By: Ezra Hanshaw
(Photo/Ezra Hanshaw-The Mojo Network)
No. 20 Oregon defeated No. 12 USC 41-27 in a Big Ten matchup on Saturday in Los Angeles, with quarterback Dylan Raiola taking over after starter Dante Moore was hurt in the first half. Facing a top-15 team, the Ducks saw the game as a chance to prove that their Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State was a fluke and that they still belong in the playoff conversation.
Head coach Dan Lanning has always made it known that the more physical team wins. In eight of the last 10 matchups with the Trojans, the team with the more dominant line of scrimmage and more rushing yards went on to win. The Ducks also had to face the hostile atmosphere of the Coliseum, where USC hosted its first sold-out game of the season.
Oregon's defense returned eight starters: four defensive linemen, three defensive backs and one linebacker. That experience gave the Ducks a strong base to control the line of scrimmage against a high-powered USC offense. The offense had expectations of its own after scoring 84 points on Portland State last week, and it needed to show it could score against an elite opponent. Tight end Jamari Johnson, a key starter, returned after missing the previous two weeks.
Oregon's defense recorded two sacks on USC's opening drive and forced a missed field goal before the offense took the field. On the Ducks' first play from scrimmage, running back Jordon Davison took off for a 45-yard run. Moore then completed a couple of passes to Johnson, but a pair of penalties halted the drive and Oregon settled for a field goal.
The teams exchanged punts before USC connected on a touchdown pass to take a 7-3 lead. With the game shaping up as a defensive battle, Moore opened it up with a 37-yard completion to Johnson down to the USC 24-yard line. After that explosive play, the Ducks went no-huddle for the next two plays: a one-yard rush, then a dropback pass. It was no ordinary dropback. Seeing an opening in the pocket, Moore took off for a first down and slid to give himself up as USC linebacker Desman Stephens II approached. Stephens then lowered his shoulder into Moore's helmet. A flag was thrown for targeting, and Stephens was ejected.
Moore immediately appeared to show a fencing response, a posture associated with head trauma. Oregon players cleared the sideline to defend him. As the teams were separated, Oregon's training and medical staff stabilized Moore, placed him on a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance, which took him to Los Angeles General Medical Center for further testing and treatment.
After the game, Lanning said in a statement that Moore sustained a concussion, but his MRI and CT scans came back clean and he suffered no additional injuries. "Every concussion is different," Lanning said, "and we are going to move forward with an abundance of caution to ensure we make the best decisions for Dante and his future." Lanning also thanked Oregon's medical staff and the medical staffs at USC and the hospital for their quick and thorough action.
The Ducks had a lot to digest as they watched their starting quarterback and offensive leader loaded into an ambulance. With 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Raiola stepped in to command the offense. On his second snap, he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart to reclaim the lead at 10-7. After a field goal from each team, Oregon went into halftime with a 13-10 lead.
Oregon came out of halftime with an extra gear, and running back Dierre Hill Jr. quickly became one of the biggest weapons in the game. He caught a short pass and took it 62 yards to the USC 4-yard line before scoring a touchdown. On the next drive, he caught another pass out of the backfield for 28 yards, was tackled at the 4-yard line and ran it in for a second touchdown.
The Ducks took a 27-20 lead into the fourth quarter, but it didn't last long. The Trojans tied the game at 27-27 with 12:40 remaining. Oregon answered by taking time off the clock before Raiola connected with wide receiver Dakorien Moore on a 29-yard touchdown pass.
Up 34-27 with 8:35 left, Oregon needed a stop when it mattered most, the kind of situation that tests a defense's credibility. On fourth-and-7 at midfield, USC went for it, but All-American cornerback Brandon Finney broke up the pass and forced a turnover on downs.
With the ball and time to kill, Oregon faced 4th-and-3, went for it and converted on a completion to Stewart. On the same drive, Davison punched in another rushing touchdown to make it 41-27 with two minutes left.
USC used the rest of the game to drive into the red zone before junior Minnesota transfer Koi Perich intercepted a pass with four seconds remaining. Raiola took a knee to end the game.
The defense came up with the game's biggest stops, including Finney's fourth-down breakup and Perich's game-ending interception. The offense also stayed prepared for the unpredictable. With Moore out, Raiola had no easy task stepping in, and he led the team to victory.
Raiola went 19-of-25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Davison and Hill combined for 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Johnson, in his first game back, also had a big day with seven catches for 119 yards. In Lannings' post-game interview, he said "The most physical team is going to win, and I think that showed up tonight." As a team, Oregon outgained USC on the ground, 138 to 120, and in the air, 366 to 326.
The Ducks go into a bye week before returning to Eugene to face UCLA at 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS on Saturday, Oct. 10.