Oregon football runs up score on FCS Portland State to stay unbeaten

In an interstate showdown, Oregon football routed FCS Portland State in their first meeting since 2010. What did we learn about the Ducks from their Week 2 win?

Oregon has played more times at the venue where Portland State currently plays football than they have against the Vikings themselves. In fact, all four previous meetings between the two schools also took place at Autzen. With Providence Park now geared toward soccer rather than football — and holding 30,000 fewer patrons than Autzen — it makes sense that the Vikings have always been the road team in the series.

Once again, Portland State traveled two hours down the I-5 to face Oregon for the first time since 2010. It was a fun afternoon at Autzen Stadium, as the two programs enjoyed just their fifth meeting in the history of football in the state. The Vikings will head back up the I-5 with a 0-2 record after sustaining a 62-14 beatdown by the Ducks.

Justin Herbert, the hometown star for the Ducks, posted 250 yards and four touchdowns through the air on 20-of-26 passing. Herbert was less dynamic running the ball, with three carries for three yards wiped out by a sack resulting in an eight-yard loss. Against the Vikings, though, Herbert didn’t need to be sharp with his legs.

The backfield broke out a bit, after showing signs of missing longtime star Royce Freeman on the depth chart in the opener. Tony Brooks-James led the way for the Ducks, finishing with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Vikings defense.

CJ Verdell added 106 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, Travis Dye posted 58 yards and a touchdown on four carries, and Cyrus Habibi-Likio added another score on the ground. As a team, the Ducks finished with 296 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Yes, the Ducks were facing an FCS offense on Saturday. But for Oregon, whose defense has been much maligned over the years, any victory is a meaningful victory as they rebuild their reputation under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt. Oregon held Portland State under 250 total yards of offense, giving up only 14 points in the process.

Oregon remains home for the next two weeks to face Bay Area teams. San Jose State comes to Autzen Stadium in Week 3, giving the Ducks one more shakedown opportunity before opening Pac-12 play against Stanford.