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Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. gears up for his toughest test yet.

OREGON VS MICHIGAN STATE ➡ KENNY

J A C O B Y, @ K E N N Y J A C O B Y

OREGON OFFENSE VS MICHIGAN STATE DEFENSE The Oregon Ducks’ multi-pronged rushing attack shredded Eastern Washington for 485 yards and six touchdowns on 57 carries, an 8.5 yards-percarry average. The committee’s production, however, is almost sure to regress on the road against defensive powerhouse Michigan State. The Spartans return stud defensive end Shilique Calhoun to a defensive line that held the Ducks to 173 yards on 40 carries, a 4.3 yards-per-carry average, last year.

Royce Freeman was the lone Oregon rusher Michigan State struggled to contain in last season’s mid-September matchup, with 89 yards on 13 carries.

Freeman sealed Oregon’s 46-27 win with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Ducks are likely to rely on Freeman more heavily this Saturday after he rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. The Spartans’ defensive line, on the other hand, gave up 18 rushing yards to Western Michigan and helped generate seven sacks on Sept. 4.

Many attribute Oregon’s comeback victory over Michigan State in 2014 to the sheer willpower of Marcus Mariota, whose shovel pass to Freeman on third down extended the drive that led to 28 unanswered points to close the game.

Mariota completed 17 of 28 passes for 318 yards and three scores against what many deemed to be the Spartans’ “No Fly Zone,” which featured NFL first-round selection Trae Waynes at cornerback. Michigan State’s secondary is less daunting in 2015, with redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland on the right and sophomore Montae Nicholson at safety. Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell torched the Spartans for 365 yards, completing 33 of 50 passes in the season opener, an underwhelming 37-24 victory for Michigan State.

Vernon Adams Jr. showed room for improvement against Eastern Washington, but managed to run the offense with relatively few hiccups despite spending just three weeks in practice. He spread the ball to eight different receivers for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 25 passing, and added 94 rushing yards on 14 carries. Adams may have more weapons at his disposal against Michigan State.

Wide receiver Devon Allen sat out the season opener to nurse his recovering ACL tear while Charles Nelson didn’t see the field despite his No. 1 listing on the depth chart. Bralon Addison, who tore his ACL last spring, lined up on a large number of snaps in Nelson’s absence, hauling in three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown.

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MICHIGAN STATE OFFENSE VS OREGON DEFENSE The Oregon defense allowed 42 points in its win over Eastern Washington. In order to defeat Michigan State, who boasts one of the top offensive units of the past several years, it will have to step up its game.

The Eagles picked apart the porous Oregon secondary for 438 yards and five touchdowns through the air last Saturday. Standout wide receiver Cooper Kupp ran circles around cornerbacks Chris Seisay and freshman Ugo Amadi.

Kupp snagged 15 catches for 246 yards, both Autzen Stadium records, and three touchdowns.

Although the Michigan State offense is primarily known for its punishing ground attack, it features a group of veteran receivers who are advantaged in experience and size, as well as a quarterback who improves the play of those around him. Connor Cook, a fifth-year senior on a national championship contender, is an early Heisman candidate by default. He produced his best season to date, throwing for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year.

The Ducks held the Spartans to 123 yards on 36 carries, a 3.4 yards-per-carry average, in last season’s contest. Running backs Jeremy Langford and Nick Hill have since graduated, paving the way for three unproven underclassmen looking to hit the ground running. Redshirt freshman Madre London and true freshman LJ Scott each toted the ball 13 times with fair success against Western Michigan.

Sophomore Gerald Holmes, the most physical back of the trio, added nine carries, bringing his career total to 24. Expect the Spartans to try to wear down the Ducks’ front seven with the same committee approach.

The Oregon defensive front held Eastern Washington to 111 yards on 31 carries, a 3.6 yards-per-carry average; a strong showing, even though the Eagles are a pass-first team that played mostly from behind. DeForest Buckner and the defensive line will truly be tested against Michigan State’s offensive line, which returns four starters from a year ago — including two seniors and 6-foot-6 junior tackle Jack Conklin. The Ducks will need to blitz more often and put more pressure on the quarterback than they did against Eastern Washington, when they recorded just one sack. The defense should expect to spend more time on the field, as Michigan State will keep the clock moving with more run plays and, presumably, hold Oregon to fewer scoring drives.

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P H OTOG R A P H B Y A DA M E B E R H A R DT

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OREGON VS MICHIGAN STATE MATCHUPS TO LOOK FOR ➡ WILL

DENNER, @WILL_DENNER

Only a few days remain until the No. 7 Oregon Ducks face the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, Mich.

The Ducks beat the Spartans 46-27 last year at Autzen Stadium, due in large part to Marcus Mariota’s feet.

Facing a 27-18 deficit on third-and-long in the third quarter of last year’s game, Mariota faced heavy pressure from the Spartans’ pass rush, but was able to flip the ball to Royce Freeman for the first down. Oregon scored 28 unanswered points afterwards and many looked to that play as the major turning point of the game.

This year, the Spartans are looking for redemption against the Ducks. Though they looked far from perfect last week in a 37-24 victory against Western Michigan, the Spartans will be warmed up for the Ducks on Saturday.

The Ducks, meanwhile, know it’s possible to bounce back from an early season loss, but winning one in a hostile environment would be a huge confidence boost this early in the season.

Here are three matchups to watch for this Saturday:

Oregon safety Juwaan Williams

Oregon receiver Byron Marshall

Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.

VERNON ADAMS VS MICHIGAN STATE’S FRONT SEVEN Mariota can no longer haunt the Spartans with his scrambling ability, but Adams just might. Against Eastern Washington last weekend, Adams looked just as shifty as Mariota at times, carrying the ball 14 times for 94 yards. It remains to be seen how Adams will fare against an elite FBS defense, but Michigan State’s front seven is also dealing with some losses.

Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi left in the offseason to become head coach at University of Pittsburgh. Linebacker Ed Davis, one of the unit’s best, went down in midAugust with a season-ending knee injury.

Still, the Spartans have some pieces.

Linebacker Riley Bullough had nine tackles and three sacks last week. And defensive end Shilique Calhoun is likely a first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft.

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CONNOR COOK VS OREGON SECONDARY

OREGON RECEIVERS VS MICHIGAN STATE SECONDARY

Last week, it didn’t seem to matter who was playing quarterback for the Eagles; the Ducks couldn’t stop either of them. Between Jordan West and Reilly Hennessey, the Ducks allowed 438 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

Michigan State is typically known more for its running game than its passing attack, but Spartans senior quarterback Connor Cook is a capable passer. Cook threw for 343 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions last year against the Ducks. Perhaps the most telling stat: Cook attempted 47 passes in that game, the most he threw in any game all season. If Oregon is scoring at a quick pace, this game could turn into another long one for Oregon’s secondary.

Devon Allen (ACL injury) and Darren Carrington (suspension) did the most damage to the Spartans’ secondary in last year’s contest, with a combined five catches, 176 yards and two touchdowns. Though neither are expected to take the field this Saturday, it might not matter for the Ducks.

Between Dwayne Stanford, Byron Marshall and Bralon Addison, Oregon’s receiving corps is deeper than ever, and Adams found timing with all three last week. Also, Charles Nelson will be making his season debut against Michigan State after sitting out last week with an injury.

Michigan State lost cornerback Trae Waynes to the NFL after last season, but cornerback Demetrious Cox and safety RJ Williamson have plenty of big-game experience between them.

P H OTOG R A P H S B Y CO L E E L SAS S E R , @ CO L E E L SASS E RV I S UA L S A N D A DA M E B E R H A R DT

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VERNON ADAMS REFLECTS ON HIS FIRST GAME AS A DUCK ➡ JUSTIN

WISE, @JUSTINFWISE

Oregon football kept its foot on the gas pedal in the 2015 season opener last Saturday, and much of that was thanks to the play of its new quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr. Adams accounted for 340 yards of total offense in a 61-42 win against Eastern Washington.

However, he also supplied a scare in the fourth quarter after Eastern Washington defender John Kreifels targeted Adams’ head while the latter was sliding. Adams contends that he is fine and spoke with the media Monday about his debut in a Ducks uniform. The graduate transfer also said he’s adapted to the offense smoothly and gave his initial impressions of Michigan State as the Ducks’ date with the fifthranked Spartans looms this Saturday.

and we got to work hard and keep going. This is a huge game. They’re trying to get revenge for last year, they’re playing at home. So I can’t take any days off and got to keep going strong.

So, after finally being able to look at the film, what’d you see out of your performance on Saturday?

Adams: You know, I don’t really like it, but it’s part of the offense. It’s cool when there’s a big hole and we gash it like Royce did.

Adams: Myself, I think I left a lot of things out there — a couple short throws. I thought I was playing maybe a little conservative but, as a team, we played great. Royce (Freeman), my gosh. Everybody as a whole did really good. I’m so happy I got this opportunity.

How much is Scott Frost able to throw at you now that you have that game under your belt before Michigan State?

Adams: I kind of know most of the offense, so we’re going all in.

I meet with them every morning, hour before everybody gets here,

Mark Helfrich said the team didn’t react well to the win, that they took it pretty hard, how are you guys responding?

Adams: We’re practicing harder. Harder and faster, that was the biggest thing today.

How much do you like running?

What was it like playing at Autzen for the home team?

Adams: The fans here are great and everyone’s been telling me that we have the greatest fans here and we do. It was awesome and I appreciate all their support.

What are your initial impressions of Michigan State?

Adams: Their front four is huge. They’re fast and they’re really good.

They got some young guys in the secondary, but they’re really good too. They like playing physical.

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đ&#x;“– COVER

Matt Hegarty (72) prepares to snap the ball in a game against Eastern Washington.

TRADING TRADITIONS ➥ H AY D E N

K I M , @ H AY D AY K I M

Just north of South Bend, Indiana lives one of the most historic football programs in America. Up the road from this middle-sized town of 100,000, rests a Catholic institution that dominates nearby skylines with its Golden Dome and Basilica.

Dating back to their first football season in 1887, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have accumulated 11 national championships and a record seven Heisman trophies. This

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is all while preserving every stitch and thread of its school history.

Their iconic gold and navy blue jerseys have continued to stand out on Saturday afternoons amidst a culture that has welcomed chrome helmets and pink jerseys to the point that color combinations don’t always have to resemble school colors.

Notre Dame is a school that just isn’t accustomed to change.

For the past four years, this had been home for Oregon graduate transfer Matt Hegarty.

Now, the orange-bearded lineman, who arrived in Eugene this summer, is getting used to his new surroundings — over 2,000 miles away from the once-familiar scenery of cathedrals and lakes. He’s doing his best to immerse himself in a program that just mantled its first Heisman trophy, and is still seeking its first national championship.

Hegarty is trying to get up to speed with a football program that has ascended to

new heights with the help of Nike.

Never have two schools been so visually oppositional.

Said Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood: “I guess it’s like going from being a funeral home director to a rock star.�

But this is Hegarty’s story. It’s a story that chronicles four memorable years playing in front of 80,000 screaming fans at Notre Dame, overcoming a stroke on the field in 2012 and arriving on a new campus for one last season at the collegiate level.

It’s one that he embraces in his fifth-year as the starting center for the Ducks. “It’s interesting because you come from a place like Notre Dame, which is very storied, and then you come out to a place like this,� said Hegarty. “It’s unique to inundate yourself with a new set of traditions. It kind of changes your perspective on: what is tradition?�

P H OTOG R A P H S B Y A DA M E B E R H A R DT

This past Saturday, as Oregon prepared for their season opener against Eastern Washington, Hegarty’s head was naturally filled with memories of playing with his former team. He remembered being surrounded by the beautiful brick and stone buildings that populate the campus.

But his moment of nostalgia was soon interrupted by a sense of confidence that he made the right choice to attend Oregon for his final year. The Aztec, New Mexico, native, who had enjoyed his time at Oregon’s camp as a senior in high school, feels at home despite the short amount of time he has spent here.

“I was thinking about a lot of those [memories] Saturday,” Hegarty said. “I was thinking about running out with a new band of brothers, new colors. It was a cool full circle thing.”

After playing for another school for the past four years, Hegarty was going to have to learn a new, fast-paced offense at Oregon

and replace All-American center Hroniss Grasu.

Before he arrived to campus, Hegarty tirelessly studied the playbook in his offtime; the most difficult task for Hegarty was the terminology, so he made sure to come prepared.

Hegarty said he broke his transition down to a science, “prepared for the worst” and hoped for the best.

“It’s like learning languages,” Hegarty said.

“Once you learn the structure of how to learn a language, your third and fourth languages are way easier [to pick up.]”

Since his arrival, Hegarty has already begun to mold into what offensive line coach Steve Greatwood initially envisioned him to be: a rock and a leader on offense.

Greatwood, who recruited Hegarty out of high school, saw his potential and talent early on.

Once he put on the pads and jersey, Hegarty lived up to expectations.

“It’s like moving to a new city [and] building a new life for yourself,” Greatwood said. “I have a pretty close-knit group, and Matt’s come in and assimilated himself into it and fit our culture here. He’s been a great model for our younger guys and a great teammate for everybody.”

His teammates echo Greatwood’s sentiment.

“He jumped right in,” Oregon left tackle Tyler Johnstone said; he played with Hegarty in the Army All-American game as seniors.

“Real people guy. Just meshed really well with all our guys on and off the field. He’s going to be a pretty key element to our offense this year.”

Gone are the days of wearing the same jerseys every game. Gone are the days of seeing the Golden Dome and Basilica on the way to class.

Now, Hegarty sinks into Ferrari seats during meetings. He arrives to the Death Staresque Hatfield-Dowlin Complex to find brand new, flashy Nike uniforms waiting for him in the locker room. (His former teammates have already asked him about sending over some of his new Oregon gear.)

“From the outside perspective, you look at the things people talk about: the jerseys, the helmets. They’re fast,” Hegarty said. “But then you come and realize that there’s so much more to being a ‘man of Oregon’ and the culture here, which is some of the best I’ve been around. From the teammates to the coaching staff, it’s second to none. I really can’t imagine a better way to close than coming out to a great program like this.”

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2 Darian Hicks CB 5-10 180 JR 3 LJ Scott RB 6-0 233 FR 4 Michael Geiger PK 5-8 186 JR 4 Malik McDowell DL 6-6 275 SO 5 DeAnthony Arnett WR 5-11 184 SR 5 Andrew Dowell LB 6-0 216 FR 5 Jalyn Powell S 5-11 185 SO 6 Kaleel Gaines CB 6-0 170 FR 6 Damion Terry QB 6-3 235 SO 7 Demetrious Cox DB 6-1 200 JR 7 Tyler O’Connor QB 6-3 222 JR 8 Kevin Cronin PK 6-1 225 JR 8 Lawrence Thomas DL 6-4 305 SR 9 Montae Nicholson S 6-2 220 SO 10 Matt Morrissey S 6-2 203 FR 11 Colar Kuhns QB 6-1 212 FR 11 Jamal Lyles TE 6-3 263 JR 12 R.J. Shelton WR 5-11 195 JR 13 Robert Aiello WR 6-2 188 SO 13 Vayante Copeland CB 6-0 195 FR 13 Justin Williams DB 6-0 180 SO 14 Chris Laneaux S 5-11 208 SR 14 Brian Lewerke QB 6-3 192 FR 15 Tyson Smith CB 5-10 170 FR 15 Brandon Sowards WR 6-0 198 FR 16 Aaron Burbridge WR 6-1 208 SR 16 Tommy Vento QB 6-1 192 SR 17 Trey Kilgore WR 6-1 186 SO 17 Tyriq Thompson LB 6-1 230 FR 18 Connor Cook QB 6-4 220 SR 18 Michael Topolinski LB 6-0 198 SR 19 Josh Butler CB 5-11 170 FR 19 Aj Troup WR 6-2 218 SR 20 Jalen Watts-Jackson DB 5-11 192 SO 21 Davis Lewandowski WR 6-0 190 FR 22 Paul Andrie WR 6-2 197 JR 22 Delton Williams RB 6-1 228 JR 23 Chris Frey LB 6-2 235 SO 24 Gerald Holmes RB 6-0 216 SO 25 Jake Hartbarger P 6-4 210 FR 25 Darrell Stewart Jr. WR 6-1 198 FR 26 Rj Williamson S 6-0 216 SR 26 Austin Wolfe WR 6-0 176 SO 27 Khari Willis S 5-11 202 FR 28 David Dowell DB 6-0 186 FR 28 Madre London RB 6-1 216 FR 29 Mark Meyers S 6-0 186 JR 30 Riley Bullough LB 6-2 230 JR 31 T.J. Harrell LB 6-1 209 FR 32 Cassius Peat DL 6-3 258 FR 32 Nick Tompkins RB 5-9 178 JR 33 Frank Epitropoulos WR 6-2 202 JR 33 Jon Reschke LB 6-2 228 SO 34 Brock Makaric WR 6-2 195 SO 34 Drake Martinez LB 6-2 210 SO 35 Phillip-Michael Williams RB 5-9 186 SR 36 Arjen Colquhoun CB 6-1 202 SR 36 Sinclair Farinholt WR 6-0 183 FR 37 Trevon Pendleton FB 6-0 250 SR

