11-2-23 Emerald Media Group - Gameday

TRADTITIONS TRADTITIONS

GAMEDAY

11.2.23

DUCK DUCK

Emerald Media

What makes the Oregon experience so unique?

O R E G O N VS. C A L P R E V I E W P G . 8 • L A N N I N G ’ S F O U R T H D OW N S P G . 1 4 • PAC -1 2 COM P E T I T I O N PG. 15

Home Flight The Home Flight wool blankets are a collaboration between the UO Alumni Association, the Many Nations Longhouse, and The Duck Store. They were designed by Kale’a Calica-Younker (Coquille/Coos/Warm Springs/Yakama) who is an art student at the University of Oregon, and her father Shirod Younker (Coquille/Miluk Coos/Umpqua).

featuring: Keyen Singer (She/Her) Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Environmental Studies Major & NAIS Minor, Sophomore Native American Student Union (NASU) Co-Director 2023-2024 Miss Indigenous UO

PA G E 2

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

Read more about this project, and see photos & video here:

GAMEDAY

GAMEDAY

GAMEDAY, the Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.

EMERALD MEDIA GROUP 1395 University St., rm.302, Eugene, OR 97403 541.346.5511 | dailyemerald.com

NEWSROOM

BUSINESS

Editor in Chief Evan Reynolds

President & Publisher Eric Henry x317

Print Managing Editor Emma J Nelson

Vice President, Operations Kathy Carbone x302

Sports Editors Nina-Grace Montes Brady Ruth Copy Chief Olivia Ellerbruch Reporters Joe Krasnowski Joe Moore Jack Lazarus Photo Editors Molly McPherson Jonathan Suni

Creative Director Anna Smith x327

ADVERTISING

Director of Sales and Digital Marketing Shelly Rondestvedt x303 Account Executives Lola Tagwerker Cori Caplinger Cooper Gast Taylor Baumgardner

Design Editor Liz Blodgett Associate Design Editor Ryan Ehrhart

ON THE COVER

Ole Miss transfer Tysheem Johnson (0) celebrates with the big play shoe and scepter after completing his first interception as an Oregon Duck. The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 Utah Utes 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 28, 2023.

The Oregon Ducks mascot dances during the third quarter. (Ali Watson/Emerald) T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 3

OREGON OFFENSE PLAYER TROY FRANKLIN TRAESHON HOLDEN TEZ JOHNSON JOSH CONERLY JR. JUNIOR ANGILAU JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON STEVEN JONES AJANI CORNELIUS TERRANCE FERGUSON BO NIX BUCKY IRVING KYLER KASPER KRIS HUTSON GARY BRYANT JR. GAAOPE LALOULU MARCUS HARPER II NISHAD STROTHER GEORGE SILVA PATRICK HERBERT TY THOMPSON NOAH WHITTINGTON

CAL OFFENSE

#

POS

YEAR

PLAYER

#

POS

YEAR

No. 11 No. 5 No. 15 No. 76 No. 54 No. 58 No. 74 No. 65 No. 3 No. 10 No. 00 No. 17 No. 1 No. 2 No. 75 No. 55 No. 50 No. 71 No. 88 No. 13 No. 6

WR-X WR-Z WR-F LT LG OC RG RT TE QB RB WR-X WR-Z WR-F LT LG/OC RG RT TE QB RB

JR SR/TR SR/TR SO RS SR/TR JR RS SR RS JR/TR JR SR/TR JR/TR RS FR JR RS JR/TR RS SO JR RS SR/TR JR/TR RS JR RS SO JR/TR

JEREMIAH HUNTER BRIAN HIGHTOWER MONROE YOUNG BARRETT MILLER MATTHEW WYKOFF BRIAN DRISCOLL SIOAPE VATIKANI T.J. SESSION JACK ENDRIES FERNANDO MENDOZA JAYDN OTT ANDY ALFIERI MARQUIS MONTGOMERY TAJ DAVIS TROND GRIZZELL BRAYDEN ROHME BASTIAN SWINNEY DASHAUN HARRIS ENDER AGUILAR ASHER ALBERDING SAM JACKSON V

