Those already in their beds by 10:30 p.m. EST on Thursday night awoke to discover they had missed an unexpected shootout, as Oregon football shocked hosting Arizona State 61-55. National expectations were low in a matchup drained of its hype by the two teams’ early underperformance; to say Thursday’s three-overtime classic exceeded expectations only understates it.
When Oregon’s Arrion Springs intercepted Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici to close the third overtime, the city of Tempe collectively slumped in a familiar disappointment. A trendy preseason pick to sneak into the College Football Playoff, ASU had struggled to capitalize on obvious talent, picking up three losses in its first seven games. For four quarters and a pair of overtime encores, this team allowed the nation’s largest university to forget that.
ESPN’s broadcast lavished much of its early praise on a hungry ASU defensive front, and the defensive struggle many predicted did rage the length of the first half, but the offensive gloves came off in the second half and beyond. An impressively balanced attack saw Arizona State amass nearly 750 total yards of total offense on a staggering 108 offensive plays.
Leading the charge for that attack was Bercovici, whose almost 400 yards of passing culminated in five aerial touchdowns and another on the ground for a Sun Devil offense seeming to chase record books. His only regulation mistake, an interception on a play ASU seemed to think would be canceled by a penalty, did prove decisive in setting up overtime. Oregon’s offense, though, had as much to do with that score as anything Bercovici did on this otherwise impressive night.
In the first half, ASU’s acclaimed defense disrupted, but the Oregon offense held firm in establishing a halftime lead. As the game went on, the Sun Devil pass rush found its mark more, but Oregon exposed that aggression with a string of quick plays to keep in the game. At times, Ducks quarterback Vernon Adams played like a video game quarterback on the highest difficulty, eluding waves of determined ASU defenders on seemingly every throw.
Never was this elusiveness on better display than on Oregon’s final possession of the fourth quarter, where Adams connected into the teeth of the Devil rush to send the game to its first overtime. If Adams and Oregon’s offense had brought frustration for ASU all night, Tempe's own prolific offense would be the Devils' ultimate undoing in overtime.
After two overtimes and a controversial Oregon opening score in 3OT, Arizona State streaked straight to the goal line. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, a night to remember for Bercovici and the offense just as quickly flamed out on consecutive passes, including the game-sealing interception. A night of defied expectations had one final trick in the works, after all.
Arizona State will recall this game with bemusement, wondering how they could possibly lose after outclassing their opponents so soundly; Bercovici, in particular, will question how such a strong performance could sour so quickly. Oregon will thank its luck that ASU kicker Zane Gonzalez missed three field goals in an uncharacteristically poor night. Both sides, though, will marvel in the offensive showcase put on before an abridged national audience.
This game was played entirely too late to earn the recognition it deserves from the country at large, but for those who did see the Pac-12 at its finest, the memory of October 29 will put East Coast football to shame. For those who missed it, no words will never do the spectacle justice. For those who witnessed it, no words will ever erase it.
