The Oregon Ducks ended the season with an exclamation point on Wednesday night, pulling out a thrilling 28-27 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Holiday Bowl.
The outcome was in doubt for much of the contest, with Bo Nix and the Oregon offense capitalizing on an opportunistic defense and managing to mount a comeback from 10 points down, taking the lead on a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game.
It was a classic game, and will be remembered for a long time in Duck lore, not as much for the significance of the victory, but what it represents as a whole.
I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that a win in the Holiday Bowl against an unranked team is cause for a parade through Eugene. But with a first-year head coach and a roster that was fraught with holes thanks to bowl opt-outs and the transfer portal, the Ducks got the job done and showed some fight until the very end. It marked the first bowl win of Lanning’s head coaching career, and gave him 10 wins in his first year at Oregon.
The Ducks have won 11 bowl games in the 21st century, some more important than others. So where does the 28-27 win over North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl rank among those? Let’s take a look.
11
Red Box Bowl vs. Michigan State Spartans (2018)
Final Score: 7-6
Offensive MVP: WR Dillon Mitchell
Defensive MVP: MSU CB Josiah Scott
Head Coach: Mario Cristobal
What Made it Special: Not a whole lot, to be completely honest. This was Cristobal’s first full season as a head coach for Oregon, and the 7-6 final score feels pretty indicative of his time in Eugene; a hard-fought game that was won with grit and minimal offense.
10
Sun Bowl vs. South Florida Bulls (2007)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Final Score: 56-21
Offensive MVP: RB Jonathan Stewart
Head Coach: Mike Bellotti
What Made it Special: This game was…
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