No. 3 No. 7 No. 14 No. 62 No. 74 No. 60 No. 71 No. 72 No. 87 No. 15 No. 1 No. 34 No. 85 No. 9 No. 83 No. 63 No. 76 No. 78 No. 79 No. 89 No. 5

WR-X WR-Z WR-SL LT LG OC RG RT TE QB RB FB WR-X WR-Z WR-SL LT LG OC RT TE QB

RS JR RS SR/TR RS SR SR/TR RS SO/TR RS JR SO RS SR/TR RS FR RS FR SO/TR RS JR SR/TR RS SR/TR RS SO RS JR RS SO RS FR RS SO RS JR/TR RS SO/TR

#

POS

YEAR

No. 99 No. 90 No. 33 No. 32 No. 53 No. 7 No. 15 No. 9 No. 2 No. 3 No. 22 No. 98 No. 91 No. 92 No. 42 No. 55 No. 44 No. 6 No. 5 No. 13 No. 41 No. 4

LDT RDT LOLB LILB RILB ROLB LCB SS FS RCB NB LDT RDT LOLB LILB RILB ROLB LCB SS FS RCB NB

JR RS JR RS SR RS JR RS SO RS SR/TR JR RS/TR RS JR JR/TR RS JR/TR SO JR RS SO JR RS JR RS JR/TR SO RS SR/TR RS JR RS JR JR/TR

CAL DEFENSE

OREGON DEFENSE PLAYER BRANDON DORLUS POPO AUMAVAE CASEY ROGERS JORDAN BURCH JEFFREY BASSA JESTIN JACOBS MASE FUNA KHYREE JACKSON TYSHEEM JOHNSON EVAN WILLIAMS NIKKO REED COLE MARTIN JOHNNY BOWENS III TAKI TAIMANI KEYON WARE-HUDSON MATAYO UIAGALELEI JAMAL HILL CONNOR SOELLE JAKE SHIPLEY TRIKWEZE BRIDGES BRYAN ADDISON STEVE STEPHENS IV

#

POS

No. 3 No. 50 No. 98 No. 1 No. 2 No. 4 No. 18 No. 5 No. 00 No. 33 No. 25 No. 21 No. 91 No. 55 No. 95 No. 10 No. 9

DE NT DT JACK WLB MLB SLB FCB FS BS BCB NB DE NT DT JACK WLB MLB SLB FCB FS BS

No. 22 No. 90 No. 11 No. 13 No. 7

YEAR

SR RS SR RS SR/TR SR/TR JR RS SR/TR SR SR/TR JR/TR RS SR/TR JR/TR FR FR RS SR/TR RS JR FR SR RS SR/TR JR RS JR RS SR RS SR

OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS

|

CAL SPECIAL TEAMS

PLAYER

#

POS

YEAR

PLAYER

LUKE DUNNE CAMDEN LEWIS ANDREW BOYLE LUKE BASSO ROSS JAMES TEZ JOHNSON BUCKY IRVING

No. 45 No. 49 No. 98 No. 43 No. 92 No. 15 No. 00 No. 84

PT PK/KO KO/PK LS H/PT PR KR

FR SR RS SR/TR RS SO RS SO/TR SR/TR JR/TR

PT

GR/TR

LACHLAN WILSON MATEEN BHAGHANI MICHAEL LUCKHURST DAVID BIRD JEREMIAH HUNTER MAVIN ANDERSON THOMAS LEE WESLEY BROWN TAJ DAVIS

MATTHEW RIGNEY

PA G E 4

PLAYER ETHAN SAUNDERS BRETT JOHNSON MYLES JERNIGAN BLAKE ANTZOULATOS KALEB ELARMS-ORR DAVID REESE LU-MAGIA HEARNS III PATRICK MCMORRIS CRAIG WOODSON NOHL WILLIAMS MATTHEW LITTLEJOHN NATE BURRELL RICKY CORREIA MYLES WILLIAMS NATE RUTCHENA MUELU IOSEFA XAVIER CARLTON JEREMIAH EARBY RAYMOND WOODIE III MILES WILLIAMS ISAIAH YOUNG KAYLIN MOORE

