No. 24 Ducks Win Opener Over UC Davis, 53-28

Saturday, September 3

Eugene, Ore.

2:00 PM

University of Oregon

1-0

UC Davis

0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UC Davis

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

09/03/16 | Football

Box Score Official Game Book Dye Enjoys Memorable Debut For UO Defense Young Offensive Line Learns On The Job In Opener

A new quarterback, new offensive line and new defense needed to time to find their rhythm before helping Oregon open 2016 with a victory.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — After a jittery start to the 2016 season opener, No. 24 Oregon settled down in all three phases and went on to a comfortable if uneven 53-28 victory over UC Davis on Saturday afternoon before 53,817 in Autzen Stadium. The game marked the UO debut of graduate transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop, and the first for the Ducks under new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke.

How It Happened: The Ducks (1-0) trailed out of the gate after getting a stop on defense but then muffing a punt and allowing the Aggies to take a 7-0 lead. Order was restored late in the first quarter when Royce Freeman rushed for his first touchdown of the season, giving the Ducks an 8-7 lead after PAT holder Charles Nelson rushed for the two-point conversion.

That began a stretch of 33 unanswered points by Oregon. Aidan Schneider kicked off second-quarter scoring with a 31-yard field goal, and Prukop added touchdown passes to Johnny Mundt and Jalen Brown for a 25-7 halftime lead. The run extended into the third quarter, when Prukop ran in a touchdown from one yard out, following a 49-yard rush by Freeman on the previous play.

UC Davis (0-1) used a 50-yard pass play to set up a 20-yard rushing touchdown by Manusamoa Luuga to get within 33-14. But after Freeman fumbled on the next UO possession, he atoned for the mistake with his second rushing touchdown, set up by a Nelson punt return down to the 8-yard line. That made it 39-14, and the Aggies tacked on another touchdown late in the third quarter to pull within 39-21.

The Aggies were poised to score again early in the fourth quarter, when true freshman Troy Dye put the exclamation point on an amazing debut by blocking a field goal. Four plays later, Prukop connected on his third TD pass of the day, a 55-yard bomb to Darren Carrington II, and Oregon was back firmly in control. Luuga's third rushing TD of the game made it 46-28, but the Ducks finished with a flourish: Tony Brooks-James' spinning 33-yard TD run for the final points of the afternoon.

Who Stood Out: Coming into the season, the offensive skill spots looked like positions of strength, and those Ducks didn't disappoint. Prukop completed 21-of-30 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 36 yards and a TD. Freeman ran just 11 times, for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and Carrington caught seven balls for 117 yards.

Nelson's numbers typified Oregon's day as a whole. Back on offense full-time so start this season, he led all players with 288 all-purpose yards, including 251 as a returner. But he also muffed a punt to set up Davis' first touchdown, and later was stripped on a kickoff return while trying to fight for a couple of extra yards rather than step out of bounds. And the freshman linebacker Dye was a revelation, making 11 tackles – more than double any of his teammates. That included 4.5 tackles for loss, one of those a sack.

What It Means: The Ducks won their season opener for the fifth year in a row. Saturday also marked the end of an Autzen Stadium sellout streak that began in 1999 and lasted 110 games, with some six million fans filling the seats during a streak that lasted nearly 17 full seasons.

Notable: The Ducks wore special uniforms to honor long-time strength and conditioning coach Jim Radcliffe. The grey jerseys with blue collars followed the style of the workout T-shirts players wear in the weight room. … Oregon's starting offensive line featured four redshirt freshmen, along with senior right guard Cameron Hunt. With Tyrell Crosby not in uniform, position coach Steve Greatwood started Brady Aiello at left tackle, Shane Lemieux at left guard, Jake Hanson at center and Calvin Throckmorton at right tackle. … Six true freshmen made their collegiate debuts, including Dye as the starting SAM linebacker. Cornerback Brenden Schooler was a starter on the kickoff unit, and linebackers Keith Simms and La'Mar Winston Jr. later subbed in with that group. Defensive end Bryson Young was employed in a six-lineman goal-line package late in the third quarter. The final snap of the game was received by Justin Herbert, the Eugene native who made his debut at quarterback with the Ducks.

Up Next: The Ducks remain at home next Saturday to host Virginia (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN).

Highlights:

HIGHLIGHTS | Ducks open the 2016 season with a 53-28 win over UC Davis. #GoDucks #UCDvsUO https://t.co/sgri6bwDIN
— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) September 4, 2016