Every former Pac-12 team has had its B1G football awakening this season. USC was pounded by Michigan and Minnesota this year. Neither was a high-scoring affair, though higher scoring than Oregon and Wisconsin. Washington lost to Rutgers in a close game in its first conference road trip, then managed to edge out Michigan at home in a slug-fest before getting run over by Iowa.
UCLA seems to actually enjoy the B1G style of football, as its anemic offense has required the game to stay close to pull off the win. Their games against Iowa and Nebraska were low-scoring affairs in which UCLA managed to win late in the game. Earlier in the season the Bruins were not so lucky in a B1G style bout against Minnesota, where they fell 21-17 after leading for the majority of the game.
For the other three former Pac-12 teams, as the pundits have predicted, there has been an adjustment period as the teams have adjusted to the B1G style of play. So far, the Ducks have managed to escape a B1G style affair, as they have managed to impose their will on their opponents and play the game they want to play. Mr. FishDuck took a break from his fun of sports betting to discuss this B1G experience that Oregon is having in 2024.
However, that all changed when the Ducks traveled to Madison, Wisconsin. The Badgers were coming off their bye week and it was clear they used their two weeks to prep for Oregon to their fullest. This Badger team was out for blood, and in a rowdy B1G stadium, they were going after the Ducks, who were on their eight consecutive game.
It was hard running against Wisconsin, and James managed to out-rush the Badgers.
(Photo By: Isaac Wasserman)
Wisconsin is not a great team this year. Their record says they are a mediocre team striving for a bowl game appearance, but they showed up to play in a big way against the Ducks — and they brought the Ducks down to their level. Dillon Gabriel didn’t score a single touchdown; the team only had one TD on the night in Jordan James’ run. All the rest of the points were scored on Atticus Sappington’s leg.
This is what B1G football has historically been about — a game with tons of defense and very little offense where points were at a premium. A game where time of possession and rushing yards win games. And Oregon won all three stats, though not by much, as the the Ducks out-rushed the Badgers 136 to 130 and owned the clock 32:23 to 27:37.
This a culture-building moment for the Ducks and Dan Lanning, as this win defined the Oregon defense in ways no other game has to date, in a game where the Oregon game plan never materialized and they were forced to play the game Wisconsin wanted. These are the types of games that championship teams find ways to win, and they aren’t always pretty.
Time for the Ducks to rest up and get ready to take down the Huskies.
David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By Isaac Wasserman
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah.
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David Marsh is a high school social studies teacher in Portland, Oregon. As a teacher he is known for telling puns to his students who sometimes laugh out of sympathy, and being both eccentric about history and the Ducks.
David graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with Majors in: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Geography. David began following Ducks Football after being in a car accident in 2012; finding football something new and exciting to learn about during this difficult time in his life. Now, he cannot see life without Oregon football.