Early games are about execution and improvement rather than the final score. This week on the "BLeav in Oregon" podcast with Zachary Neel, Oregon great and 11-year NFL veteran Jonathan Stewart said, "You're not measuring the scoreboard, you're measuring execution."
Playing an FCS school or a team that went 3-9 in the Big 12 last year, the point is to clean up the little things, reduce penalties and communication errors, improve in the fundamentals, blocking and tackling and being cohesive on both sides of the ball.
Still, the Ducks got a shock and an unfortunate break when Oklahoma State quarterback Hauss Hejny broke his foot on the third drive of the season, off five weeks as the Cowboys prepare to come to Oregon on September 6.