FB | Ducks Turn Crisis to Catharsis in 30-27 OT Win Over Washington

It was a case of deja vu for No. 17 Oregon football on Saturday as No. 7 Washington lined up for a potential game-winning 37-yard field goal with three seconds to go that would have dealt the Ducks another crushing blow to a Pac-12 North rival. Instead, redshirt freshman Peyton Henry missed wide right, sending the game into overtime for the second consecutive game at Autzen Stadium after falling to Stanford 38-31 in overtime just three weeks ago. This time, the Ducks overcame the moment, knocking off the Huskies 30-27 with a game-winning touchdown run by CJ Verdell after forcing a field goal on defense to start the overtime period. As fans and players stormed the field, it’s clear Oregon exercised its demons against the rival Huskies, which had blown the Ducks out in consecutive seasons before Saturday. The entire game had a feel that it would come down to the final play, with each team trading scores back and forth and remaining tied at the end of each and every quarter, neither side could find an edge until Oregon prevailed. Verdell’s 6-yard clincher was his second of two touchdowns and topped of a day that saw him run for 111 yards on 29 carries. The redshirt freshman complimented quarterback Justin Herbert nicely, who threw for 202 yards and two scores on 18 of 32 passing. Herbert once again relied on his primary target Dillon Mitchell almost exclusively, who hauled in 118 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. The win erased a below average performance from the Oregon defensive front, which surrendered 202 yards on the ground to a committee of Huskies. Senior Washington quarterback Jake Browning accounted for 243 yards through the air along with a touchdown, but the Ducks secondary intercepted him on the first drive of the game and converted it into a field goal of their own. The win bolsters Oregon’s resume and moves them to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 play. Next up for the Ducks are the currently unranked Washington State Cougars, who were on a bye this weekend.

GAME STORIES

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