Oregon vs. USC was the Game this Season Needed

This season has been a bit of a downer, even though the Ducks are 10-1 and on the verge of a College Football Playoff bid. We got a massive win over Penn State just for it to be forgotten as Penn State took one of the biggest nosedives in recent college football history. The following game, the Ducks laid an egg against Indiana. Ever since, the Ducks have simply taken care of business, often in some atrocious weather. Even Mr. FishDuck was looking to get his own kava shot to mellow out from those cold outings in Iowa and Autzen.

The move to the B1G has been great for eyeballs on Oregon and to help elevate the brand, but not so much when it comes to the guaranteed highlight of every season — the rivalry games. Games that really get the blood boiling. Games that feel like no-lose scenarios because losing means a hated fan base is happy. For what it’s worth, the Oregon State Beavers are not really our rivals anymore.

Losing to Indiana sucks, but it sucks because it was an Oregon loss, whereas losing to USC or Washington is a gut punch.

USC is the program that, as Duck fans, we sat in their shadow for decades — and in the last 15 years Oregon has really taken control of this game. And USC hates it, especially as we’ve moved into their backyard for recruiting as well.

And this game has every mark of a rivalry game.

Rivalry Games Bring Out the Best… and Worst

There is something special about rivalry games. Sometimes they bring out the best of both teams where they are both playing their best ball.

And then there are times, like this game on Saturday, where both teams bring some of the worst discipline and attitudes to the game. That’s precisely what we got. Oregon had over 100 penalty yards and USC wasn’t far behind. There were at least 50 yards in unsportsmanlike conduct penalties between both teams, and both teams gifted each other critical first downs based on dumb penalties.

There was smack talk and taunting, and some extra-curricular contact. This was a bad-blood football game that only a rivalry makes possible.

And best of all, it was classic Pac-12 football. Even the officials made some dubious calls to add to the Pac-12 vibe.

Oregon’s Defense held USC to 1.9 yards per carry.
(Photo By: Scott Kelly)

This was the unique mash of dynamic offense and defenses, just like how the Pac-12 used to roll. Despite what the B1G says, the Pac-12 did actually play defense, but the offenses were just so potent that even the best defenses gave up points. Oregon put up 42 points with seven coming from a punt return for a touchdown. USC has one of the best offenses in the country and managed to score 27, below their season’s average. This was Pac-12 football at its best, and if you want to see Pac-12 football at its worst you still can, because Oregon State and Washington State will play each other next week for a second time this season.

Battle of the Backups

Both Oregon and USC fans will remember how this game was a battle of the backups, as neither team fielded a remotely healthy roster. Few teams have a fully healthy roster by this time of year, but few teams have this many holes via injury while also competing for a playoff berth. That’s what happened in this game.

The Ducks had only two healthy offensive linemen for the entire duration of the game in Dave Iuli and Emmanuel Pregnon. Alex Harkey left and thankfully returned, and Isaiah World started out the game questionable and played sparingly. Oregon center Iapani Laloulu went out of the game and looked like he might return, but it turns out Charlie Pickard is actually a serviceable center. The Ducks may have run below their rushing average, but they still dominated USC at the line of scrimmage with 174 rushing yards — with a back-up offensive line.

The continued loss of Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. at wide receiver meant Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan both needed to step up in a big way, and they have continued to meet the moment.

USC was not without their injuries as well. They were down multiple linemen with starting tackle Elijah Paige out, and then lost their center Kilian O’Conner during the game. They were also without their pair of standout safeties in Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald.

Neither roster was healthy and which team was going to come out of this game with a win was going to be determined by the backups as much as the starters. Oregon proved their roster was deeper and better.

Noah Whittington seemed to constantly find run lanes against USC.
(Photo By: Scott Kelley)

A decade ago, this wouldn’t have been the case. The script has completely flipped on these two programs. Oregon’s roster has been built by a nationwide recruiting process with a focus on taking the best talent from southern California, USC’s backyard. This has not gone unnoticed by USC fans, which has intensified this rivalry among fans and players. Oregon’s roster even has two transfers from USC in Bear Alexander and Pregnon. These two programs are joined at the hip whether they like it or not.

The result was a game where the two teams drug each other into the figurative mud and fought it out, and it wasn’t until Oregon iced the game with a six-minute drive capped off by a Noah Whittington touchdown run that this game felt over.

There are few guarantees in college football, including rivalry games, but the one guarantee is that wins over rivals always feel good. Next week the Ducks head up to Seattle to take on the hated Huskies in another rivalry game.

David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By: Scott Kelley 

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.

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David Marsh

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.