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HIGH SCHOOL
REUNI N O R E G O N D E F E N S I V E S T R U G G L E S S TA R T W I T H R E C R U I T I N G
FOUR FORMER SHELDON HIGH TEAMMATES HAVE BEEN REUNITED ON THE OREGON FOOTBALL TEAM. The promising local prospects have found a comfortable atmosphere between the familiar faces on the team.
H E R B E R T R E A D I E S F O R T H E R OA D
F R E E M A N ’ S H E I S M A N H O P E S S P O I L E D AG A I N
WEEKLY STACK-UP
OREGON VS. CAL
Written by: Jarrid Denney @jarrid_denney | Photo: Emerald Archives
The Oregon Ducks and the California Golden Bears on November 7, 2015
Oregon (2-4, 0-3 Pac-12) is still seeking its first conference win as it comes off a bye week. The California Golden Bears are coming off a bye week as well after falling to Oregon State in a 47-44 overtime shootout on Oct. 8. The Ducks topped the Bears 44-28 during a rain storm when the two teams met in Eugene last season.
OREGON
Here’s how the teams stack up.
OFFENSE:
Last week, the Ducks’ offense had the unfortunate task of facing one of the top defenses in the nation in Washington. The Huskies limited Oregon to just 22 points, the fewest points the Ducks have scored in a game since September of last year. Freshman quarterback Justin Herbert should fare much better against a Bears defense that surrenders nearly 180 more yards than Washington per game. Oregon has already undergone a mid-season quarterback change and fallen victim to a litany of injuries with half its season remaining, but the Ducks’ offense is still a potent group; it ranks 28th in the nation in points per game and 20th in yards per game. Oregon shouldn’t have any trouble scoring points against an abysmal California defense, but the Ducks could be in trouble if Herbert struggles to find his rhythm early.
DEFENSE:
The Ducks’ defense gives up 522.3 yards per-game, putting Oregon among the worst teams in the country this year on the defensive side of the football. Opponents are averaging 284.3 passing yards per game against the Ducks, who were supposed to be much improved from last season, but have given up more touchdowns than any other Power 5 team. The Ducks defense is spending as much time on the field as ever, but now that Oregon isn’t scoring as much, the defense is struggling to keep up. Oregon will need huge performances from outside cornerbacks Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson if it hopes to contain California’s lethal passing attack.
California
OFFENSE: Advantage: California
Senior quarterback Davis Webb nabbed the Bears’ starting quarterback job after transferring from Texas Tech last spring, and has been one of the top quarterbacks in the country this fall. Webb ranks third in the nation in passing yards (2,256) and is No. 47 in passing efficiency. Webb is the prototypical quarterback for Sonny Dykes’ ‘Bear Raid’ offense. He has 25 completions of 25 yards or more this season, good for second in the nation. Webb has a consistent deep threat in breakout star Chad Hansen, who has already caught 59 passes for 770 yards this season. Senior running back Khalfani Muhammad paces the Bears with 75 yards per game to lead a multifaceted rushing attack.
DEFENSE: Advantage: Oregon
The California defense has been better than Oregon’s, but only slightly. The Bears own the seventh-worst total defense in the nation (494.7 yards per game), and only Buffalo has surrendered more total rushing yards. Cal surrendered 51 points to Arizona State earlier this season, and 47 to Oregon State two weeks ago. Oregon boasts what is possibly the deepest group of running backs in the nation, and Royce Freeman and company could have a field day if Cal doesn’t find a way to shore up its defensive line.
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ON THE COVER
Justin Herbert and Taylor Alie embrace. Photo by Eric Cech
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GAME PREVIEW
PLAYERS to watch OREGON
CALIFORNIA
RUNNING BACK #21 ROYCE FREEMAN
RUNNING BACK #23 VIC ENWERE Enwere, a big bruising running back who does not easily go down on first contact, is an ideal complement to Cal’s fast-paced attack. Enwere, who averages 5.5 yards per carry and two touchdowns per game, has the ability to take advantage of Oregon’s undersized linebackers and overall poor tackling. Enwere provides the necessary physical punch to put Oregon’s defense on its heels.
