OR spoils No. 7 Stanford’s playoff hopes with 38-36 win

That could be a mistake in judgment. Helfrich will look to transfer quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.to step up Saturday, and the Ducks will likely need a big performance from him to pull out a win on the road.

After Torrodney Prevot recovered Hogan’s second fumble at the OR 16 with 2:06 remaining, Freeman lost three yards on a running play created to go up the middle.

The Pac-12 does have a de facto championship game between the winners of the two divisions, but the best two teams in the conference for the past six years both reside in the North. The league championship game has been lackluster in its brief existence, but Pac-12 fans would love to see OR and Stanford meet again to determine the conference champ.

With Stanford looking to come in with yet another score to tie the game up with less than four minutes to go it was the Ducks defense who stood up for yet another stand. With the Cardinal offense driving the OR defense took advance of yet another Kevin Hogan missed stop to recover ball, putting OR in great position. It seems unlikely, but it’s still possible.

So, expect an entertaining game at Autzen Stadium this week, one that is not short on offensive playmakers. OR lost a Heisman trophy victor and couldn’t seem to find their webbed footing.

It wasn’t to be. Saturday’s loss changes that dynamic, though the Cardinal can still clinch the Pac-12 North with a win over the Bears. He struggled with the injury for a time before he retreated to the sidelines for games against Colorado and Washington State.

He returned three weekends ago at Washington, where the Ducks won 26-20 to kick off what is now a three-game winning streak.

Adams threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns in Oregon’s 61-55 triple-overtime thriller against Arizona State, and then had 300 yards passing and another four touchdowns last weekend in a 44-28 win over California. Adams has thrown for 887 yards and 10 TDs in three games since returning from a broken right index finger. He’s also rushed for 145 yards and two more scores. Cal is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Adams is the catalyst.

OR moved the ball effectively and fluidly, much as it had in the previous two weeks against Arizona State and Cal, and as has been the program’s calling card for nearly a decade. “He is an exciting player with a strong arm”. “Vernon Adams is a fine football player. He is back to doing those things that caught everyone’s eye”. Both of his picks against Cal came in the end zone.

“We were there, we just gotta make that last play”, Taboada said. OR has gone under the total in four out of their last five away games.

After the Cardinal settled for a 33-yard Ukropina field goal on their first possession, OR covered 80 yards in six plays to take a 7-3 lead.

Sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey also added 244 all-purpose yards, setting a new school record for single-season all-purpose yards. The Cardinal is third in the conference in pass efficiency defense, allowing a completion percentage of just 53.7.

The duel should be breathtaking. “I knew someone was going to catch me, I’m not the fastest guy in the world”. Stanford would go on an 8 play, 58 yard drive that would end in McCaffrey taking the ball into the end zone for a five yard touchdown run. Oregon WR Darren Carrington has 344 yards receiving the past three games….

The Ducks are underdogs Saturday, but the series with Stanford is marked by a couple of recent upsets.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Kevin Hogan (above) completed 28 of his 37 passes for 304 yards but yielded two critical fumbles in the fourth quarter that allowed OR to build the 8-point lead that Stanford was unable to overcome in the end.