The Oregon Ducks were justified in wanting to run up the score. They could have gone out to Rich Brooks Field at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night and put up 70 points, and you’d be hard-pressed to find five people in your life that would have shamed them.
After what Stanford did last year and what the Cardinal have repeatedly done to the Ducks over the years, no lead should feel safe, and no vengeful act should ever go unnoticed.
The Ducks put it on the Cardinal late Saturday. The final score was 45-27, but the game was far more lopsided than that. Oregon was up 31-3 at the half and 45-17 in the fourth quarter. It was another game that was never in doubt for Dan Lanning’s young squad. The offense looked great once again — although there were a lot of mistakes to fix — and the defense finally showed up in a fashion that feels commensurate with the unit we envisioned before the year started.
It resulted in a gratifying beat down that may calm some demons for Oregon fans as they go into Stanford week in years to come.
With the win, the Ducks are 4-1 and among the best teams in the Pac-12. Here are our biggest takeaways from Saturday’s game: