So much for a letdown by the University of Oregon's football team.

 

After a gut-wrenching loss to Cal that ended when a potential game-tying touchdown was fumbled out of the end zone in the closing seconds, the Oregon Ducks probably had to at least consider the possibility that losing such a close game with so much on the line might have some carryover.  Just to emphasize the point, a bye week brought them seven more days to ponder the situation.

 

As it turned out, the extra time likely did little more than get them good and angry for the next team that happened to get in the way.  Enter the struggling Washington State Cougars.  Bill Doba's team was winless in conference play (0-3) with a defense that was reeling, especially on the road.  In the Cougars' previous three road games, they had given up at least 40 points in each.  Add to that the fact that Oregon's Autzen Stadium is one of the tougher venues in the conference in which to play, and the formula for the game seemed set.

 

So, what happens when an angry offensive juggernaut takes on a flailing defense?

 

As befitting a team from Oregon, the Ducks made it rain.  There were points and touchdown passes and fast players in yellow and green uniforms covering the field all afternoon long.  In football terms, Oregon made the sky open up and the resulting thunder and lightning was impressive to watch.

 

Oregon QB Dennis Dixon rebounded nicely from a disappointing two-interception performance against Cal, completing 21 of his 28 passes against the Cougars for 287 yards and 3 TD's.  More importantly, he avoided throwing any picks, the fifth time he's done so in six games this year.  For the season, Dixon's numbers look even more gaudy - 1,525 passing yards, a 70.2% completion rate, 15 TD's, and only 2 interceptions.  

 

  

As if to punctuate his danger on a football field, Dixon also ran in for a score, his team-leading sixth rushing TD this season.

 

With Dixon doing most of the work offensively, star RB Jonathan Stewart put in a workmanlike day at the office, 66 yards on 13 carries (a 5.1 per carry average) and spent most of the day watching his teammates deliver the beating.

 

One of those teammates was Stewart's understudy at RB, Jeremiah Johnson.  Johnson bolted to two 1st quarter scores, including a 42-yard TD run that opened the scoring.  However, if anything could put a damper on what would eventually wind up a ringing 53-7 conference win, it was the sight of Oregon's talented backup RB being carted off the field with a knee injury.  Johnson, who had gained 63 yards on just 4 carries up to that point, wrenched his knee in the second quarter and could miss the rest of the season.  

 

  

And it is a big loss.  Johnson's numbers for the year - 344 rushing yards (at 6.4 yards per carry) and 5 TD's - will be very difficult to replace.  More than that, it was Johnson's quickness and elusiveness that provided such an effective contrast in running styles to the power and straight-ahead speed of Stewart.  The burden of replacing Johnson now falls to a pair of sophomores, Andre Crenshaw and Remene Alston.  Crenshaw, in particular, has looked good at times this year, gaining 156 yards in limited duty.  However, neither he nor Alston ran particularly well against Washington State.  Alston was held to 26 yards on 13 carries, and Crenshaw gained just 24 on nine carries.

 

With the shadow of Johnson's injury hanging over the team, they will also have to deal with WR Cameron Colvin being lost for the year with a broken ankle.  Colvin, who made the ill-fated fumble against Cal, has had a star-crossed career at Oregon.  Though the potential for stardom was always there, the talented senior WR never seemed to be able to reach that level.  Sadly, Colvin was making a final push to get there this year, having a pair of his best games for the Ducks before he got hurt.

 

In Colvin's absence, big Jaison Williams made one of his sporadic appearances in the spotlight.  Ever the game-breaking threat, Williams has spent most of his career at Oregon as more abstract promise than actual dagger.  However, as he has been known to do, Williams again flashed a glimpse of his remarkable ability, hauling in four passes for 108 yards and a score, a 52-yard home run in the second quarter that pushed the score to 33-0. 

 

However, with Colvin now out and Brian Paysinger also out from earlier in the year, it is imperative for Williams to be a consistent threat.  His history of sporadic play and dropped passes suggests such a leap to consistent stardom may not be in the cards, but if he can get there, he'll be able to mitigate the losses of Colvin and Paysinger a great deal.

 

 

Sophomore WR Derrick Jones, an emerging star, and TE Ed Dickson will also be around to help.  In recent weeks, Dickson has become a legitimate downfield threat.  Against Washington State, he caught three passes for 70 yards.

 

In all, Oregon's offense roared to 551 yards in total offense and 53 points.  However, it might have been the defense that actually stole the show.

 

Though opportunistic (15 turnovers in 6 games), the Ducks defense has been largely inconsistent.  And one of the biggest trouble spots has been the defensive line.  Elite running backs have had triple-digit success against them, and opposing QB's have had ample time to throw in light of a spotty pass rush.

 

Against Washington State, neither was the case.  Talented Cougar QB Alex Brink came into the game with 17 TD's and only 5 interceptions, completing better than 64% of his pass attempts.  Although Washington State's running game lacked the venom of an elite back, the team's leading rusher, Dwight Tardy, entered the game with over 400 yards on the ground and 4 TD's, not lethal numbers but not helpless ones, either.

 

So, when Oregon's defense stuffed the Cougar offense to the tune of 314 yards of total offense and seven points, the most surprising thing might have been which part of the defense led the charge.  Recording a season-high six sacks, Oregon's defensive line simply manhandled their opposite numbers on the Washington State line.  Junior DE Nick Reed was particularly dangerous, recording 3.5 of those sacks and an impressive five tackles for loss.  

 

  

In fact, Reed is playing terrific football of late and may be the one who can lift the beleaguered D-line from their doldrums.  For the year, the Ducks' fiery edge rusher has a team-high 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, leading both categories by more than twice the respective totals of his closest teammate.

 

With Reed leading the way against Washington State, Oregon held the Cougars to 63 yards rushing on 30 attempts (a 2.1 average) and forced Brink into a pair of interceptions.  On the day, WSU's star QB completed less than half of his pass attempts and was under constant pressure.

 

And so it went for the Ducks.  They received explosive, blinding lightning from the offense, and ear-splitting, violent thunder from the defense.  And on a day that had started with questions about letdowns and included devastating injuries to key players, it was probably appropriate for the team from one of the rainiest states in the country to respond as they did - with a downpour of points and overall football fury.  Just enough, in fact, to let the rest of college football know that when you come to Eugene you might well expect to find a fair amount of thunder and lightning in the Oregon sky.

 

Stats:

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/gameTrax?gameId=200710130060

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/boxscore?gameId=200710130060

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/teamStats?statsId=60

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/teamStats?statsId=66

http://oregon.scout.com/2/690690.html

http://www.goducks.com/downloads1/26268.HTM?ATCLID=1206230&SPID=233&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPSID=3379#TEAM.DEF

 

Other:

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7326184

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/teamSchedule?categoryId=86093