The Oregon Ducks traveled to Stanford on Saturday night to face the Cardinal with hopes of a Pac-12 title on the line.
The No. 7 Stanford Cardinal headed into Saturday night’s game against the Oregon Ducks expecting to get an easy win over their rival, but this was an absolute dog fight. The Cardinal played the game close all along, and the Oregon defense let Kevin Hogan do whatever he wanted.
With a national title on the line, the Cardinal scored a touchdown with just 10 seconds remaining, but missed the two-point conversion on a batted ball in the end zone, falling to the Ducks 38-36 in one of the best games of the season.
The Pac-12 got a big-time shakeup after this huge upset as the Ducks looked to make up for a poor start to the season as they beat their rival on the road in a game in which no one gave them a shot.
When the Oregon defense needed a stop, it got it at the perfect time.
Three Stars
Vernon Adams Jr. had an impressive game even though he didn’t attempt that many passes. He finished 10-of-12 for 2015 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Kevin Hogan played out of his mind yet again. The senior quarterback finished 28-of-37 for 304 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 48 and a score.
Royce Freeman was just a beast all day, picking up solid chunks against a decent Stanford defense. He finished with 105 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Highlights
"Hurdle. SMASH. @khoagie8 headed to the end zone like 🚚. #UOvsSTAN is on @FOXTV! https://t.co/4XPgg0kL87— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) November 15, 2015"
"Just in case you wanted to see that Charles Nelson TD in video form, no pressure or anything. #UOvsSTANhttps://t.co/O2U7ewx8PF— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) November 15, 2015"
"Royce is ROLLIN’ tonight! Watch #UOvsSTAN live on FOX 🏈 https://t.co/nhXXMvo1rH— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) November 15, 2015"
"Vernon Adams and Taj Griffin just connected for a BEAUT. #UOvsSTAN is heating up on Fox! https://t.co/EsaNwTCGZt— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) November 15, 2015"
Betting Odds
Stanford was a nine-point favorite heading into this one and the over/under was 65.5 points. The over was definitely achieved in this offensive battle and the Cardinal couldn’t cover as the Ducks beat the spread by upsetting Stanford.
Next Week
Oregon will host a somewhat shaky and inconsistent USC Trojans team next week. A win for the Ducks would be huge, showing that they aren’t going to just roll over after early-season struggles. This team is much better than people once thought.
Stanford will host rival Cal next week and take on one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. It will be a huge test for the defense and every game from this point out is a must-win. Defeating the Golden Bears would be an ideal bounce-back.
More from College Football
- Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension over NCAA violations
- College football neutral site games in 2023: Full list
- College GameDay announces surprise Week 1 destination
- College football analyst warns Oklahoma that Texas is doing better prep for SEC
- College Football Playoff national championship game locations for 2024, 2025 and beyond