Two weeks ago against Washington, Freeman started the game but didn’t return for the second half with the Ducks trailing 35-7. No reason was given for his absence, but it created a major void in the offense. This week, Oregon’s junior running back will have the chance to return to the field against Cal’s porous run defense, which ranks 127th against the rush. Freeman is averaging 7.7 yards per carry and 102.6 yards per game with seven touchdowns on the year. With freshman Justin Herbert at quarterback, it will be up to Freeman to take the pressure off the passing attack and establish a dominant run game.
WIDE RECEIVERS
LINE BACKER #35 TROY DYE Cal’s offense has been formidable this year, averaging 377 yards and 3.7 touchdowns through the air. One of the best ways to counter Cal’s attack with a weak secondary is to get a great pass rush — that’s where Dye comes into play. He’s been Oregon’s most dominant and consistent pass rusher in 2016 with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Dye must get into the Cal backfield to disrupt the timing between quarterback Davis Webb and his dangerous receivers.
Cal has an outstanding group of wide receivers to counter Oregon’s struggling defensive backs. Cornerbacks Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson will likely be matched up with wide receivers Chad Hansen and Demetris Robertson, while safety Brenden Schooler will provide over-the-top help. Teams have had success against Oregon recently through the air, and Cal’s “Bear Raid” attack could sink Oregon into a deeper depression. Line Backer Troy Dye on September 24, 2016 .
BY: RYAN KOSTECKA @RYAN_KOSTECKA Photo: Adam Eberhardt When Oregon kicks off against California on Friday night, the stakes will be high, but a different high than in seasons past. Both teams are looking for a win to improve their chances at a bowl game. Cal is 3-3, and Oregon sits at 2-4. The Ducks must win four of their next six games to be bowl eligible. Here are the matchups and players to watch for Friday night’s game against Cal.
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Justin Herbert at practice before game 7 .
JUSTIN HERBERT READIES FOR FIRST ROAD START ON FRIDAY
Written By: Jonathan Hawthorne @Jon_Hawthorne Photo: Adam Eberhardt Two weeks ago, Justin Herbert learned on the Tuesday before the game that he would start against a nationally ranked defense. Unlike his first start against No. 5 Washington, Herbert has had ample time — including a bye week — to prepare for Friday’s game against California. He said after Monday’s practice that he’s taken on extra confidence for his first road start. “Knowing that [Washington] was one of the best defenses we will see all year — we survived it,” Herbert said. “I think going into this week — a lot of confidence.” Quarterbacks coach David Yost said he found many positives from Herbert’s first Pac-12 start against the Huskies when the staff reviewed the film. “I thought he scrambled when he needed to scramble,” Yost said. “It was definitely a starting point to improve on some things. He probably made a few more plays with his feet and under duress than you hope he has to, but he did it. It was a real positive.” Yost said the coaches are focused on making plays “as repetitive as possible so it’s just a reaction” for Oregon’s true freshman quarterback. Against the Huskies, he completed 21 of 34 passes for 179 yards. He was intercepted on his first throw of the game, but settled down to throw two touchdown passes without another pick. Yost said this week Herbert is taking on more leadership responsibilities — something that comes with being the starting quarterback in the Pac-12. “He’s still got some freshman to him, but he definitely stepped up and talked
more,” Yost said. “He understands what his position and role is. He’s the starting quarterback. You have to run the show that way.” Herbert and Oregon’s offense could benefit from a weaker Cal defense compared to Washington. The Huskies rank No. 18 in total yards allowed while Cal ranks No. 121. Yost said Herbert is still well aware of Cal’s defensive abilities, despite the statistics. “As we talked about it, they have good football players and they’ve done a nice job with sacks and turnovers this year — especially interceptions,” Yost said. Moving forward, Herbert and the Ducks hope to have more tempo in their offensive attack. That began this week at practice. “We’re really emphasizing tempo now,” Herbert said. “We’re trying to get back to the way it was and push the ball as fast we can.” From the offensive line’s perspective, Herbert is improving as well. Offensive line coach Steve Greatwood said Herbert has improved with each practice. “I just see his command and presence getting better and better with every snap he takes,” Greatwood said. “He’s making checks on the lines of scrimmage. I see him growing more comfortable with the position.” With a full week of practice and a bye week, the Ducks say Herbert has taken a step forward since Oregon’s 70-21 loss to Washington. Herbert says that has translated to more confidence heading into Friday’s game. “Definitely a big help,” Herbert said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
GAMEDAY
Oregon Ducks linebacker Troy Dye (35) pumps up the crowd.
