No. 10 Oregon Ducks Throttle No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 to Open Pac-12 Play
The No. 10 Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) handled their business on Saturday against the No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12), coming away with a 42-6 win at home in Eugene.
An explosive offense and a dominant defense was the recipe for success as the hype around the the Colorado program fizzled out and wasn't enough against the Ducks.
First Quarter
Oregon got off to a fast start on Saturday, opening up the action with a 12-play drive, going 53 yards in just over six minutes. Bo Nix looked comfortable early, connecting with both Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson twice on the opening drive, before Noah Whittington capped things off with a three-yard touchdown run.
The Colorado defense went three-and-out on their first drive and Oregon's defense came out playing a physical brand of football.
Nix threw his first touchdown of the day to tight end Casey Kelly from one yard out, but the two-point conversion attempt from Ross James was no good. Colorado was getting hurt by penalties in the first quarter and the Ducks led 13-0 at the end of the opening frame, successfully delivering the opening punch.
Oregon Ducks tight end Casey Kelly celebrates a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Second quarter
The second quarter started with more of the same for Oregon as the defense continued to suffocate the Buffs' offense. Jordan Burch got Oregon's first sack of the game and that was followed up with Evan Williams and Brandon Dorlus getting sacks of their own. Nix threw his first interception of the game on an underthrown deep ball intended for Troy Franklin.
The Ducks got the ball back with five minutes left in the half and the ground game continued to roll, rotating in Irving, Jordan James and Whittington to keep fresh legs against a defense that has struggled against the run. The two teams entered the locker room with Oregon leading 35-0 at the half.
READ MORE: Oregon continues to prioritize 4-star DL Jericho Johnson
Third quarter
The third quarter was relatively uneventful for the Ducks. James scored a touchdown on a one-yard touchdown and the Ducks' lead ballooned to 42-0 as they continued to take the action to the Buffs. While the Ducks ran away with this one, running back Noah Whittington was carted off the field with an injury. His shoe was taken off and he didn't return.
Sanders continued to scramble out of the pocket as Oregon's pass rush, along with Colorado's offensive line, gave him little time.
Fourth quarter
Ty Thompson took over at quarterback for the Ducks, bringing Bo Nix's day to an end after throwing for 276 yards, completing 28 of his 33 passes for three touchdowns to go against one interception. He also ran for nine yards and one touchdown.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix against the Colorado Buffaloes.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Colorado managed to get on the board and avoid a shutout thanks to a six-yard Shedeur Sanders touchdown pass to Michael Harrison, but the extra point was blocked by the Ducks.
With most of the starters out, Oregon's offense slowed down as the game came to a close and the Ducks handed the Buffs their first loss of the Deion Sanders era 42-6.
