Despite no upset, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning calls game a ‘wake-up call’
Boise State gave Oregon a run for its money, but it wasn’t enough to topple the No. 2 team in the country, as the Ducks narrowly escaped an upset, ultimately beating the Broncos 34-27 at Autzen Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Broncos came to Eugene as underdogs, but looked anything but in the first half.
Fifth-year quarterback Maddux Madsen, who finished with 181 yards and three touchdown passes, kickstarted the Broncos’ day by marching down the field for a game-opening 75-yard drive.
The drive ended when Madsen floated a perfect 13-yard pass to junior receiver Cam Bates in the back right corner of the end zone after Bates’ slot fade picked apart Oregon’s defensive backs.
The Broncos’ juice and confidence was evident early, and Madsen says that belief stems from the trust they have in one another.
“There’s a huge level of confidence that guys are playing with in each other,” Madsen said postgame. “We trust each other to do our jobs and that’s going to help us.”
The Ducks defense struggled to contain true freshman Rasean Jones, who led the Broncos in receiving with 76 yards on four catches.
Boise State’s defense, headed by Travis Anderson’s career-high 11 tackles, held strong, shutting out the electric Oregon offense for the entire first quarter.
It wasn’t until the second that the Ducks tied the game at seven after punching in a touchdown to cap off a 50-yard drive.
Shortly after, a quick three-and-out forced the Broncos to punt, and a muff at Oregon’s 38-yard line allowed Arthur de Boachie to jump on the ball and regain possession for Boise State.
The very next play, Madsen found running back Sire Gaines on a screen pass for a touchdown, with the latter breaking tackles and truck sticking a man on his way to the endzone.
After Boise State knocked down a field goal, Oregon found the endzone right before halftime, pushing the score to 17-14 Broncos heading into the break.
The Ducks came out hot in the second half, scoring 10 consecutive points to put the team in front 24-17.
Linebacker Boen Phelps, who matched his career-high in tackles with 8, spoke on facing Oregon’s high-powered offense and elite quarterback.
“[Dante Moore] is a great quarterback,” Phelps said. “We [the defense] knew it was going to be a competition, and he went out there and operated and we gotta do better as a defense, for sure.”
Madsen and the offense responded swiftly with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a crucial fourth-down diving catch in the endzone by tight end Matt Wagner for the score, tying the game at 24 after the extra point.
Both teams traded field goals to open the final frame, but a 62-yard touchdown reception from Oregon receiver Dakorien Moore gave the Ducks a 34-27 lead with 7:51 remaining.
A pivotal third-down sack from Boise State’s Bol Bol gave Madsen and the offense a chance to tie the game, but the Broncos couldn’t take advantage and the Ducks eventually ran out the clock, sealing their 34-27 victory.
“When you put your all into something and you go ‘all chips on the table’ and you come up short, it hurts,” head coach Spencer Danielson said. “We’re not gonna make any excuses. We’ve gotta find a way to get better.”
The Broncos turn their attention to Memphis, who will travel to Albertsons Stadium for Boise State’s home opener on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.