Oregon Ducks defensive back Tyree Robinson (2) completes a warm-up drill.
CONSEQUENCES OF BAD RECRUITING Written By: Jack Butler @Butler917 | Photos: Eric Cech & Aaron Nelson For dedicated college football fans, the first Wednesday of February is a holiday. It’s National Signing Day: the time when high school seniors sign the National Letter of Intent to play college football for a given school. Fans get excited because so much of their program’s futures are determined by the next recruits. Recruiting is an inexact science that every program must perform well in order to win football games. Quality signings can change a program for years, but if some players do not meet expectations, it can set a program back. For Oregon, much of the defensive struggles this season can be traced to one poor recruiting class. The Ducks recruiting class of 2013 had 8 of 20 players dedicated to defense. The class overall was ranked No. 19 nationally by 247Sports and No. 4 in the Pac-12. Oregon’s Mark Helfrich praised the staff’s efforts in the wake of Chip Kelly’s departure. Signing eight defensive players, however, gives the program little room for error if a player underperforms. But if a player is recruited to the school, then coaches must have faith in him. “If I have any doubts, or second thoughts about a young man, I am not going to recruit him,”
offensive line coach Steve Greatwood said. “I mean, there has not been one time where I haven’t believed, wholeheartedly, that he is going to develop into a great player for us.” Because of the inexact science of recruiting, players do not always meet those expectations for a variety of reasons. Again, take the 2013 class, whose players should be the senior leaders on defense. Of the eight defensive players, four of them are no longer at Oregon for a variety of reasons. That group includes Tyrell Robinson, Chris Seisay, Joe Walker and Terrodney Prevot. Walker came to Eugene as a junior college transfer and has since graduated, and Prevot is currently suspended indefinitely and being investigated for a criminal offense. Three of the four remaining players — Danny Mattingly, Juwaan Williams and Elijah George — find themselves buried on the depth chart. Of the eight players in the 2013 class, only Tyree Robinson is starting. More signees from Oregon’s 2016 class, specifically Troy Dye and Brenden Schooler, are starting rather than seniors from the 2013 class. One missed class can hurt a team for multiple
years. The Oregon defense is the perfect case study. “You’re always constantly evaluating how you evaluate,” Helfrich said. “You know, trying to get the true story on Johnny blue chip, and try to figure out, ‘OK, so the information we got on this guy, why did this not work?’” Recruiting misses — like the 2013 class — demonstrate how thin of a line coaches walk between success and failure, and programs either fly or fall partially based on incoming classes. “[The] recruiting process and evaluations is nearly the hardest thing we do,” secondary coach John Neal said. “I learned a long time ago that I am a really good coach when I have good players.” The pressure is now on younger players to perform at a high level from the time they step on campus. It is amplified by external pressure that Oregon has built for itself as a program. One missed recruiting class can lead to a bad season, which puts coach on the hot seat and possibly gets him fired. Duck fans hope that more recent ‘holidays’ have bared more lucrative players, so the program can recover and find its old form.
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FEATURE
Sheldon High School that produces strong players.
