On Saturday against Washington, the Ducks led by a single touchdown going into the fourth quarter — a quarter Oregon’s starters had basically never appeared in all season. But the Ducks were ready, not rusty, beating the Huskies by a final score that wasn’t all that close: 45-24. Their quarterback, Marcus Mariota, was probably the biggest reason why.

“He was awesome,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said regarding Mariota. “I haven’t seen the stats yet, but he played really well.”

Mariota finished with 366 passing yards and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with a 77.4 completion percentage. He was efficient on both long and short passes. He ran for 88 yards. He was, to be blunt, Heisman-like.

“I don’t have a Heisman vote but I’d be hard pressed to say we’ll see a better quarterback this year,” Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “That guy is special. I don’t know when he is planning on going to the NFL, but when he does, I think he’ll be a top-five draft pick.”

In his 19 career games as the Oregon starting quarterback, this was just the fifth time Mariota played in the fourth quarter. Despite the lack of late-game experience, the redshirt sophomore said all the work he and his teammates put in during practice prepared him for games like this.

“It’s just fun to be out there, to be out there with the guys,” Mariota said when asked about playing all four quarters. “They did a great job and I’m proud of them.”

The game was much closer than the final score indicated, at least until the final quarter arrived. The Ducks were inconsistent on offense in the first half but eventually found their groove, scoring 21 points. The defense, on the other hand, was brilliant, giving up just seven points to one of the best offenses in the nation and forcing two turnovers.

“Huge,” Helfrich said of the defense’s performance. “I thought the biggest thing was in the second quarter, trying to keep it 21-7 to keep it a two-score game going into halftime.”

But the third quarter looked like it might turn Washington’s way. Just over a minute into the quarter, Washington running back Bishop Sankey took a Keith Price handoff 60 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-14. The momentum seemed to shift drastically toward Washington’s side after this run, as it did on several other plays, but the Ducks never let the Huskies take the lead.

On the drive directly following Sankey’s long touchdown run, the Ducks came back with a 60-plus yard score of their own from the Ducks’ other big hero of the game: Josh Huff.

Huff looked like he might’ve broken his ankle in the first half on a short catch-and-run that ended in a low tackle by multiple players. Huff couldn’t put any weight on his ankle, had to be carried off the field and was carted to the locker room. No one knew if he’d be back.

Less than three minutes into the second half, Huff made that uncertainty disappear. Mariota threw a long pass down the middle of the field, which Huff caught and ran in for the 65-yard touchdown.

“I was just worried for him (Huff),” Mariota said about Huff’s injury. “I wasn’t sure what was going on. He came out and fought through it and played well.”

Huff and fellow receiver Bralon Addison both had huge games, combining for 264 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Helfrich said those two, along with all of the great performers for the Ducks in the other areas of the game were just as important to this victory as Mariota.

“I’m not downplaying his abilities in any way,” Helfrich said of Mariota. “But you have to catch it, protect it, coach it. In every phase, those guys did a great job.”

Yet while the Ducks played an incredible all-around game, Mariota stole the show. It’s incredible what can happen when he and the rest of the starters play all four quarters.

“We came into a hostile environment under some duress and made some well-executed adjustments in all phases,” Helfrich said. “That’s a big win. That’s a huge win.”

As shocking as it might sound, the Ducks almost seemed incapable of scoring a touchdown. There were dropped passes, bottled up runs and an overall sense of discomfort from the Oregon offense that Ducks fans haven’t witnessed since late in the 2012 season. Washington is undoubtedly the best defense the Ducks have faced this season and they proved it in the first half.

Fortunately for Oregon, Washington’s defense was second-best at Husky Stadium during the half.

The Ducks outgained the Huskies 281-159 in total yards and dominated the time-of-possession battle, which is uncommon for the Ducks even when they’re blowing out teams. But the Ducks offense struggled for most of the half, especially in the running game. Without the performance of the Oregon defense, the Huskies might be leading this game.

The defense made its statement right away, forcing a three-and-out from the elite Huskies offense on their first series. That three-and-out came right after the Ducks offense turned the ball over on downs, causing Husky Stadium to rumble as if a minor earthquake was occurring. Two plays before the Ducks were stopped on 4th down, receiver Keanon Lowe dropped a wide-open pass on a long throw by quarterback Marcus Mariota. This was one of several cases of the Ducks offense struggling to punch the ball into the end zone.

With just over six minutes left in the first quarter, the Ducks finally scored a touchdown on a one-yard run from Byron Marshall, but Oregon came extremely close to coming away with nothing.

Two plays before the score, Josh Huff dove toward the end zone and lost the ball. It was ruled a fumble and a touchback on the field, but the referees overturned the call.

In the next play on 3rd down Mariota dove for the end zone and scored, but the refs overturned that call as well. Marshall’s fourth down score was just as close as Mariota’s. The call was ruled a touchdown on the field and it stood after the third straight booth review.

