Final: No. 8 Oregon routs Rutgers 56-10

Final score: Oregon 56, Rutgers 10

It was a memorable first trip out to the birthplace of college football for the Oregon Ducks. 

Facing Rutgers for the first time in program history, the Ducks shook off an early 3-0 deficit to blow out the Scarlet Knights 56-10. 

The win improved Oregon’s record to 6-1 and gets the Ducks back in the win column following last week’s 30-20 loss to Indiana. Oregon compiled a season-high 750 yards of total offense behind 294 passing yards and 4 touchdowns from Dante Moore and 225 combined rushing yards between Noah Whittington and Jordon Davison.

After allowing a field goal on Rutgers’ first possession of the game, the Ducks forced eight punts and three turnovers on Rutgers’ next 11 drives before they finally scored again on its final possession of the game.

The Ducks return to Eugene next week to face Wisconsin (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) on Saturday.

A full story from Oregon’s win will be posted to Lookout Eugene-Springfield later this evening.

End of third quarter: Oregon 56, Rutgers 3

There was no let-up for the Ducks in the third quarter. The Ducks added a pair of touchdowns on the ground — a 20-yard score from Jordon Davison and a 35-yard rush from Dierre Hill Jr. — to push the lead to 56-3 going into the fourth quarter. 

A week after explosive plays were nearly non-existent for the Ducks, Oregon has seven touchdowns of 20 yards or more against Rutgers. 

Moore’s day seems to be done after his one mistake — an interception on a short pass up the middle midway through the quarter. He ends his day with 290 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. 

End of first half: Oregon 42, Rutgers 3

Well, that was more like the Ducks we saw for the first half of the year. 

The Ducks outscored Rutgers 28-0 in the quarter, with Moore passing for a trio of scores (21 yards to Sadiq, 34 yards to Dakorien Moore and 5 yards to Whittington) and Whittington breaking out for a 21-yard run. 

At one point in the quarter, Moore completed six consecutive passes for 20 yards or more. He has 278 yards and 4 touchdown passes after two quarters. Impressively, the Ducks are 6 of 7 on third down.

It’s 42-3 the Ducks at the half. 

End of first quarter: Oregon 14, Rutgers 3

This one was far from the way the Ducks wanted to start the game. Playing on the road at Rutgers for the first time, Oregon got the ball first and found themselves in a third-down situation when Dante Moore connected with Gary Bryant Jr. for a pass. Bryant made one defender miss and tried to cut the ball upfield when the ball was forced out.

It was Oregon’s first lost fumble of the season and Rutgers recovered with great field position. But unlike a week ago, Oregon’s defense answered the bell. 

The Ducks limited Rutgers to a 51-yard field goal, which set up a next Oregon possession that saw Noah Whittington take a third-and-short 68 yards for a touchdown. 

After Oregon forced a Rutgers punt, the Ducks responded with another touchdown — this one a rocket of a 30-yard pass from Moore to Kenyon Sadiq, who leaped and caught the ball through the seam for the score to give the Ducks a 14-3 lead with 6:25 to go in the quarter.

Rutgers responded with a drive that got into Oregon territory, but the Ducks’ defense responded once again with Amauri Washington deflecting a pass that was intercepted by Bear Alexander.

The Ducks lead 14-3 after the first.

📺 how to watch or listen 📻

When: 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Time), Oct. 11

Where: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Radio: KUGN-AM 590 and KUJZ 95.3 in Eugene 

who’s playing

Opponent: Rutgers (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) 

Depth Chart/rosters: Oregon; Rutgers

Rutgers player to watch: Antwan Raymond, running back

While Rutgers is a pass-first offense, the Scarlet Knights have had major success this season out of the backfield with running back Antwan Raymond. The sophomore has 102 carries for 560 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 11 catches for 131 yards and another score.

His success, in part, is in how hard he is to get to the ground. He ranks eighth in the country with 437 yards after contact and ranks fourth nationally with 36 forced missed tackles. The Ducks missed 15 tackles against Penn State and seven tackles against Indiana.

“They do a great job of getting north and south,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “When they make a decision, they hit the hole, and they hit it with violence. Really good run-game, and it’s built off of some of the stuff we saw last week with RPOs down the field. If you load the box, they have the ability to throw it to the guys outside and take advantage of it.”

Oregon player to watch: Poncho Laloulu, center

When one notices the center, something’s gone wrong. 

A bad snap. A missed block. 

But for the Oregon Ducks coming off a loss, nobody has been more important in getting the team off the mat than its junior center.

And the 329-pound heartbeat of Oregon’s offensive line is dead set on showing the six sacks the Ducks allowed last week against Indiana were the exception — not a new norm.

“I take ownership of every one of them. That’s under us,” Laloulu said. “Me as a leader, too, I have to learn from that. Obviously, as an offensive line, you don’t want to see something like that, but I know my guys, and coach (A’lique) Terry and the Law Firm are going to get it right and focus on what we’ve got to learn.”

Laloulu has an important role on the field. But teammates say it’s in the locker room where he really sets the tone.

“I would say our number one leader on the team is probably Poncho (Laloulu),” receiver Malik Benson said. “Obviously, he’s a center and things like that. But just being that guy that doesn’t care, really, what anybody thinks of him, just gonna go out there and be that, that guy. He’s been here for a very long time.”

fit check

🔖 reads to get ready for the game 🔖

In case you missed any of our coverage earlier this week: 

From statement win to wakeup call: Oregon falters against Indiana

It’s a dog-meet-dog world on the set of ‘College GameDay’ 

For now, the Ducks lose their claim as Big Ten’s darling

Learn more about Rutgers: 

Will Scarlet Knights snap nation-leading skid with all-time upset?

This Rutgers veteran is following former teammate’s example as ‘versatile guy’ along defensive line

Rutgers ‘now has plan’ for NIL. Will it work?

📷 Relive Week 7 📷

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