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Classic Horror Movies Worth Watching!
Though the 21st century has produced some truly fantastic horror movies, films like The Witch (2015), Get Out (2017), and Hereditary (2018) that will undoubtedly be talked about for generations to come, fans of the genre would be doing themselves a great disservice if they were to limit their watching to only films made within their own lifetime.
A great horror film often leaves its audience hungry for more, which is why the wide world of film history can be such an engaging topic of study; after all, the great stories of our time echo the stories of the past. And though contemporary horror, or “elevated horror” as a handful of film prudes would refer to it, has found new ways to engage controversial or complicated topics by utilizing the tropes of this titillating genre, longtime fans will assure you that this is not a new convention; it’s been there since the beginning, simmering below the blood-soaked surface.
here is OUR ever-growing list of CLASSIC HORROR MOVIES WORTH WATCHING!
PSYCHO (1960)
Director ….. Alfred Hitchcock
Cast ………. Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
Marion Crane steals 40,000 dollars from her job and drives toward Fairvale, California to meet up with her boyfriend. A rainstorm forces her to seek shelter at a motel run by a strange young taxidermist named Norman and his overbearing mother.
Once checked in, Marion showers to remove the grime of a morally ambiguous day, then she’s stabbed to death with a knife. As her blood swirls down the drain, we realize this is not Marion’s story; it’s a terrifying tale from the madness at Bate’s Motel.
The quick and ruthless murder of Janet Leigh’s character in Psycho has become one of, if not the most, iconic scenes in film history. Audiences of the time were dragged into dark, unknown territory when the protagonist was shockingly killed early in the film, and the thrill it produced helped horror transition into a new era, where the macabre of the past was dragged into the modern world.
Alfred Hitchcock insisted that theaters only allow patrons in at the beginning of the film to preserve its integrity (a convention that has since been made standard, but at the time added to the film’s mystique), and even now few films or television shows successfully subvert expectations as well as this legendary thriller.
ALSO WATCH: The Birds (1963), Get Out (2017), Parasite (2019)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
Director ….. George A. Romero
Cast ………. Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman
Two strangers barricade themselves in a thought-to-be secluded house. Just outside the door, a horde of undead ghouls shuffle about, waiting for an opportunity to devour more human flesh. How will they survive this… NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!
George A. Romero created the flesh-eating, slow-moving zombies we all know and love today in this micro-budget masterpiece, which happens to never actually say the word “zombies”. Night of the Living Dead is the ultimate testament to D.I.Y. horror; made by a small but dedicated group of free-thinking filmmakers, and shot just outside of Pittsburgh, strict budget restrictions ended up resulting in a daring and fresh take on the horror genre.
This seemingly schlocky film went on to inspire countless other movies, as the concept of a man-eating corpse spread throughout the collective unconscious and soon became a world-wide phenomenon that remains ingrained in a surprising amount of our culture.
Romero has said on multiple occasions that he cast Duane Jones as the film’s main protagonist based solely on the merit of his acting ability, and that the fact that he’s African American was never a factor. Still, the decision to make the lead a black man gives the film exponentially more meaning considering the time and place it was released, and is an excellent example of why we should be conscious of casting choices.
ALSO WATCH: Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Shawn of the Dead (2004), One Cut of the Dead (2017)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
Director ….. William Friedkin
Cast ………. Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair
Actress Chris MacNeil loves her daugher, Regan, a pleasant 12-year old girl with a positive demeanor. Which is what makes her recent transformation so disturbing. Her face is bloating like a corpse, and she uses a deep, terrible voice to swear violent and sexual things at her mother. Things have gotten so bad that Chris is forced to strap Regan, or whatever’s inside Regan, to a bed. An ancient evil has taken her hostage, only an exorcism will do.
The Exorcist, based on the 1971 novel written by William Peter Blatty, ultimately is a tale of good versus evil, the battle between men of God and the powers of Satan. You can easily see why any “true believer” would immediately single out this film as sacrilege with its shocking language and grotesque imagery, but even for non-religious viewers the film carries a deep-seeded darkness that is impossible to deny.
Whether through its uncanny editing, its masterful use of sound and practical effects, or the countless real-life horror stories that emerged regarding the making of the film, The Exorcist has built an unrivaled reputation as, not just a film that depicts evil, but also a genuinely evil film. It was a dark, crowd-pleasing blockbuster that was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture which until then had never been considered for a horror movie.
