Is it time to take Oregon severely within the wake of their 45-30 over UCLA? Undoubtedly.
Is it time to contemplate quarterback Bo Nix a Heisman contender within the wake of that very same efficiency? Completely.
In an enormous Pac-12 matchup between a pair of groups ranked within the high ten, the #10 Geese rolled to the 15-point victory over the #9 Bruins. Within the win, Nix accomplished 22 of 28 passes for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns, posting an NCAA Passer Score of 222.4, his third-best mark over his collegiate profession and his finest since becoming a member of Oregon.
Nix’s first landing strike got here early within the second quarter, breaking a 3-3 tie. After flashing a pump faux to promote the protection on a large receiver display screen, Nix reset his ft and hit tight finish Terrance Ferguson with a rocket alongside the left sideline for the landing:
Nix’s subsequent landing move broke one other tie, and it was maybe his finest throw of the day. The quarterback comes out of a run faux and goes up high, connecting with broad receiver Troy Franklin on this 49-yard scoring strike to provide Oregon a 17-10 lead:
The replay angle of the connection is value a glance:
Following the additional level, maybe the sport’s crucial play occurred on the following kickoff.
Oregon referred to as for a shock onside kick, with kicker Andrew Boyle dribbling the ball off the tee and recovering his personal kick, sending Autzen Stadium right into a frenzy:
The Geese would capitalize on the additional possession, placing collectively an 8-play, 54-yard drive capped off by this landing run from Jordan James to increase their result in 24-10:
Whereas halftime beckoned, Nix and Franklin weren’t achieved, The 2 would hyperlink up another time earlier than the break, on this brief landing move because the Geese elevated their result in 31-13 heading into the locker room:
Oregon executes this spot idea to perfection, with Nix discovering Franklin on the out route due to some area created by the site visitors, and the Geese are rolling.
Because the fourth quarter bought underway, the followers at Autzen have been shouting, and the Geese have been nonetheless within the lead:
And Nix was not achieved.
The quarterback hit working again Bucky Irving on the wheel route out of the backfield within the fourth quarter, giving him his fifth landing move on the day, and handing Oregon a 45-23 lead:
An interception from security Bryan Addison ultimately zone on UCLA’s ensuing possession successfully ended any probability of a comeback. The Bruins would add another rating, however the Geese would salt away the sport on their remaining possession.
The victory retains Oregon on a path in the direction of the convention championship recreation. The Geese are the one Pac-12 workforce left with an unblemished convention file, sitting at 4-0 within the Pac-12, 6-1 general. That might change, as a date with 5-2 Utah stays on Oregon’s schedule, however that contest, set for November nineteenth, is at Autzen.
There may be additionally the possibility for a rematch within the convention championship recreation between these two groups. Whereas the loss dropped UCLA to 6-1 general, and 3-1 within the convention, the Bruins have numerous winnable video games left on their schedule. They face 3-4 Stanford subsequent week, adopted by 2-5 Arizona State on November 5 and 3-4 Arizona on November 12.
Apart from Oregon’s assembly with Utah, the sport that can go the longest in the direction of figuring out who squares off within the Pac-12 Championship is likely to be UCLA’s yearly assembly with USC. That recreation, set for November nineteenth, is likely to be enormous within the convention, and past.
As for Nix, this was the type of recreation that Oregon followers have been hoping he might ship. An enormous efficiency in an announcement win. By way of 7 video games, the Auburn switch has 17 landing passes, already eclipsing his finest single-season mark in three seasons within the SEC, surpassing the 16 landing passes he threw as a freshman in 2019.
He may not be the Heisman frontrunner proper now, as Hendon Hooker and C.J. Stroud are seemingly the names Nix is chasing, however this efficiency thrusts him proper into the dialog. And with Hooker but to face Georgia and Stroud going through one other recreation in opposition to Michigan, Nix’s Heisman inventory may proceed to rise over the following few weeks.
