The Oregon Ducks season opener did not go as planned.
On Saturday before the game, Oregon was favored by 45.5 points over the Idaho Vandals , but with under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter the Ducks found themselves ahead by just three points, leading 17-14.
There were a lot of issues with the way the Ducks played , particularly on offense. The offensive line struggled for all four quarters, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel had several miscues. Wide receiver Tez Johnson was a bright spot, catching 12 passes for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the standout player in Oregon’s season opener was cornerback Brandon Johnson. He is the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.
Johnson, a nickel corner who transferred this offseason from the Duke Blue Devils , kept the Ducks in the game as Idaho continued to put pressure on them. In the first half, the Vandals were driving, threatening to tie the game 7-7, when Johnson contorted his body and bobbled the ball before securing an interception in the Oregon end zone. The Ducks capitalized off the turnover, embarking on a long drive that ended in a Jordan James touchdown.
Johnson’s impact didn’t stop there. On the Vandals’ final drive in the first half, QB Jack Layne took a shot to the pylon to Tony Harste, but Johnson was draped all over and broke up the pass. In the second half, on a critical third down, Johnson got into the backfield to blow up a screen pass, making the tackle for a two-yard loss and forcing a punt.
Johnson’s performance was spectacular, and he’ll be valuable for Oregon next week and all season, but the Ducks have a lot of work to do ahead of Boise State. And although the offense was Oregon’s main problem area on Saturday, the defense needs work as well.
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