ALSO WATCH: The Babadook (2014), The Wailing (2016), Dark Water (2002)
THE WICKER MAN (1973)
Director ….. Robin Hardy
Cast ………. Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento
After receiving a disturbing letter calling for the investigation of a missing child, Police Sergeant Neil Howie flies to the peaceful, yet peculiar, island of Summerisle. Songs are sung, love is made, dances are danced, but the devout Sergeant Howie remains firm in his quest to find the secret ugliness buried within this pristine society.
Not all scary movies are dark and dreary. The Wicker Man builds a sense of dread all while drawing us into the strange, but inviting, customs of the people of Summerisle. A beautiful soundtrack, an idyllic landscape, heaps of naked pagans, all add to the allure of the community, and quickly we find ourselves wanting to join their upcoming May Day festivities even though we know something is not quite right.
The film has grown from its B-movie status and has blossomed into the quintessential folk horror it has become today. The performance from Edward Woodward as Sergeant Howie contrasts well with the film’s setting, Christopher Lee - eager to break away from his role as Dracula - shines as the flamboyant Lord Summerisle, and the soundtrack plays such a pivotal role establishing the world of the film that it’s fair to categorize this as a folk horror musical.
ALSO WATCH: Over the Garden Wall (2014), Midsommar (2019)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Director ….. Tobe Hooper
Cast ………. Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen
An idyllic summer afternoon drive becomes a nightmare when five youths find themselves in a hellish wasteland called Texas, where outsiders are slaughtered and served like barbecue.
The frenzy that is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has become the template for countless slashers that followed it, and the film has regularly been referred to as the scariest of all time.
While that latter claim is subjective, there’s something undeniably nightmarish about Tobe Hooper’s family of cannibals. Working on a shoestring budget in blistering heat with real-life dead animal remains as props, the miserable state of the cast and crew added to the film’s aura of terror. Perhaps the most shocking element of this cult classic is its effective restraint; despite Hooper’s best efforts to construct his film to comply with a “PG” rating, the MPAA originally gave The Texas Chain Saw Massacre an “X”, and the film was banned in the UK along with the word “chainsaw” for years after its release.
ALSO WATCH: Cannibal Holocaust (1980), Raw (2016)
SUSPIRIA (1977)
Director ….. Dario Argento
Cast ………. Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Eva Axén
A young American ballet student arrives at the Freiburg Dance Academy in Germany during a torrential downpour just as another young dancer runs from the school in terror. Is this just a result of a rigid curriculum, or a hint at something more sinister? The discovery of the fleeing student’s body the next day suggests the latter.
Italian horror cinema is filled to the brim with helpless female victims, however, in Dario Argento’s first installment of his The Three Mothers Trilogy we unravel the mysteries of an occult dance school through the mesmerizing and mesmerized eyes of Suzy Bannion (played by Jessica Harper).
The lead is a woman, the villain is a woman, and overall a large majority of the cast are women in this rare example of an early scary movie that passes the Bechdel test. Though the film doesn’t relish its murder the way a giallo might, there is still plenty of creative carnage for fans of old school gore. The story is unique yet simple, allowing the audience to be fully engage with the film’s fantastical use of color and the unforgettable score by Goblin.
ALSO WATCH: Inferno (2016), Black Swan (2010), Climax (2018), Suspiria (2018)
ERASERHEAD (1977)
Director ….. David Lynch
Cast ………. Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph
Spencer returns to his home and is informed of an invitation to a family dinner with his girlfriend and her parents. He joins their meal of “man-made” chicken and is then cornered by his girlfriend’s mother. She informs Spencer that her daughter has already given birth to his premature child, though there seems to be some confusion whether it’s a child at all.
Many horror films can be described as nightmarish, none more so than David Lynch’s debut film, which exists on its own unconscious plane. Produced by the American Film Institute and a handful of donations over a five-year span, the dreamlike and uncanny nature of Eraserhead allowed Lynch to express his fear of becoming a father by creating a queasy tension in even the most mundane of actions. Every sound, expression, and gesture has been carefully crafted to subconsciously disturb the viewer, building a long-running unease that dissects a minute of screen time into a thousand nauseating moments.
The film’s shoestring surrealism made a name for itself on the midnight movie market, and word is that Stanley Kubrick himself showed the movie to his cast and crew to inspire them on the set of The Shining.
ALSO WATCH: The Holy Mountain (1973), Mulholland Drive (2001), Donnie Darko (2001)
THE SHINING (1980)
Director ….. Stanley Kubrick
Cast ………. Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
A young boy named Danny asks his imaginary friend named Tony why he doesn’t want to go to the hotel. Tony, who lives in Danny’s finger, reveals the terror that will fall upon Danny, his father, and his mother when they reach their remote destination. Scenes of unadulterated horror flash before Danny’s eyes all while the siren call of the Overlook Hotel beckons to his father.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining can be many things: it’s a powerful ghost story set in a labyrinthian haunted house; it’s a metaphor for alcoholism, patriarchy, and a million other themes; some even say it’s a confession from Kubrick himself admitting he helped fake the moon landing. But stripped down to its core it’s a masterfully crafted horror film that aims to subliminally engage the fear centers of the unconscious.