Washington tied the game less than three minutes later, and the score was tied 7-7 after one quarter.

The score stayed that way for a while, the defenses trading blows in what looked like an unexpected defensive struggle. But at 8:41, Mariota hit Bralon Addison for a four-yard pass to make it 14-7. Addison had two recpetions for more than 38 yards, and finished the half with 95 receiving yards. Mariota went 14-of-19 for 173 yards and the lone touchdown pass.

Marshall scored on a 15-yard run less than four minutes later to make it 21-7, but the Ducks experienced a scare in between scores. Josh Huff was tackled on a catch-and-run and hit by one of his teammates. He immediately grabbed his ankle and had to be carried off the field. He was later carted to the locker room. His status is unknown.

Through all the inconsistency from the offense and the Huff injury, the defense played exceptionally well against the up-tempo Washington offense. They forced two turnovers (an Eric Dargan interception and a Torrodney Prevot fumble recovery) and held the Huskies to seven points. The Ducks enjoy a 14-point lead at half for several reasons, but the defense is the biggest one.

What to watch for in the second half:

Can the Oregon running game pick it up?

Will De’Anthony Thomas play?

Will the defense continue to play well?

How serious is Huff’s injury?

The Washington Huskies might be the most exciting matchup to watch for Oregon all season. The Huskies mirror the Ducks in almost every area, from their up-tempo offense with studs at every skill position, to their underrated defense. Washington nearly beat Stanford last week and crushed Boise State in the first game of the season, so they’re for real. Oregon can’t afford to have units on either side of the ball struggle on Saturday.

Every matchup in this game will be worth watching, but below are two of the most crucial battles that will determine if the Ducks can maintain their perfect record.

Oregon’s front seven vs. Washington’s offensive line

Oregon’s defensive line and linebacking corps were two of the only areas of concern for the Ducks going into the season. While players like Derrick Malone, Boseko Lokombo and Tony Washington have looked excellent, they also haven’t faced an offense anywhere close to Washington’s level. Quarterback Keith Price and running back Bishop Sankey get all the (deserved) glory, but don’t forget about the big guys blocking for them. If the Ducks fail to put pressure on Price and don’t plug Sankey’s running lanes, the Huskies could score points as quickly as Oregon’s offense often does. Oregon’s front seven need to cause trouble around the line of scrimmage in order to prevent this game from becoming a shootout, which might come down to who possesses the ball last.

Oregon Key: More than anything, the Ducks need to put pressure on Price. Giving him extra time to throw to his wide array of receivers could result in some big plays that immediately change the course of the game. Long pass plays make the crowd go wild, too. Oregon doesn’t want to give that rowdy Husky Stadium crowd any excuse to get louder.

Washington Key: Big pass plays are obviously ideal for the Huskies, but controlling the line of scrimmage will be even more important. If Oregon’s linebackers and safeties are forced to respect the run, Price will have more chances to make big passing plays. Washington’s offensive line could directly contribute to a huge day from Price simply by blocking well in the run game.

ADVANTAGE: Washington

Oregon’s secondary vs. Washington’s receivers

This is a true strength vs. strength battle. Oregon has one of the best secondaries in the nation but it leaked a bit last week against Paul Richardson and Colorado. Washington doesn’t have one elite receiver like Richardson but they have three above average wideouts in Kevin Smith, Kasen Williams and Jaydon Mickens. Washington is balanced on offense, but they’ve been stronger through the air so far. The game might hinge most on who can win this battle.

Oregon Key: As with the defensive line, Oregon’s secondary needs to limit big plays. The Ducks got away with giving up some long pass plays last week against Colorado because Oregon was the vastly superior team, but Washington can play with the best teams in the nation. The Ducks need to make the Huskies work to get their touchdowns.

Washington Key: Spreading the wealth. The Huskies have three solid receivers, so if Price can get the ball to those three and others the Ducks will be on their toes worrying about every wideout on the field. That will leave more one on one battles between Washington receivers and Oregon defensive backs, which will give Price much wider passing lanes to deliver his passes.

ADVANTAGE: Oregon

Of all the crazy numbers Oregon has put up in the past few years, perhaps the most unbelievable one is this: four. That’s the number of fourth quarters starting quarterback Marcus Mariota has appeared in during his career.

This season, Mariota hasn’t played in any fourth quarters, and he’s not alone. Due to the enormous leads Oregon has built in each game this season, almost every starter has forgone the final 15 minutes. As a result, Oregon’s backup players have enjoyed a lot of playing time.

That is all expected to change this Saturday. The Ducks are playing the No. 16 Washington Huskies, who lost by three points to No. 5 Stanford last week. If Saturday’s game in Seattle is as close as people expect it might be, Oregon’s backups might not see the field at all. The Ducks’ schedule doesn’t get much easier after Washington, either, so the backups might never leave the sideline the rest of the season.

