Washington State vs. Oregon Football 2009
No. 16 Ducks Deliver 2nd Consecutive Pac-10 Blowout
No. 16 Oregon provided a strong argument that it was the latter, outclassing Washington State 52-6 in a Pac-10 game Saturday, Oct. 3, at Eugene, Ore. The Ducks (4-1 overall, 2-0 Pac-10) raced to a 42-0 halftime lead in winning their fourth consecutive game.
So dominant were the Ducks that coach Chip Kelly was able to send starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to the bench with his team up 35-0 in the second quarter.
Of course, Washington State (1-4, 0-3) wasn’t the toughest opponent one could have placed opposite the Ducks – especially at Autzen Stadium. But the Cougars did put up a stubborn fight in their 27-6 loss to USC the previous week, and expecting them to stay in the game with Oregon for a quarter didn’t seem unrealistic.
Yet coach Paul Wulff’s team managed only 158 yards of offense, and its lone touchdown drive went one yard. It came on a plunge by QB Marshall Lobbestael after Oregon fumbled a third quarter punt. And even then, it took the Cougars three tries to get across.
The Ducks again played without star cornerback Walter Thurmond III, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the opening kickoff of the Cal game. But they turned in their second straight powerhouse performance, recording four sacks and getting interceptions from Javes Lewis and Talmadge Jackson. The Ducks yielded just four first downs.
Oregon's spread offense, meanwhile, piled up 31 first downs and 514 yards, including a season-high 332 on the ground. Ducks freshman LaMicheel James rushed 13 times for 83 yard and two TDs.
Masoli completed 14 of 18 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown before, and tight end Ed Dickson enjoyed his second consecutive 100-yard game, making seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown – all in the first half.
Oregon Scores TDs on 6 of 7 Drives in 1st Half
The Ducks went 60 yards on their opening possession, taking a 7-0 lead when James scored from 26 yards out on a fourth-and-one play. Oregon’s second drive stalled at the Washington State 40, but the third was a three-play, 41-yard march that ended with 25-yard pass from Masoli to Dickson with 3:24 left in the first quarter.
The next scoring march was even shorter. A 31-yard punt return by Kenjon Barner set up Oregon on the Washington State 24. Masoli broke loose for a 21-yard jaunt, and James rushed in for a 3-yard score to make it 21-0 with 32 seconds left in the period.
Washington State finally got a first down early in the second quarter, but the Ducks had the ball back by the 12:05 mark. They moved 73 yards on 11 plays in just 2:42, with Masoli bucking across from the 1 for a 28-0 lead.
As if the Cougars weren’t in worse enough shape, Lobbestael’s pass was intercepted by Lewis on the first play of the next drive on the Oregon 20. The Ducks, aided by consecutive pass interference penalties, went the distance on nine plays. They took a 35-0 lead on Andre Crenshaw’s 6-yard run with 6:40 to play in the half.
There was time for one more score, and backup QB Nate Costa guided Oregon State on an 83-yard drive, which he capped with a 4-yard TD.
Cougars Finally Score Late in 3rd Quarter
The Ducks finally did let up in the second half, adding a 40-yard Morgan Flint field goal in the third and a 6-yard scoring run by Remene Alston in the fourth. Washington State ended Oregon’s shutout bid on Lobbestael’s TD with 2:08 left in the third.
The sophomore QB came off the bench when freshman starter Jeff Tuel was injured in the first quarter. Tuel threw just two passes, and exited after the second of two Will Tukuafu sacks.
Loebbestael was 7-for-13 for 48 yards with two interceptions. The most productive offensive weapon for the Cougars was Carl Winston, who had seven rushes for 56 yards in a relief role.
For Oregon, Costa went 7-for-9 for 80 yards, and Alston ran for 59 yards on 12 carries. Masoli added 52 yards on seven rushes, and Crenshaw gained 48 yards on nine attempts.
Oregon Next Faces UCLA
Oregon, which is a half-game behind Stanford in the Pac-10 race, will continue Pac-10 play on Saturday, Oct. 10, at UCLA. The Bruins (3-1, 0-1) dropped their conference opener 24-16 to Stanford (4-1, 3-0).
Washington State will be at home vs. Arizona State (2-2, 0-1).
The Ducks lead the all-time series with the Cougars, 42-38-7, and have won three in a row over Washington State.
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