Oregon escaped its inaugural game as a member of the Big Ten with a 24-14 win over Idaho last Saturday. The Ducks were nearly 45-point favorites and found themselves only up a touchdown at home against the Vandals.
This result could explain Oregon’s recent AP poll ranking, as they moved down four spots to No. 7. Nevertheless, they still remain the second-highest Big Ten team ranked, only behind No. 2 Ohio State, which handled business in a win over Akron on Saturday.
Transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel got a lot of reps in the passing game, completing 41 of 49 total throws. The former Oklahoma Sooner totaled 380 yards in the air while finding his star wideout Tez Johnson for a pair of touchdowns.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson led the Ducks in receiving, reeling in seven catches for 87 total yards. Johnson wasn’t far behind, picking up 81 yards through the air. On the downside, Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart didn’t have the breakout game many predicted, only catching three passes for 15 yards.
Oregon will need to quickly shift its attention to this upcoming week, when they host Boise State in Eugene. Many predict the Broncos can crack the new 12-team playoff, so the Ducks will have the chance to show improvement from last week against a quality opponent.