College Football: Rewatching Week 1 of an exciting 2009 season

No. 14 Boise State vs. No. 16 Oregon

College football opened the 2009 season with a massive game, having Oregon travel to Boise State on a Thursday night. For the Ducks, it was a revenge game after getting beaten by the Broncos on their home field last season. For Boise State, they were out to prove they belonged with the big boys and deserved a shot at a BCS bowl game.

Despite an average night from sophomore Kellen Moore, the Broncos offense did just enough to win the game. Going 19-29 with 197 yards and a touchdown, whenever the ball came out of Moore’s hand, it was a laser to the receiver’s hands, delivering accurate passes all night.

There was one word and one word only to describe the Oregon offense throughout the entire game: horrible. With it being the first game in the Chip Kelly era, the Ducks were expected to continue the dominating success on the offensive side of the ball from previous seasons. Instead, Oregon struggled all night, only gaining 152 yards the entire night.

Not a single first down was gained by the Ducks in the first half, as they did not pick one up until 7:09 left in the third quarter. The Boise State defense came out to play, keeping an offense that averaged nearly 42 points a game last season to under 10 points.

Boise State won 19-8, beginning what could be a dream season against a top 25 ranked team in a Power Five conference.

Key Stats

LeGarrette Blount (Oregon): Eight carries for -5 yards, one punch thrown
Boise State as a team: 59 carries for 164 yards

Key Play

Oregon had the ball in Boise State territory, down by 11 with less than 12 minutes in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-1, Blount took a handoff for a one-yard loss, making it the third straight turnover in as many drives for the Ducks. Chip Kelly’s offense really needed points on the drive, and the stuff by Boise State’s defense sealed the deal.