OREGON’S LOCAL RECRUITMENT FROM SHELDON HIGH SCHOOL BY: KYLEE O’CONNOR, @KYLEETHEMIGHTEE Photos: Kaylee Domzalski
Justin Herbert (10) against the Huskies at Autzen Stadium in Oct. 8, 2016. (Ka
Justin Herbert may be the pride and joy of Sheldon High School, but he is not the only athlete coming out of the 6A Eugene-area school to make the transition to Division I Oregon football. Sheldon has more alumni on the current roster than any other school, accounting for four athletes. Central Catholic in Portland, Oregon, and Centennial in Corona, California, tie for second with three players each. Those former Sheldon athletes are a mixture of walk-ons and scholarship-winners, the most well-known being freshman starting quarterback Justin Herbert. He is joined by fellow quarterback Taylor Alie, redshirt junior linebacker Ivan Faulhaber and freshman offensive lineman Ryan Phillipo. Though they haven’t always played together due to age differences, this group of Ducks grew up in similar friend groups, neighborhoods and teams. That familiarity enabled a high level of comfortability when transitioning into Oregon’s football program. “It made it a lot easier coming into a program that’s a little different than our program that we had back at Sheldon,” Phillipo said. “Having Taylor and Ivan here really helped me learn the process a lot better because they already knew what was going on.”
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Herbert and Phillipo have played football together since they were kids. Phillipo was Herbert’s offensive lineman for four years while at Sheldon, so they saw significant playing time together. “Me and Justin [sic] have been friends forever,” Phillipo said. “Being able to have a kid that you’ve known since first grade and been on the same team with since the first grade has been awesome.” According to Les Phillipo, the linemen coach at Sheldon and Ryan Phillipo’s father, Herbert took snaps with Phillipo under center at one point early in Oregon’s fall camp. “To have the person you’re familiar with catching the snap and a person you’re familiar with snapping it to them during practice — it makes things a little bit easier to go to that next level,” Les Phillipo said. Ryan Phillipo and Herbert were just freshmen when Alie and Faulhaber led the Fighting Irish to the 2012 Oregon state football championship. The two were years apart in age, and Herbert said that Alie was a valuable mentor in high school.
“
THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER — THAT’S JUST A COMFORT LEVEL TO HAVE THE PERSON YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH CATCHING THE SNAP AND A PERSON YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH SNAPPING IT TO THEM DURING PRACTICE —
”
- LES PHILLIPO, THE LINEMEAN COACH AT SHELDON
n Eugene, Ore. on aylee Domzalski)
“In a freshman game, I ended up throwing a pick and [Alie] came up to me and slapped me on the back of the helmet and said, ‘Get after them,’ ” Herbert recalled. “I remember that.” In his recent transition into the spotlight at Oregon, Herbert said that Alie has been as helpful as ever. “He’s been a huge mentor,” Herbert said. “He helps me whenever I need it. Like a question, or anything on the protection — I go to him. He’s the easiest guy to go to.” Mitch Herbert, Justin Herbert’s brother and a wide receiver at Montana State, also credits Alie’s mentorship for improving his brother’s game. “That’s been really important for him to have a fellow QB like Taylor to talk to,” Mitch Herbert said. “He definitely won’t be scared to talk to him.” Mitch Herbert also considers Phillipo’s presence on the team “huge” for his brother. “Just the fact that they’re comfortable with each other is really important for his progression,” he said. Quarterbacks coach David Yost has seen the effect that Alie and offensive intern Tyler Osborne — also a Sheldon graduate — have had on the young quarterback. “[Alie and Herbert] have a great relationship,” Yost said. “I know Taylor really went out of his way to try and help him and make him feel comfortable and all that, so that’s a real positive.” Osborne, whom Dakota Prukop credited to helping him quickly learn the offense, played four years of football at Sheldon, as well. But he has followed in the footsteps of his father, special teams coach Tom Osborne, and is in his fourth year interning for the Oregon football team. “It was really cool to be able to help him out just from a kind of big brother type thing at first,” Osborne said. “Then we end up finding out that he’s really pretty good.” Faulhaber, like Alie, is three years older than Herbert, and is good friends with Mitch Herbert, as well. Faulhaber and Justin saw a lot of each other growing up and are close friends.
