The Oregon Ducks had a list of goals they wanted to accomplish against the hometown Stanford Cardinal, and they achieved them all on Saturday night during their decisive 53-30 victory.
The Ducks set out to make a statement with their speed and their aggressive defensive line. they accomplished both of those tasks with apparent ease. The end result was the Ducks handing the Cardinal their first loss of the season, snapping the longest active winning streak in college football, and moving into first place in the Pac-12 North.
The Oregon offense was led by superstar running back LaMichael James, who finished the game with 146 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns. Quarterback Darron Thomas was no slouch himself, going 11-for-17 with 177 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Turnovers were a big story in this game. Stanford has a stunning five turnovers, including three fumbles and two interceptions thrown by Stanford's Heisman Trophy candidate Andrew Luck. Both interceptions resulted in Oregon touchdowns. Luck's second interception came in the fourth quarter, and was a 40 yard pick-six by Bo Lokombo. The Oregon defense kept Luck on the ropes throughout the game, and the Cardinal quarterback seemed more bothered by the grass on his home field than were the Ducks.
The Ducks ended up making just as big a statement as they were hoping, and suddenly the Pac-12 championship picture is a lot more interesting.
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