The two leading men, Jack Nicholson and an oblivious Danny Lloyd (who shares the name of the character he’s playing), deliver broad, engaging performances that help heighten the drama, but it is the unfairly maligned Shelley Duvall that truly sells the terror of the tale. As the film wares on you like a lost shuffle through a hedge maze, the cavernous rooms take on an aura of evil.
Stephen King may not be a fan of this adaptation of his work, but for students of film this is a must-watch example of the mental manipulation a master filmmaker is capable of creating.
ALSO WATCH: Clockwork Orange (1971), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Doctor Sleep (2019), Room 237 (2012)
The Thing (1982)
Director ….. John Carpenter
Cast ………. Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David
A group of American researchers in Antarctica take in a stray sled dog that reveals itself to be a shape-shifting extraterrestrial organism that aims to kill, absorb and assimilate every living creature it encounters.
John Carpenter’s Sci-Fi horror classic is a rare film that combines the artful restraint of a well-paced thriller with over-the-top, top-of-the-line practical effects. Carpenter’s shape-shifting alien erupts into a mind-boggling lovecraftian mass when discovered or attacking, then calmly rejoins the crew as a perfect doppelganger of its prey. The result is a movie monster that intrinsically mirrors the ebb and flow of a horror film.
There is no better argument in support of practical effects than comparing The Thing (1982) with its direct prequel, The Thing (2011).
ALSO WATCH: Alien (1979), The Fly (1986), The Mist (2007)
Threads (1984)
Director ….. Mick Jackson
Cast ………. Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly
News of rising tensions between the US and the Soviet Union reaches the residents of Sheffield, who mostly carry on with their day-to-day lives. The threat seems dangerous but distant, until a nuclear warhead detonates over the North Sea. Those that survive the initial blast soon learn to envy the dead as it becomes clear the apocalyptic attack unraveled not only the city of Sheffield, but the fabric of society.
Perhaps the scariest film on the list, Threads walks the line between horror film and public safety announcement. This is a film with a clear motive: to prevent nuclear war by depicting its aftermath in the most realistic and effective manner possible. Renowned scientists like Carl Sagan were interviewed by the filmmakers to clarify what is to be expected should the worse come to happen in the nuclear arms race, and the finished product greatly benefits from this verisimilitude.
The brilliance of the film is its focus on the average citizen, choosing to zoom in on the mother with her deceased infant as opposed to a global view. The pre-bomb portion of the film serves as a striking contrast to the post-bomb portion, and after your first viewing you’ll likely be a different person than you were before. Despite its grisly content, the film was aired on BBC Two and later on TBS in America, leaving viewers around the globe asking themselves if what they watched was a warning or an inevitability.
ALSO WATCH: Come and See (1985), The War Game (1966), The Plague Dogs (1982)
BRAINDEAD (1992)
Director ….. Peter Jackson
Cast ………. Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody
Lionel has always been a mummy’s boy, even when she became a flesh-eating walking corpse, but now he’s fallen for a shopkeeper’s daughter named Paquita, and if he wants things to work out with her then he’ll need to make sure his mother doesn’t get to her first.
With all this talk of “elevated horror”nowadays, it’s important to reserve some space for movies that simply want to make you lose your lunch. Peter Jackson is best known for his transcendent The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but to many fans of the genre he’ll always be celebrated for creating one of the goriest films of all time.
Braindead, or Dead Alive as it’s known in the US, utilizes practical effects that stand the test of time due to Jackson’s vivid imagination and dark comedic wit. In fact, focusing solely on its gore would be a disservice to the film, because it also serves as a hilarious farce, which amplifies its late-night party potential. If you’re looking for a splatterfest, you simply cannot do better than this gem from New Zealand.
ALSO WATCH: Evil Dead 2 (1987), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Train to Busan (2016)
RINGU (1998)
Director ….. Hideo Nakata
Cast ………. Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Ino’o
Reiko, a newspaper reporter, uses her skills of investigation to track down a cursed videotape that is said to kill anyone who watches it seven days later. A mixture of morbid curiosity and paranormal beckoning leads Reiko to play the tape, and after witnessing its ghostly content she realizes the countdown has begun…
The movie that brought Japanese horror to the global stage, Ringu helped films like Dark Water (2002) and Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) gain a world-wide audience, and also inspired a wave of unfortunate American remakes in the process. Though 1998 seems a little too recent to earn the “classic” title, this film has been deemed worthy by critics and box-offices since its debut. Its heavy reliance on dead technology (VCRs, Videotapes, landline phones, etc.) from the pre-internet era serve as a perfect homage to the days when one had to track down their horror films in real life.
