Oregon Ducks handle business against in state rival but once again start slow which is a habit that the team must break heading into biggest game of the year
The Oregon Ducks beat the Oregon State Beavers in the Civil War but once again started slow and looked sluggish early on.
Oregon moved to 4-0 with a hard-fought win over Oregon State on Saturday, but once again the Ducks found themselves starting slow out of the gate. It mirrored last week’s sluggish first half against Northwestern, where Oregon needed time to settle in before pulling away. While the Ducks ultimately had too much firepower for the Beavers, that kind of uneven start won’t fly next week when they head to Happy Valley for a massive showdown with Penn State. Against elite competition, Oregon will need to be sharp from the opening whistle if it wants to keep its unbeaten run intact and solidify itself as a true playoff contender. Below are my main takeaways from the win against the in-state rival.
Dante Moore is special
It feels like a weekly thing, but Dante Moore continues proving he is one of the best passers in the country. Even though the Ducks started sluggishly, Moore continued to deliver strikes down the field and make big plays with his arm. He finished with 305 passing yards completing 21 of 31 passes and four touchdowns and was in full command of the offense. Moore showed off his ability to use his legs to gain yards, proving he is also an outstanding athlete. If he continues this play into the meat of the Ducks’ schedule, he will be in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Slow start
For the second consecutive week, Oregon started very slowly. The team looked flat and let a very mediocre Beaver team hang around. The Beavers found open weapons and capitalized on a few big plays. While the Ducks ultimately were able to pull away, this type of slow start is unacceptable, especially at home and against an inferior opponent. Against Penn State, the Ducks must come out much hotter if they hope to win against a top-three team in the country on the road.
Depth proves to be a strength again for the Ducks
The Oregon team is full of stars, but the depth of this roster is the most impressive. Second- and third-string players make plays at each position, which illustrates how deep this roster is. While I expect the team to start keeping their starters in more down-to-down, the fact that backups have shown to be capable is enormous, especially as the season goes on and attrition starts to be a factor. Head coach Dan Lanning has built this roster to win one game and thrive throughout the gauntlet of a long BIG-10 season.