Taylor Alie (12) and Justin Herbert (10) both came from Sheldon High School and come together as Ducks at Autzen. (Eric Cech)
“It’s pretty amazing — I knew he was going to go far and kind of do his thing but I didn’t know it’d get to this extent,” Faulhaber said of Herbert. “It’s really cool to see him develop as a player and as a person. He’s matured a lot.” Two of the last three Sheldon quarterbacks have started for Oregon, so the Fighting Irish must be doing something right. “Sheldon’s had an outstanding program for the last several years, so they’re developing some athletes, and I think proximity [plays a role in recruiting],” Oregon offensive linemen coach Steve Greatwood said. “A lot of those kids are walk-on kids that we’ve welcomed into our program that have done an outstanding job.” Les Phillipo credits the Sheldon’s “team first” mentality for those athletes’ smooth transition to Oregon football. “There are several kids that are [on the Oregon team and] you know they want to play; they are more into it for themselves,” Phillipo said. “But at Sheldon, we’ve always taught and preached being a part of a family type of thing first. You do whatever it takes to make the team better, and so our kids are not necessarily into it for their own glory; they’re into it for making the team better.” Sheldon has a history of producing Oregon standouts. Quarterback Chris Miller played for 10 seasons in the NFL and captained the Oregon offense from 1983 to 1986. He also was the last true freshman to start at quarterback before Herbert. Tyler Osborne admits about himself that he “wasn’t the greatest football player of all time,” but enjoys coaching his fellow Sheldon alumni now. “I always joke with these guys,” Osborne said, “We’ve got the three best Sheldon guys that are taking reps at quarterback in the same room between me, Taylor and Justin. The chemistry that comes from growing and learning together, especially starting at such a young age, is something that Osborne appreciates about this year’s team. “It’s pretty cool being able to see those guys each day and kind of know where they came from.”
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OFFENSE
INJURIES SIDELINE ROYCE FREEMAN’S
HEISMAN HOPES Written By: Gus Morris @JustGusMorris Photos: Adam Eberhardt & Kaylee Domzalski
Entering his junior year, Royce Freeman was expected to be one of the best running backs in the country. On June 7, his odds to win the Heisman Trophy this year stood at 20/1, according to oddshark.com. Those aren’t the best odds, but they were his most favorable all season. By Sept. 7, Freeman’s odds had dropped to 40/1. By the time Sept. 26 rolled around, Freeman had dropped from the board all together. As of Oct. 18, the running back with best odds to win the Heisman is Florida State Dalvin Cook, coming in at 33/1. Injuries have limited Freeman to 67 carries over essentially four games this season; about 17 carries per-game. He only ran the ball five times during Oregon’s 3532 loss to Nebraska before exiting with an injury that sidelined him for Oregon’s next game, a 41-38 loss to Colorado. Freeman returned for Oregon’s matchup against Washington State, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns, albeit in a losing effort. Then, in Oregon’s abysmal 7021 loss to Washington, Freeman was held out of the second half for precautionary reasons. Offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said Freeman got “nicked up” and he didn’t want to risk arguably his best offensive weapon. Freeman finished that game with 11 rushes for 50 yards. All things considered, Freeman is still having a productive year. He’s accounted for the second most touchdowns on the team (7) and is Oregon’s leading rusher by 191 yards. “Well, so far, I think he’s done well,” running back coach Gary Campbell said. “He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do and everything that we’ve expected from him. Unfortunately I didn’t ask him to get hurt, so he’s done a little more than I’ve asked.” PA G E 1 0
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But for the second straight year, Freeman’s Heisman hopes have slipped away, this time from a combination of poor team record and injury. Even though individual awards are not something he cares about — he said he’s only focused on helping the team win games and tunes out award hype — it begs the question: how much of a difference would a healthy Freeman have made this year? Backup running back Tony BrooksJames thinks there definitely would have been a difference if Freeman hadn’t missed significant time, but still thinks the running unit has performed well without him. “He’s (Freeman) a back that can get 100 yards easily,” Brooks-James said. “So he’d have definitely added more yards to the backfield. But as far as him being out, we’re still productive.” Campbell agrees that the team is lacking something when Freeman isn’t playing but can’t deny that the rushing unit has performed well. “His presence on the field has an impact,” Campbell said. “But when you’re in the game you’re looking for rushing yardage and we got that.” Obviously, no one can know for sure how different the season would be with a healthy Freeman. And despite his absence from most of its games, Oregon has still rushed for 1,547 yards, the 18th most yards in the country. But there is no doubt that his presence on the field is a game changer for the Ducks. Freeman was a long shot for Heisman this year anyway. On most preseason lists he was dark horse candidate at best. But in a season where Oregon really could’ve used a Heisman performance, it’s unfortunate that injuries have derailed what was looking to be a promising season.
