Oregon Ducks survive wild night in Lubbock with two last-minute INTs
The Oregon Ducks came into Lubbock as 4.5-point favorites against Texas Tech, and it took every last second of the game for them to cover that spread.
In a wild back-and-forth game, the Oregon Ducks and Texas Tech Red Raiders put on a show for fans and added to what had already been a wild day of college football.
The game saw six lead changes, and 68 total points between the two teams (the over/under was 70 for those keeping score), but despite all the offense it was the Oregon defense that sealed the win for Dan Lanning’s team.
Texas Tech (and former Oregon) quarterback Tyler Shough threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns, but the three interceptions — two of them in the waning minutes of the game –were what made the difference.
With just 35 seconds in the game, with Oregon leading by a 31-30 score, Shough threw a pick-six into the hands of Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, putting Oregon up by eight points as the clock was winding down.
Jeffrey Bassa seals it with a pick 6! 😱 pic.twitter.com/SzFb3wiqZB
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 10, 2023
Three plays later on the Red Raiders’ next position Shough heaved the ball into the end zone as the clock expired, only to have the ball fall into the waiting arms of defensive back Khyree Jackson.
While the score will show up as a victory for the Ducks, it will give head coach Dan Lanning a lot to look at with his team before they take on Hawaii en route to a showdown with red-hot Colorado at Autzen Stadium.
The good? Oregon was very efficient on third down, converting 10 of 18 attempts, and Bo Nix was doing Bo Nix things, throwing for 359 yards and two touchdowns.
The bad? The Ducks’ defense was gashed on the ground, giving up 174 yards and 5.4 yards per carry, and Oregon committed 14 penalties for 124 yards. Those mental mistakes and battles in the trenches will need to be addressed.
As for Texas Tech, what looked to be a promising start to a season has now turned into an 0-2 hole, and has the Red Raiders looking up at practically everyone else in the Big 12 heading into conference play.