38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 51 52 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 94 97 97 97 97 98 99

Byron Bullough Jermaine Edmondson Collin Lucas Gerald Owens Zac Leimbach Ed Davis Grayson Miller Darien Harris David Fennell Kenny Willekes Shane Jones Sean Harrington Dillon Alexander Kyonta Stallworth Taybor Pepper Miguel Machado Enoch Smith Jr. Collin Caflisch Devyn Salmon David Beedle Casey Schreiner Cole Chewins Noah Listermann Brandon Clemons Brian Allen Jack Allen Bryce Wilker Jeremy Schram Tyler Higby Chase Gianacakos Craig Evans Dennis Finley Jack Conklin Benny McGowan Donavon Clark Nick Padla Kodi Kieler Dylan Chmura Matt Sokol Josiah Price Paul Lang Felton Davis III Andre Sims Evan Jones Macgarrett Kings Jr. Matt Macksood Edward Barksdale III Monty Madaris Shilique Calhoun Robert Bowers Joel Heath Damon Knox Montez Sweat Justice Alexander Nathan Conrad Brett Scanlon Mark Scarpinato Demetrius Cooper Raequan Williams

LB CB FB DL S LB S LB FB LB LB LB DE OT LS OL DL OL C OT OL OT OT G OL C OL OL OL OL DT OL OT G OL OL OL TE TE TE TE WR WR DE WR WR WR WR DE DE DL DL DE DE TE PK DL DE DL

6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-7 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 5-9 6-5 5-10 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-5 6-5 5-11 6-3 6-5 6-4

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GAPS FOR DUCKS AND SPARTANS

MARIOTA VS NARDUZZI ➡ R YA N

The flight of Marcus Mariota hit Oregon hard.

But they aren’t the only team who has to fill a void.

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K O S T E C K A , @ R YA N _ K O S T E C K A

In preparation for the biggest game of the year thus far, College Gameday will be on site in East Lansing, Mich. on Saturday for the epic showdown between No. 5 Michigan State and No. 7 Oregon.

Although Gameday will be there, two of the more important names in the game of college football over the past few years won’t be in attendance: Marcus Mariota and Pat Narduzzi.

For the past three years, Mariota was the heart of the Oregon football program. With the quarterback at the helm, the Ducks were favored to win every game Mariota started behind center. His departure to the NFL left a large void in the Oregon offense.

On the flip side, Narduzzi, Michigan State’s defensive coordinator, was the man behind the wheel of the vaunted Spartans defense.

