Thomas duo dominates as Ducks bounce back to trounce Wolfpack

Nevada defenders watched the Black Mamba whiz by most of the afternoon. (AP Photo: Rick Bowmer)

The season opener against the LSU Tigers was a forgettable one for the Oregon Ducks. Quarterback Darron Thomas was inaccurate and De’Anthony Thomas’ two fumbles proved costly. But in football, as is the case in all sports, having a short-term memory is key. On cue, the Thomas duo and the rest of the Ducks put that incredibly disappointing loss behind them. The result was an easily obtained win over the Nevada Wolfpack in Oregon’s home opener.

Nevada was overmatched from the start, and Oregon held nothing back. They looked like the explosive team that played for a National Championship last season, running plays at a blistering pace and executing with ease. In overwhelming their opponent, the Thomases were dominating: Darron tossed a team-record tying six touchdowns and De’Anthony ran wild.

Unlike against LSU, mistakes were kept to a minimum. Oregon went about their business, connecting for big play after big play to turn this contest quickly into a blowout.

Of Darron’s first 12 completions, five were for touchdowns. All of those came in the first half, and the last of them was to De’Anthony, who made a tremendous impact on offense in his first collegiate home game.

De’Anthony had set up a Lavasier Tuinei touchdown early in the first quarter with a 62-yard run, and was an absolute blur, knifing his way through a flabbergasted Wolfpack defense. And then, just like that, the running back turned into a wide-receiver.

As such an ideal weapon for Oregon’s fast-paced offense, he ran a swing route to perfection, catching Darron’s pass and cruising effortlessly downfield for a 24-yard touchdown near the second quarter’s conclusion. The 5’9″ true freshman had infamous announcer Gus Johnson out of his seat. The energetic play-by-play analyst demanded the television audience to keep an eye on the kid from Crenshaw High School. Johnson knew he was the real deal. Oregon fans found that out, too, as did their starstruck opponent.

“Running onto the field gave me chills,” he said after, as documented by The Oregonian. “The crowd was loud, and I was loving it.”

De’Anthony was picking apart Nevada, and maybe that shouldn’t mean much, considering how overmatched the Wolfpack was. Plain and simple, they couldn’t stop the Ducks. They had allowed 41 points and 413 yards by halftime. But even though it was easy for Oregon to dominate, De’Anthony’s speed and amazing talent cannot be glossed over. LSU’s defense had a tough time containing him. And it is clear any defense from here on out will.

In the opening two quarters, De’Anthony had 102 total yards. He wasn’t done, and that meant neither was Darron.

The quarterback was still in there midway through the third quarter, with the Ducks ahead 48-13. Why? Chip Kelly’s offense doesn’t let off the gas pedal. De’Anthony saw the ball on three straight plays, the latter of which being the most exciting. He came out of the backfield, caught a short pass from Darron, and raced 69 yards to the end-zone. Defenders looked to be stuck in quicksand, comparatively. Ninety-three yards accumulated by De’Anthony as a receiver and another touchdown, the third of his college career and Darron’s sixth of the game.

South Eugene High School alum Boseko Lokombo put the finishing touches on Oregon’s bounce-back performance, intercepting a pass and scampering in for a touchdown. It was 69-20. The sellout Autzen Stadium crowd went crazy, and the victory was just the tonic the team needed to heal their wounds.

After having their national championship hopes dashed with a season-opening loss, how they won was most necessary. No matter how strong-minded they are, De’Anthony and Darron needed the performances they had. Coming off the forgettable, they had the unforgettable, putting a mediocre outing and two fumbles well into the past. With confidence renewed and the Thomases at their disposal, the near future is once again bright for the high-flying Ducks.