Part of Oregon's new culture under first-year coach Mario Cristobal involves confidence — in preparation, in game-planning, in fellow coaches and teammates.
Cristobal exudes confidence, and it's earned through his tireless work ethic. That trickles down to Oregon's players, and pays off in moments like Saturday's overtime against Washington.
Sure, the Ducks have a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Justin Herbert. Yes, a late run play in an earlier chance to knock off a top-10 team, Stanford, had backfired.
But Oregon's preparation for the Huskies suggested a power run game could be potent.