Five Takeaways From Oregon's 49-13 Blowout Win Over Arizona State

The Ducks dominated all three phases Saturday night in Tempe.

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks moved to 10-1 on the year following a dominant win over the Arizona State Sun Devils. 

All that stands between them and a return to the Pac-12 title game is a rivalry matchup with the Oregon State Beavers in week 13.

Before we move ahead to next week, here are my five takeaways from Oregon's win on Saturday in the desert.

1. Bo Nix solidified himself as the Heisman favorite

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Yes, Nix had the highest Heisman odds heading into the week. But a 404 yard, 6 touchdown day left no doubt. 

And to think he did it in just one half of play is astonishing, especially when you consider defense has been the bright spot for Arizona State this year. Jayden Daniels at LSU will continue to get some talk as he should, but his 8 touchdown performance against Georgia State shouldn't carry as much weight as what Nix did in Tempe. 

2. Troy Franklin deserves to be a Biletnikoff finalist

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

The junior wideout had another big game on Saturday, finishing the day with 8 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. Franklin made history against the Sun Devils, breaking Dillon Mitchell's single-season receiving yards record (1,184).

He set the record for most 100-yard receiving games in a season with seven, and tied tied the all-time receiving touchdowns record with 24. What makes him even more impressive is his ascension to the nation's elite, after only catching 18 passes as a true freshman in 2021. 

I think Franklin deserves to be in the same company as Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's Malik Nabers. The film and body of work speak for themselves. 

3. Oregon has a certified two-headed monster at tight end

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Heading into the season all the talk was around Terrance Ferguson at tight end, and perhaps deservedly so. Ferguson led all major statistical categories and Patrick Herbert hadn't been utilized much as an offensive weapon. 

It's safe to say that there isn't much drop off between Ferguson and Herbert now. We can agree Ferguson is the better pass catcher of the two, but Herbert's two-touchdown performance and explosion after the catch shows that he's more than capable of being an asset in the passing game.

If you've followed Oregon for a while, this is more than a welcome sign after the injuries he's battled at the college level.

4. Dontae Manning has made a leap

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

I'm not sure if it's the leap that some fans have hoped to see from Manning, but he's improved his level of play from a year ago, and it's pretty obvious if you watch him. 

He led the Ducks in pass breakups on Saturday with three and it looks like he's really coming into his own. Sure it might be a surprise that the former five-star recruit isn't a starter, but the depth of the cornerback room has created a nice role for him and I'd say he's filling it quite nicely. 

He's a defensive back the staff can put out there with confidence that he'll get the job done.

5. True freshman Cole Martin continues to show promise

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

I was excited about Cole Martin after I saw was he could do in the spring game. 

When starter Evan Williams had to miss some time on Saturday, Martin had his number called and he rose the occasion. He finished the game tied for a team-high in tackles with five, snagged his first interception and logged a pass breakup. 

He nearly had two interceptions, which shows how active he is and the nose he has for the ball. There's plenty of veterans in Oregon's secondary, but if he keeps playing like this we could be seeing more of him sooner rather than later.

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