We were waiting to see Justin Herbert play well on the road in conference. 

And he was surgical against Stanford in Oregon's win over the Cardinal on Saturday, as he completed 19 of 24 passes for 259 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. While Stanford isn't as talented on defense as it's been the past few years, it was a very encouraging game for the veteran passer. 

Let's go inside Herbert's effort and provide some of the finer details of this outing.

What he did well

Herbert flashed his big arm in this game on a handful of occasions. Not only can he really drive the football, but on those longer throws that require plenty of zip, Herbert can be outstandingly accurate. 

This touchdown to (rising) tight end Jacob Breeland was a perfect example of Herbert's arm talent. 

And, he couldn't wait for Breeland to get open. The senior quarterback started his throw when the tight end was on the 10 yard line. 

The play design was smart, as Breeland faked the block then went up the field on the wheel route, but the back-shoulder throw (with zip) was necessary to complete this pass. Awesome job by both Herbert and his tight end on this score. 

Later in the first half, Herbert showcased mastery-level pocket-drifting ability on a short, third-down completion that initially was easy to overlook. 

Watch him step up then to his left while keeping a sturdy base, all of which allowed him to get the throw to his intended target. 

While the throw itself was about as easy as it gets, it wouldn't have been possible had he panicked and run from pressure or if his footwork went haywire as pressure mounted. 

The last play I'll highlight in this section is an example of Herbert's hose and good timing. With the score 14-3 in the fourth quarter, Oregon faced a 2nd and 12 and aligned on the right hash. The outside receiver on the left side of the formation had one on one coverage, and Herbert ripped the ball, with anticipation, on a comeback route for a first down. It exemplified the term "NFL throw." 

There aren't many quarterbacks at the college level who can throw with that blend of timing and velocity. And a lot of them simply wouldn't be courageous enough to pull the trigger. Being late by a split second or not having enough speed on the pass would result in a pick six. 

Where he must improve

Herbert's outing against Stanford was pretty darn clean, so it wasn't easy finding a blatant misfire or bad decision. I'll nitpick with this one. 

He caught a high shotgun snap, which likely impacted the timing of this play, fumbled the ball in his hands slightly then threw behind the receiver on a slant route. 

The poor ball placement could've been the difference between an intermediate gain and a long catch-and-run down the field. Again, this was nitpicking and a testament to how strong of a performance Herbert had against Stanford. 

Takeaway

This was a workmanlike game from Herbert. Considering the level of competition and being on the road, it was his best effort of the season to date. And I love how the Oregon offensive coordinator didn't hinder Herbert's talent with a variety of screens and quick swing passes. He gave his quarterback a variety of higher degree of difficult throws that came with bigger dividends for the offense. Herbert absolutely passed his first true road test of the season. 

Herbert and the Ducks are idle this weekend, which gives them extra prep time before their showdown with currently No. 15 California -- with arguably the best secondary in the country -- at home in two weeks.