Oregon Battles Hard, Edges Boise State with Late Field Goal

EUGENE, Oregon — Oregon’s perfect record remains intact after two weeks of college football, but it’s clear the team that started the season ranked third has some challenges to address.

The Ducks managed to secure a narrow victory against an unranked Boise State team, finishing 37-34, driven by a last-second, game-winning field goal from Atticus Sappington.

Coach Dan Lanning expressed a mix of relief and concern after the tense match.

“We sure like sweating around here,” Lanning remarked. “I feel relieved because of the result, but there are certainly many things to fix.”

Sappington’s 25-yard kick sent the Autzen Stadium spectators into a frenzy as time expired. However, the excitement was contrasted by the boos that erupted in the second half when the Ducks’ offense repeatedly leaned on conservative plays, including three straight runs during a critical third-and-13 situation, leading to their sixth punt of the night.

“I hate to say this, but it’s FEBU [f— everybody but us], just focused on ourselves in that moment,” said Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel regarding the fans’ reactions. “We dug our own hole. We had to get ourselves out of it.”

For the second consecutive week, Oregon’s offense appeared disjointed at times. Although Gabriel showcased his potential with two touchdown passes covering 59 and 34 yards, the rhythm of the offense never fully matched their vast talent.

“It’s a team that’s finding our identity together,” Gabriel reflected. “I think you see a bunch of guys becoming more connected through practice and games. When faced with adversity, we found a way to win. … We recognize what needs to be cleaned up and how good we can actually be.”

Key plays from special teams played a crucial role in Oregon’s survival against Boise State. The game featured an exciting moment when Tez Johnson returned a punt for an 85-yard touchdown, while Noah Whittington’s 84-yard kickoff return nearly ended in disaster when he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. Fortunately, running back Jayden Limar scooped up the loose ball in the end zone.

Aside from Gabriel’s two long passes, the Ducks managed only one other touchdown, scored by Gabriel on a 1-yard run. Overall, the Oregon offense had just two drives consisting of more than five plays and finished the game with 110 rushing yards, significantly fewer than Boise State’s total.

“I don’t think it’s anything preventing our offense from succeeding,” Johnson noted. “We are just shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties: offsides, false starts, illegal formations, and illegal motions. These are mistakes we have to eliminate.”

Throughout their first two games, Oregon’s offensive line has seen frequent rotation, resulting in nine penalties and four sacks allowed. Additionally, the Ducks fumbled three times, losing two of those balls.

Despite these setbacks, Lanning remains confident in the strategy of rotating his offensive line. He mentioned that film analysis would help determine which five, six, or seven players can consistently perform well.

This latest victory came on the heels of a previous offensive struggle in a 24-14 win over Idaho. This performance had resulted in Oregon dropping four spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 rankings.

While the Ducks celebrated their narrow win, they were acutely aware of their close call with defeat. Following the game, players focused on maintaining positivity and commendated their ability to bounce back, despite acknowledging the difficulties they faced.

Lanning pointed out that, while they secured the win, the style of football they exhibited was not reflective of a team aiming not only for a playoff spot but also a shot at the national title.

“We won, nothing more than a W. Now I’m thinking about what we can go fix,” Lanning said. “We placed ourselves in some challenging circumstances, but we managed to overcome them.”