Royce Freeman during the Ducks’ season opener against UC Davis.
OFFENSE
Q&A WITH CAMERON HUNT ON HIS CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT
Offensive lineman Cameron Hunt (78) grimaces on the sideline after injuring his leg.
Written By: Jonathan Hawthorne @Jon_Hawthorne | Photo: Eric Cech Following No. 5 Washington’s 70-21 drubbing of Oregon two weeks ago, Cameron Hunt made a comment that made its way into the national conversation. He told The Register-Guard’s Austin Meek that roughly 30 to 40 percent of players on the team don’t care if the Ducks win or lose. ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi asked about Hunt’s remark in his 1-on-1 interview with head coach Mark Hefrlich over the weekend. Lee Corso also alluded to it on ESPN College GameDay. On Wednesday, Hunt talked about his comment with several reporters for the first time, saying that it was “misinterpreted.”
What was it like in the bounce back from Washington? What did you see from your guys?
I think seeing guys really compete and evaluate what we need to do to win. Guys need to give a little bit more effort all around — offensively, defensively, special teams — to make it successful.
I know Coach Helfrich would talk to you about your “30 to 40 percent” comment. Did they talk to you about what you said? How was that process? What he said was right. I was in a little bit of an
emotional state of mind after a big loss like that. Coming back, I think the way I said it was kind of misinterpreted. What I meant to say, was that some of the guys’ effort in that game wasn’t acceptable or up to the standard that we need to have all the time. And I think coach Helfrich has done a great job of getting guys motivated and getting us ready to play. I trust him 100 percent. He’s our leader and I’ll go to battle with him any day.
You guys have always been on the other side of lopsided victories. Is it very different in that circumstance for you guys? It’s not really a place you’ve been before in your time at Oregon. You just have to keep fighting until the end. You never want to give up. You want to be that ultimate competitor and that’s what we’re preaching: go out there and compete. Compete as hard as you can. At the end, look up and I think we’ll like what the outcome will be.
Do you feel like you guys are in a place where you can turn it around with six games left? Does a bowl game feel realistic for you guys? Absolutely. We have a lot of great talent around
us. It’s just about putting all the pieces together — old guys, young guys. Just making sure that everyone has that optimal effort that can lead us to a victory.
When you were talking about talking to coaches about the comment — emotional or not — do you feel like there’s a responsibility as a leader to hold guys accountable? Do you feel like people are getting the message, “We’ve got to get this thing going now”? I think after that game was kind of an eye-opener for some guys on the team, knowing that we need to do a little bit more if we want to get a win. That’s all around the board. Whatever we can do as a team and as players — if that means we need to call players out or we need to pat some guys on the back — everybody’s different. So we just need to make sure that we can get to each guy effectively.
What are you seeing different from guys as the team head to Cal?
I think guys are just kind of coming back with a fresh mental state of mind. Just brushing that off. Maybe it was good to get away from football for a couple days. To be able to come back and be excited about this next game.
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Former Oregon Ducks wide receiver Kirk Merritt (11) gets by Oregon State Beavers linebacker Sam Kuschnick in 2015.
Former Oregon wide receiver Cha catchi
Jake Rodrigues — San Diego State The No. 12 quarterback in the class of 2012 was in competition with Jeff Lockie to be Marcus Maritoa’s backup going into the 2014 season, but he decided “football wasn’t working out” in Eugene, and chose to transfer back home to SDSU, which recruited him heavily out of high school. He has yet to throw a pass during his tenure as an Aztec and is the teams third-string quarterback this season.
