As a result of conference realignment, the Oregon Ducks are set to face a number of opponents that they’ve had a brief series history with. Week 7 against the Indiana Hoosiers certainly fits in that category, as it’ll be just the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs.
The Ducks hold a 2-1 record in the first three matchups, with the victories coming in a home-and-home series in 1963 and 1964. They were both one possession games, as Oregon prevailed by a combined 14 points.
It took 40 years before the programs reconvened, when the Hoosiers visited Eugene on September 11, 2004 and came away with a 30-24 win.
In one of the more peculiar box scores you’ll ever see, Oregon out-gained Indiana 495-198 and had 21 first downs versus only 12 for Indiana. Ducks quarterback Kellen Clemens completed 24 of 44 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while Hoosiers quarterback Matt LoVecchio completed just six of 18 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Just from that, it’d seem as if head coach Mike Bellotti’s squad would’ve run away with the game in dominant fashion. Unfortunately for them, that was not the case.
In addition to his three scores through the air, Clemens also through three interceptions. Oregon also lost four fumbles, marking a staggering total of seven turnovers that led to 20 Hoosiers points.
The loss was one of six for the Ducks on the year, as they finished with a 5-6 overall record and 4-4 in PAC-12 play.
Current head coach Dan Lanning is certainly hoping for his team to play a cleaner game than that meeting just over 21 years ago. That win marked Indiana’s first in the series and puts them in position to tie the all-time series with a win in Autzen this weekend.
While that’s hardly on the minds of Lanning and his team, it’s another added implication when the No. 2 Ducks take on the No. 7 Hoosiers on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks to clash with Indiana for fourth time
