Triple Threat: Lewis' Kick Beats WSU

Saturday, October 26

Eugene, Ore.

7:30 PM

University of Oregon

7-1 , 5-0

Washington State

4-4 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Washington State

Oregon

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

10/26/19 | Football

Box Score FINAL STATS - #11 Oregon 37, Washington State 35 Postgame Notes

Freshman Camden Lewis made a field goal at the final gun to help Oregon take advantage of a three-touchdown night by CJ Verdell and beat WSU.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — It took to the final gun to secure, but Oregon beat Washington State late Saturday to remain unbeaten in the Pac-12, snap a losing streak to the Cougars and keep alive the drive to a conference title.

True freshman Camden Lewis made his third field goal of the game as time expired, a 26-yard kick that gave the No. 11 Ducks a 37-35 victory before a crowd of 59,361 in Autzen Stadium. The Cougars had gone ahead by a point with 1:00 to play, but Justin Herbert went 4-of-4 for 52 yards on the final possession, setting up Lewis for the game-winning kick.

"He went in there cool as could be and got it done," UO coach Mario Cristobal said.

Oregon (7-1, 5-0 Pac-12) ended a four-game losing streak to WSU by winning its seventh in a row this season. The Ducks did it largely by pounding away in the run game, with Herbert's 35-game streak with a passing touchdown coming to an end on a night CJ Verdell rushed 23 times for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns.

133964

WSU's always prolific passing game accounted for 406 yards through the air, and Anthony Gordon's third passing touchdown of the night gave the Cougars a brief lead with a minute left in the game. But the Ducks also picked him off twice in the first half, once by Verone McKinley III in the end zone and later on a pick-six by Jevon Holland.

The UO defense also forced WSU to settle for two field goals in the red zone, critical points in a game that ended on the final play.

"Our guys did a really good job the whole way through, kept fighting," Cristobal said. "They kept us in the game, and it paid off."

The teams initially traded field goals in the first quarter, before Verdell exploded for an 89-yard rushing touchdown late in the period. From there on out the teams traded scoring plays back and forth, all the way to the game-winning field goal; the biggest lead of the game was 31-20 for the Ducks on Verdell's third touchdown of the night early in the fourth quarter.

133986

Oregon played without senior defensive leader Troy Dye, who suffered a broken thumb at Washington last week. McKinley led the defense with seven tackles, and Holland had six.

Herbert was 21-of-30 passing for 222 yards, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers. Senior graduate transfer Juwan Johnson led the receivers with 64 yards on four receptions, including catches for 15 and 24 yards on the final possession, consecutive plays that got the Ducks from midfield into the red zone, setting the stage for the dramatics from Lewis.