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Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Recap

The Oregon Ducks quickly dispensed with the notion that there would be any drama in Autzen Stadium on Saturday night in the Willamette Valley. They'll need to save up on intrigue and white-knuckle excitement for next week.

Chip Kelly's charges played the part of a mature and well-adjusted football squad in a late-night fight under the lights, spanking an undermanned Arizona State team in Eugene, Ore., with a ruthless and efficient display. As a result, this UO outfit can save some space in the playbook, and some extra mental might, for the Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 21 in Tucson.

Oregon might have taken to the turf of its cozy home field one week after getting whacked by souped-up Stanford, but if the Ducks had been decked a week earlier near the San Francisco Bay, you wouldn't have known it by the way they eviscerated Dennis Erickson's Sun Devils in the first quarter and a half of action.

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Jeremiah Masoli quarterbacked Kelly's offense with customary verve and flair, making proper reads and getting the ball to playmakers in the right positions. Oregon only captured one turnover in this game, and a sometimes-explosive kick return game produced nothing bigger than a 40-yard kickoff return by Kenjon Barner. Yet, without a large amount of outside help from other sources, the Ducks rang up 31 points the game's first 23 minutes, roaring to a 31-7 lead with seven minutes left in the first half. Yes, the Ducks took their feet of the gas in the second half, as ASU - behind third-string quarterback Samson Szakcasy - crept within ten points at 31-21. (Szakcasy was filling in for backup quarterback Brett Osweiler, who got injured in the first start of his collegiate career.) However, as soon as the Devils made their move, Oregon immediately responded with the casual ease of an elite team.

When Masoli hit receiver Jeff Maehl on a 21-yard touchdown pass just 92 seconds after Arizona State made the Autzen crowd a little bit uneasy. End of threat, end of intrigue. On to Arizona.

Oregon might have been too relaxed in the second half, but that's okay: A win was secured without too much trouble or tension. Roughly 35 A-grade minutes were enough to win this game. It would be a recommended career move, however, for UO to produce 60 solid minutes against the Wildcats next weekend.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer