The symmetry surrounding Oregon’s appearance in the 106th edition of the Rose Bowl Game was impossible to ignore.
Much of it focused on Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal, who like Chip Kelly a decade ago, helped lead Oregon to a long awaited Rose Bowl berth in his third season with the program. Oddly enough, it was also nearly 50 years ago that Cristobal’s mother-in-law served as the 1969 Rose Bowl Queen.
We touched on some of the striking coincidences earlier in the week, as the Ducks’ Rose Bowl appearance in 2010, despite the loss, marked the beginning of the golden decade in Oregon football. And with that decade coming to a close, we remarked at the opportunity that Cristobal had before him. The chance to do something that Kelly fell short of his first time on this stage. The chance to kickstart a new decade by rekindling the glory of the recent past.
With the sun spectacularly setting on the San Gabriel Mountains on the first day of the new year and a new decade, you can officially consider that glory restored. On New Year’s Day 2020, Mario Cristobal and the Oregon Ducks can call themselves “Rose Bowl Champs” after squeaking out a heart-pounding and hard-fought 28-27 win over the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
With the Ducks notching their third Rose Bowl win of the decade (including their second victory over Wisconsin in this game), WFOD takes a closer look at the moments and men that will be remembered the most as a new and hopeful chapter in Oregon football comes to a close.
1. Turnovers the difference for Oregon in victory
“Win the turnover battle, win the game.” It’s a common – and usually correct – refrain in football, but for awhile there, Duck fans were left pondering the actual accuracy of that widely held truism. In the end though, winning the turnover battle proved absolutely critical for Oregon, as the Ducks would need each and every point that they scored off four Wisconsin turnovers – 21, to be exact – to come away with the narrow one-point victory. Oregon linebacker Troy Dye – who finished with nine tackles in his final game as a Duck – would get things started for the Ducks in the second quarter, as his strip of Wisconsin star running back Jonathan Taylor would be recovered by Deommodore Lenoir, giving Oregon possession on the Wisconsin 36-yard line. Though the Ducks would turn it over on downs four plays later, they would emphatically respond on the Badgers’ following possession, as Thomas Graham’s interception gave Oregon the ball back deep in Badger territory, helping set up a touchdown run from Justin Herbert three plays later to give the Ducks a 14-10 advantage.
The turnovers the Ducks forced were even more critical in the second half. With the Oregon offense sputtering for much of the game, Brady Breeze’s 31-yard scoop and score on a botched handle by Wisconsin punter Anthony Lotti breathed life into the Oregon sideline, giving the Ducks a 21-17 lead to start the third quarter. The defense would deliver one final time in the fourth quarter, as Wisconsin, possessing the ball with an opportunity to extend a 27-21 lead, would fumble deep in their own territory to help set up what ultimately turned out to be a game-winning 30-yard touchdown run by Herbert on the ensuing play. On a day in which the Oregon offense performed at its least inspired level all season, the defense did what it had done all season long by forcing turnovers and providing this team with opportunities to win when they needed them most.
The Ducks’ special teams making a difference 💯 pic.twitter.com/vjsdpmvTcw
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2020
2. Saved by Herbert’s legs, the Oregon offense was downright offensive
Aside from the opening drive of the game and the general performance of Justin Herbert on the ground, this was a game in which the Oregon offense performed at its most anemic level all season. And that’s not hyperbole, as the Ducks gained just 204 yards of total offense against a Wisconsin defense that ranked eighth nationally in total defense (293.5 yards/game) entering the day. In fact, the Ducks were outgained by 118 yards by a Badger offense that was held in check by the Oregon defense for most of the afternoon. To make matters even more stunning is the fact that the Oregon offense managed to gain just 129 yards after a brilliantly composed 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game. Though the Oregon offense has generally performed better in 2019 than it did in 2018, Wednesday’s performance was eerily reminiscent of the offensive ineptitude that was witnessed during last year’s 203-yard output vs. Michigan State in the Redbox Bowl. With offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo headed to UNLV, Duck fans may be hopeful that things will change for the better on that side of the ball moving forward, but if not for the lightly used running abilities of Herbert in this game, it’s anyone’s guess where the yards and points would have come from.
