Wisconsin Badgers at Oregon Ducks

No. 6 Oregon survives lackluster performance with 21-7 win over Wisconsin

Dante Moore threw for 86 yards in periodic downpours for the Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten), who didn't score their first touchdown until late in the opening half. Moore left with an apparent face injury in the third quarter.

Wisconsin avoided its third straight shutout with Hunter Simmon's 2-yard touchdown pass to Lance Mason with 7:57 to go in the game. The touchdown snapped a drought of 11 straight quarters without a point for the Badgers (2-6, 0-5).

Wisconsin was coming off a 37-0 loss at home to Iowa and a 34-0 loss last weekend to No. 1 Ohio State, also at Camp Randall. The Badgers hadn't gone scoreless in three straight games since 1968.

Given Wisconsin's struggles, Oregon got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, with just 21 yards of total offense, including minus-16 rushing yards, and just two first downs in the first quarter.

Oregon didn't manage to score until Davison's 3-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left in the first half. The Ducks opened the second half with Davison's 20-yard run for another score to make it 14-0.

In such wet weather, Davison said he was telling himself “protect the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball. Before the ball is even snapped. Protect the ball.”

The Ducks leaned on Davison given the conditions.

“I think the most important thing about Jordon is how much he's able to handle,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “He's a really really smart player. We do a lot formationally, we have a lot of different plays. For him to be able to execute those plays at a really high level, when the call comes in, he's doing his job.”

Moore took a knock to his face in the third quarter but kept his helmet on after being treated in the medical tent on the sideline. Backup Brock Thomas took over and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Gernorris Wilson early in the fourth.

Lanning described Moore's injury as a ding.

“I think he's going to be in great shape," Lanning said. "Was probably in position that he could have gone in, But for Brock to come in and perform the way he did, really excited for him to be able to do that.”

Wisconsin was missing many key players because of injuries, including its top two running backs, Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree. The Badgers' leading tackler, linebacker Christian Alliegro, was also out as were the team's top two centers, Jake Renfro and Kerry Kodanko and punt returner Tyrell Henry and safety safety Preston Zachman.

Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards has played just one full series since he was hurt in the opener. Simmons, a transfer from Southern Illinois who started the season as the team's third string quarterback, threw for 86 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The loss was tough, but the getting the scoring drought out of the way was important, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said.

“Everything matters. That's what I say to the guys in there, everything matters. The last two plays of the game, they matter," Fickell said. “Scoring points, it matters. You're not going to win football games if you score seven points, probably, but you've got to score seven before you can score 10 and you've got to score 10 before you can score 14. And at some point in time we've got to figure out how to string these things together and get better.”

Takeaways The uninspired performance against a team with a lengthy losing streak certainly won't raise the Ducks' profile on the national stage. Oregon's last game at Autzen Stadium was a 30-20 loss to Indiana two weeks ago.

Up next Wisconsin: Hosts Washington on Nov. 8.

Oregon: At Iowa on Nov. 8.