Oregon’s gutsy win at Iowa bolsters CFP chances — and Ducks did it playing ‘Big Ten football’
IOWA CITY, Iowa — In the Big Ten Conference, where the divisional names nearly became Black and Blue to represent its historical ties to a grinding type of football, newcomer Oregon stylistically appears an outlier in perception.
The Ducks often look like a subsidiary of Nike with a new outfit every week. They score plenty of points and win a lot of games, but questions have lingered about whether Oregon can slug it out like a traditional true Big Ten team. Can it line up for four quarters in inclement weather and battle physically for ground acquisition? Saturday, the Ducks answered that question with an emphatic (expletive) yes.
On a cold, blustery and rainy afternoon at Kinnick Stadium, the No. 9 Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) pummeled the Big Ten’s No. 1 run defense for 261 yards on the ground in an 18-16 victory at No. 20 Iowa. The victory solidifies Oregon’s College Football Playoff chances, with The Athletic’s prediction model boosting its likelihood to 94 percent, up from 79 percent.
After a 10-point home loss to Indiana earlier this season, the Ducks had to earn some respect, which was as much about toughness as execution.
“Oregon’s always been the team of flashy uniforms and fast, spread offense, explosive,” Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher said. “Coming to the Big Ten, I get it. Iowa’s always been a classic team, running the ball, I-formation, and we did it better than them tonight, which is pretty cool to see.
“The most physical team won, and the rain was pretty cool, too.”
With Oregon up 15-10, Iowa showed why it has earned its reputation as a tough out. Taking over at Iowa’s 7-yard line with 8:36 left, quarterback Mark Gronowski methodically drove the Hawkeyes up the field. Gronowski, who has an NCAA record 55 wins as a starter, threw a 40-yard pass on third-and-5 and converted a 15-yard strike on fourth-and-3. Then when facing fourth-and-goal at the Oregon 3-yard line, Gronowski blasted into the end zone to put Iowa ahead with 1:51 left. His 2-point conversion pass, which initially was ruled a catch, was overturned on replay.
Taking over at the 25-yard line, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore nearly doubled his passing yards on the final drive. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards, including a perfectly placed 24-yard strike to receiver Malik Benson over top Iowa cornerback T.J. Hall to take the Ducks into field goal range. With three seconds left, Atticus Sappington connected on his third field goal — this one from 39 yards — to take the victory.
“It wasn’t always pretty, but our guys are resilient,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “They’re tough. They can handle tough moments. And if it’s a four-quarter fight, we can do a four-quarter fight. If it’s going into OT, we can do that. I’m just proud of the way they handled the moment.
“I guess that’s what they call Big Ten football. What an unbelievable game.”
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The Big Ten extended Oregon a financial lifeboat away from the crumbling Pac-12, and the Ducks have repaid the conference tenfold with sizzle. On Saturday, it brought the steak. Iowa (6-3, 4-2) has one of the nation’s top offensive lines, but the Oregon defense halted the Hawkeyes’ running game for 101 yards on 43 carries. The Ducks rushed for 7.2 yards per carry, the most an Iowa defense has allowed in 11 years.
“That was one of the more physical games I ever played in,” Boettcher said. “That game and probably the Big Ten championship last year. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t feeling it right now. But that means we played the game the right way.”
But being tough is more than just dispensing and receiving bruises. It also involves the mental side, which was perhaps more important to the outcome than Oregon’s rushing totals. Iowa has a history of winning tough games, especially late in the season. The Hawkeyes had won 21 of their past 23 November games, and under longtime coach Kirk Ferentz, they were 5-1 against top-10 teams at Kinnick Stadium in the final month. Now, the Ducks are 8-0 all-time as a Big Ten visitor.
Oregon had not impressed the CFP selection committee before the inaugural rankings, falling from No. 6 in the Associated Press poll. Before Saturday, it had beaten only one team with a winning record (Northwestern) and had a lackluster recent victory against Wisconsin. Against Iowa, the Ducks found a hardened, physical team that tested Indiana and was ascending. Without injured wide receiver Dakorien Moore, Oregon’s offense was limited. How it responded to adversity is why it may compete in the CFP — no matter the location or style of play.
“It just says a lot about what coach Lanning is building here,” said Oregon running back Noah Whittington, who rushed for a game-high 118 yards on 17 carries. “We weren’t able to throw the ball throughout the game, and it was raining really bad. Then that two-minute drive, it kind of let up, and we went out there and executed flawlessly.
“We’re very well-rounded. We can kill you on the ground, kill you in the air. Whatever we got to do to win, we can do it.”
