A defensive struggle in the first half turned into the shootout we all expected it to be in the second as both teams traded touchdowns. Oregon overcame a 24-14 defecit to tie the game up midway through the fourth quarter, but an Arizona score with under three minutes left gave them the lead. Wildcat linebacker Scooby Wright then stripped Marcus Mariota on the following drive as Arizona held on for the upset victory.
Turning Point: Oregon had stopped Arizona on a third and goal on the third drive of the third quarter, but a pass interference penalty on Ifo Ekpre-Olomu gave the Wildcats a new set of downs. They punched it in for the touchdown on the next play, taking the 17-14 lead and never looked back.
Arizona MVP: Freshman running back Nick Wilson accounted for all but one of Arizona's touchdowns and repeatedly gashed the Ducks' defense, carrying the ball 13 times for 92 yards and two scores. He also added a 34 yard TD catch where he ran over Ekpre-Olomu to get into the end zone.
Oregon MVP: Oregon couldn't run the ball and their defense wasn't great, so Marcus Mariota essentially gets this award by default. He had a solid game statistically (20-32, 276 yards, 2 TDs), but his leadership in bringing his team back from a double-digit deficit make him a worthy recipient - even though his fumble at the end sealed the loss.
What’s Next? The Wildcats, now 5-0, look like they're going to be an unexpected factor in the Pac-12 race, and they'll almost certainly jump well into the top 25. Oregon will fall out of the top 5 and have to fight their way back into College Football Playoff contention, but they have some major questions to answer following two less-than-spectacular performances against Washington State and Arizona.
Back to the Oregon Ducks Newsfeed