First B1G Matchup in Eugene
Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Like last week’s game, MSU came into tonight as a massive underdog. Unlike last week – the Spartans didn’t enjoy home field advantage, having traveled 1,923 and a half miles (as the crow flies, mostly due west) for the 9pm matchup against the fighting bananas.
Coming out of the game against Ohio State the general sentiment seemed to be, “The team actually looked alright and never felt out of it in the first half. Even fought through the last play…” Though the one-handed TD grab with 30s remaining in the first and even a couple of block pickups in the second opened a few eyes to what this team and any team needs to do to compete at the highest level. The Oregon Ducks that MSU faced tonight have been just about at that level – MSU needed to grow in this shortened week to improve their record and prove they belong. Most fans don’t care about the non-scoreboard victories – though maybe they do care about beating the spread… So, let’s take a look at what the Spartans were able to do out in Eugene.
Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images
First Quarter:
Malik Spencer returned from injury to disrupt the game’s opening play deep shot from Dillon Gabriel – and followed up with a QB hurry on 3rd down to force an initial three-and-out with less than a minute off the clock. Aiden Chiles and the offense started with the ball on their own 35, but Brian Lindgren decided that was too generous and opted to have Nate Carter bring the ball back two. An out of sync 2nd down led to the Spartans’ first 3rd-and-long, gathered in by Jaron Glover at the sideline for the game’s first first down and first big time throw. A short pass and two even shorter Carter hand-offs set up a 4th-and-2 with a time-out thrown in for good measure. Nick Marsh is back in full this week, but was a smidge too far back from the line, necessitating the TO. He made up for it with a Coleman-esque high-pointing at the Oregon 2 yard line. Unfortunately, someone called in another goal-line QB fumble and the Ducks restarted on offense at their 20. We’ve got to yank that page out of the playbook.
Oregon gashed the defense with a big run from Jordan James to open the Ducks next play set. Another beastly one from him halfway through the drive kept the sticks moving. Despite some decent pass pressure against one of the best QBs in the land, the Ducks seemed fine. They kept the ball on the ground getting down to the two for a high stakes 3rd down, only taking to the air again to send Spencer a pick in the end zone.
A Derrick Harmon sack put the Green back at 2nd & 21 to go from their own 9, from which, the side didn’t recover. Eckley came out to put his Heisman chase back on track with a solid boot to about the near-sideline Oregon 25, including a 30-yard return from the Oregon speedster Tez Johnson, sideways for no gain.
Gabriel started his next drive 2 for 7 on the stat sheet but Jordan James seemed content to moves the chains on Dillon’s behalf. A seated catch by Traeshon Holden at the same time Gabriel got blasted by Anthony Jones moved the ball 37 yards to the good guy 23 (and Dillon’s stats to 4-9 with one interception and one injury timeout). The semi-known-to-this-community, Dante Moore, came in for one lame play. Dillon returned and, queuing off James, ran the ball in himself from 9 out.
At this point the anti-cancer author discovered the banana uniforms he was making fun of are actually anti-cancer bananas designed by kids with ice cream cones… d’oh. (note: Author is also pro-kids-with-ice-cream-cones). Meanwhile the announcers kept calling the Ducks “Highlighters”, and they knew about the Cancer thing.
The first quarter wrapped with the spartans grabbing a few yards on a Carter outside zone run following counter-balancing unsportsmanlike conduct plays, after the touchdown and subsequent squib kickoff. Rather than catch the Ducks off guard, Chiles ran out the clock.
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Second Quarter:
A poorly called first run play of the quarter nearly netted a loss – but Kay’ron Lynch-Adams stiff-armed his way for zero back to the 28. A diving Foster miss led to an Eckley punt. With the ball back in Gabriel’s hands, a Tight End screen rumbled for 63 to pad the Duck stat book. Another James run pounded the ball inside the 10 and a couple of plays later, an excellent Gabriel pass to a Charles Brantley sent their offense back to the bench. The Spartan grabbed the ball back at the MSU two.
A diving Foster catch moved the sticks and moved the Green out of the danger zone. A three yard KLA rush and 4 yard Velling catch brought up a 3rd-and-three. Happy feet brought up an opportunity for Eckley and a Major League-style (“Too High”) punt.