Speaking of Herbert, his heroics running the football vs. Wisconsin will be what fans and those chronicling this game will remember the most when looking back at this offensive performance. Though the final box score will say he registered just 29 yards on nine carries, Herbert’s three rushing touchdowns – including his game-winning 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter – loomed large and proved instrumental in delivering the Ducks their 12th and most important win of the season.
Justin Herbert showing he has wheels too 💨 pic.twitter.com/sgeEfZjuGj
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2020
3. Brady Breeze caps off an unbelievable month with a performance worthy of the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP
Want to talk about symmetry? How about winning Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl on the 25th anniversary of your uncle appearing in the same game for the same school you represent? That’s what junior safety Brady Breeze did nearly 25 years to the day Wednesday after his uncle Chad Cota – a former star safety for the Ducks – appeared in the 1995 Rose Bowl Game in a 38-20 loss to Penn State. The past month has proven to be one heck of a coming out party for Breeze, a Lake Oswego native, who prior to the calendar turning to December, had been previously best known for his exploits on special teams and some spot duty on defense. No more, as Breeze caps off a memorable year with a pair of brilliant performances in back-to-back games that ultimately came to define the 2019 season for the Ducks.
Against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game, Breeze was spectacular, leading the Ducks with nine tackles, a pass breakup, and a fantastic leaping interception that helped punch Oregon’s ticket to Pasadena. But against Wisconsin, Breeze was even better, leading the Ducks with 11 tackles, one pass break up, a critical scoop and score, and a forced fumble that helped seal a Rose Bowl victory. The hiring of defensive coordinator Andy Avalos before the start of the season has been a tide that’s lifted all boats within the program, so to speak, but few, if any, have benefitted more from Avalos’ arrival than Breeze, who more than likely enters next season – his senior season – as a presumed full-time starter at safety.
4. Duck defense holds Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor in check
If you’ve watched any Wisconsin football over the past three seasons, you know just how essential running back Jonathan Taylor has been to the Badgers’ success. The two-time Doak Walker Award winner (given to the nation’s top running back) and two-time unanimous first-team All-American ranks as one of the best running backs the sport of college football has ever seen, as he entered the day seeking his second straight 2,000-yard season. And though Taylor would wind up eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark in this game, the Oregon defense made sure it was tough-sledding for the record-setting back, as the Ducks held Taylor to 94 yards rushing on 21 carries while preventing him from reaching the end zone. It was just the fourth time this season that Taylor failed to reach 100 yards rushing in a game, and only the third time this year that Taylor has been held without a touchdown. Oregon’s defense will rightfully earn credit for the momentum-swinging turnovers they forced in this game, but the job they did collectively against the catalyst for this Wisconsin team speaks volumes to overall quality of this unit.
5. A look ahead…
With an unforgettable season now officially in the books, an offseason of intrigue and excitement lies ahead for the Oregon football program. The resounding success of the 2019 season firmly validates the quality of program that Mario Cristobal is building in Eugene and positions Oregon to reside as the class of the Pac-12 for the foreseeable future. And quite honestly, that’s not really up for debate at the moment, especially considering the steady pipeline of talent that Cristobal has flowing to Eugene that should presumably keep the cupboard well stocked for years to come. However, that’s not to say there aren’t serious questions that need to be addressed between now and when the Ducks open the 2020 season vs. North Dakota State next September.
Chief among those questions is who Cristobal tabs as offensive coordinator and how much change there is philosophically and schematically from this year to next. While it’s true the Ducks did take steps forward on offense in 2019, there are still glaring issues regarding overall consistency from week-to-week, not to mention a general lack of ingenuity and adaptability as it relates to scheme and play-calling. Cristobal has made it clear that he wants his teams to be known for their strength, toughness, and aggressiveness, and though the Ducks imbued all of those qualities on offense this season, there was very little you could reliably hang your hat on from one week to the next. The offense needs to be more diverse and more modernized, and perhaps Cristobal is the one who needs to relinquish some of the control and sway he holds over that side of the ball in order for that to come to fruition. The Ducks will also need to replace Herbert, the vast majority of their veteran offensive line, plus a number of key defensive starters that could range from a handful to an armful depending on the number of underclassmen that declare for the NFL draft. These are prudent and necessary questions that must answered over the next nine months, but there’s no doubt this program under this coach is tracking along a national championship type of trajectory.
Top Photo: Oregon QB Justin Herbert runs towards the sideline for a touchdown (Photo: DL Young/Emerald)