Jeremiah McClellan and center Poncho Laloulu went to the injury tent in the first quarter, but the Ducks showed their strength in numbers responding with an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive despite replacing two starters on the offensive line.
With Charlie Pickard at center and Fox Crader at left tackle, the Ducks used a 15-yard crossing route to Jamari Johnson and a pair of hard 9-yard runs by Jordon Davison to march the ball down to the Trojan 8, where Kenyon Sadiq caught a pass in the back of the end zone to take a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, Sadiq's team-leading sixth touchdown catch of the year, holding on to the ball with strong hands.