Ducks Storm L.A., Win 56-24

Saturday, November 2

Los Angeles, Calif.

5:00 PM

University of Oregon

8-1 , 6-0

USC

5-4 , 4-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Oregon

USC

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

11/02/19 | Football

Box Score FINAL STATS - #7 Oregon 56, USC 24 Postgame Notes

The Oregon football team took some punches early but fought back with a vengeance to beat USC on Saturday night.

By: Rob Moseley

LOS ANGELES — Down two scores after the first quarter, No. 7 Oregon stormed back to dominate Southern California on Saturday night in the L.A. Coliseum, 56-24, cementing the Ducks' grasp on the Pac-12 North and keeping them in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth.

The UO football team won its eighth straight game, and did it in come-from-behind fashion for the third time in a row. But after two dramatic, late-game comebacks to beat Washington and WSU, the Ducks dug themselves out of an early hole Saturday and trounced the Trojans on their home turf.

"We started a little slow," UO coach Mario Cristobal said. "But once we got going, we really got going."

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The Ducks (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) trailed 10-0 in the first quarter after USC marched to a touchdown on its opening drive, then converted just the second interception of the season thrown by Justin Herbert into a field goal. The Trojans were marching again after a UO punt, but Verone McKinley III's interception of a tipped pass changed the momentum — more thoroughly than anyone could have known at the time.

Herbert's first rushing touchdown began a run of 21 straight points by the Ducks, capped by a pick-six from safety Brady Breeze. USC ended that run with a touchdown to get within 21-17 late in the first half, by Mykael Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards with 8 seconds left before halftime, for a 28-17 lead.

The second half was all Oregon, as the Ducks scored 28 straight points. That run included three touchdown passes by Herbert to Juwan Johnson, and another by UO backup quarterback Tyler Shough, to Mycah Pittman. Johnson's three-touchdown performance came in his first start at Oregon, while Pittman's touchdown gave him bragging rights with his brother, a receiver for USC.

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The win kept Oregon atop the Pac-12 North with an unblemished record, 6-0. Oregon State is second at 3-2; the Beavers play Washington next week, while the Ducks rest up during their second bye week of the season. USC fell a game behind Utah in the Pac-12 South.

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released during the Ducks' upcoming bye week.

"Without question," Cristobal said, "I feel we need to be in that conversation."

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The performance was far from perfect, with Oregon whistled for 12 penalties for 157 yards in a game fueled by the emotions of two rosters stacked with players who grew up in southern California. Nick Pickett will miss the first half of Oregon's next game, Nov. 16 against Arizona, after being ejected for targeting. And defensive lineman Austin Faoliu was ejected as well, after picking up two personal fouls on the same play.

"We've just got to be able to play with more poise," Cristobal said. "And I've got to teach that. We've encouraged so much intensity, at the same time we've got to know when to throttle down."

But even those significant setbacks couldn't deter the Ducks' dominance. Oregon averaged 6.43 yards per play on the way to 405 yards of offense, and won the turnover battle with four takeaways to one giveaway while scoring on special teams thanks to Wright.

Breeze, who figures to start against Arizona while Pickett sits out the first half, added a team-high seven tackles to go along with his pick-six. Johnson caught seven balls for 106 yards and three touchdowns, and Herbert — who overcame a knee injury early in the third quarter that caused him to miss two snaps — was 21-of-26 passing for 225 yards, with the three scoring passes to Johnson.