The new uniforms look better than I thought. Nice to see them in school colors, albeit with variations. Miss the crabby Duck through the O, though.
Duck defense gives a lot of ground, then stiffens near the goal line to hold Cal to a field goal on the opening drive, 4:30 off the clock.
Barner takes the kick off out to the 36, and the Ducks go to work there. De’Anthony Thomas takes a short pass in the flat for 11 yards and a first down, then LaMichael James takes the next play, a pitch left for 53 yards and a touchdown. They showed zone read right and quick pitched, James just beating the Cal defense to the corner. James says hello to the Heisman voters.
Kick coverage is a little sloppy as Cal’s Brandon Bigelow gets the ball out to the 35. Taylor Hart with a pass breakup and a bat down in the first two series, looking very Bair-like. Utterly pathetic effor on 2nd and ten as the Ducks fail to wrap up on Sofele, giving a big gain.
Gildon, beaten badly and unable to find the ball in the end zone, gets flagged for pass interference and the crowd boos lustily on what looked like a pushoff, the Cal receiver looking like Drew Pearson.
The Bears get a little back, 6 yards on a screen to Sofele. 2nd and 15 officially. Maynard throws incomplete to a bracketed receiver, high and wild. 3rd and long. Maynard bounces one to Allen, and the Bears kick another field goal, 7 to 6. So far, not the defense Oregon wanted, a lot of bend but don’t break.
Barner gets caught going sideways with the kick return, Ducks ball on the 25. James bottled up on first down as the blocking fails going right, a 3-yard loss. Thomas misses high to Tuinei, hurried by a rush straigh up the middle. A pass complete underneath to Vaughn but short of the first down, and the Ducks have to punt, three and out. Great coverage on a punt to the 21.
Brandon Hanna collects a sack on Maynard on first down. Sofele, getting too much room, gets 5 back on second down. An out to Marvin Jones is well short of the first down and the Bears punt.
Bryan Anger–a much better name for a middle linebacker or a defensive end than a punter.
Thomas hits DeAnthony Thomas for 8 on a slant, DAT ranging high for a nice catch. Then LMJ drops a pass over the middle in his bread basket. 4th and 1 and the Ducks go for hit at their own 39, a Cal player down with an injury (?). After the time out, James surges over the left side for the first down. Craig James continues to amaze with inaccurate statements.
Thomas, holding the ball too long, sacked for the first time all season. Owusu getting to him despite being tackled, Ducks holding declined. On second and long James gets loose for 47, his second long run of the game in just the first 12 minutes.
Cal’s white helmets just make them look like Idaho State. The opposite of fierce and cool.
De’Anthony Thomas outraces the defense on a reverse, 8 plays in 70 yards, Ducks lead 14-6. Ducks with too much speed running around the left side, beating the Cal defense for two big gains.
In the first quarter, James has 7 carries for 99 yards and a 53-yard touchdown. Definitely making a Heisman statement, even if that’s not his intention.
Where’s Erin Andrews? Did they send the second team to Eugene?
Bears offiside on first down, looking unsettled by the crowd noise on the offensive line. Ducks swarm and tackle a short pass. Replay shows great misdirection by the Ducks on the Momba’s score. They’ve crossed up the Cal blueprint for a couple of big gains. Maynard misfires on third down, and the Bears have to punt. Great series for the defense.
Harris back to receive the punt, but Anger punts short and it’s downed by the Bears. Four yard gain up the middle on first down. Offensive line getting a good push on that play. Blcoking fails on the next play and James is tackled for a loss after three tries as the quarter ends.
Thomas under pressure, throws the ball away on third down and is called for intentional grounding. Rush up the middle overpowers the Oregon blocking scheme. Grasu beaten badly. Ducks punt and cover it well. 14-6 with 14:42 to go in the quarter, Cal ball.