Michigan State has been regarded as one of college football’s premier defenses over the past five years because of its fast and physical style.

Since 2010, Narduzzi’s squad was fourth in scoring defense, giving up just 18.02 points per game, according to MSUspartans.com. The team also boasted the nation’s top rushing defense (88.5 yards per game) in 2014.

But after the 2014 season, Narduzzi decided to make a change, and took the head coaching job at Pittsburgh this past offseason.

That brings the question of which team suffered the bigger loss during the offseason, the Ducks or the Spartans?

Conventional wisdom would go with Oregon and the absence of Mariota because he was physically on the field.

Not only was he the Ducks’

best player during his time there, he was the best player in all of college football last year. Mariota’s leadership and all-around talent can’t be overstated.

Players such as linebacker Rodney Hardrick, defensive end DeForest Buckner, running back Royce Freeman and wide receiver Byron Marshall have taken over the leadership role Mariota left behind.

As far as a quarterback to lead Oregon’s high-octane offense, the Ducks have turned to graduate transfer Vernon Adams Jr. But it’s difficult to duplicate the success that Mariota brought.

It is likely a similar situation in East Lansing. When it came to turnovers, that’s where Narduzzi shined brightest as coordinator.

The mindset established under Narduzzi was to stop the run and be physical with receivers in man coverage to disrupt timing between them and the quarterback.

That combination led to the Spartans being one of the top teams in the nation in forcing turnovers.

While Narduzzi was never on the field playing during his tenure at Michigan State, it was his coaching and motivation that laid the groundwork for his players to succeed. When Narduzzi left for Pittsburgh, the identity of the Spartans defense left with him. That was apparent when Michigan State gave up 365 yards passing to Western Michigan last week.

One program lost its best player, while one program lost its defensive monarch. While the answer as to which loss was bigger can be debated until kickoff, the answer will not be revealed until the fourth quarter clock strikes zero on Saturday night.

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**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Matthew Argillander, a staff writer at The State News.**

Michigan State will beat Oregon if it limits mistakes and wins the turnover differential. The Spartans are a veteran group with 20 redshirt seniors that have been here before.

You have to lose before you win, at least that’s how the saying goes. Michael Jordan’s Bulls lost to the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons several times before Jordan went on to win six championships.

Senior quarterback Connor Cook and the rest of the Spartans have a bad taste in their mouth from last year. Cook came back to Michigan State because he had unfinished business.

“One of the main reasons I came back is to compete and have another opportunity to play against Oregon and Ohio State, teams that we lost to in the past,” Cook said. “Last year left a pretty bad taste in our mouth. It kind of stunk watching the national championship and seeing the two teams that you lost to play for a title. Throughout the whole offseason [we were] talking about the losses that we had, marking those on the calendar for next year so we can go out there and avenge our losses.”

“I just want to redeem myself. I think last year I left some chips on the table. We had a great first half as an offense and then came out in the second half and didn’t really do so hot. So, we’re really focusing this week

to emphasize the finishing aspect of the football game and come out there and redeem ourselves.”

Michigan State has an offensive line that is one of, if not the best in the country.

Junior tackle Jack Conklin is a future first round pick, AllAmerican senior center Jack Allen is the anchor of the line and a likely second or third round pick and senior guard Donavon Clark could be a late round pick as well.

The unit kept Cook protected all night in week one, not allowing a sack in over 28 minutes of possession time.

The motto for Michigan State this year is to ‘reach higher’ and they know they have to beat Oregon to accomplish this goal.

“We’ve lost three games out of the last 30, and we know the teams we’ve lost to (Notre Dame in 2013, Oregon and Ohio State in 2014),” Dantonio said. “Our MO was to try to reach higher, and to do that, right now, it runs through Oregon.”

Another factor that will lead to a Spartan victory is the late arrival of Ducks transfer quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Adams is an amazing talent, but I don’t believe he developed a full understanding of the Oregon offense in less than a month.

Ultimately, I believe Michigan State wins in a high scoring affair. Michigan State 49 - Oregon 42

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