For those rare few who haven’t seen it and have somehow managed to avoid its many parodies, track it down and run to your television to watch it immediately - the ending will astound you.
Some of the best horror set pieces have the power to forever change the way we feel about real-world places - like Jaws (1975) and the ocean, or Psycho (1960) and the shower. Ringu is the perfect movie to scare you at home because at the end you’ll be left with an ominous black screen, and just like the victims in the film, you’ve now seen the cursed tape.
ALSO WATCH: Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), The Blair Witch Project (1999), REC (2007)
Thanks for reading. let US know your thoughts, Criticisms, and recommendations in the comment section.
2020 ROSE BOWL: #6 OREGON VS #8 WISCONSIN
OREGON 7/7/7/7 - 28
WISCONSIN 10/7/7/3 - 27
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - History repeated itself on January 1st, 2020 when the Oregon Duck football team survived a thrilling Rose Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers. The MVPs of the game were both Oregon natives; on offense, Justin Herbert ran for three touchdowns; on defense, Brady Breeze returned a botched punt attempt for a touchdown then forced a turnover in the fourth quarter. Even the sky above Pasadena seemed to favor the Ducks, as they brightened Oregon’s reflective helmets during their Rose Bowl victory, 28 to 27.
Oregon started strong by marching down the field 75 yards to score the first touchdown of the 2020 Rose Bowl. Runs from CJ Verdell, Travis Dye and Justin Herbert helped set up successful passes to Juwan Johnson, Mycah Pittman (in his first game back from an injury suffered against Arizona) and tight end Hunter Kampmoyer to reach the Wisconsin four-yard line. From there Justin Herbert kept the read-option and pushed his way into the end zone.
However, the Badgers countered the early score with a 95-yard touchdown kick return. Then, on Oregon’s first play of their second possession, things went from bad to worse when Justin Herbert was picked off by linebacker Jack Sanborn. But the Duck defense did not disappoint when they made their debut, holding the Badgers to a field goal despite being backed up to the Oregon 27.
After racking up 17 points in the first seven minutes, the game began to slow down as both defenses found their footing. It appeared the Badgers would score again early in the second quarter when they reached the Duck 29-yard line, but Collin Larsh’ 47-yard field goal attempt missed. Oregon’s next possession resulted in their second three-and-out of the match, but two plays later the Duck offense reclaimed the ball when Troy Dye ripped the rock from star running back Jonathan Taylor’s hands and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir snatched the fumble and returned it seven yards.
Unfortunately, the Ducks were unable to turn the fumble into points, as the Badger defense flexed their muscles by stopping an attempt to convert on fourth-and-one. But the Duck D came up big once more by using their oppressive pass rush to force an interception on third-and-six. Thomas Graham Jr. returned the pick 24 yards to the Wisconsin 33, three plays later Justin Herbert scored his second rushing touchdown by stiff-arming past cornerback Rachad Wildgoose from five yards out.
Down by four with 3:16 left before the half, the Badgers put together an eight-play, 53-yard touchdown drive to go up 17 to 14 with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Standout receiver Quintez Cephus brought in the 11-yard touchdown and Oregon elected to bleed out the clock.
The Badgers received the ball to start the second half, and after picking up a first down with a Cephus reception for nine yards the drive stalled out at the Wisconsin 41 due to three consecutive incomplete passes from Jack Coan. Then, the Ducks reclaimed the lead when punter Anthony Lotti fumbled the ball in front of Haki Woods Jr. and Brady Breeze, the latter of which scooped up the ball and returned it 31 yards to go up 21-17.
But Wisconsin proved its toughness by answering Oregon’s score with an 11-play, 65-yard drive in which Jack Coan was a perfect 3-of-3 and Mason Stokke scored a two-yard touchdown on his third consecutive carry. The Badger defense then forced the Ducks to punt after limiting them to just eight yards, and eleven plays later Larsh hit a 27-yard field goal to take a 27-21 lead with 12:09 left in the game.
Things looked dire when Herbert was sacked on 3rd-and-two by Noah Burks, resulting in Oregon’s second straight punt, but Breeze came up with a huge play by stripping the ball from Danny Davis III at the Wisconsin 26-yard line. Bryson Young recovered the ball, then on the very next play, Herbert scored his third rushing touchdown of the evening by juking a Badger defender and utilizing blocks from Johnny Johnson III and Mycah Pittman to move the ball 30 yards for the game-winning score.
