After losing to a dominant Georgia team to start the season, the Oregon Ducks needed a legitimate opponent to vanquish in order to get some wind back in their sails.
All due respect to the Eastern Washington Eagles, but Oregon could have won 100-0 and it wouldn’t have done a whole lot for the Ducks’ national perception.
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The then-No. 12 BYU Cougars were the key for Oregon to get back into the limelight. Hosting a really good team and coming out on top was the key to getting the Ducks’ season back on track.
That’s exactly what happened, with Oregon dominating the Cougars, winning 41-20 in a game that could have been even more of a blowout. With the victory, Oregon saw their ranking move up across several polls, and now their spot in the ESPN Power Rankings took a massive jump. They now rank No. 13 according to the mothership, and writer Kyle Bonagura had this to say about the Ducks:
A decisive win at home against a ranked opponent was exactly what the Ducks needed to breathe enthusiasm back into the season. Their balanced offense (227 yards passing; 212 rushing) and strong run defense (61 yards allowed; 2.5 yards per carry) allowed this one to get out of hand early. Bo Nix was efficient through the air (13-of-18, 222 yards, two touchdowns) and on the ground (three touchdowns on nine carries) as the Ducks put this one to bed shortly into the second half.
Oregon’s schedule isn’t too frightening over the next month from a national perspective, but a trip to Washington State this weekend is one that should be treated with a lot of care. As long as the Ducks continue to win going forward, though, we should see their ranking stay on the rise.
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