Maybe Oregon needed this.
Because for a team ranked No. 2 in the country with legitimate national championship expectations, Saturday was not exactly an impressive start.
Oregon survived Boise State 34-27 at Autzen Stadium, needing a fourth-quarter touchdown and a late defensive stop to avoid what would have been a disastrous Week 1 upset.
And for a while, Oregon looked completely lost.
Boise State jumped out to a 17-7 lead, Oregon didn’t score in the first quarter and the Ducks went into halftime trailing 17-14. They wouldn’t take their first lead until late in the third quarter.
The biggest problem wasn’t talent.
It was mistakes.
Oregon committed 10 penalties for 90 yards, muffed a punt that immediately led to a Boise State touchdown and repeatedly gave the Broncos opportunities to stay in the game. Dan Lanning called the penalties “not winning football” afterward.
He’s right.
You can get away with that against Boise State at home.
You aren’t getting away with it against the best teams in the Big Ten.
The good news is that Dante Moore looked every bit like one of the best quarterbacks in college football. He threw for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeremiah McClellan exploded for 150 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Oregon also outgained Boise State 497-274.
That’s what makes this performance so frustrating.
The Ducks were clearly the more talented team. They moved the football. They made explosive plays.
And yet the game was tied 27-27 with less than nine minutes remaining.
Eventually, Moore found Dakorien Moore for a ridiculous 62-yard touchdown that gave Oregon the lead for good.
But Oregon shouldn’t have needed a late fourth-quarter play to survive Boise State at home.
Lanning called the game a “wake-up call.”
It better be.
Because Oregon entered this season looking like one of the most complete teams in college football.
After Week 1, the Ducks are still undefeated.
They just don’t look like the No. 2 team in the country yet.