While these players would prefer to be playing, several of them said they’re comfortable riding the bench if the team is still succeeding.

“Of course everybody wants to play,” backup center Karrington Armstrong said. “You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t going to try to play. But when it comes down to it, if they need the starters in, we’re going to support them. Whatever gets us to win.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Lockie had another take. Sure, it appears the backups will lose playing time, but Lockie said that trying to determine how much playing time he’ll get is useless, considering how unpredictable football can be.

“If injuries happen, you’ve got to go in right away,” Lockie said, “so predicting how much playing time you’re going to get is impossible. You’ve got to prepare like you’re going to be playing the whole time.”

Other backup players agreed with Lockie. They stressed the importance of roles, saying it doesn’t matter if a player is first team or scout team.

“If my role is chilling on the sidelines and looking at the game helping (offensive line coach Steve Greatwood) when I can,” Armstrong said, “then that’s what it’s going to be.”

While the backups preached the importance of roles and preparation, they also said it’s fun to watch the starters of the second-ranked team in the nation put on a show, especially because they’re around those players every day.

“I love watching the guys in front of me play,” senior Ben Butterfield said.

“You live through your teammates, in a way,” running back Lane Roseberry said. “I go to meetings with them every day, I see them every day, we talk, we’re friends, so it’s cool to see them succeed.”

Roseberry said he focuses on being patient, knowing his time will come if he puts in the work. He’s also a redshirt freshman, so time is more on his side than seniors like Armstrong and Butterfield or fellow running back Kenny Bassett, a junior.

But patience doesn’t just include playing time. Like Armstrong said, everyone can serve a role that helps the Ducks achieve their ultimate goal: to win a national championship. If they get to the title game, the backups said, the journey would’ve totally been worth it. It doesn’t matter to them if they never play another down.

“Everybody has the same destination,” Bassett said. “As long as we get there, I’m good.”

The Oregon’s women golf team looked ready for a top-3 finish after the first two rounds on Tuesday, but they ended up finishing fourth at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational. The Stanford Cardinal won the 13-team tournament, finishing 1-under.

The Ducks were one of two teams on Tuesday to finish both rounds under 300 strokes (Stanford was the other team), but they didn’t come close to breaking that mark in their final round. They shot a score of 313 (+25), giving them a +39 overall score. Despite their disappointing performance, they did have a top-5 individual performer on their squad.

Like her team, sophomore Caroline Inglis stumbled in the final round but didn’t fall far. Inglis was tied for fourth going into the third round and shot a 77 (+5), dropping her just one spot to fifth place. Through the first two rounds, Inglis was at even par, including a 1-under 71 in the first round. She told GoDucks.com after she finished the final round that she was happy with her overall performance in the tournament.

“I played pretty solid in both rounds yesterday,” Inglis said. “Today was a little bit tougher. I didn’t hit the ball as well but I was putting well every round, and I think that’s what I will take away from this tournament.”

Inglis wasn’t the only Duck to fall off in the final round. In fact, all four of the other Oregon golfers shot worse in the third round compared to the first two.

Freshman Marcella Pranovia shot the best final round of any Oregon competitors with a 76 (+4) and was the only Duck to move up in the individual standings. Overall, she finished tied for 16th place, two spots higher than she finished after round two.

Fellow freshman Cathleen Santoso also finished tied for 16th, shooting a 77 on Wednesday.

Junior Cassy Ishagawa took the biggest drop in round three, falling to T34 finish after shooting an 83 (+11). That was one stroke better than the last place Oregon finisher, Monica Petchakan. Petchakan finished in last place among the tournament’s 67 golfers at +41.

As poor as Oregon’s final round might look, it wasn’t just hard for them; the entire field struggled on Wednesday. The average score for each individual golfer was 78.42, almost two strokes higher than the average second round score. On a team level, the third round was the worst for almost every team in the tournament. Only Colorado shot a better third round (305) than they did in the first or second (316 in the first, 297 in the second).

The other two teams besides Stanford to finish ahead of Oregon were Washington and UCF. The Huskies shot 26-over, 27 strokes behind Stanford. UCF finished at +34.

Oregon’s next tournament is at the Stanford Invitational from Oct. 25-27 in Stanford, Calif.

Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational

The football team isn’t the only Oregon program battling the Washington Huskies this week. After two rounds at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational, the women’s golf team is tied with Washington for second place, shooting scores of 590. However the two schools aren’t close to the top spot. Stanford is ahead of them by 21 strokes.

