Oregon Football: Winners and Losers from the Week 3 Game vs. Tennessee Tech

The Oregon Ducks took on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles on Saturday in their final tuneup before Pac-12 play. 

Though the Golden Eagles struck first, the rest of the game was commanded by the Oregon Ducks as they surged towards a 63-14 victory through the air and on the ground.

Marcus Mariota continued to show poise in the pocket, as he threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-28 passes completed. 

Byron Marshall was the leading rusher, as he picked up the Oregon offense in the second half, rushing for 125 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. 

While there were times when the Ducks did not look 100 percent, they ultimately came out of their non-conference schedule with a 3-0 record and a No. 3 ranking across the nation. 

Here are the winners and losers from Oregon's Week 3 contest against Tennessee Tech.

Winner: Oregon Ducks

As expected, the Ducks came out of this game victorious. 

Though they were sloppy at times, the Ducks played well on both sides of the ball throughout the entire game to secure yet another lopsided victory.

Oregon will now head into Pac-12 play with an unblemished record and a head full of momentum. 

Loser: Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

Tennessee Tech was not expected to win this game, and for a team that were huge underdogs, they played relatively well.

Jumping on the board first, the Golden Eagles more than earned their paycheck for coming into Autzen and taking the beating that they did. 

Winner: Byron Marshall

Byron Marshall, one of the higher profile recruits from Oregon's last class, showcased impressive skills in the second half, rushing for 125 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.

Marshall also showed that he could be a viable backup should Kenjon Barner or De'Anthony Thomas need to be relieved.

With a confident runner in Marshall, the Ducks find themselves with a running back stable that may be one of the best in the nation. 

Loser: Oregon Penalties

The Ducks, who have been one of the more disciplined teams under Chip Kelly, have had issues with penalties in their past two games. 

Over the course of the game, Oregon accumulated 12 penalties for 105 yards—numbers that must be improved upon as they head into Pac-12 play. 

If the Ducks continue to commit penalties at this rate, they may have a tough time establishing momentum and dominance against their Pac-12 opponents. 

Winner: De'Anthony Thomas

The Black Mamba had another impressive performance on Saturday, as he racked up 222 all-purpose yards over the course of his playing time against the Golden Eagles. 

His performance also included a touchdown on the ground and one through the air, as he continued to showcase his impressive versatility and ability to create plays from any position on the offensive side of the ball. 

Loser: Oregon Ball Security

Oregon has not looked like the fine-tuned machine it has been in past years. 

In fact, while the Ducks have continued to blow out their opponents, they have looked rather sloppy at times, as they have committed quite a few penalties in addition to some turnovers that should and could have been avoided.

The Ducks committed three turnovers against the Golden Eagles on Saturday and will need to improve upon those numbers as they head into Pac-12 play. Giving the ball up three times to Pac-12 opponents will give those teams more than enough to play right alongside the talent of Oregon. 

Winner: Oregon Defensive Line

The brightest thing about Oregon's performance on Saturday was likely the play of their defensive line. 

Dion Jordan, Isaac Remington and Taylor Hart all combined their efforts to constantly put pressure on Tennessee Tech, really disrupting the backfield. 

The Oregon defensive line heads into Pac-12 play with a head of steam and boatload of confidence, and will have to continue their impressive efforts against Pac-12 opponents.