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Oregon Ducks vs Stanford Cardinal Football Recap

Ask yourself this question: When the Stanford Cardinal raced to a 21-3 lead over the Oregon Ducks late in the first quarter of Saturday night's game at Autzen Stadium, did you think the boys from Oregon were going to make a comeback?

All opinions and poll-taking aside, it's clear that if coach Chip Kelly's UO outfit again faces an 18-point hole in the first half, the Ducks are not a team you want to doubt. Led by one of the more fearless and shrewd coaches in all of college football, Oregon did indeed rally from a massive first-quarter deficit, outscoring Stanford 49-10 over the final three quarters to register the biggest win of the young Pac-10 season.

What was the biggest reason why Oregon was able to look Stanford in the face, absorb the Cardinal's flinty toughness, and swarm coach Jim Harbaugh's team after a nerve-addled first quarter finally came to an end? In one word, Kelly.

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After Oregon scored to shave Stanford's second-quarter lead to 21-10, Kelly - sensing an opening in which to build momentum and feed the confidence of his team - ordered an onside kick, much as Sean Peyton o the New Orleans Saints did in Super Bowl XLIV. The kick worked like a charm, with UO kicker Rob Beard performing the bunted-ball specialty to perfection. Just moments later, the Ducks were frolicking in the end zone once again after a five-yard touchdown run by LaMichael James cut the Stanford lead to 21-17. From that point on, it was all Ducks, as Oregon's fitness level - combined with home-crowd support - overwhelmed the less-imposing Cardinal after halftime. Oregon has outscored its opponents after halftime by a whopping 114-7 tally this season. Blanking Stanford 28-0 after the break certainly helped in that regard.

Having captured the key to Oregon's victory, it's worth noting that this game also had a lot to say about the Heisman Trophy race as well.

Quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford will not be helped by the Cardinal’s inability to score a single point in the second half of this loss. Luck came out like gangbusters and torched the Ducks’ secondary in the first half, but he and the rest of his Stanford teammates got pounded in the second half. Luck still throws a few floaters every game, and he sometimes tries to push a deep ball into double coverage. These lingering tendencies bothered him against the Ducks, who swarmed him and made him flinch throughout the second and third quarters of Oregon’s 21-point victory. Luck must now take a backseat to other figures in the Heisman race.

If there’s a West Coast player in the mix for the Heisman, it’s Oregon running back LaMichael James. The fleet-footed athlete eviscerated Stanford’s defense for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries in a spotlight game. If James continues to roll up the big numbers and Oregon steamrolls to an 11-1 or 12-0 season, James will definitely get a plane ticket to New York in December, and he could possibly steal the award if the Ducks reach the BCS National Championship Game with a perfect 12-0 mark.

First things first, though, for the Ducks: This ultra-talented group needs to focus on winning the Pac-10 for the second straight year. Beating Stanford will do a lot to improve Oregon's outlook. If the Ducks can continue to finish games in the second half the same way they did against Stanford, the rest of the Pac-10 might as well pack up and go home... and prepare for the start of basketball season.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer