Questions answered? Ducks say so in competition rout

Paolo Uggetti, ESPNSep 14, 2024, 09:37 PM ET CORVALLIS, Ore.– After a week throughout which Oregon State helped revive the Pac-12 from the ashes of conference adjustment, the energy at Reser Arena on Saturday in the 128th installment of the Oregon-Oregon State competition– the first since the Ducks bolted for the Big 10– was high.But over the course of 60 minutes, the Ducks deflated the orange-tinted stands to the point of clearing them with a 49-14 win that more precisely corresponded with the high expectations they had coming into the season.”I love the fact that we got to enter a hostile environment and perform in this manner, but that’s our standard, that’s our expectation, “Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.Despite beating Idaho and Boise State, absolutely nothing about the Ducks’first two wins felt dominant or representative of the skill they have on both sides of the ball. Despite the fact that Lanning continued to repeat they didn’t care what the outside sound said about them, everybody wearing green and gold knew something was off.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”The very first 2 games, clearly we didn’t play to our standard, whether it’s getting our feet damp, new group, whatever you want to call it,”linebacker Bryce Boettcher stated.”But I told the guys, I’m a firm follower in the guideline of 3s and this 3rd game, this is the game where we’re going to remove. I believe everybody bought into that and revealed out on the field today.”While Oregon kept preaching a mix of persistence and trust over the last two weeks, quarterback Dillon Gabriel liked his group not panicking in spite of what was happening and the fact the Ducks dropped from 3rd to ninth in the current AP Top 25 survey.”We reside in a world where if it does not look a specific way, there’s opinions, however there’s also panic, right?,” Gabriel said.” And I just love how everybody in the building has actually continued to simply focus on the procedure and getting better every day, and I think that allowed us to just play confident, play and let loose.” Perhaps it was the competition setting. Perhaps it was the changes on the offensive line– Oregon started Iapani Laloulu at center and did not turn as much as it had in the very first two games– or possibly it was simply that Gabriel and the Ducks’offense needed time to jell. Whatever the case, the Ducks– who had lost their 2 previous games in Corvallis– let loose.”I believe we answered some [concerns],” edge rusher Teitum Tuioti said.”That’s how we expect to play, so I believe that’s an advantage. This game was good for us.”Gabriel finished his first 15 passes and totaled 291 yards as he had ample time to throw and dissect the Beavers’defense. He was helped by a running game that awoke from its rest with 240 lawns, including 4 runs of 20 backyards or more after having none versus Idaho and Boise State.”

We weren’t fighting negative plays,”Lanning stated, crediting a different approach in practice this past week.”We had the ability to have more attention to information. The focus of execution was probably a bit different this week, and I think our guys realize it’s not just going to occur on mishap. ” Oregon’s Jayden Limar is hoisted in the air by colleague Marcus Harper after scoring on a 65-yard TD pass from Dillon Gabriel on Saturday in Corvallis. Tom Hauck/Getty Images The defense stepped up, too, holding Oregon State(2-1 )scoreless in the 2nd half to turn what was a one-possession game at halftime into a 35-point rout that showcased the sheer talent space between the 2 programs.”I think we have more talent today than they do,”Lanning stated.”That being said, I know just how much that game indicates to them and how much it suggests to us, but I’m truly focused on our team and what we need to do to continue to improve.”The meaningfulness of this competition wasn’t lost on those taking a part in it Saturday. Whether it was a player such as Gabriel( who will play in the game just once and recalled a young version of himself viewing fellow Hawaiian Marcus Mariota take part in it ), or Tuioti(whose daddy Troy has actually belonged to it considering that 2021 as a coach), or Lanning himself, nobody appeared to desire the changing landscape of college football to get rid of the match.”I ‘d like to keep this competition alive,”Lanning stated. “Personally, I think it’s great for the state of Oregon. I believe it’s great for both schools. That’s not something we want to see go away.”Before the game, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes spoke at length about being able to boost the two-team Pac-12 with the announced additions this week of 4 Mountain West Conference teams. When asked whether keeping a game with Oregon was a priority for Barnes and OSU, he was emphatic.” We wish to try to play Oregon in as many sports as we can,”Barnes stated. “Why? Due to the fact that it makes great, good sense.”Though these 2 groups are scheduled to play next year in Eugene, there are no main plans beyond that in a competition that has 128 installations.”I think any method we can keep rivalry games, I think it is essential not just for the fans but the players as well,” Gabriel said. “In some cases it’s enjoyable to hear the fans chirp at you.”