The No. 6 Oregon Ducks played host to the Michigan State Spartans at Autzen Stadium in a game that marked their first-ever home game as a Big Ten program. The Ducks put on their most impressive performance of the season to date, winning dominantly with a score of 31-10.

Chaos. That’s the only word that describes the start of the game between the Oregon Ducks and Michigan State Spartans. The second half? It wasn’t pretty, but dare you say Oregon looked like a Big Ten team?

“Playing physical and making sure we run the ball. Taking some of the decision-making away,” coach Dan Lanning said in FOX’s post-game interview. Sometimes the game is so simple.

The first quarter was a roller coaster ride with every team having goal line turnovers. Oregon forced a fumble on Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel pulled off an uncharacteristic interception on a shocking call.

The opening quarter also featured a total of ten first downs, an impressive catch from the ground by wide receiver Traeshon Holden, and a punishing throwback run from running back Jordan James, who finished the first quarter with 83 yards on eight attempts. The frame finally ended with a nine-yard touchdown run by Dillon Gabriel, who took a 7-0 lead.

The second quarter had its ups and downs, but the biggest takeaway was Oregon’s ability to impose its will in the trenches. The Ducks finished the first half with 192 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Jordan James rushed for a career-high 151 yards on 16 attempts with one touchdown. That is a direct reflection of the improvement along the offensive line.

The Ducks defensive line also dominated on the other side of the ball. The Ducks’ front seven finished with three sacks and four tackles for loss while holding the Spartan rushing attack to just 21 rushing yards. One of the biggest questions of the season was how Oregon’s trenches and all the PAC-12 transplants might match up against the Big Ten units.

So far, so good. The Ducks took a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime and never looked back.

Dillion Gabriel is one of the most talented quarterbacks in college football history. He has played for three different prominent programs and made his mark at each stop. The expectations that come with this can sometimes be difficult to meet. With that experience and talent, there isn’t much room for error. Mistakes that would be forgiven by lesser players are simply not ignored.

Gabriel isn’t playing badly. Even if he has had bad moments, it would be unfair to categorize his overall play in this box. Still, the goal for Gabriel and the Ducks isn’t just to be a good team. It’s about being the best, winning a national championship. That goal requires extraordinary attention to detail. Gabriel needs to be better, especially in the red zone. He has thrown red zone interceptions two weeks in a row and three total.

Some of that blame can be attributed to offensive coordinator Will Stein. Stein has been the architect of two of the best passing attacks in the NCAA. However, sometimes it is better to make the game simple. Relying more on the running game, especially in the red zone, can reduce mental errors and the chance of turnovers.

The same goes for the open field, honestly. The fencing and fast passing game have been effective to an extent, but have certainly become predictable. It was good enough, but again, the big dogs are coming. Perhaps they saved the versatility and variety for the stronger opponents.

Gabriel has a huge reaction every time he makes a bad mistake, but avoiding the mistake will be crucial for the Ducks when the opposition is tougher.

Autzen’s Ohio State is next. No more quizzes, the real midterm exam is here.