There was a point Saturday afternoon when the numbers and the game itself seemed to be describing two entirely different things. Oregon was moving the ball better than Boise State, generating more explosive plays and eventually building a substantial advantage in total offense, yet the Ducks trailed 17-7 late in the first half, were tied entering the fourth quarter and found themselves even again at 27 with 8:45 remaining.
That is probably the simplest way to explain a 34-27 Oregon win that felt far less comfortable than the final statistical comparison suggests. The Ducks finished with 507 yards of offense compared with Boise State’s 274, Dante Moore threw for 388 yards without an interception and the Broncos averaged only 2.6 yards per rush. The underlying numbers support the same general picture, with Game on Paper showing Oregon as one of the more explosive offenses of the weekend, but this never felt like a game where the Ducks simply overwhelmed an inferior opponent. Penalties, failed fourth downs, a special-teams turnover and a defense that struggled to consistently win early downs gave Boise State far too many chances to stay attached.
That makes the first Fifth Quarter of the season a little more complicated than simply looking at the final score. Oregon looked like the more talented team for much of the afternoon, but there were long stretches where it did not look like the more complete team.
