1) Fast start
Both teams made a point of mentioning how starting fast would be instrumental in winning this game. After a quarter, neither team was on the board and both offenses were still feeling things out. It was quite
the contrast from the last time these two teams played.
While Penn State could get nothing done on offense, Oregon did move the ball well, they just couldn’t convert when it counted. It was only a matter of time until the dam broke.
2) Defense did all it could
Knowles faced this offense twice last season. The first, Oregon took advantage of the Buckeyes. The second time, the Ducks couldn’t do a damn thing until the game was well out of hand. His experience against Will Stein was a big reason this game didn’t get out of hand early.
Unfortunately, every break went Oregon’s way, so the defense’s effort came just short.
3) Same old
That fourth quarter looked like the story would be different this time around, but, in the end, it’s the same story we’ve seen over and over.
