Justin Herbert, No. 12 Oregon Hold On for Win vs. Jacob Eason, No. 25 Washington

No. 12 Oregon gave its College Football Playoff resume a boost by going on the road and pulling out a 35-31 victory over No. 25 Washington on Saturday.

Justin Herbert led the way for the Ducks, throwing for 280 yards and four touchdowns, while Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason had 289 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort.

The victory helps Oregon keep its perfect Pac-12 record intact at 4-0 while improving to 6-1 overall. Meanwhile, Washington drops to 5-3 on the season, including 2-3 in conference play.

Notable Performances

Oregon

QB Justin Herbert: 24/38, 280 yards, four touchdowns

RB CJ Verdell: 11 carries, 48 yards

RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio: 14 carries, 81 yards, one touchdown

WR Jaylon Redd: five catches, 36 yards, two touchdowns; one carry, four yards

Washington

QB Jacob Eason: 23/30, 289 yards, three touchdowns

RB Salvon Ahmed: 24 carries, 140 yards, one touchdown

WR Jordan Chin: one catch, 48 yards, one touchdown

Herbert Keeps Oregon's CFP Hopes Alive with Signature Victory

After losing to then-No. 16 Auburn in Week 1, Saturday's clash with Washington offered Oregon a chance to show the College Football Playoff committee how far it has come as the season has progressed.

Things didn't look promising for much of the day, but in the end, Herbert got the job done.

The senior signal-caller started the game strong by going 6-of-6 for 56 yards while leading the Ducks to a touchdown on the opening drive of the game.

After that, though, he completed just two of his next nine pass attempts over the next four drives, resulting in three three-and-outs.

Washington was able to grab the lead as the Oregon offense stalled for the majority of the first half.

It was a different story after the break, though. Herbert and the Ducks offense came out of the locker room ready to play, driving down the field for touchdowns on each of their first two drives in the second half. That helped Oregon stay within striking distance as it continued to look for a way to regain the lead.

Ultimately, an eight-play, 70-yard drive late in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference-maker. And it was Herbert's five-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Redd that gave the Ducks the lead for good.

The victory is arguably the biggest of Herbert's career to date. He is now 1-1 against ranked opponents this season.

With the way the rest of college football is shaping up, Oregon faces an uphill battle to make the CFP as a one-loss Pac-12 champ. However, a road win over a ranked opponent should give the committee something to think about.

Eason Shines Against Oregon's Stingy Defense

After giving up 27 points to Auburn in a season-opening loss, the Ducks defense had allowed just 25 points over the last five games entering Saturday.

Eason gave the unit all it could handle.

Oregon entered the game ranked eighth in the nation by allowing just 160.2 passing yards per game. That's a number Eason eclipsed in the first half alone, as he completed 15 of 19 pass attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the first two quarters.

He completed passes to seven different targets on his 15 first-half completions. And the Ducks were unable to make any adjustments at halftime.

Eason helped the Huskies go 74 yards in four plays coming out of the break, completing a pair of passes for 46 yards. 

Although Herbert entered the showdown with the most buzz, Eason—a former 5-star recruit himself, per 247Sports—also turned some heads:

He nearly led Washington to a last-minute victory, but a questionable no-call on 4th-and-3 with 54 seconds remaining ended what could have been a game-winning drive.

Eason has struggled with consistency in his first season at Washington. He threw for 206 yards or fewer three times in the first seven games, with the Huskies going 1-2 in those contests. But when it came time for his toughest test to date, he showed just what he is he capable of.

What's Next

Oregon will return to Eugene to host Washington State on Oct. 26. Washington will be off until Nov. 2, when it will host No. 13 Utah.