Damion Hobbs — Utah State Hobbs was a three star recruit and redshirted the 2013 season before choosing to transfer prior to the 2014 season, around the same time that Rodrigues transferred. Hobbs landed at Utah State, where he sat out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He completed four passes in 2015 while handling third-string duties and has yet to throw a pass this season. He has rushed for 13 yards and one touchdown on three carries this year.
Oshay Dunmore — Southern Oregon Dunmore was a highly sought-after three star recruit from Newport High School along the Oregon coast and came to Oregon as both a safety and decathlete. He shifted to linebacker later in his career and was in line for significant playing time heading into the 2014 season but was dismissed from the team due to several rule violations before the start of the year. He initially transferred to Illinois State and played a key role in the Redbirds’ run to the 2014 FCS title game. However, he was dismissed from Illinois State after the season for conduct detrimental to the team and then landed at Southern Oregon. He started seven games and made 53 tackles for the Raiders in 2015 and is redshirting this season.
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GAMEDAY
FORMER DUCKS LAND WITH NEW TEAMS ACROSS NATION Written By: Jarrid Denney @Jarrid_Denney | Photos: Emerald Archives Over the past several seasons, a handful of talented Oregon players have left the program for numerous reasons. While the majority of those players chose to take their talents elsewhere under their own terms, a handful of the others were dismissed from the program for various disciplinary reasons. “Just guys looking for an opportunity or a better fit,” Helfrich said when a trio of Oregon players chose to transfer in
ance Allen (1) practices ing passes on the field.
Jauary of 2015. “Then there’s a couple other guys that I would say are in limbo as far as what the rest of their career holds. We will support those guys and help those guys as they make that transition.” Several of those players are already contributing at a high level for notable programs around the nation, while others attempt to find their footing.
Former Oregon freshman quarterback Jake Rodrigues (3) warms up during Senior Night in 2013.
Kirk Merritt - Texas A & M Merritt was one of the top athletes in the class of 2015 before coming to Oregon, but transferred after just one year with the Ducks in which he played scarcely. Merritt transferred to SEC powerhouse Texas A&M and will be eligible to play as a sophomore in 2017.
Morgan Mahalak — Towson After coming to Oregon as one of the most coveted quarterback recruits in the nation, Morgan Mahalak’s time in Eugene didn’t go the way that he, or the Oregon staff, expected. Mahalak never played a snap in an Oregon uniform and was stuck working with the scout team during his redshirt freshman season, despite Oregon’s struggles at the quarterback position in 2015. He asked for his release from Oregon last January and announced a week later that he would sign with the Towson University Tigers in Maryland. He earned the starting spot for the team in fall camp, but has played in just two games, completing 21-of-40 passes with no touchdowns.
Chris Seisay — Portland State Seisay’s departure has arguably had more impact than that of any Oregon player. The junior cornerback left the Ducks less than two weeks before the 2016 season began because he “wasn’t as happy as he thought he would be.” Seisay quickly found a landing spot at nearby Portland State University, where he requested to play wide receiver instead of cornerback. He has ended up doing both for the Vikings, and has three catches for 66 yards thus far, along with 17 tackles, including a season-best seven against Southern Utah. He snagged his first interception for the Vikings on Oct. 8 against Weber State.
Chance Allen — Houston Out of all the players who left Oregon over the past few seasons, Allen has found the most individual success. The senior wideout was named to the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nations top receiver. After finishing with nine catches for 98 yards in two seasons at Oregon, the Missouri City, Texas, native transferred closer to home and has thrived for a Houston squad that is currently ranked No. 8 in the nation. Allen is third among Cougar receivers this season with 33 catches for 442 yards. He finished with 752 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Eric Amoako — Minnesotta Amoako was the No. 25 defensive back in his recruiting class, but played just one game for Oregon during the 2013 season before choosing to transfer. He spent the 2014-15 seasons at Houston Baptist, where he ranked third on the team in tackles in 2014 before looking for a change of scenery once again. He transferred to Minnesota early this summer, and has played sparingly for the Golden Gophers. Amoako has registered two tackles in five games and started in none of them.
