The Oregon Ducks handed the Utah Utes their first loss at home since 2020 in a shockingly lopsided game on Saturday. Oregon was in the driver’s seat from the first possession, needing just six plays to score. Bo Nix once again proved himself as a potential Heisman candidate with another dominant performance.
He opened the game by completing 14 of his first 15 passes and notching two touchdowns. Nix’s offensive line would also back him assertively, holding the Utah defense without a sack for the first time since Week 2. Nix would finish with 248 yards and three touchdowns on the day.
Photo Cred: Herald and News
Speaking on Nix and his performance, Oregon coach Dan Lanning would say: “He thinks he’s Goliath, and at times he performs like it. The proof’s in the pudding. We got an elite quarterback.”
Running back and budding star Bucky Irving had a quieter game coming off a massive performance against Washington State. He still came out with 83 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries for the game. Troy Franklin led the Ducks’ receiving core with eight receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. The Ducks’ defense stifled Utah all game, holding them without a touchdown for the first time since the 2018 Pac-12 championship.
Photo Cred: The Register Guard
“When you get beat like that, you don’t want to berate your team and browbeat them,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “What happened out there was enough.” Next Saturday, Oregon will play host to California in Autzen Stadium, and Utah will host Arizona State.
The Utes were ineffective on the ground, averaging only 2.8 yards a carry. They were hoping that quarterback Bryson Barnes would pick up some of the slack. This was not the case, however; Barnes completed only 15 of his 29 passes for 136 yards and two interceptions. Devaughn Vele notched a season-high 80 yards on seven receptions for the Utes, but this did little to shake Oregon’s dominance.
