Fans and pundits took to social media to express their disappointment over the No. 3 Oregon Ducks‘ 24-14 season-opening win against the Idaho Vandals. In most dimensions of the multiverse, the Ducks steamroll the lowly Vandals, and the postgame cleanup crew peels them off the astroturf with a spatula. Mr. FishDuck took time from his fun at online sports betting in Canada to express his surprise to me.
Alas, this was another dimension. If you were a betting man, sadly, you probably lost, as the Ducks were a 44 1/2-point favorite. Oof. I’ll buy lunch.
For the doom and gloom crowd, relax. Oregon walked out of Autzen Stadium with a win, albeit aboard a raft of questions from groaning fans. But there are some things we should remember about Saturday’s game. According to the Associated Press, Oregon’s non-conference home winning streak improved to a national best of 33 games. Oregon has now won 20 straight home openers. Keep in mind, sometimes it’s just about getting the W. Survive the weekend and fix ugly at practice.
The Vandals, while an FCS squad, aren’t necessarily pushovers. I suspect the days of FCS teams as bumbling stooges are over. Last season, Idaho defeated FBS team Nevada 33-6 and reached the FCS national quarterfinals. The Vandals’ quarterback, Jack Layne, is no slouch, either. A Lake Oswego High School graduate and redshirt sophomore, Layne was named the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year and made the Class 6A first-team all-state in 2021.
Jordan James got some running room. (Photo by Steven Chan)
Oregon’s shaky performance was mostly along the offensive line. Ducks right guard Matthew Bedford is out with a knee injury, which caused a shuffle along the front. Fans should be excited about junior Charlie Pickard of Portland, a walk-on who stepped up to take snaps as starting center against the Vandals (Gabriel reportedly said he was “solid”).
While it was tough to watch at times, the Ducks’ offense was FAR from awful. In his debut for Oregon, quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were caught by wide receiver Tez Johnson. That’s a heckuva performance despite a bummer day in the trenches.
The defense was solid with a much more convincing performance. Defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei led the team with 3 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks) and defensive back Brandon Johnson had 3 tackles and an interception.
Despite these high notes, if you’re on social media, you’d think an asteroid was headed straight for Earth. Just for fun, here are some of the most pessimistic takes from this weekend’s season opener on social media (WARNING: These posts are the equivalent of an old man screaming and shaking his fist at the sky):
No way to sugarcoat that game. It was bad. Not acceptable. So much to correct. Sloppy all over the field. I’ll watch the film tomorrow morning and give my notes as usual.
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 1, 2024
Oregon played Idaho does that count?
BTW The Ducks sucked.— Dr. Frankenstupe (@frankenstupe) September 1, 2024
I hope so but that was the worst win in ducks history. I hope we can get it together
— huckthefuskies (@Hughjass3323) September 1, 2024
Oregon Duck social media team working overtime to spin the most underwhelming W into something positive
— Skyler Durden 🌹 (@skeeege) September 1, 2024
Ya I would say so. The O line was embarrassing!!!
— Dave Baker (@DaveB4141) September 1, 2024
Pathetic is the right word. The Ducks are lucky to have won that game. Idaho outplayed Oregon. A good game to learn from —for sure.
— DJ (@DJArtistone) September 1, 2024
Ive never seen a team shoot themselves in the foot as much as Oregon did today
— Zack B1G Duck’n (@Undercov3rDuck) September 1, 2024
Was it really that bad?
Share your thoughts about this team in the only free, “polite and respectful” Oregon Sports message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum!
Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.