Ducks Drub Buffaloes, 45-3

Friday, October 11

Eugene, Ore.

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

5-1 , 3-0

Colorado

3-3 , 1-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Colorado

Oregon

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

10/12/19 | Football

Box Score FINAL STATS - #13 Oregon 45, Colorado 3 Oregon Postgame Notes - Colorado

The Oregon football team continued to play historically good defense Friday night, and the offense was balanced and efficient.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — Four games of dominant defense still left some questions to be answered by the Oregon defense.

Nevada and Montana weren't Power 5 opponents. Stanford and California were dealing with injuries to their starting quarterbacks. Yes, the Ducks allowed 22 combined points to that quartet. But if you were looking for caveats, you could find them.

Friday's challenge was different. Colorado was averaging nearly 450 yards and 35 points per game. The Buffaloes had a senior quarterback, surrounded by a physical line and talented skill position players.

There would be no caveats Friday night. The Ducks again were dominant. And now, there's no denying they're for real.

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Oregon held yet another opponent to one score, while also putting together a complete offensive performance in a 45-3 victory Friday before 50,529 fans in Autzen Stadium. Since giving up 27 points in their season-opening loss to Auburn, the Ducks have allowed 25 points — total — in five games.

"We're confident," said redshirt freshman safety Verone McKinley, who had two interceptions Saturday. "But the thing is, we fear complacency."

With Washington looming next week, that should be music to Mario Cristobal's ears. The Ducks are about to face their toughest rival, after looking dominant against a Colorado team that had wins over Nebraska and Arizona State coming into Friday.

Oregon limited the Buffs to 299 yards and three points, while putting up 527 yards of offense and averaging 7.4 yards per play. Justin Herbert completed 18-of-32 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns, with a press box full of NFL personnel on hand watching. CJ Verdell returned from an injury suffered the week before to rush for 171 yards, Cyrus Habibi-Likio scored three times and Jaylon Redd had a receiving touchdown for the fifth straight game, as well as a rushing touchdown.

"We got to move the ball early, throw the ball around, and the running game came along too," Herbert said.

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The Ducks (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12) won the opening coin toss and took the ball, looking to make a statement. They did, the statement being that an offense predicated on physical play at the line of scrimmage also could ride the arm of its stud pro prospect at quarterback.

Herbert completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive, for 77 yards and a touchdown. The scoring pass was to tight end Jacob Breeland, who later suffered an injury Cristobal said would require further assessment, the only dark cloud on an otherwise brilliant evening. (Troy Dye and Jevon Holland also saw their nights end prematurely, but Cristobal said postgame their injuries were believed to be minor.)

After the opening touchdown by Oregon, Steven Montez led Colorado onto the field. Three years after torching the Ducks as a freshman at Autzen in 2016, Montez figured to engage in a shootout with Herbert all night. Instead, the UO defense also made a loud opening statement: The Buffs went three-and-out on their opening drive, one of four times they did so on the evening.

The UO offense had no such trouble. Camden Lewis made his second field goal in two weeks in the second quarter, responding to Colorado's only score of the night by putting the Ducks back up 10-3. Habibi-Likio and Redd scored once each in the second quarter, and again once each in the third. The rout was on.

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That was so because Oregon's defense allowed Montez no quarter. He came into the game with two interceptions on the season. By game's end that number had tripled; McKinley picked off two passes, and also tipped a ball that was intercepted by Bryson Young.

Woods played extensively after Holland was injured. The Ducks also got significant reps for non-starters Brady Breeze, Sampson Niu, MJ Cunningham, Mase Funa, Popo Aumavae and Gary Baker, among others.

"The key is, you've got to affect the quarterback," Cristobal said. "You've got to set edges in the run game, and affect the quarterback. And our guys did that."

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Colorado's field goal was its only scoring play in four red-zone trips Friday. The Ducks came into the night already leading the FBS with just two touchdowns allowed in the red zone, in 10 trips by opponents. They've still allowed just two, in what's now 14 opponent red-zone trips.

That stout defense helped the Ducks finish their fifth straight game holding an opponent to single-digit scoring. That last happened at Oregon in 1958.

The historic numbers are piling up for the UO defense. And after Friday night, it's getting harder and harder to punch holes in the idea this Duck defense his historically good.