University of Oregon
1-1
Michigan State
2-0
Ducks Drop Thriller To Spartans, 31-28
09/13/15 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The No. 7 Oregon football team dropped a dramatic 31-28 decision at Michigan State before 76,526 in Spartan Stadium on Saturday, as the home team evened the score after its loss at Autzen Stadium last season.
How It Happened: The Ducks (1-1) struggled to get untracked offensively much of the night, with Royce Freeman bottled up and Vernon Adams Jr. playing with gloves on both hands after being knocked out of Oregon's opener a week earlier. Two late defensive stands allowed the offense to score and made it a three-point game, but the Ducks couldn't complete the comeback despite getting another possession
There were no hints of the offensive struggles to come when Oregon drove to a touchdown on the game's opening drive. Charles Nelson returned to the starting lineup after a one-game absence and caught three balls for 43 yards on the possession, setting up a two-yard rushing touchdown by Freeman. But that would be the only UO offensive touchdown of the first three quarters.
Michigan State (2-0) answered immediately, with Madre London's 62-yard rush on the Spartans' first play from scrimmage setting up a Connor Cook passing touchdown to Josiah Price. Cook added another touchdown pass in the second quarter, while Adams threw two first-half interceptions and Freeman was stopped on a fourth-down run short of the goal line.
Addison's return after a three-and-out from the UO defense opened the second half, and tied the game. Michigan State went up 21-14 on an L.J. Scott rushing touchdown that followed a long fourth-down conversion, the fifth in five attempts by UO opponents this season. A Michael Geiger field goal gave the Spartans some breathing room at 24-14, before the UO offense got going again and Adams rushed for a short touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Michigan State answered quickly again, going 65 yards in three plays, the last another TD run by Scott for a 31-21 lead. But the Spartans would go three-and-out on their next two drives, while the Ducks pulled within a field goal on a Byron Marshall touchdown with 3:25 to play. Marshall got open behind the defense on Oregon's next possession, but Adams overthrew him and Michigan State held on to win.
Who Stood Out: Addison's 236 all-purpose yards were a career-high. He led the Ducks with seven receptions for 138 yards, and returned four punts for 98 yards. … Marshall's touchdown was the 26th of his career, tying him for 10th on the UO career list with Saladin McCullough (1996-97). … Arrion Springs led the Ducks with 13 tackles, a week after fellow cornerback Chris Seisey led the team with nine. … Joe Walker added 11 tackles.
Quotable:
Mark Helfrich, UO coach
"You guys who were here last year, we went through a similar situation. We lost a battle, and the next day, it was on. It galvanized us like never before."
Tyson Coleman, UO linebacker
"You never want to give up. That's something the coaches preach every day. That's our motto, finish, and I'm definitely proud of our team and how we battled and fought back."
Vernon Adams Jr., UO quarterback
"I've got to take care of the ball. Those two interceptions are unacceptable. I need to take care of the ball and find a way to get a win."
What It Means: The Ducks dropped to 1-1 on the season, though the tight finish should resonate well when pundits are comparing one-loss teams. A strong run to a conference title would keep them in play for a College Football Playoff berth, but that road just got a bit tougher.
Notes: Not only did Nelson return as a starter, sophomore receiver Devon Allen played on Oregon's first possession. It was his first playing time since last season's Rose Bowl. … The UO defense held Michigan State to 3-of-12 on third down, but the Spartans converted both their fourth-down conversion attempts, each setting up a touchdown. … Oregon was whistled for nine penalties, while the home team was whistled for two. A Pac-12 crew officiated the game.
Up Next: The Ducks return home to wrap up their nonconference schedule next Saturday against Georgia State (11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks).
Team Stats
ORE 7, MSU 0
ORE - Freeman, Royce 2 yd run (Schneider, A. kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:50
ORE 7, MSU 7
MSU - Price, Josiah 12 yd pass from Cook, Connor (Geiger, Michael kick) 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:08
ORE 7, MSU 14
MSU - Burbridge, A. 17 yd pass from Cook, Connor (Geiger, Michael kick) 6 plays, 30 yards, TOP 2:16
ORE 14, MSU 14
ORE - Addison, Bralon 81 yd punt return (Schneider, A. kick)
ORE 14, MSU 21
MSU - Scott, LJ 6 yd run (Geiger, Michael kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:00
ORE 14, MSU 24
MSU - Geiger, Michael 36 yd field goal 12 plays, 59 yards, TOP 5:29
ORE 21, MSU 24
ORE - Adams Jr., V. 2 yd run (Schneider, A. kick), 12 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:47
ORE 21, MSU 31
MSU - Scott, LJ 38 yd run (Geiger, Michael kick), 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:20
ORE 28, MSU 31
ORE - Marshall, Byron 15 yd pass from Adams Jr., V. (Schneider, A. kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:49
