How Oregon Ducks Offense Turned Heads In Blowout Win Over Minnesota

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks dominated the Minnesota Golden Gophers from the opening kickoff on Friday night at Autzen Stadium, earning a 42-13 win to improve to 9-1 on the season. Throughout the season, the Ducks have been dominant in the running game, and that dominance was on full display in the win against the Golden Gophers.

Entering the game, Oregon had averaged just under 240 rushing yards per game, which is among the top 10 in college football. In the win against Minnesota, the Ducks found success in the running game from the start, with Jordon Davison reaching 12 touchdowns on the season in the first quarter, recording two rushing scores.

One of those two scores featured a beautiful 32-yard touchdown run to give the Ducks a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Davison finished the game with seven carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Fresh off a 118-yard rushing performance in the Ducks’ 18-16 come-from-behind road win over the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes, Oregon’s leading rusher Noah Whittington put together another impressive game against Minnesota.

Early in the second quarter, with the Ducks up 14-3, Whittington had arguably one of the best touchdown runs of the season, as he escaped several Minnesota defenders to take it 40 yards to the house. On top of the crazy run, Whittington lost control of the ball momentarily in the end zone. After review for being a potential fumble in the end zone and a touchback, the play stood as a touchdown.

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Whittington finished the game leading Oregon in rushing with eight carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Jay Harris, the Ducks’ fourth available running back, also added a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Between Harris and running back Dierre Hill Jr, the two combined for 10 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Collectively as a whole, Oregon finished the game with 179 total rushing yards.

While not as dominant as it was in the road win against the Hawkeyes, the rushing performance was consistent in a game in which Oregon relied more on its passing game, led by quarterback Dante Moore.

Moving into Oregon’s final two games of the season against No. 17 USC at home and Washington on the road in Seattle, the Ducks’ dominance in the running game will be a strength to their offense that will be hard for opposing defenses to overcome.

At times this season, USC has struggled to defend the run, especially in its two losses to No. 10 Notre Dame and Illinois. Coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon team will aim to take advantage of that weakness against the Trojans and look to punish teams with its running game in the playoff, if the Ducks succeed in making it into the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season.