Oregon Downs Huskies On Way to Postseason

Three hundred and sixty-five days later and 286 miles farther north, not much was different -- Oregon still had the better football team.

On an overcast and downcast day at Husky Stadium, the fifth-ranked Ducks came in and showed why they're headed for the College Football Playoff and Washington is not by giving the Huskies a sound 26-14 beating before a crowd of 72,376.

Right from the start, Oregon (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten) set the tone by sacking Demond Williams Jr. on two of the Huskies' first four plays.

If there was any consolation, the Huskies (8-4, 5-4) closed the gap on last year's outcome in Eugene (49-21) and slowed the defensive free-for-all on Williams (from 10 to 4 sacks), but the UW still lost.

"That's kind of how the way it works," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "You lose big, then you lose small, then you win small and then you win big. That's kind of the progression of how these turnarounds occur or builds occur. ... You've just got to get over the hump."

Not even two touchdown catches by junior Denzel Boston or a 14-carry, 105-yard rushing performance by sophomore Adam Mohammed, his second time over the century mark in two weeks, could deter the Ducks.

"It's like the worst thing ever," UW edge rusher Zach Durfee said of losing to Oregon. "Especially on Senior Night and the last game. It sucks."

Fisch's staff started three freshmen on defense in linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, safety Rylon Dillard-Allen and cornerback Dylan Robinson, with Rainey-Sale drawing his first college game-opening assignment. While it was a glimpse at the future, it wasn't quite perfect.

The Huskies went without starting senior cornerback Tacario Davis, who's been injured for a couple of weeks, and senior Makell Esteen, with the latter suffering a foot fracture this past week, and Oregon tried to pick on the younger replacements.

Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen, chasing Oregon's Noah Whittington, was one of three freshman starters on the UW defense. | Dave Sizer photo

On Oregon's opening series, wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan got behind Robinson to haul in a 35-yard pass on a third-and-7 call, putting the visitors on the UW 33. Three plays later, the Ducks were on the scoreboard first after settling for Atticus Sappington's 46-yard field goal.

Robinson later atoned for his early coverage lapse by screaming in from the left side to sack Dante Moore for an 8-yard loss on a third-and-4 play.

Meantime, the Huskies couldn't make much happen offensively until their fourth possession. Taking over at the Oregon 44, they reached the 21 following 9- and 14-yard runs by Mohammed, but got no closer and came away without any points.

Williams tried to lob one for Boston in the end zone only to have nickelback Jadon Canady drift over and intercept the ball. The Husky quarterback finished with 15 completions in 30 attempts for 129 yards and 2 scores, with a pair of interceptions.

The first quarter ended with Oregon holding up a 3-0 lead.

Jonah Coleman gets brought down by Oregon's Bryce Boettcher. | Dave Sizer photo

While the Huskies couldn't sustain a drive, Mohammed was impressive by leading all rushers with 50 yards on five carries over the opening 15 minutes.

"I don't know that it's running harder as much as it's running with more confidence. ... He's taken on the role of being the guy," Fisch said.

However, Oregon turned that end-zone takeaway into points by moving 80 yards in 14 plays for Moore's 1-yard plunge and the visitors led 10-0 with 10:54 left in the first half.

The visitors, however, had much success throwing the ball on the Huskies, with Moore completing 20 of 29 passes for 286 yards and a score. On the ground, they generated just 106 yards rushing.

"We were just out-physicaling them," Durfee said.

The Ducks next added another Sappington field goal, this from 32 yards out, and they were up 13-0 with 3:18 until intermission.

The UW could have rolled over right there, but finally settled in and closed out the half with a much-needed score.

Dezmen Roebuck jumped to his feet after taking a hard hit on an 11-yard pass play in the second quarter. | Dave Sizer photo

Moving 75 yards in 12 plays, Williams twice connected with freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck with passes of 11 and 15 on third-down plays to keep the drive going. On the first catch, Roebuck took a ferocious hit but bounced to his feet at the Oregon 23.

With just 10 seconds left in the half, Williams was struck by Oregon linebacker Jerry Mixon as he released the ball, but still got it to Boston for a 3-yard touchdown reception.

The teams left the field at the break with the Ducks up 13-7.

Back at it, Oregon made this a two-score game again by posting a pair of field goals on its first two drives.

Sappington converted 37- and 51-yard kicks, with the longer one just sneaking over the crossbar into the breeze coming off of Lake Washington with 2:34 left in the third quarter.

Outside of an 11-yard catch and 19-yard scamper by the energized Mohammed, the Huskies had nothing else to show for the third quarter.

The Huskies finally got a second wind entering the final 15 minutes. They methodically moved 69 yards in 13 plays for a score to put things up in the air again.

Williams found Boston again, this time on a fourth-9 play from the 13, with the wide receiver getting free in the right corner of the end zone. The drive took 5 minutes and 54 seconds. With 8:54 left, it was a game in question again.

That lasted all of 59 seconds.

That's how long it took for the Ducks to come storming back with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Malik Benson over the middle from Moore to put the game out of reach and it stayed that way. It took a lot of air out of the Huskies.

"I thought there were just a few plays in the game that were difference-makers for us," Fisch said, "and they just didn't go our way."

The Huskies now will wait for their postseason plans to formulate. They could play their bowl game in as soon as two weeks, likely at one of the California sites, and this after signing their next recruiting class on Wednesday.

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