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

#

No. 37 No. 49 No. 16 No. 45 No. 3 No. 11 No. 36 No. 48 No. 9

POS

PT/H PK/KO KO/PK LS PR KR PT LS PR

YEAR

RS JR/TR FR SO FR RS JR RS SO RS SR/TR JR/TR RS SR/TR

For a more in-depth chart on both teams, visit ESPN.com

HERBIVORE CARNIVORE LOCAVORE RBIVORE CARNIVORE LOCAVORE HERBIVORE HERBIVORE

CARNIVORE CARNIVORE

LOCAVORE LOCAVORE

New Haven inspired apizza, New pub Haven inspired apizza, brewed beer New Haven inspired apizza, pub brewed beer New Haven inspired apizza, pub brewedSt. beer 390 Lincoln @4th pub brewed beer

390 Lincoln St. @4th 541.735.3860 390 LincolnSt. St.@4th @4th 390 Lincoln 541.735.3860

530 BLAIR BLVD EUGENE 530 BLAIR BLVD EUGENE (541) BLAIR 735-3520 BLVD TACOVOREPNW.COM 530 EUGENE (541) 735-3520 TACOVOREPNW.COM

30 BLAIR BLVDTACOVOREPNW.COM EUGENE (541) 735-3520 (541) 735-3520

TACOVOREPNW.COM

LUNCH & DINNER 541.735.3860 541.735.3860 LUNCH & DINNER EVERYDAY

LUNCH & DINNER DINNER EVERYDAY DINEEVERYDAY IN& | CARRY OUT LUNCH DINNER DINEEVERYDAY IN | CARRY OUT LUNCH FRIDAY & SATURDAY thewheelapizzapub.com EVERYDAY DINE IN | CARRY OUT thewheelapizzapub.com DINE IN || CARRY CARRY OUT OUT DINE IN thewheelapizzapub.com thewheelapizzapub.com T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 5

GAMEDAY The Wastatch and Oquirrh mountains can be seen behind the packed Rice-Eccles Stadium. The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 Utah Utes 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

AROUND THE PAC-12: WEEK 9 What happened in the conference while Oregon tore Utah apart?

BY BRADY RUTH • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART IT’S NOW COMMON KNOWLEDGE IN EUGENE THAT NO. 6 OREGON (7-1, 4-1 PAC-12) RIPPED THROUGH NO. 18 UTAH (6-2, 3-2 PAC-12) LAST SATURDAY. BUT WHILE THE DUCKS WERE DOMINATING THE UTES IN WHAT WILL LIKELY BE THEIR LAST MEETING FOR A WHILE, THE REST OF THE PAC-12 WAS IN ACTION AND CREATED SEVERAL HEADLINES.

NO. 24 USC OUTLASTS CAL 50-49 IN HIGH SCORING NAILBITER The Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) again demonstrated that they are not the team many thought they were entering the season. USC’s defense allowed Cal to collect 527 total yards of offense and would have been blown out if the Golden Bears didn’t turn the ball over four times.

The Trojans may be in for a rough couple of weeks with games against No. 5 Washington (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12) and No. 6 Oregon, serving as USC’s next two opponents.

Cal (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) had every opportunity to pull an upset off but couldn’t get it done. The Golden Bears blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and a failed two-point conversion which served as the final straw. Cal’s hopes of finishing bowl-eligible are running thin, especially with a road trip to play Oregon in Week 10.

NO. 5 WASHINGTON OUTLASTS STANFORD 42-33 For the second-straight week, the Huskies escaped a close game against an inferior opponent. Washington was back-and-forth with

PA G E 6

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

Stanford and although they never trailed, the Huskies just weren’t able to push away from the heavy underdog Cardinal. Since defeating Oregon in Week 7, Washington has collected back-toback concerning wins. A road test against No. 24 USC next week could prove dangerous if the Huskies’ sloppy play continues.

Saturday should serve as a major moral victory for Stanford (2-6, 1-5 Pac-12). The Cardinal, who haven’t shown much to be excited about this season, hung with one of the top offenses in the country. It could be a sign of good things to come from a year that Cardinal fans are looking to forget. Stanford travels in Week 10 for a game against Washington State (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12).

