Ducks fall in rankings after underwhelming opener, face Boise State on Saturday night

The Ducks' debut in the Big Ten didn't go quite as planned.

Oregon's 24-14 victory over a resilient Idaho in the opener fell short of expectations, but the No. 7 Ducks get a chance to re-establish themselves at home on Saturday night against Boise State.

The Ducks struggled to run the ball amid breakdowns on the offensive line and there were defensive lapses. But any issues are ultimately fixable, coach Dan Lanning said this week.

“Defensively, gave up some explosive plays, even on limited possessions. But we had 87 snaps. They had 48 snaps. So you had the ball a lot more, but we weren’t creating the explosives that turn into positives," he said. "Finding ways to do that, a lot of that comes with effort to the ball, finishing, proper mechanics. But you look at it and you study those pieces. How do we create those things? And then you attack it and you build your practice plan around that as well.”

New quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a transfer from Oklahoma who is generating Heisman buzz, was a bright spot for the Ducks: He completed 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards and two scores. The 41 completions was a career-best and matched an Oregon record.

Oregon went into the game ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25, but dropped after the close game against the Vandals. The Ducks had been 44-plus point favorites against Idaho, they're a more modest 20-point favorites against the Broncos.

Boise State won its opener on the road against Georgia Southern 56-45. But against Oregon — well, the Broncos have been anticipating the game for some time.

“This game is one of those games, guys,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “Our guys have been hearing about playing Oregon since last season ended, right? So immediately after the bowl game it was Oregon 2024 and that’s college football. That’s why you come to Boise State — to have an opportunity to play these games.”

Jaunty Jeanty

In Boise State's opener, junior running back Aston Jeanty rushed for 267 yards and six touchdowns, both school records.

Jeanty is being touted as a Heisman candidate by Boise State and already has a website and a hashtag, #HEI2MAN. Jeanty wears the No. 2.

“I think he’s the best running back I’ve seen since I’ve been here," Lanning said. “He’s certainly an NFL guy, and he doesn’t go down on first contact ever. He’s one of the best stiff arm guys that we’ve gone against. He runs really, really physical.”

A new threat emerged for the Broncos last week: Freshman Sire Gaines had 110 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards, earning him Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors.

O-Line Woes

Five of Oregon's eight penalties were on the offensive line. The unit allowed three sacks and Oregon’s rush accounted for just 137 yards against the Vandals.

“We didn’t play well enough. There was some miscommunications that we have to clean up. Certainly room for improvement but they know that they didn’t play to the standard that we want and we can be better there,” Lanning said.

History

Boise State has won all three of the previous meetings between the two teams: The Broncos beat the Ducks 37-32 in Eugene in 2008, then 19-8 in Boise the next year. The third win came in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl, 38-28.

Probably the most notable was the 2009 game. The Broncos were ranked No. 14, it was Chip Kelly's first game as Oregon coach, and the Ducks went to Boise seeking revenge for the loss the year before.

Not only did the Ducks lose, but it ended in chaos when Oregon's LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player in the face. Blount was initially suspended for the season but later reinstated.

Boise State finished that season undefeated, beating TCU 17-10 in the Fiesta Bowl and earning the No. 4 ranking. The Ducks finished No. 11 after going 10-3. They won the Pac-12 title but fell to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

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Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press