There’s no getting around the disappointment that hit like a ton of bricks at conclusion of Saturday night’s game, nor is there any avoiding the fading sting that still lingers days after the Ducks fell 38-31 to Stanford in a game that unraveled in stunning fashion for Oregon down the final stretch.

We’ve covered what went wrong and what we took away from the game in its immediate aftermath, but as focus slowly begins shifting to next Saturday’s game at no. 24 Cal, a new question emerges:

How will this Ducks team respond after getting dealt one of the most devastating losses in school history?

Though we won’t have an answer to that question until Saturday’s game, there is plenty to chew on as we look ahead. Below, WFOD examines the reasons why Duck fans should be optimistic that Oregon will bounce back in positive fashion, as well as considers the possibilities for why the loss could be an albatross for this team as they hit the road for the first time this season.

Why Duck fans should be hopeful for a positive response at Cal

Any time you blow a convincing lead the way the Ducks did on Saturday, there are going to be criticisms and second guesses as to what could have been done differently. And while there’s no question that Oregon was victimized by a improbable rash of self-inflicted wounds in the second half versus Stanford, this truly felt like a game that more so slipped through the Ducks’ fingers (literally) opposed to one that Stanford pried away from Oregon’s clutches. Here’s why Duck fans should feel optimistic heading into Saturday’s game at Berkeley.

• The Oregon coaching staff had this team prepared: Entering last week’s game versus the Cardinal, there was no shortage of distractions and reasons for this team to succumb to the moment. Not only was it College GameDay’s first appearance in Eugene since 2014, but it was also the first game of real significance for the Ducks in over two seasons. Furthermore, after facing inferior competition over the first three weeks of the season, the Ducks could have easily come into the game irrationally overconfident and lacking the maturity needed to topple a top 10 team. That didn’t happen. In fact, the polar opposite of that happened. The Ducks were focused, they were poised, and they executed to near perfection for the better part of three quarters before all hell broke loose. That speaks well to how this team was coached up in the lead up to the game, and it’s reasonable to expect a similar type of mindset as the Ducks seek redemption against the Golden Bears.
• Stanford taught this team a lesson: If there’s anything to be gained from the kind of crushing loss that Oregon suffered on Saturday, it’s that the lessons from this game likely won’t soon be forgotten. There’s nothing worse than feeling like your mistakes contributed to your team’s loss, and in the case of Jake Hanson and CJ Verdell, one would expect both players to be drilling the finer points of their craft this week after their notable mishaps versus Stanford. It’s also a sobering reminder to the rest of the team that fundamentals and execution is paramount, no matter the score. For the most part, the Ducks played a very clean and disciplined game up until the series that saw Stanford score after recovering Hanson’s botched snap. Mistakes happen, but it’s hard to imagine this team losing sight of the importance of playing mistake-free football any time soon.
• This team appears to be playing with confidence: Credit Mario Cristobal and the coaching staff, as much of this team’s confidence has to do with their preparation and approach from week to week. Despite only having 10 scholarship seniors on the current roster, this team was fearless and at ease taking the fight to Stanford and imposing their will against a team that wiped them off the field a year ago. The offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage, the receivers made plays, the running game seemed to take a step forward, and Justin Herbert showed he’s no shrinking violet in a big game situation. As disappointing as the result was, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t feel confident that it can not only compete, but beat any team remaining on their schedule.

Why Duck fans should be concerned heading into the Cal game

While there are plenty of positives for Oregon to take from their loss to Stanford, there’s no such thing as moral victories in college football. The Ducks handed the game to Stanford and failed to show the type of resolve needed to overcome their mistakes and close out an opponent that had been on the ropes. Call it a fluke, but until this team proves they have exorcised the demons from this game, it’s reasonable to wonder whether this team is missing a clutch gene. Here’s why Duck fans should be concerned heading into the Cal game.

• This is a young team: Even though they played well above their years for much of the Stanford game, this team showed their youth and general big game inexperience by coming undone late in the second half against a quality opponent. The mishandled exchange between Herbert and Cyrus Habibi-Likio that resulted in a loss of 10 occurred two plays before Hanson’s fateful errant snap went over Herbert’s head, leading to the Cardinal touchdown. With the Ducks suddenly on their heels, the Oregon secondary also became a sieve against the Stanford passing attack, as the Cardinal engineered three scoring drives from that point forward in regulation that averaged 1 minute and 10 seconds a piece. Then, of course, there’s Verdell’s fumble, which enabled Stanford to send the game into overtime with a game-tying field goal as time expired. This is all to say that perhaps there’s some mental fragility with this team that comes as a result of their presence on the big stage. As they prepare to face Cal, it’ll be interesting to see whether there exists any mental hurdles.
• Cal is coming off a bye: With a week to rest, sit back, and watch everything that unfolded inside Autzen Stadium last Saturday, the Golden Bears will be primed and ready to go as they prepare to face the 19th-ranked Ducks. Cal head coach Justin Wilcox has Cal playing inspired football at the moment, as the Bears are 3-0 with notable wins over North Carolina and BYU. Similar to the Ducks this past week, Cal will be seeking a signature win of their own in the second year of the Wilcox era. A win over Oregon would likely trump last year’s win over then-no. 8 Washington State, especially when one considers the prestige of the Oregon program, Wilcox’s ties to the Ducks, and Cal’s aspirations as an upstart in the Pac-12 North division this season. With the Ducks being somewhat vulnerable at the moment, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bears take advantage.