WASHINGTON STATE FALLS TO ARIZONA STATE 38-27 Arizona State (2-6, 1-4 Pac-12) finally had its first conference win of the season. The Sun Devils jumped ahead of Washington State early in the second quarter and never gave up its lead.

Arizona State held the Cougars to 88 rushing yards in an impressive win. ASU will get a shot at Utah in Salt Lake City in Week 10.

It’s hard to believe that the Cougars were once 4-0 and ranked. Washington State has been in a spiral for a little over a month now with a loss to Arizona State highlighting the severity of the decline. The Cougars’ 403 total yards were over 100 less than ASU’s 509. This team has fallen back to mediocrity and needs to bounce back against Stanford next week.

ARIZONA STUNS NO. 11 OREGON STATE IN 27-24 THRILLER

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

The Wildcats’ (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) upset win over Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering Arizona only lost to USC and Washington by a combined nine points earlier this season. The Wildcats truly have one of the better offenses in the conference, even with backup quarterback Noah Fifita in charge, and could shock UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) next week as well.

Oregon State’s fake field goal attempt at the end of the first half was a head-scratcher that came back to bite the Beavers in Tucson. Duck fans are well familiar with the difference a field goal can make, and Oregon State really looked underwhelming in a game it lost by three points.

The Beavers have a chance to bounce back against Colorado (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) in Week 10.

NO. 23 UCLA DEFEATS COLORADO 28-16 IN PRIME TIME UCLA looked bad. Colorado looked worse. The Bruins turned the ball over four times and were still able to pull out a double-digit win over the Buffaloes. UCLA collected nine penalties for 85 yards on Saturday but were able to limit Colorado to 25 total rushing yards. Somehow, the No. 20 Bruins still moved up in the rankings and face a scary Arizona squad in Tucson next Saturday.

Colorado’s offense absolutely has to get better if the Buffaloes are going to make it to a bowl game. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked seven times and Colorado only found the endzone once in Saturday’s loss. The Buffaloes now look to hand Oregon State its secondstraight loss in Week 10.

FIN

DY

OU

RP

UR

PO

SE

...

FIN

O Y D

U

!

Y R

JOIN OUR TEAM! APPLY TODAY

HIRING IN: • Aquatics • Youth Programs • Health & Wellness

“I love the culture of the Y! It feels welcoming, happy, high energy, full of life and happy sounds.” —Y Staff

Be a part of our all-star team opening the new Y this year!

Eugene Family YMCA | 541.686.9622 | eugeneymca.org T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 7

GAMEDAY

THE OREGON DUCKS LOOK TO CONTINUE THEIR WINNING STREAK AGAINST CAL The Ducks move into the final third of their schedule and look to open with a win

BY JOE MOORE • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ CONTRERAS The No. 6 Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) are facing the California Golden Bears (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) in Autzen Stadium as the Ducks look to continue their winning streak in the hopes to earn a College Football Playoff bid. The Golden Bears are coming off of a strong showing against No. 24 USC where they lost by just one point.

The story of the game for the Ducks will once again be their defense. Cal’s offense has put up big numbers against a number of quality Pac-12 teams, including 32 points against the Washington Huskies and 49 against the USC Trojans. However, the strong Oregon defense is coming off of a game where it allowed Utah just six points, making it just the third time in conference play this season that the Ducks have allowed such a number. The Oregon secondary also had a pair of interceptions, both coming from Tysheem Johnson, which brings the unit up to seven for the year.

Oregon’s defense has looked impressive so far this year but coming into the season, it was pegged as a weakness for the squad. With the Ducks’ offense not looking like a question, this team seems to be able to go as far as the defense can take it. The defensive line of the Ducks’’ has looked strong in conference play with the Ducks having 21 total sacks in those five games. Despite not allowing a sack to the Trojans last week, the Golden Bears were sacked five times in their loss to the Utah Utes on Oct. 14.

On the other side of the ball, Oregon will again be led by Bo Nix as he continues an impressive campaign that sees him in the mix for the Heisman Trophy. Nix currently has 2,337 passing yards and has thrown 21 touchdowns.

