EUGENE, Oregon — Despite maintaining a perfect record after two weeks of the college football season, the Oregon Ducks, who began the year ranked third in the nation, have shown some notable flaws.


In their second consecutive close call against an unranked opponent, the Ducks managed to secure a 37-34 victory over a resilient Boise State team on Saturday, thanks to a last-second field goal by Atticus Sappington. 


The outcome left coach Dan Lanning with mixed feelings. 


“We sure like sweating around here,” Lanning remarked. “I’m relieved by the result, but there are definitely areas we need to improve.”


Sappington's 25-yard field goal as time expired sparked jubilation among the Autzen Stadium crowd, but the celebration was tinged with frustration. The Ducks’ offense faced boos during the second half after calling three consecutive running plays—including a third-and-13 play—which led to their sixth punt of the night.


"I hate to say this, but it's FEBU [f--- everybody but us], just focused on ourselves in that moment," said Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel about the booing. "We dug our own hole and had to get ourselves out of it."


Oregon's offense, once again, appeared disjointed despite flashes of brilliance. Gabriel threw two impressive touchdown passes of 59 and 34 yards, but the offense struggled to establish a consistent rhythm. 


“It’s a team that’s finding its identity,” Gabriel said. “You see us growing more connected each week through practice and games. Facing adversity and finding a way to win shows our potential. We need to clean up our mistakes and realize how good we can be.”


Special teams plays were crucial in Saturday's win. Tez Johnson’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown and Noah Whittington’s 84-yard kickoff return—saved by Jayden Limar who recovered a dropped ball in the end zone—were key highlights.


Aside from Gabriel’s two long touchdown passes, the only other offensive score came from a 1-yard run by Gabriel. The Ducks' offense struggled with only two drives exceeding five plays and finished with just 110 rushing yards, significantly less than Boise State’s total.


“We’re just shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes like offsides, false starts, and illegal formations,” Johnson said.


Oregon's offensive line, which has seen significant rotation, committed nine penalties—mostly by the line—and allowed four sacks. The Ducks also fumbled three times, losing two.


Lanning defended the strategy of rotating the offensive line but acknowledged the need to evaluate which players can consistently perform well. 


Saturday’s narrow victory followed a 24-14 win over Idaho the previous week, a game that saw Oregon drop four spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25.


While the Ducks have escaped two close calls with victories, they remain acutely aware of their vulnerabilities. As they move forward, the focus will be on addressing their issues and striving for the level of play expected from a team with national championship aspirations.


“We won, and that’s the most important thing,” Lanning said. “Now we need to focus on fixing our mistakes. We put ourselves in tough situations but managed to come out on top.”