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EUGENE, Oregon (CC) - No. 10 Oregon expectedly handed Cinderella Colorado and their extraordinarily popular head coach Deion Sanders one of his worst losses ever today, as the Ducks rushed, passed and gashed by the Buffaloes, 42-6.
"The Cinderella story is over." That is what Oregon's head coach Dan Lanning uncomfortably told his team before the game. "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins."
His players felt what he was saying. Oregon felt like Cinderella Colorado was getting all of the publicity and apparently took it personal.
In the folktale, Cinderella wins thanks to a miraculous reversal of fortune due to supernatural intervention.
CU's coach prime believes in Jesus Christ, the inventor of supernatural intervention.
As believing in themselves and as dominant as it gets in all phases of the game, led by Heisman quarterback candidate Bo Nix and a mighty rushing attack, UO further exposed Colorado's defense, special teams, offensive line and looked like the juggernaut that came in to this much-hyped midday contest averaging 58 points per game.
The Ducks offense clicked down the clock by starting in rhythm, while the famous and usually on point Sanders shuffle and passing attack was off-the-beaten track.
The Ducks flew out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back at the opposing defense.
Colorado came in to Eugene giving up 195 rushing yards per game. Oregon was averaging over 7 yards per carry. The Ducks rushing attack gashed the Buffaloes from the start, providing good balance on offense.
UO scored a touchdown on a 12-play game-opening drive, with Nix completing eleven-straight pass attempts to start the game.
It looked like CU would not be able to stop them from scoring at all.
The Buffs finally stopped Oregon as the second quarter began, but a fake punt from UO's 17 yard line shocked CU by gaining a first down that led to a touch down pass from Nix to wonderful wide receiver Troy Franklin, who then caught the 2-point conversion.
The first Oregon turnover of the season came as the Alabama transfer Jahquez Robinson picked off a wounded duck pass from Nix midway through the second quarter. But CU's offense could not capitalize.
A 36-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Franklin at the 2:52 mark in the second made the score 28-0.
Nix added a touchdown run with with under 20 seconds to go in an almost flawless first half.
35-0 Oregon at the break.
They scored 14 points in 2:40 late in the first half.
Game over, basically, as CU could not mount a Cinderella comeback.
THE AFTERMATH:
This was Bo Nix's 51st start today - more than any other current FBS quarterback.
Sanders had completed 79% of his throws behind a brand new offensive line that had given up 15 sacks before this game.
The ledger was 378-21 in total yards at halftime.
POSITIVES TO BUILD OFF OF:
Colorado stopped UO on a fourth down pass play for a turnover on downs late in the third quarter with the Ducks up 42-0.
Good article.