He also has three rushing scores, bringing his total touchdowns up to 24. The Ducks’ offense, led by Nix, has been an elite unit so far this season, and Cal’s defense has not looked too impressive as they have allowed over 50 points three times this season. If the Ducks win this game, and their offense looks as good as it has all season, Nix could see a significant increase in his counting

The Oregon Ducks take on the California Golden Bears at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 15, 2021. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

PA G E 8

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

stats as he enters the final part of his last collegiate campaign.

For an Oregon team that is playing with a vengeance since losing to the Huskies three weeks ago, this game seems like it could be an easy win.

However, taking the Golden Bears squad lightly could end up in a surprise upset. Cal is coming off just putting up 49 points against USC last week and could be looking for their first quality Pac-12 win. Of course, the Ducks’ defense has looked much more impressive than the Trojans’ defense so far this year, but Cal hanging almost 50 on a ranked team cannot be overlooked.

Oregon has specialized this year in putting up early points, leading to an advantage early in games. If the Ducks are able to come out and take care of business early, Cal could find itself fighting from behind for most of the game.

Oregon has done very well so far this season with maintaining a lead after getting it early in the game, and this game could prove to be a repeat of other stifling Oregon defensive performances.

There’s also a question about head coach Dan Lanning’s philosophy following the loss to the Huskies. Despite being incredibly aggressive for the early part of the season and it being the main factor in Oregon’s loss, Lanning has yet to go for a fourth down conversion or two-point conversion since that game. Whether that change in tactics is due to a lack of opportunity for those chances or a total change in philosophy a year and a half into his tenure with the Ducks remains to be seen. However, if the Ducks get up early on Cal, Lanning could revert to his aggressive play calling to fully take the Golden Bears out of it before they have a chance to play spoiler.

For Oregon, this game marks just the third unranked Pac-12 opponent they have faced so far this season, and its schedule does not get any easier from here on out. This game will be an important one to continue building momentum as the Ducks enter the final part of their schedule, and will prove important as Oregon looks to earn its second College Football Playoff berth.

Experience the greatest sci-fi dispensary in the galaxy

Eagle 5 Food Truck Now open

ask us about our tailgate package!

(458)245-7719

Store: (541)505-9834 Spacebudsthedispensary.com 741 Lincoln st Eugene, or 97401

*MUST REDEAM ON GAME DAYS

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 9

GAMEDAY

THE GAMEDAY TRADITIONS OF OREGON FOOTBALL Oregon football’s gameday experience is like no other.

BY JOE KRASNOWSKI • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

There is a rumor that the ball Oregon football played its first game with in 1894 is buried in the great lawn behind the university’s Lillis Business Complex. Students often dig up the lawn with hopes of finding the ball. Amid numerous attempts to find it, no one ever has.

Oregon fans sure are unique, and the traditions of the football team they support are, too.

OREGON’S UNIFORM SCHEDULE Oregon annually promotes and produces a uniform schedule that goes with the color scheme the team will wear that week. Duck fans always come dressed in style and in color with their team on the field.

PA G E 1 0

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

The remaining Oregon home games entail a black-out against USC, as well as a green-out of Autzen when the Beavers come to town.

“Oregon’s got some sick uniforms,” UO student Kayla Hussey said. “So it makes sense that Oregon would have something cool like a schedule for fans to follow. I will make sure I wear my black and green for the last two home games.”

THE WALK TO AUTZEN The walk across the bridge and through the woods to the home of Oregon football has become synonymous with the fan experience at Oregon. Fans flock from all over campus — and the state — to come see the Ducks play.

“I love the walk,” UO student Melissa Knight said. “ I think it’s

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

funny when there’s so many people in such a small space; it makes the walk just that more entertaining for me.”

The “walk to Autzen” went viral on social media as fans were captured leaving the stadium early in the Ducks’ 42-6 trouncing of thenranked No. 19 Colorado. “I thought that was really funny,” Knight said. “There wasn’t much else to see. Oregon was killing them so it was funny to see ESPN broadcast everyone leaving the game early.”

IT NEVER RAINS IN AUTZEN STADIUM Coined by legendary, long-time Duck PA announcer Don Essig, the weather forecast at Oregon games is always offered with no chance of rain.

