On a crisp autumn day in the Pacific Northwest, two teams of young men clashed on the gridiron. One team wore black and gold, the other green and yellow. One team was led by a legendary coach, the other by a legendary player. One team came to prove themselves, the other to defend their turf. One team was the Colorado Buffaloes, the other…the Oregon Ducks.
The Ducks fake punt on their own 17 yard line during the start of the second quarter set the tone of the game. The Ducks crushed the Buffaloes by a score of 42-6, improving their record to 4-0 and handing the Buffaloes their first loss of the season, dropping them to 3-1. The Ducks’ offense racked up 365 total yards, while their defense suffocated the Buffaloes, limiting them to 194 total yards and forcing three turnovers.
The Ducks’ quarterback, Bo Nix, completed 18 of 25 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for nine yards and one touchdown on four carries. He connected with his wide receiver, Gary Bryant Jr., eight times for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He also found his tight end, Terrance Ferguson, for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Nix was the star of the show, leading the Ducks to score on their first five possessions.
The Ducks’ running back, Bucky Irving, also contributed to the ground game, carrying the ball 12 times for 89 yards. He scored the Ducks’ first touchdown of the game, a 23-yard run in the first quarter. He also had a 31-yard run in the third quarter that set up Nix’s touchdown run.
The Ducks’ defense was equally impressive, shutting down the Buffaloes’ offense and creating havoc for their quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, the son of Coach Prime. Sanders completed only 15 of 28 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown, but also threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The Ducks’ defense also sacked Sanders four times, twice by defensive end Junior Angilau, who also forced a fumble that was recovered by the Ducks. The Ducks’ defense held the Buffaloes to only 35 rushing yards and 3 of 13 on third downs.
“They were just better than us today,” Sanders admitted. “A good old fashioned butt kicking.”
The Buffaloes’ only touchdown came in the fourth quarter, when Sanders found his tight end, Michael Harrison, for a 22-yard touchdown pass. It was too little, too late, as the Ducks had already sealed the victory.
The game marked the first Pac-12 game for Coach Prime, who had previously coached at Jackson State University, where he won two SWAC championships. It was also the first time the two teams met since 2019, when the Ducks routed the Buffaloes 45-3 in Boulder. The Ducks improved their record to 4-0 and remained at the top of the polls, while the Buffaloes dropped to 3-1 and fell out of the top 10. The Ducks will face Stanford next week, while the Buffaloes will host Arizona State.
