In a game with major BCS implications, two high-powered offenses collided for a Pac-12 divisional match-up. The No. 7 Oregon Ducks defied the odds and crushed their division rival, Stanford Cardinal, in a road game that would never be forgotten.It seemed as though Stanford had the Ducks figured out, limiting LaMichael James to few yards on his first seven carries.

But when he touched the ball for the eight time, the Heisman candidate running back found two holes in the Cardinal defense and took it in for a 58-yard touchdown, thus changing the tide of the game. James finished with 146 yards on 20 carries, and the Ducks never looked back. QB Darron Thomas had an incredible game, completing 11-of-17 passes for 155 yards and three touchdoowns; no interceptions.

He also broke the Stanford defense with a deep 18-yard designed QB run. This year’s undisputed No.1 overall draft pick, Andrew Luck hauled in 271 yards and two touchdowns, adding onto his campaign resume for the Heisman Trophy, but it would be his three interceptions that proved to be the difference maker in the game.

Following a fourth quarter Duck score, Luck threw a pick-six, essentially putting a surmountable lead out of reach. RB Stepfan Taylor ran for 99 yards on 23 carries, but he was held touchdown-less by the aggressive Oregon defense. While the Ducks’ defense managed to contain Luck, especially in the fourth quarter, the Oregon offense and their “Quack Attack” proved to be too much for the Stanford Cardinal to hold off.

With this win, the Ducks will re-enter their names into BCS Championship conversations, potentially  jumping up to a Top 4 slot, especially with No. 5 Boise State taking a loss. However, if they’re going to make their claim to fame, the Ducks must beat a very resilient, underrated USC Trijans squad next week. And that will be yet another exciting, high-scoring matchup.

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Turnovers was the name of the game as the No. 8 Oregon Ducks forced three Washington turnovers in their 34-17 road win Sunday night.

LaMichael James had yet another star-studded performance, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown—his most since his 239-yard explosion vs. California in early October. Freshman De’Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner also put in a touchdown apiece, but it was Eddie Pleasant, Oregon’s senior Safety, who picked off quarterback Keith Price twice and, ultimately, put the Ducks in a winning situation.

“This is a big time win for us,” said James. “Coming into this atmosphere, hostile crowd, they wanted to win.” Oregon’s Darr0n Thomas passed for 169 yards and a touchdown, completing 13-of-29 attempts and hitting five different receivers. But the easiest part is over.

Next week, Oregon faces Andrew Luck and conference rival, No. 4 Stanford Cardinal. They’ll be sure to have their hands full, as Luck will spread the Duck defense further than they can handle. If the Ducks can summon the strength to overcome their Pac-12 rival, they might find themselves in the running for a BCS bid later on in the season.

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Despite the Ducks being down both star RB LaMichael James and QB Darron Thomas — essentially the crutch of the Oregon offense — the team, short-handed and all, managed to completely dismantle the Colorado Buffaloes Saturday afternoon.

Led by junior RB Kenjon Barner and backup QB Bryan Bennett, the Ducks high-octane offense lit up the Colorado defense for five touchdowns and carried Oregon to a 45-2 road win over the Buffaloes. Barner picked the Buffaloes defense apart on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Freshman Tra Carson also made the most of some touches, hauling in 80 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. When it came to the passing game, variety was definitely the spice of the Oregon air attack. Bennett hit eight different receivers, completing 11 out of 20 pass attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

Star freshman De’Anthony Thomas had yet another stellar performance, rushing for 50 yards on four rushes, and finishing with two receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown. As for the Buffaloes, the only highlight of their day was a safety in the third quarter. The Ducks held the Colorado offense scoreless the entire game, allowing only 133 passing yards and 133 yards on the ground.

They even forced a pick-six in the second quarter when LB Michael Clay picked off Tyler Hansen for a 32-yard defensive touchdown. Oregon (6-1) looks forward to yet another blowout victory at home when they face off against Washington State next week.

As for Colorado (1-7), their future doesn’t seem any brighter, as they’ll be facing off against a 5-2 Arizona State team next week, followed by a date with the powerhouse USC Trojans the week after.

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