!) as they were early in the season. I wonder if this game will serve as a message to the guys in that locker room, or at least a reminder.

A reminder that you have to be sharp and at your best every week, lest someone find the right sequence of events to pull an upset. #4 Miami went down to unranked Georgia Tech while #3 Georgia also suffered its second loss of the season against Ole Miss. Kirby Smart’s team hadn’t lost to a team not named Alabama since 2020.

These sorts of games aren’t going to make big headlines across college football. Oregon wins by 21 against unranked Maryland–whatever, right? In today’s world of college football, Dan Lanning’s unbeaten record against unranked opponents continues to be a sharper feather in his cap. The talent gap between the top and bottom of the sport isn’t as severe as it used to be. I mean, Vanderbilt beat Alabama for goodness’ sake.

Oregon got the win, and that’s what matters most. They’re 10-0 for the first time since 2012 and are 2 wins away from the second ever 12-0 regular season in Eugene. 

If nothing else, this game should serve as a reminder to every player who wore green and yellow on Saturday that a growth/progress mindset is always warranted in this sport to reach your full potential. Last thought I’ll leave you with:

Has Oregon played its best game of 4-quarter football yet? 

Spencer McLaughlin is an Oregon Ducks football contributor to 750 The Game. He also hosts the “Locked On Oregon Ducks” and “Locked On College Football” podcasts and has work featured throughout the season here.