Oregon Overpowers Michigan 31 to 7
No. 16 Oregon kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive in style on Saturday, beating Michigan 31 to 7 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The Ducks struck early, scored the most points any team has managed against the Wolverines this season and never let the visitors back into the game.
Raiola Sets the Tone Early
Quarterback Dylan Raiola delivered the best performance of his Oregon career, finishing 20 of 28 passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. He hit wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan for a 60 yard touchdown on the game’s fourth offensive play, giving Oregon a lead it would never surrender. McClellan caught four passes for 105 yards and a score, and Raiola later found Dierre Hill on a 49 yard touchdown pass before Gage Hurych added a short field goal in the final minute to complete the scoring.
Oregon put up 467 total yards against one of the best defenses in the country, and before this game Michigan had not allowed more than 332 yards or 21 points to any opponent. The Ducks scored 21 points in the first half and held a 21 to 7 lead at the break, with Michigan’s only score coming on a 70 yard touchdown run by Savion Hiter. The Wolverines’ quarterbacks combined for only 71 yards on 6 of 20 passing, and Michigan fumbled twice without forcing a single takeaway in return.
Michigan Runs, but Cannot Keep Up
Michigan did find some joy on the ground, outrushing Oregon 215 yards to 126, with Hiter finishing on 107 yards in the best game of his young career. Yet the run game could not make up for a passing attack that never got going, and the Wolverines were held to seven points or fewer for the third time in their last four games. Oregon’s defense, which had been questioned earlier in the season, stood firm whenever Michigan put together a long drive, and the Ducks can be seen among the latest college football scores and recaps as a team peaking at the right time.
The win moved Oregon to 7 and 3 overall and 5 and 2 in Big Ten play, with a Friday night trip to Michigan State next on the schedule. Michigan hosts unbeaten UCLA next, while Oregon will hope Tuesday’s playoff rankings reward a performance that was dominant from the first drive to the last.
