MICHIGAN ST 0/0/6/0 - 6
OREGON 0/0/0/7 - 7
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - At times the 2018 Redbox bowl was painful to watch for both Oregon and Michigan State fans, but in the end, the Ducks capped off a successful debut season for head coach Mario Cristobal by winning their first bowl game since the 2014 Rose Bowl against Florida State. The Ducks and Spartans had a combined 17 punts in what amounted to a defensive grudge match, a single touchdown pass from Justin Herbert (as well as an outmatched Spartan offensive) resulted in an Oregon win that capped off a promising 9-4 season.
Oregon’s first possession of the game failed to gain a yard as Herbert threw three consecutive incompletions, but the Duck defense retaliated by keeping the Michigan State offense from reaching a first down on the next drive with a Troy Dye sack that pushed the Spartans back 10 yards. Both defenses shutdown the opposition, and five possessions after the opening three-and-outs Jevon Holland picked off Brian Lewerke after the QB comically recovered a fumble and threw a panicked ball to the freshman, it was the only turnover of the game.
But neither team was able to score in the first half, and the only possession that didn’t end in a punt or turnover before halftime was an 11-play, 56-yard drive that concluded with a turnover on downs when Lewerke threw an incompletion on fourth-and-1 at the Duck 23.
Michigan State took a 6-0 lead in the third quarter, scoring two field goals from the Oregon 16-yard line. The Duck defense did a masterful job keeping the unimpressive Spartan offense out of the end zone, but Oregon looked hopeless on the offensive side of the ball until Herbert went four-of-four for 70 yards to fuel an up-tempo touchdown drive that gave the Ducks the lead with 11:19 in the fourth. Passes of 15 and 18 yards to Jaylon Redd kickstarted an Oregon passing attack that was dormant throughout the majority of the game, and once the Ducks reached reached the Spartan 28-yard line, Herbert found Dillon Mitchell in the end zone to score the only touchdown of the night -redeeming the star receiver from a drop he suffered earlier in the contest that would have been a score.
The Spartans had a couple of opportunities to take the lead late in the game, but failed to take advantage of them. Michigan State’s final three possessions ended with a 50-yard missed field goal, a botched field goal attempt that turned into an incompletion, and a turnover-on-downs on their final drive. The Duck defense was helped out by a mistake-prone Spartan team, but still turned in a bowl winning performance. And though the Oregon offense left a lot to be desired, Dillon Mitchell’s 70-yard performance gave him the record in single-season receiving yards with 1,184 yards, surpassing Josh Huff’s 2013 season total.
"We take those points all day, especially when you have 10 and 13, that's a great combo. They always find a way to get it done."
- Troy Dye on Herbert’s (No. 10) touchdown pass to Mitchell (No. 13)
Oregon Offense (total: 203 - pass: 166 - rush: 37)
Michigan State Offense (total: 331 - pass: 172 - rush: 159)
Oregon Defense (forced turnovers: 1- INT: 1)
Michigan State Defense (forced turnovers: 0)
UO (9-4) MSU (7-6)