EUGENE, Ore. — After a stunning loss at Oklahoma State last weekend, No. 21 Oregon returned home looking for a response.
The Ducks delivered one in historic fashion.
Dante Moore threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns, and Oregon overwhelmed Portland State 84-0 on Friday night, producing one of the most dominant performances in program history.
The Ducks scored 12 touchdowns, the most in school history, while the 84 points represented Oregon’s highest total in the modern era. The 84-point margin was also the largest in Autzen Stadium history and the third-largest margin of victory in program history.
For head coach Dan Lanning, the victory was the 50th of his Oregon career in just 59 games.
“Obviously, the result of this game is somewhat to be expected,” Lanning said. “We have a better team, and no disrespect to Portland State, but that’s the way it should look when you execute the way we’re supposed to execute.”
Oregon improved to 2-1 and extended its nation-leading active nonconference home winning streak to 40 games.
Portland State, meanwhile, dropped to 0-4 and has now lost seven consecutive games dating to last season.
Ducks Dominate From the Opening Kick
Oregon wasted little time establishing control.
The Ducks marched 72 yards on eight plays during their opening possession, taking just 3:12 off the clock before Jordon Davison powered into the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns.
That was only the beginning.
Oregon scored 28 points in the opening quarter and continued pouring it on throughout the first half, taking a 49-0 lead into halftime.
Moore connected on two explosive touchdown passes, including one to a wide-open Dakorien Moore after a busted coverage and another deep ball down the sideline to Stewart.
Davison finished the night with 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Oregon’s offensive line repeatedly opened holes against a Portland State defense that had no answer for the Ducks’ depth and speed.
Moore was efficient throughout the evening, directing an offense that scored on 12 touchdowns while continually rotating players into the game.
Hampton Takes Advantage of Opportunity
One of the night’s biggest stories was freshman receiver Messiah Hampton.
With junior receiver Jeremiah McClellan, Oregon’s leading receiver through the first two games, unavailable after warming up with the team, Hampton stepped into a larger role.
He responded with six catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns.
Moore praised Hampton for being prepared despite not knowing when his opportunity would come.
“We call him the Prince of New York,” Moore said. “He’s someone that has been so dedicated, had a great spring ball, had a great fall camp. He’s just someone that just puts the work in and when his number isn’t called, he’s still going to put the work in. And when he had his number called today, I mean, he does that at practice. We’re all not surprised.”
Hampton was one of several young Ducks who took advantage of the extended playing time.
Freshman tight end Kendre Harrison scored the first touchdown of his career on a 10-yard reception.
Andrew Olesh, Brady Bidwell, Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith also recorded their first collegiate touchdowns in the second half as Oregon emptied its depth chart.
The Ducks’ offensive production was matched by a defense that held Portland State to just 103 total yards, tying for the third-fewest yards Oregon has ever allowed.
Washington Makes His Presence Felt
Portland State quarterback Gabe Downing struggled to generate any momentum against the Oregon defense.
Downing completed 8 of 20 passes for 101 yards and threw three interceptions in the second half.
Freshman defensive back Jett Washington accounted for two of those interceptions, providing another glimpse of Oregon’s young defensive talent.
With Oregon comfortably ahead, the Ducks continued to play aggressively while giving younger players valuable experience.
By the end of the night, the Vikings had been shut out and held to one of their lowest offensive totals of the season.
A Much-Needed Response
The blowout came at an important time for Oregon.
The Ducks entered the season ranked No. 2 nationally and carried expectations of competing for a national championship. But the season-opening performance against Boise State left questions, and last week’s 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State dropped Oregon from No. 6 to No. 21 in the rankings.
Friday night’s performance did not erase those concerns, but it provided the type of response Lanning wanted before conference play begins.
Lanning cautioned that a victory over Portland State cannot be used as a measuring stick for what awaits Oregon in the Big Ten.
“This isn’t completely a measure of the games that we’re going to have to face and what we’re going to have to do in the future with the teams that we’ll face,” Lanning said.
Still, the Ducks accomplished what they needed to accomplish.
They played fast, protected the football, created turnovers, developed their younger players and turned the game into a showcase of their depth.
Most importantly, Oregon heads into conference play with momentum.
Next Up:
The Ducks now face a much different challenge.
Oregon travels to Los Angeles next Saturday to face No. 12 Southern California in its conference opener.
Portland State will attempt to end its losing streak when it visits Weber State.
