The Oregon Ducks season opener did not go as planned.
On Saturday before the game, Oregon was favored by 45.5 points over the Idaho Vandals, but with under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter the Ducks found themselves ahead by just three points, leading 17-14.
There were a lot of issues with the way the Ducks played, particularly on offense. The offensive line struggled for all four quarters, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel had several miscues. Wide receiver Tez Johnson was a bright spot, catching 12 passes for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the standout player in Oregon’s season opener was cornerback Brandon Johnson. He is the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.
Johnson, a nickel corner who transferred this offseason from the Duke Blue Devils, kept the Ducks in the game as Idaho continued to put pressure on them. In the first half, the Vandals were driving, threatening to tie the game 7-7, when Johnson contorted his body and bobbled the ball before securing an interception in the Oregon end zone. The Ducks capitalized off the turnover, embarking on a long drive that ended in a Jordan James touchdown.
Johnson’s impact didn’t stop there. On the Vandals’ final drive in the first half, QB Jack Layne took a shot to the pylon to Tony Harste, but Johnson was draped all over and broke up the pass. In the second half, on a critical third down, Johnson got into the backfield to blow up a screen pass, making the tackle for a two-yard loss and forcing a punt.
Johnson’s performance was spectacular, and he’ll be valuable for Oregon next week and all season, but the Ducks have a lot of work to do ahead of Boise State. And although the offense was Oregon’s main problem area on Saturday, the defense needs work as well.
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