Oregon Football: Ducks edge Michigan State in Redbox Bowl

1. Michigan State defense dominated Oregon for most of the Redbox Bowl

Michigan State came into the Redbox Bowl with one of the top 15 defenses in the country, and that defensive dominance was put on full display in their trip to the Bay Area. The Spartans completely shut down against a Ducks side that came into the postseason ranked in the top 30 in scoring and total offense.

It took Oregon almost three full quarters before they finally managed to go over 100 total yards of offense on the day, as the Spartans clamped down against both the pass and the run. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, who opted to forgo a shot at a first-round NFL Draft pick and announced his return to Eugene next year, struggled on a windy day in Santa Clara as he ended the third quarter just 14-of-27 for 89 yards and was held without a touchdown.

Michigan State was especially dominant against the run, cementing their position as the top rushing defense in the country. Leading into the Redbox Bowl, the Spartans averaged fewer than 82 rushing yards allowed per game. They gave up only 42 net rushing yards to the Ducks, who were led by CJ Verdell‘s 43 yards on the ground.

The Ducks finished the day with only 208 total yards of offense. But after the Spartans fell asleep on a six-play drive early in the fourth quarter that led to the only Ducks score of the game, an impressive defensive effort was wasted by an offense that came up short.