Despite the huge deficit, the Ducks did several things well during their first day of the 13-team tournament at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. For one, they are six strokes ahead of the fourth-place finisher, San Jose State. Oregon was also the only team besides Stanford to shoot under 300 strokes in both rounds (8-over par 296 in round one, 6-over 294 in round two). The consistency of the Oregon golfers netted them not only a T2 finish but some great individual finishes, as well.

The top four Oregon golfers all finished in the top 18 in the player category, led by Caroline Inglis. The sophomore shot a score of 1-under 71 in the first round and 1-over 73 in the second, placing her fourth among the 67 golfers in the tournament.

The other three golfers didn’t finish too far behind Inglis, though. After shooting a 76 (+4) in round one, freshman Cathleen Santoso shot an even-par 72 in the second round, leaving her tied for 11th place.

Cassy Isagawa stumbled a bit from the first round to the second. The junior, who won the UNM Dick McGuire Invitational on Sept. 21, opened with a 73 (+1) and finished her day with a 76. The second score dropped her to 18th, tying her with, among others, teammate Marcella Pranovia.

The freshman Pranovia shot the same two scores as Ishagawa, just in opposite rounds. This is the first team event for Pranovia, who is a Bali, Indonesia native.

Oregon’s fifth competitor at the invitational is Monica Petchakan. She shot an 85 (+12) and 88 (+16) in her two rounds, tying her for last place. Her score did not count towards the overall team score.

Three schools (California, Colorado and Gonzaga) didn’t finish their second round due to darkness. They will wrap up their rounds at 7:45 a.m. PT Wednesday morning, right before the third and final round tees off. That round will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Junior running back Kenny Bassett has played every game for the Ducks so far, albeit in a limited role. He’s rushed for 24 yards on 14 attempts in Oregon’s five games. After Wednesday’s practice, Bassett talked about his season thus far, Oregon’s upcoming game against Washington and his tropical roots.

His performance this season:

“I’m not going to say I’ve been great. I feel like there’s always room for improvement. The way we practice, the way we do all that preparation, there’s always room to step it up. I can always get better.”

The upcoming Washington game:

“I’m looking forward to it. They’re a good team, we’re a good team, so it should be a great matchup.”

“Everybody says it’s a big rivalry. We treat every week like it’s the same, so we’re not practicing any harder this week than we did last week. We’re just trying to get better.”

The impact of De’Anthony Thomas’ injury:

“When somebody goes down, another person steps up. That’s just what we’ve been doing. When he (Thomas) comes back, he’ll be back, but right now everybody else is stepping up and filling that role.”

His Miami Heat fandom:

“I was a Heat fan before LeBron (James), let’s get that straight. I’m a Heat fan, I’m a Dolphins fan. I used to live down in Florida, so I’m not just a bandwagon fan.”

“I was born in the Bahamas, but I lived most of my life in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Then I moved to LA for high school.”

Why he chose to come to Oregon:

“Football, man. (laughs). They’ve got a pretty good business school, too. I’m a finance major. If (football) doesn’t work out, I’ve set myself up to where I can do other things, too.”

Mark Helfrich reflects on his Sunday conversation with Colt Lyerla, who withdrew from the University of Oregon. Helfrich also talks about Oregon’s upcoming opponent, Washington.

On Sunday afternoon, Oregon junior tight end Colt Lyerla withdrew from the University of Oregon. The junior tight end told Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com that it was simply the right time for him to leave.

“Just for my own benefit,” Lyerla said, “it was time to move on.”

Lyerla added that the decision to withdraw was completely his and that his suspension for Saturday’s game against Colorado didn’t play into it. Late Sunday, Lyerla talked with head coach Mark Helfrich to tell him about his decision, saying afterwards that he and Helfrich “left on good terms” after their conversation.

Lyerla doesn’t plan on transferring to another college team, either. The five-star recruit out of high school said he’ll be pursuing a professional career.

“I love the University of Oregon and am so thankful for every opportunity that I had,” Lyerla said. “I’m going to use everything I learned from this program and do my best to be successful in whatever happens in the future.”

Helfrich and Lyerla both said they wish “nothing but the best” for each other and their futures. Helfrich added that he and the rest of the football program “will support him (Lyerla) in any way we can.” Lyerla said multiple times that he loves both the school of Oregon and the football program.

Lyerla, who starred at Hillsboro High School (Ore.), started 12 games in his Oregon career, catching 34 passes for 565 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on 16 career carries.

This season, Lyerla rushed for 17 yards and one touchdown on three carries. He caught two passes for 26 yards and didn’t record a receiving touchdown.

Johnny Mundt and Pharaoh Brown split playing time at tight end in place of Lyerla against Colorado (Helfrich said Lyerla was suspended Saturday for violating team rules). They each caught one pass. It was Brown’s first game of the season after recovering from a foot injury.

Mundt had a huge game two weeks earlier against Tennessee, catching five passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Lyerla missed that game, as well, due to what Helfrich described as “circumstances.”