USC football shut out Fresno State on Friday night.The Trojans were able to earn a day off and watch college football on Saturday. The game you know the Trojans were watching on Saturday was Oregon versus Boise State. The Ducks got a severe test. Ducks Wire reacted:
"'I'm glad this game was how it was; we've got a lot to learn,' (Dante) Moore said after a career day with 378 yards passing. 'Thank God it wasn't a 40- or 50-point blowout, because this just shows us who we are right now, and what we have to attack coming into next week.'
"If that's what (Dan) Lanning instilled in his guys after a tense, nerve-wracking, and often frustrating season-opener, then I think the Ducks won in more ways than one. Did Oregon look good on Saturday? No, not
by their standards. Did they play well? At times, but it was far too inconsistent. Is there a lot to clean up? Yes, undoubtedly. Is everything they're aiming for still out in front of them?
"Coaching a championship contender is hard. You want them to be so dominant that they blow every opponent out of the water, but you also want to keep them motivated and hungry enough to keep working hard. It's like a magic trick, or threading a needle. Lanning has walked that tightrope several times over the years, and he got a bit of an assist on Saturday in Week 1. The Ducks played far below their standards against what we believe is a pretty good Boise State team. They still showed how good they can be, keeping the ceiling high, but left us thinking about how hard they need to work to reach their goals. In the coming weeks, Oregon will undoubtedly tip towards the side of blowouts and bloodbaths. They may eventually fall toward humility down the road, too."
Oregon fell well short of expectations, but it did win a tough game, which could fuel the Ducks' confidence. It will be fascinating to see how the Ducks evolve before they play the Trojans on September 26.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Oregon survives tough test from Boise State 3 weeks before USC game
