Oregon Ducks Offensive Players of the Game vs. Washington

Hint: Travis Dye balled out.

Author:
John Rustik
Publish date:
Nov 7, 2021 5:53 PM EST

The Ducks' offense looked downright awful in the first half, but they rallied in the second half for a 26-16 against rival Washington.

Despite a poor first half, the Ducks' offense was able to rally in the second half to dominate the Huskies. While the weather likely played a role in the inability to move the ball early on, the Ducks adapted and did enough to pull off the win.

Here are the three players on offense that influenced the game.

Travis Dye - Running Back

Travis Dye celebrates after a touchdown run against Washington.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

In a game where rain played a huge factor, Dye carried an offense that struggled early and made plays for Oregon. He had a career-best 211 rushing yards on 28 carries. He scored an important touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter that pushed the Ducks ahead and made a huge difference at the end of the game.

The Ducks were able to burn a lot of clock towards the end of the game because Dye was so efficient with the football. He had more rushing yards by himself than Washington had total yards of offense (166).

Through Oregon’s nine games, Dye continues to be a massive threat for the Ducks on the ground. He's amassed 820 total yards on the ground, with 11 rushing touchdowns.

After Verdell went down with a season-ending injury, Dye had to step up for the Ducks to continue their success on the ground. He's done everything the offense has asked of him and then some.

Devon Williams - Wide Receiver

Devon Williams celebrates his touchdown catch with Mycah Pittman.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Williams provided a spark to the Oregon offense when they very desperately needed one. After trailing 9-3, Williams was able to find space and come up with a big 31-yard touchdown reception to give the Ducks the lead going into the half.

He ended the night with two receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown. In a game where passing was almost non-existent, with Brown only completing ten passes, Williams accounted for about a third of the total passing yards.

Over the past couple of games, Williams has separated himself as Brown’s go-to receiver, and stepped up for the Ducks when it mattered. So far this season, he has 20 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks likely want to see more from the passing game than they did tonight, and they'll look to Williams to lead the receiving corps.

Byron Cardwell - Running Back

Byron Cardwell vs. Washington.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

With the game being so heavily reliant on the run, it makes sense that both of the featured backs were important to their overall success.

Up by eight points in the final six minutes of the game, the Ducks needed a first down on third-and-one. Cardwell was able to muscle through defenders and fell forward getting an important first down.

While Cardwell only had 16 carries for 55 yards, his first down late in the game helped the Ducks move the chains and burned the clock just enough for Oregon to earn a tight victory in Seattle.

The freshman is continuing to find his place within the Ducks' offense, and this was double the amount of carries that he’s had in previous games. He now has 222 rushing yards on 32 carries this season.

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