Stephen Amoako - Louisiana-Monroe The twin brother of Eric Amoako, Stephen Amoako transferred one year after his brother did and landed at Illinois State University in the Missouri Valley Conference. He played in three games and started one for the Redbirds. He then transferred to University of Louisiana-Monroe as a graduate transfer and has recorded four tackles and four pass-breakups in four games.
T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 6
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E M E R A L D G A M E D AY
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PA G E 1 3
DEPTH CHART
Ducks are unranked after 35-32 loss at Nebraska
Written by: Jonathan Hawthorne @jon_Hawthorne
There was very little movement among the top teams in the Week 8 AP Poll, which was released on Sunday morning. Michigan leapfrogged Clemson to take the No. 3 spot nationally. Clemson escaped Saturday with a narrow 24-17 win over North Carolina State. Alabama remains the No. 1 team in the country, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson and Washington. The only other Pac-12 school in the poll is No. 19 Utah. Colorado was the top vote-receiving team outside of the Top 25. North Carolina and LSU both entered the poll for the time in 2016. Tennessee dropped from No. 9 to No. 18 after losing to No. 1 Alabama 49-10.
OREGON DEPTH CHART
GAME 7 — CALIFORNIA DEFENSE DE DT DT DE WILL MIKE
Here’s a look at the entire poll:
1. Alabama 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. Clemson 5. Washington 6. Texas A&M 7. Louisville 8. Nebraska 9. Baylor 10. Wisconsin 11. Houston 12. West Virgina 13. Florida State 14. Boise State 15. Florida 16. Oklahoma 17. Arkansas 18. Tennessee 19. Utah 20. Western Michigan 21. Auburn 22. North Carolina 23. Mississippi 24. Navy 25. LSU
SAM CB
92 HENRY MONDEAUX 91 T.J. DANIEL
74 ELIJAH GEORGE 50 AUSTIN MALOATA 90 DRAYTON CARLBERG 11 JUSTIN HOLLINS 97 JALEN JELKS 18 JIMMIE SWAIN 54 DE’QUAN MCDOWELL
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E M E R A L D G A M E D AY | T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 6 E M E R A L D T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 6
15 JALEN BROWN 89 DILLON MITCELL
WR
7 DARREN CARRINGTON 4 ALEX OFODILE
WR
6 CHARLES NELSON 82 CASEY EUGENIO
LT
66 BRADY AIELLO 70 ZAC MORGAN 68 SHANE LEMIEUX 57 DOUG BRENNER
LG
55 JAKE HANSON 75 ZACH OKUN
C
55 AJ. HOTCHKINS 39 KAULANA APELU 35 TROY DYE 3 JONAH MOI 2 TYREE ROBINSON 14 UGO AMADI 8 REGGIE DANIELS 26 KHALIL OLIVER
S
43 BRENDEN SCHOOLER 17 JUWAAN WILLIAMS
RG
78 CAMERON HUNT 76 JAKE PISARCIK
RT
54 CALVIN THROCKMORTON 79 EVAN VOELLER
TE
85 PHARAOH BROWN 81 EVAN BAYLIS
QB
10 JUSTIN HERBERT 9 DAKOTA PRUKOP
RB
21 ROYCE FREEMAN 20 TONY BROOKS-JAMES
1 ARRION SPRINGS 23 MALIK LOVETTE
SPECIAL TEAM PK
41 AIDEN SCHNEIDER
KO
49 MATT WOGAN
P
38 IAN WHEELER
49 MATT WOGAN
42 BLAKE MAIMONE
KR
6 CHARLES NELSON 20 TONY BROOKS-JAMES
PR
6 CHARLES NELSON
LS H
PA G E 1 4 PA G E 1 4
WR
47 REX MANU
S
CB
OFFENSE
7 DARREN CARRINGTON
58 TANNER CAREW 12 TAYLOR ALIE 6 CHARLES NELSON
think