The Ducks stuff a run up the middle, looking stout on first down, Taylor Hart in the middle of the pile. The Bears bounce it outside on second down for six. Third and three, and the crowd gets loud, louder still when Maynard rockets one over his receiver’s head in the right flat. 3rd straight three and out for the Ducks defense.
Harris starts some excitement fielding a punt on the bounce and squeezing out of the first tackler, but he’s slowed enough the pursuit catches up. first down at the 27, and a run left has terrible blocking. James shaken up. Then De’Anthony Thomas takes a high throw and gets leveled.
3rd and 12. Thomas hits Tuinei on a crossing route but short of the first down. Thomas under pressure on every throw, not enough time to survey the field. Ducks punt taken by Cal on on the 35, again good coverage.
Allen takes a slant for nine yards, Bears across midfield, 2nd and short, a first down with a handoff to the upback. Bears string together two first downs.
Nice breakup by Terrance Mitchell. 2nd and 10. Quarterback draw gets just a couple, good pursuit. 3rd and 6. Maynard scatterguns the third down pass and the Bears line up and convert a 54 yard field goal. Tavecchio, who was the goat last year, has his third field goal for the Bears.
James has his helmet on and looks ready to go. De’Anthony Thomas takes a short kick off out to the 35, but the Ducks are flagged for holding and move back.
James gets loose on the stretch play left for 39 yards. But on second down the offensive line takes a play off, no gain. Thomas has plenty of time on 2nd down but can’t find anyone, dumps it off to James for no gain. Third and 9, two down territory. Anthony goes out with his 2nd injury. Vaughn can’t hang on on a hook route in close coverage. Thomas throws directly to Owusu on a screen, an ill-advised throw. The passing game continues to have zero rhythm.
Sofele breaks free down the left side for about 25.
Isaac Remington with a big sack to push the Bears back, 2nd and 19. Calvin drops a skinny post on a good hit. 3rd and 19 and Brian Jackson plays passively, allows a big first down to Allen.
This game is too close. The offense doesn’t have enough rhythm and the defense doesn’t have enough will. Maynard has all day, and finds his brother Keenan Allen in the end zone. Bend and break, and Cal leads. A two point conversion fails, Ducks trail 15-14, not looking like 23.5 point favorites.
The Duck defense hasn’t had a turnover in forever. James busts loose for 30, again cutting over the left side. And the offensive line takes the next play off, standing around as James is tackled for a loss. False start call makes it 1st and 15, ball at midfield. Ducks have only passed for 37 yards. Two running plays aren’t blocked at all. Josh Huff with a big grab and some YAC, big third down conversion. Jajil blows up another inside run. Pass batted down, too much penetration. 3rd and long. Incomplete. 4th and long Ducks try a 52-yard field goal, short.
Ducks looking sleepy and very inconsistent on the offensive line.
Sofele stuffed on first down. Ball at the 36. Inside handoff on 2nd down gets 4. 3rd and 4. Maynard throws another ball into the dirt. Doesn’t look much better than Mansion, erratic.
Punt goes in the end zone. Ducks have 1:59 left with the ball on the 20, 80 yards to go. barner gets 4 on first down. Huff with another big grab and a big gain out to the 50. Thomas to Huff getting a connection. Barner gets 8 with an outlet pass and out of bounds. Thomas bounces one to Huff. 3rd and two at the 42.
Big play. Barner squeezes forward for first down. Fans want pass interference on a pass to Vaughn incomplete over the middle. De’Anthony Thomas with a nifty catch and run for the first down. :38 seconds, 2nd and 10 on the 36 and Thomas throws badly off his back foot, intercepted by the safety, no receiver in the picture. His 2nd interception and worst decision of the year.
Allen alligator arms a pass over the middle in traffic, but Allen gets down to the 30 down the left sideline on a crossing route. Cal easily in field goal range, looking for more. 7 seconds. They’ll take a shot at the end zone from the 23. 1 second left as Maynard is flushed out of the pocket. Tavecchio misses wide left, and Oregon trails 15-14 at the half, looking like a very mediocre, unfocused football team.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
