The Ducks Turned a Looming 'Trap Game' into a Statement Comeback Win Over the Huskies
There was a period of about 40 minutes in real-time where it seemed that Oregon's dreams of a trip back to the College Football Playoffs were in serious doubt. The defense was struggling mightily, the offense was unable to get much going, and the Ducks' leader, QB Justin Herbert, didn't look himself.
Then something switched, and Mighty Oregon came back to play.
It culminated in a 35-31 comeback win over the Washington Huskies in front of a sell-out crowd in Seattle, WA. on Saturday. Helped by a refurbished running game led by Travis Dye and Cyrus Habibi-Likio, Herbert and the Ducks were able to storm their way back from a two-touchdown deficit in the third quarter and walk away with a victory. With the win, Oregon now holds onto a two-game winning streak over their hated rivals, and more important than all of that, they keep their CFP dreams alive, while all-but locking up the Pac-12 North and securing a spot in the conference championship game.
Though the outcome will paint shades of glory in a comeback win for the ages, the mishaps that put Oregon in that position to need to storm back were slightly concerning. The defense, which had been historically great throughout the first half of the season, was thrashed early on, giving up 21 first-half points and allowing another touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. It was uncharacteristic to say the least, as Washington found big holes in the Ducks defensive line, and Oregon struggled to contain the Huskies running game. In a change of pace from what we've seen all season, the offense was responsible for this victory, as they recovered from a tepid first half to blaze their way to victory late in the game. Take a look at this drive chart for Herbert and the Ducks
- Touchdown
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Touchdown
Half.
- Touchdown
- Touchdown
- Punt
- Touchdown
End of Game.
Herbert, who finished with 280 yards passing and four touchdowns, proved to be great down the stretch, despite an abnormally poor performance early in the game. He routinely was able to find receivers running open in the secondary during the Ducks' comeback, and his ability to lean on the running game made all of the difference. Both Cyrus Habibi-Likio and Travis Dye played above the norm, combining for 132 yards and one touchdown when the team needed them most.
It may not have been pretty, but in the end, Oregon got the job done. They can leave Washington with their heads held high after proving to not only the nation but themselves that they were able to stick it out and come together when they needed to most.
For a while, it looked like a trap game in the making, but it ended up being a statement win for Oregon, as they took a stronghold on their season's outlook.
