The betting market has kept moving in Oregon’s favor all week, and now the Ducks are laying 23.5 points at Oklahoma State for Saturday’s trip to Stillwater.
That’s a notable swing from where the number started. The line opened at 20.5 points for Oregon, then slid under 20 over the summer and got as low as 17.5 before snapping back hard after Week 1. Oregon first showed up Sunday morning as a 22.5-point favorite at DraftKings, and it has since climbed another point.
Saturday’s game is set for a 9 AM PT kickoff, which is 11 AM local time in Oklahoma, and it will air on ESPN.
It’ll also be just the third meeting ever between the Ducks and Cowboys. Oregon is 2-0 in the series and has never played Oklahoma State at its home field in Stillwater.
The Ducks rolled to a 69-3 win in last season’s matchup, with Dante Moore throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Oregon’s offense added 312 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground, while the defense found the end zone twice on interception returns from Jerry Mixon and Peyton Woodyard.
The other matchup came in the 2008 Holiday Bowl, a 42-31 Oregon win.
Both teams are coming off Week 1 results that changed the tone around each program, though in very different ways. Oregon opened its season with a 34-27 win over Boise State in Eugene, a game the Ducks had to claw back from a 10-point deficit in the first half before pulling away late after the teams were tied midway through the fourth quarter.
Afterward, Dan Lanning pointed to the areas Oregon still needs to clean up.
"There's a lot that we can do a lot better. This almost is kind of the flip side of the last time that we played Boise, where, in a lot of ways, we won in total yards and some situations, but we didn't really win the critical situations. They won some of those critical situations," said Dan Lanning after the win by his Oregon team.
"They played better on special teams than us today. They did better on fourth down. We kind of gave them an opportunity and a chance to hang around.
"I was proud of the way we were able to attack right before half and punch in that touchdown. I thought our quarterback operated really well.
I want to go back and evaluate the film, but I thought he did some really good things. To be able to win the middle eight and kind of gain some momentum back was important."
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, entered a new chapter under first-year head coach Eric Morris and came away with a disappointing debut. The Cowboys were upset 24-10 by Tulsa in Stillwater, a result that quickly undercut the optimism around Morris’ arrival and the influx of new faces on the roster.
"I'm utterly embarrassed, embarrassed for our fans, for our players, for everybody involved in this, this university and in the sport that we play with so much history," said Morris. "I mean, we got beat on every level today.
I mean, for an offense that's supposed to be explosive … we played awful. I mean, there's no other way to put it.
You know, me as a play caller, I probably had some dumb [things]looking back on it, fourth down stops."
In Other News...
Dante Moore Suddenly Has Oregon Fans Worried About A Bigger Problem
Dante Moore came into the season carrying plenty of attention after choosing to return to Oregon rather than head to the NFL Draft, and his opener at least offered some early reassurance. But the first half against Oklahoma State was a different kind of test, the sort that can quickly shift the conversation around a quarterback expected to steady the Ducks in a big spot. NFL scouts were on hand to watch him closely, and the performance did not help quiet the scrutiny.
Moore completed just 5 of 15 passes for 45 yards and took two sacks before halftime, missing several key throws and never quite finding the kind of rhythm Oregon needed. The Ducks also had bigger issues than just the passing game, with the defense struggling to contain Oklahoma State as Oregon went to the break down 10 points. For a team that entered the night with postseason ambitions and a quarterback under the microscope, the first-half concern was less about one bad stretch than the possibility of a larger problem unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Has Injury Concerns In The Spots It Can Least Afford
Dan Lannings postgame injury update came with a little more concern than Oregon would like this early in the season, especially after a loss that already leaves plenty for the Ducks to sort through. Tight end Jamari Johnson, who was hurt in the previous game and missed practice this week, does not appear headed for a long-term absence, but the deeper issue is the line of players who were forced out against Oklahoma State and the roles they occupy.
Offensive lineman Douglas Utu and his replacement Trent Ferguson both left the game with injuries, which is the kind of development Oregon can least afford along the front. Running back Jordon Davisons status is still unclear, and while defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington was able to return for situational snaps after briefly exiting, the Ducks are suddenly waiting on several key answers at once as they try to rebound from the setback. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Has A Bigger Problem Than The Halftime Score Against Oklahoma State
At halftime against Oklahoma State, Oregon was still hanging around on the scoreboard, but the first 30 minutes told a far less comforting story. The Ducks trailed 24-17, and the bigger issue was how thoroughly they were being controlled on both sides of the ball, with Oklahoma State piling up yardage while Oregon leaned on a couple of deflected passes to stay within striking distance.
Dante Moore has not been able to settle the offense, completing 5 of 15 passes for 45 yards without a touchdown, and the passing game has been hampered by drops as much as accuracy. The ground attack has not offered much relief either, leaving Oregon with a lot to clean up if it wants to avoid letting a shaky half turn into something much worse. [Read more 🡒]