Playing with a hobbled Bo Nix, injured in their loss last week to the Huskies, Oregon did what they had to do at home against a tough Utah team that held them to just three points in the second half, winning a close one 20-17. The win puts Oregon in the cat bird’s seat and controlling their own destiny for that 2nd spot in the PAC-12 Conference Championship. But it’s a spot that will have to be hard won against their in-state rival Oregon State on the road in Corvallis next Saturday where the Beavers have yet to drop a game. The PAC-12 tie-breaker rules are complicated and as Fan Nation explains, “If the Ducks lose to the Beavers . . . chaos will reign. The Ducks clinch a spot with a win over Oregon State. If they lose, they can still clinch a berth if Washington State beats Washington.”
Oregon got the ball first and scored at the end of a 10 play, 79 yard, 4 minute drive to go up 7-0 on a 10 yard Bucky Irving TD run. Utah came back all the way down to the 20 yard line on a 12 play 55 yard drive of their own. The Utes, sitting 4th and 11 on the Oregon 20, opted to get some points on the board but missed their field goal attempt. After holding the Ducks to a three-and-out on their next possession they finally got those three points and with just a little over a minute left in the 1st Qtr Oregon was up 7-3.
Utah had a golden opportunity four plays later after the Ducks fumbled the ball on their own 23 yard line, but QB Cameron Rising’s first play from scrimmage would get intercepted and 8 plays later the Ducks were back in the end zone on a Bo Nix TD pass to Troy Franklin to go up 14-3. After a long almost eight minute 14 play drive on their next possession Utah, refusing to settle for a field goal, would end up turning the ball over on downs after failing to convert a 4th and 3 at the Oregon 11 yard line. With Just 2:29 left before the break Oregon Place Kicker Camden Lewis would turn that into another three points seven plays later on a 30 yard field goal with just 18 seconds left in the 2nd Qtr to go up 17-3.
Oregon held Utah to a punt on their first possession of the 2nd half but then gave up a TD on the very next play on a fumble returned to the house at their own 14 yard line which closed the gap to 17-10. After holding Oregon to a three-and-out and a chance to tie up the score Rising throws his 2nd untimely interception on their 2nd play from scrimmage and sitting 2nd and 7 at their own 28 yard line. Give Utah credit here as they dug in and held the Ducks to another three-and-out, getting the ball back after an Oregon punt down to the Utah 14 yard line, where they went on a 7 minute, 86 yard, 13 play drive that ended in an 18 yard Jaylen Dixon TD run to tie the score at seventeen a piece.
Oregon would go back in front 20-17 fifteen plays later on another Camden Lewis field goal, this one from 41 yards out. Utah would have a chance to tie the score on their next drive but sitting 4th and 2 at the Oregon 26 opted to go for it instead of taking the field goal and Rising’s pass to Dalton Kinkaid would fall incomplete. Utah would get another chance three plays later after a Bo Nix interception but Rising would throw his third interception of the night four plays later and with just 4:15 left in the 4th Qtr Oregon was still up 20-17. Utah held the Ducks to a three-and-out to get the ball back with three minutes left in the game but sitting at 4th and 6 on the 50 yard line six plays later with under two minutes to play Rising’s pass to Solomon Enis would fall incomplete. From there Oregon only needed a single first down to ensure the victory which they got with just 1:07 left.