The No. 20 Oregon Ducks were in great shape to take down the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night in Eugene. Heck, the win probability charts gave Oregon a 99% chance to win multiple times during the game, like when the Ducks had a 24-7 lead.
Oregon was at 99% win probability twice in this game. pic.twitter.com/pKr8PpYwpf
— Mike Beuoy (@inpredict) September 23, 2018
With under a minute to go and Oregon leading 31-28, they chose to run the ball when they probably should’ve just taken a knee.
Here’s what would have happened if Oregon kneeled.
1st down kneel at 1:41. Timeout. Let’s say 1:39.
2nd down kneel runs clock to :59
3rd down kneel runs clock to :19.
Punt runs clock to under :10 and Stanford has no timeouts to go length of field— Patrick Netherton (@PTNetherton) September 23, 2018
And the reason to take the knee is of course to avoid fumbling. Whoops.
Stanford just beat Oregon in OT.
This fumble with less than a minute to play made it possible. pic.twitter.com/c7ELIGmx0K
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 23, 2018
Stanford turned that fumble recovery into a game-tying field goal, and won 38-31 on a touchdown in overtime.
The @CJ51 game-winner. Incredible.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/nwFOCH3kJf
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 23, 2018
Oregon fans were obviously very frustrated with the meltdown, but that doesn’t excuse their postgame behavior. When Stanford players were exiting the field and heading up the tunnel, Oregon fans were seen throwing bottles on the Cardinal players.
Not a great look as Oregon fans throw bottles at Stanford as the Cardinal head up the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/KBSNXNxYvl
— Chantel Jennings (@ChantelJennings) September 23, 2018
It should go without saying that this is never okay, and hopefully authorities at Autzen Stadium were able to identify the morons throwing objects on the field.
U of O fans are embarrassing [especially those from Portland, OR] …
I am a “platypus”, i.e., I attended Oregon [the “ducks”] and Oregon State [the “beavers”] for two years each, graduating from OSU in 1978 …
However, I won’t root for Oregon no matter who they are playing and it’s NOT because of the players or the athletic department, it’s because I don’t want anyone to think I’m one of their miserable, petty, drunken fool fans.
When some slobbering drunk Oregon fan starts getting OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD and starts claiming every referee is “OUT TO GET THEM” I just tell ‘em …
I wear Orange & Black because I went to Oregon State, YOU wear Green & Yellow because YOU went to …
Walmart.
BTWW, 95% of Oregon and Oregon State fans have one think in common … they never attended the U of O.