The Oregon Ducks had a disastrous first half in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday night, and it was punctuated by one of the worst throws of the entire season.
The Ducks were already down 20-0 to Utah with 18 seconds left in the second quarter, leaving them with a huge hole to dig out of in the second half. Despite having the ball at their own 26-yard line and only 27 seconds to do something with it, Oregon decided to try to move the ball through the air with one timeout remaining.
That was when quarterback Anthony Brown made a staggeringly bad decision. On second and 10, Brown was pressured by the Utah defense and had nowhere to throw. Instead of just throwing the ball away, Brown forced a pass across his body that was intercepted by Utah’s Malone Mataele. The quarterback was so off balance that he was inches away from stepping out of bounds before actually releasing the pass.
The play truly has to be seen to be believed.
It’s simply a horrendous decision. Brown clearly felt he needed to try to make a play, even when there was none to be made. The pick set Utah up in Oregon territory, and the Utes were able to convert on a 50-yard field goal to extend the lead to 23-0 at the half.
An ugly championship loss would cap off what might wind up being a brutal day for the Ducks. They might be about to lose their head coach, too.
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