Wisconsin’s next drive stalled out at their own 39-yard line, then a bad snap on second-and-three led to another Oregon three-and-out. Down by one point with less than four minutes remaining, Coan and the offense hoped to gather themselves for one final push, but an offensive pass interference from Davis III doomed the drive and gave the Ducks back the ball with 2:30 left in the game. A 12-yard pass to Pittman forced the Badgers to use their final two timeouts, and on third-and-short Juwan Johnson snatched a quick pass and took it 28 yards for the first down and the win.
Oregon celebrated its first Rose Bowl win since the 2014 season in which Marcus Mariota took the Ducks to their second national championship game by dismantling the Florida State Seminoles, 59 to 20.
“Every ounce of sweat, blood, tears; all the stadium workouts — every piece of it was worth it, we're Pac-12 champs, Rose Bowl champs. I'm just proud of the boys.”
- Troy Dye
“We were motivated, ready to get things going, we never took a mental step backwards. We were always thinking about the next play. We persevered through the ups and downs, and we came out on top”
- Johnny Johnson III
Oregon Offense (total: 204 - pass: 138 - rush: 66)
Wisconsin Offense (total: 322 - pass: 186 - rush: 136)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 3 - INT: 1 - FUM: 2)
Wisconsin Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - INT: 1)
UO (12-2) UW (10-4)
2019 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #13 OREGON VS #5 UTAH
UTAH 0/0/15/0 - 15
OREGON 10/10/3/14 - 37
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - After the loss to Arizona State earlier in the season, the Oregon Ducks lost some of their luster. Meanwhile, Kyle Whittingham’s 11-1 Utah Utes were still in the playoff race after recovering from a loss in their conference opener to USC, finishing the regular season on an eight game winstreak. However, the Utes - who prided themselves on being a physical football team - were outmuscled on both lines by the high-flying Ducks of Oregon.
Utah started with the ball, and for a few minutes it appeared the combination of quarterback Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss would continue their warpath through the PAC-12, but on fourth-and-1 at the Oregon 33 the Duck defense came up big when Brady Breeze was able to break through the line to slow down Moss enough for the rest of the defense to gang tackle him behind the line. Then, as they had done all season, Justin Herbert and the Oregon offense capitalized on their favorable field position by traveling 67 yards in nine plays to reach the end zone with a three-yard run from CJ Verdell. The drive started with a failed play on first down in which Johnny Johnson III took a huge hit on a play that lost a yard, but three consecutive carries from Herbert gained 27 yards and helped open up the Utah defense for the eventual score.
The Oregon defense stayed strong by forcing a three-and-out on Utah’s next possession, and the offense rewarded their efforts by using a 50-yard pass to Juwan Johnson to reach the Utah two-yard line. A false start from Hunter Kampmoyer was followed by a failed trick play to left tackle Penei Sewell on third down, but Camden Lewis’ 23-yard field goal put Oregon up 10-0.
Kayvon Thibodeaux nearly added to the score by blocking a punt from Ben Lennnon on Utah’s next possession; the blocked kick tumbled toward the boundary where Thibodeaux would’ve had open field between himself and the end zone, but the defensive standout was unable to wrangle in the ball before it bounced out of bounds.
The Ducks weren’t able to capitalize off of the blocked punt, and on the next possession Zack Moss boosted up his team’s morale with a 42-yard run thanks to a solid block by Tyler Huntley. However, the momentum was killed when Huntley threw a bomb to the end zone that was easily picked off by Breeze, the Duck that was battered by the quarterback the play before.
Oregon wasn’t able to take full advantage of the interception and was forced to punt after a false start called on Calvin Throckmorton proved too much to overcome. Thankfully, the Utah run game continued to get shut down by the stout Duck D, resulting in another three-and-out from the PAC-12 South Division champions. Three plays later Herbert found a wide-open Johnny Johnson III for a 45-yard touchdown to give the Ducks a three-score lead.
The now desperate Utah offense attempted to convert on fourth-and-2 at the Oregon 31-yard line, but Avalos’ squad brought down Huntley before he picked up a yard. A big pass to Johnson III got the Ducks back in the red zone, however, another false start from senior tackle Calvin Throckmorton resulted in a field goal attempt from freshman Camden Lewis, which the shaky kicker nailed from 30 yards out to give Oregon a 20 to 0 lead which they would take to the half.
Utah was down, but most definitely not out. Whatever halftime speech Coach Whittingham gave his team seemed to do the trick in the third quarter as the Utes started the second half with a Duck three-and-out followed by a 6-play, 53-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown from Moss. The comeback bid then gained steam when a wild snap (a puzzling all-too-familiar staple of the Oregon offense) flew over the head of Herbert who recovered the ball at the Duck one-yard line and survived the pursuing onslaught of Utah defenders.
The bad snap led to an Oregon punt from deep in their own territory, but d-lineman Popo Aumavae set the tone for the next possession when he sacked Huntley for a three-yard loss on first down. A 10-yard gain from Moss set up another fourth-and-short, and once again the Ducks rose to the occasion by stopping the Utah offense dead in its tracks thanks to Thomas Graham Jr who broke up a pass intended for Demari Simpkins. On the next play, CJ Verdell carried the ball from midfield to the Utah 26, and though the drive stalled out at the seven-yard line, Camden Lewis showed growth by connecting on his third consecutive field goal.
To Utah’s credit, they responded well to the adversity by marching 75 yards for their second touchdown of the evening. Huntley connected with receiver Samson Nacua on third-and-10 for a 25-yard touchdown, then hit him again for the two-point conversion to cut the lead to eight with 1:13 left in the third.
The championship game slowed down at the top of the final quarter as both teams struggled to sustain their drives, but at the 7:09 mark Verdell cracked the game open with a 70-yard touchdown run. Down by 15 points, Utah’s next possession was spoiled by a Thibodeaux sack for an eight-yard loss on first down. Oregon was able to take nearly two-and-a-half minutes off the clock and burn through all three of Utah’s timeouts before punting the ball back to them with 3:29 left in the game.
Utah’s next drive was cut short after just two plays when the club-handed Troy Dye picked off a pass at the Utah 20. Oregon responded with a two-play drive of their own, consisting of a four-yard rush from Herbert then a 31-yard touchdown run from Verdell. The junior running back tallied 208 yards and three touchdowns against one of the best run defenses of the 2019 college football season.
The Duck defense stopped Utah’s final drive with a fourth-down sack from seniors Troy Dye and La’Mar Winston Jr, meaning the Utes failed all four of their fourth-down attempts. Justin Herbert ran out the clock and Duck fans across the country celebrated another PAC-12 championship and a future trip to the Rose Bowl.
"We came a long way… It's emotional, because who would have thought? With a 4-8 year one, no one would have thought”
- Senior Offensive Lineman Shane Lemieux
Oregon Offense (total: 432 - pass: 193 - rush: 239)
Utah Offense (total: 309 - pass: 193 - rush: 116)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 2 - INT: 2)
Utah Defense (forced turnovers: 0)
UO (11-2, 8-1) UU (11-2, 8-1)
#14 OREGON VS OREGON STATE
OREGON ST 3/0/0/7 - 10
OREGON 10/7/0/7 - 24
EUGENE, OREGON - On paper, the 2019 Civil War should have been a lopsided victory in favor of the No. 14 Oregon Ducks against the unranked 5-6 Oregon State Beavers. However, with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Beavers were down by just seven points with possession of the ball. Thankfully, the Duck defense came up big by forcing the game’s only turnover, three plays later Cyrus Habibi-Likio ran into the end zone to give Oregon a 14-point lead with 1:15 in the fourth.
Oregon took the opening possession 56 yards before stalling at their rival’s 14-yard line due to a false start and a couple of incomplete passes from Justin Herbert, but freshman kicker Camden Lewis was able to salvage the drive with a 32-yard field goal. Oregon State had a lot going against them in the hellish confines of Autzen stadium. including the absence of redshirt senior quarterback Jake Luton who suffered a forearm injury against Washington State the week before, but backup Tristan Gebbia stepped in confidently; the redshirt sophomore successfully converted on fourth-and-short during a 12-play, 63-yard drive that tied the score at three apiece with Everett Hayes’ 40-yard field goal.
Then Mykael Wright took over the game by returning the proceeding kickoff 98 yards to give the Ducks a 10-3 lead; it was the freshman’s second touchdown return of the season, the first came against USC just before the half. The Duck D forced back-to-back three-and-outs to preserve their lead, then Herbert took advantage of a good return from Jevon Holland by using just two plays to score. Johnny Johnson III, fresh off of a career game in a losing effort against Arizona State, brought in the 28-yard touchdown reception.
After reaching a 17-3 Duck lead, the Civil War came to a standstill as both offenses struggled to extend their drives; the two teams combined for five consecutive punts before Oregon State eventually ended the first half by running out the clock.
Oregon State was forced to punt on their opening possession of the second half, and the Oregon run game barreled towards the red zone before an incomplete pass on third-and-goal led to another Lewis field goal attempt, and from 24 yards out the freshman missed wide left.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Beavers were able to cut the lead to seven early in the fourth through a combination of positive plays from Gebbia and standout running back Jermar Jefferson, the later of which found the end zone on a 19-yard touchdown run. The Oregon offense rallied by marching down the field 70 yards in nine plays, but disaster struck when Jaylon Redd fumbled the ball out of the end zone, resulting in a turnover.
The Duck defense did their part by ending a promising Oregon State drive with a crucial stop on fourth-and-five, but once again the offense failed to pick up a fresh set of downs. Punter Blake Maimone pinned the Beavers at their own 15 and suddenly Oregon State had an opportunity to force an overtime or even win the game. Isaac Slade-Matautia broke up a pass intended for Trevon Bradford on first down, then OSU’s upset bid fell apart on the next play as Jefferson attempted to leap over Thomas Graham Jr, but caught his foot and fumbled the ball as he crashed down on the field. Brady Breeze recovered the ball, then three consecutive handoffs to Habibi-Likio finally gave the Ducks back another touchdown.
Habibi-Likio’s 20-yard touchdown run essentially iced the game for Oregon, but Avalos’ squad ended the match with an exclamation point by keeping little brother out of the end zone in garbage time to solidify their 24-10 Civil War victory. Cristobal and the coaching staff now turned their attention towards the PAC-12 Championship game against the 11-1 Utah Utes.
"Defense played outstanding; special teams were big. We didn't finish some drives; did some good things, but obviously other things were not so good. But in a rivalry, you find a way to win. Our guys are really excited we earned the opportunity to play an extra week."
- Mario Cristobal
Oregon Offense (total: 365 - pass: 174 - rush: 191)
Oregon State Offense (total: 380 - pass: 243 - rush: 137)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - FUM: 1)
Oregon State Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - FUM: 1)
UO (10-2, 8-1) OSU (5-7, 4-5)
#6 OREGON @ ARIZONA STATE
OREGON 7/0/0/21 - 28
ARIZONA ST 7/3/3/18 - 31
TEMPE, ARIZONA - Oregon nearly completed a fourth-quarter comeback in an attempt to save their spot in the college football playoffs, but an 81-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels to receiver Brandon Aiyuk put the game out of reach for the Ducks. It was Oregon’s first, and final, conference loss of the season.
After the Ducks and Sun Devils traded punts to open the first quarter, the Oregon run game fueled an 11-play, 80-yard drive that put Cyrus Habibi-Likio in the end zone off a five-yard touchdown run. During the drive, Johnny Johnson III caught a couple passes for 37 yards - a preview of what would end up being a career night for the junior wide receiver.
The Arizona State offense responded quickly by scoring on the vaunted Duck defense with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Frank Darby. The score remained tied at 7-7 until 3:40 left in the half when Christian Zendejas connected on a 25-yard field goal attempt. Then, Herm Edwards’ Sun Devils nearly added to their lead by racing down to the Oregon 30 with 16 seconds left before the half, but a third-down sack by Austin Faoliu forced Jayden Daniels to take an unsuccessful shot at the end zone in the final moments of the second quarter.
Daniels and the ASU offense picked up right where they left off when they received the ball first in the second half. A short pass to Kyle Williams originally went for 46 yards thanks to a handful of missed tackles from Oregon, then the play was made worse for the Ducks when Troy Dye was called for a facemask, resulting in the Sun Devils reaching the Oregon 9-yard line. Fortunately, ASU was held to another field goal after three ineffective plays in the red zone.
The Ducks were down by just six points, an easily manageable deficit for a top ten team, but back-to-back punts from Oregon began to deflate the confidence of Herbert and the offense. the defense was doing its part by limiting the Sun Devil offense to just three points in the third quarter, but an interception from Herbert on the first play of the fourth seemed to ignite the home team.
ASU took advantage of their field position by getting the ball to Frank Darby on a 26-yard touchdown pass, his second score of the evening. Daniels then connected with Eno Benjamin on a short pass that gave them two extra points and a 21-7 lead. Herbert put the Ducks in a deeper hole by throwing his second consecutive interception, which Khaylan Kearse-Thomas returned 12 yards to the Oregon 20, but again, to the defense’s credit, the Sun Devils were forced to settle for the field goal despite being in the red zone.
Suddenly, Herbert awoke from his third-quarter nap by leading three touchdown drives on his final three possessions. Down 7 to 24, Oregon traveled 75 yards in under a minute using just three plays: first an 11-yard pass to Johnny Johnson III, then, after ASU’s Roe Wilkins was called for roughing the passer, Johnson III picked up 39 yards on the next play, setting up Cyrus Habibi-Likio for a 10-yard touchdown run.
Oregon’s defense kept the momentum going by forcing a three-and-out with 6:07 left in the final quarter. Again, the Ducks needed just three plays to score a touchdown, though this time all three plays went to Johnson III who tallied gains of 19, 23 and then 24 yards to reach the end zone and cut the lead to just three points. ASU started their next drive with a delay of game that put them at their own 20, then a second-down sack by Bryson Young and Austin Faoliu put the Devils in an even worse situation. But on third-and-16, Jayden Daniels connected with Brandon Aiyuk for an 81-yard touchdown pass that will forever be remembered by heartbroken Duck fans.
But the Oregon offense still had some gas left in the tank. Herbert led the Ducks on a nine-play, 61-yard drive that finished with Johnson III’s second touchdown. (Johnny Johnson III finished the game with a career best 207 yards and two touchdowns off 10 receptions) and the score gave Oregon a shot at the comeback victory. However, the Duck defense failed to stop the Sun Devils from running out the clock, and Johnson III’s performance was overshadowed by yet another surprising Duck loss in the desert.
“Against a good team, you have to be at your very best from start to finish. And we were not.”
- Mario Cristobal
Oregon Offense (total: 458 - pass: 304 - rush: 154)
Arizona State Offense (total: 535 - pass: 408 - rush: 127)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 0)
Arizona State Defense (forced turnovers: 2 - INT: 2)
UO (9-2, 7-1) ASU (6-5, 3-5)
#6 OREGON VS ARIZONA
ARIZONA 0/6/0/0 - 6
OREGON 14/7/7/6 - 34
EUGENE, OREGON - The Ducks held their sixth opponent of the season to less than eight points when they dismantled Kevin Sumlin’s Wildcats at Autzen stadium to earn their ninth consecutive victory and a spot in the PAC-12 Championship game. The Oregon offense racked up 21 unanswered points in the first half, then Avalos’ squad blanked the Wildcats in the second half after allowing just two field goals at the end of the second quarter.
It took just two plays for the Ducks to take an early lead: CJ Verdell picked up two yards on his opening carry, then Johnny Johnson III took advantage of a Wildcat miscommunication by taking a pass from Justin Herbert 73 yards for the touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Oregon found little resistance through the air or on the ground as Herbert orchestrated a 13-play, 76-yard drive that finished with a classic one-yard rushing score from Cyrus Habibi-Likio to go up 14 to 0.
Freshman kicker Camden Lewis, two games removed from a game-winning field goal against Washington State, missed a 20-yard attempt that would have added to the lopsided score. But the Duck defense responded by forcing another Arizona punt, and seven plays later, Oregon built a three-score lead when Herbert connected with Juwan Johnson on a 53-yard reverse flea-flicker. Arizona running back JJ Taylor helped bring some life to the Wildcat sidelines with a kick return to midfield, then the talented back gained good yardage on consecutive drives, resulting in two field goals to cut the lead to 15 right before the half.
In the second half, Mario Cristobal and the Ducks had the luxury of playing ball control, as the WIldcat offense was grossly outmatched by an angry Duck defense that tallied six sacks. Arizona’s next six possessions went as follows: Punt, Punt, Fumble, Punt, Downs, Downs. Oregon’s next scoring drive started with 9:10 left in the third from the Arizona 41-yard line and concluded with a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Spencer Webb. It appeared the Wildcats found some momentum when Scottie Young Jr. picked off Herbert and returned the ball 42 yards to the Arizona 48, but the drive ended with yet another punt from the visiting team.
Near the start of the fourth quarter, the Ducks traveled 88 yards in eight plays to score their fifth and final touchdown, a 33-yard screen pass to Travis Dye, but Lewis piled on to his off night by missing the point-after. The 28-point lead was enough for Coach Sumlin to put in backup QB Grant Gunnell, but the change in personnel hardly seemed to matter as the Wildcats ended their final two drives on failed fourth-down conversions.
““The biggest goal of the week was to be 1-0. It just also happens to coincide with a Pac-12 North title. But that being said, the best part about it, our guys — and this sounds like a broken record every time I come here and see (the media) after a game — our guys feel like we still haven't played our best football. And that's awesome to hear”
- Mario Cristobal
Oregon Offense (total: 471 - pass: 333 - rush: 138)
Arizona Offense (total: 240 - pass: 132 - rush: 108)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 0)
Arizona Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - INT: 1)
UO (9-1, 7-0) UA (4-6, 2-5)