Seven plays, all runs for Oregon, put them up 0-14.
Another Personal Foul on the Touchback Kickoff started the ball at the MSU 12-and-a-half. Chiles and Carter grabbed a first and a little bit more. However, Three consecutive sacks with a time out mixed in sent Eckley back on the field. He sent the ball over to the Quackers with 2:00 to play and 72 yards to go.
Gabriel handed off to James for a loss of two on first and finally threw another pass on 2nd to Tez Johnson to move the sticks. A smidge of time-running-out drama, included a good rip play by Ed Woods to prevent a TD catch in the end zone before too much time allowed in the pocket created a third TD for the Ducks.
Considering the Spartans were 15 for 22 yards rushing for the half, leading the turnover game and holding the score to 0-14 until :05 left in the half doesn’t sound too horrible. Too bad the score rolled up to zip to 21 in those last :05.
Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Third Quarter:
The Spartans received the ball and didn’t BC-it away to start the period. A few key Chiles runs netted a couple of first downs and brought the ball across the 50. A sack sent it back, while the crowd noise on 2nd-and-17 drew the first timeout of the half. The escape from the follow-up near-sack hit Glover in the hands well-into the Red Zone, but was knocked free by the Duck defender and Eckley returned.
Oregon restarted at the 20. Despite a feisty 1 yard blown-play run by Gabriel, the Ducks moved the ball decently downfield to the MSU 32. A long throw just over Evan Stewart’s fingertips in the end zone broke an arm and broke out the Ducks’ field goal unit for a 50-yarder. Boo for the points, but a better result than the last couple of series.
Following the kickoff, a Marsh end-around put the ball on the ground. He bobbled and dove on it a few yards behind where he started. Chiles gained back 14 with his feet to setup a 3rd-and-2 7 following a delay. Additional blown protection summoned Eckley for a 51-yarder and a small Duck return, a duckling return, if you will.
With the ball back in Gabriel’s hands he did some dealin’ – especially with some of the cushion given to the receivers wide. Though the scoreboard rolled to the 4th with 0-24 still marked beside the final 15:00.
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Fourth Quarter:
Gabriel continued leading the Ducks after the break, picking up a first inside the 10, while Spencer picked up a good PI to put the ball on the 2 for a reset of the downs. The D forced a 4th-and-2 fourteenth play of the drive, though a short pass to the motion man nabbed another TD for the yellow folk. 0-31.
Following a scary dropped ball touchback in the end zone Chiles dealt the Spartans down to the Oregon one, hitting Foster and Velling a couple times each for first downs. It was a good looking series capped off by Kay’ron Lynch-Adams ensuring OU wouldn’t pick up the shutout. The Scoreboard moved: 7-31 with 8:45 left to play.
Dante Moore came back in for the penultimate Duck session and promptly watched his running back get thrown like a rag doll by Quindarius Dunnigan, while a personal foul sent him and the rest of the Anatidae to their own 10. Despite a completed pass Oregon didn’t recover and punted from their own 23.
Tommy Schuster came in for the Spartans with 6:25 to go and immediately hit Marsh for 7 yards. KLA grabbed two more, but Oregon held on 3rd-and-1. On 4th Schuster ran (a long way) for the first. He then hit Velling on a nice back shoulder throw for another. Kay’ron ran it down to the 20 in time for the 2:00 stoppage. A bad sack dropped Tommy at the 31 before he found Marsh at the sideline to recover most of the loss and set up Jonathan Kim’s 42-yard Field Goal. 10-31. The subsequent kickoff was touched back and Dante Moore took a knee to lock in the Spartans cover.
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Overall, the game felt similar to the OSU matchup – there were a few obvious individual talent differentials, but the Spartan Defense made the first half feel close. The Spartans cleaned themselves up a bit in the 4th to show they still had some fight. Though there is plenty to grow on for two weeks from now and the second half of the season. One significant plus – the Green won the turnover battle, 2-1 (though we tied in penalties at 5 apiece). We’ll take the learning and the little victory.
Enjoy the bye week. Beat Iowa. Go Green.