The Oregon Ducks dominated from the first whistle to the final whistle on Saturday, setting a program record with 81 points and going the final 52 minutes of game time without allowing a single score from the Portland State Vikings.
Of course, that’s what was supposed to happen.
“It’s a standard,” head coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “That’s how we measure ourselves, based on the standard — not necessarily on the scoreboard.”
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The scoreboard at Autzen Stadium read a number that it never had on Saturday, and the Ducks got off to a strong start for the 2023 season. Of course, the story of Oregon’s season isn’t going to be told based on what the team did against Portland State, but rather against schools like Texas Tech, Washington, USC, and Oregon State.
However, the season has to start somewhere, and the Ducks did everything possible to convince those who watched on Saturday that they are every bit as elite as people expect them to be this year. Following the game, here are some of my biggest takeaways from all of the action: