MONTANA 0/0/3/0 - 3
OREGON 14/7/7/7 - 35
EUGENE, OREGON - For the second game in a row, senior quarterback Justin Herbert threw five touchdown passes and the Oregon defense dominated the competition by keeping them out of the end zone. The lopsided victory could have been even worse for the Grizzlies if not for a trio of Oregon injuries and a few missed opportunities by the Duck offense.
Tight end Jacob Breeland helped build an early lead for the Ducks by bringing in two touchdown passes in the first quarter: the first was a five-yard pass towards the pylon and the second was a wide-open 17-yard touchdown that put Oregon up 14 to 0. Both of Breeland’s scores capped off long drives while Montana struggled to get anything going against the Duck defense.
A 50-yard field goal attempt by Montana’s Brandon Purdy missed the mark, leaving Herbert and the Oregon offense just under a minute left in the half. Herbert showed off his strength by brushing off an attempted sack and rolling to his right to connect with Johnny Johnson III for an 18-yard touchdown with seconds left on the clock.
Things got worse for the Grizzlies when freshman defensive back Mykael Wright ended their first drive of the second half with his first career interception. Eight plays later, Johnny Johnson III walked into the end zone from one-yard out thanks to a successful block from fellow receiver Josh Delgado.
Montana finally managed to put some points on the board with a 25-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, but Oregon responded with another passing touchdown, this time a 10-yard screen-pass to Jaylon Redd.
Points were left on the board for the Oregon offense, the most glaring being Sean Dollars’ 63-yard run on the final drive that could have been an 83-yard touchdown if he hadn’t been caught from behind, but Herbert’s five-score performance combined with Avalos’ stifling defense led to another Autzen blowout. However, the victory came at a cost, as center Jake Hanson, Thomas Graham Jr, and Cyrus Habibi-Likio left the game due to injury.
"They're just focused on getting better, and they've done a great job so far… And the best is yet to come, we really feel that."
Mario Cristobal
Oregon Offense (total: 560 - pass: 313 - rush: 247)
Montana Offense (total: 242 - pass: 234 - rush: 8)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 1 - INT: 1)
Montana Defense (forced turnovers: 0)
UO (2-1) UM (2-1)