“‘It never rains in Autzen Stadium’ has nothing to do with the weather,” Essig said in an interview with NBC Sports Northwest. “When people come into Autzen Stadium, it is in sight of them a sunny experience.” Whether on t-shirts, tokens or just by plain memory, ‘It never rains in Autzen Stadium’ has been adopted by Duck fans around the world.

“I love it,” UO student Kai Brown said. “I think it’s great, but it will be really really funny if it actually ends up raining at an Oregon game this year. I wonder if he will still say that to the crowd.”

THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE Before every home game, a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle leads the Ducks out

GAMEDAY Kearney said. “The Ducks were my heroes when I was growing up.”

“SHOUT” You know it and you love it. The Ducks, who coined “Shout” from the 1978 comedy film “Animal House,” have played Otis Day and the Knights’ tune at the end of the third quarter at every home game since 2010.

Oregon players and even opponents join in as the crowd erupts with noise before the start of the fourth quarter of play. “‘Shout’ is the best!” UO student and longtime Duck fan Matthew Licurse said. “It’s a great way to interact with fans and it gets the whole crowd involved.

I love doing it with the other fans; it gets everyone so excited and is unique to Autzen and Oregon college football in general.”

From tunes to motorcycles, Oregon has quite a few traditions that make the Oregon football experience that much more unique and exciting for fans.

The Duck rides out on a motorcycle as the team runs out of the tunnel. The Oregon Ducks football team took on the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

onto the field. Riders Arlen Rexius and Matt Hogan take turns on “the Harley”, accompanied by The Duck mascot on their back.

“Of course, Oregon has something cool like that,” UO student Chloe Kavadas said. “It’s really loud and it’s unique to Oregon so I think it’s great.”

In 2020, an Oregon custom model of “the Harley” was listed on Craigslist for $29,000. “The motorcycle is so loud,” UO student Frank Swift said. “The whole student section starts cheering when they hear the motorcycle. It gets everyone so excited to see Oregon take the field, and I know the game will start soon.”

Rexius and Hogan took over the role from long-time rider Doug Koke last year. “It’s quite an honor, to be honest when that thing fires up, and you’ve gone to these games your whole life, to have a chance to be at the controls,” Hogan said to Kezi. “It’s quite a deal. It’s a little like taking a Harley on the dirt; it’s not what they were intended for.”

An Oregon staff member kneels beside Brison Cobbins (25) after the team runs out of the tunnel. The Oregon Ducks football team took on the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

Ducks wide receiver Ir Waters (85) dances to “Shout”. Oregon Ducks football took on Oregon State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 30, 2019. (DL Young/ Emerald)

The Duck famously did 546 pushups in Oregon’s 81-7 routing of Portland State. “He doesn’t have to go to the gym tonight,” Oregon middle-linebacker Bryce Boettcher said to GoDucks after the game on Sept. 2. “546, that’s incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many pushups since I’ve been here. I’ve gone to a lot of Oregon games, too.”

The Duck certainly is strong, and Oregon fans will hope to see quite a few more pushups before the season is finished.

THE DUCK’S PUSHUPS

“COMING HOME”

Oregon football has played strong this year and its mascot may be even stronger. After every Ducks’ point-scoring drive, Oregon’s mascot does as many pushups as the football team has scored. The Duck sure is getting strong by my unofficial count. Oregon’s mascot has done 1,082 pushups throughout four Oregon home games.

“The Duck is my favorite,” UO student Dustin Short said. “I think it’s hilarious when the Duck has to do a ton of pushups and then gets tired toward the end. It’s a fun thing to do.”

Mat Kearney’s “Coming Home” plays during the interlude between the first and second quarter.

Duck fans join in with the song’s chorus, “I left my heart in Oregon.” Kearney, who grew up a Duck fan, said in a 2015 interview with the Emerald that he considers the song one of the highlights of his career.

“It’s literally one of the most exciting things that has ever happened in my career,” T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 1 1

BUILDING A CULTURE THROUGH FASHION

GAMEDAY

PA G E 1 2

|

As Oregon football continues to release unique uniforms and cleats, players are involved in the process

BY NINA-GRACE MONTES DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ CONTRERAS

When’s a better time to drop an innovative cleat than ahead of one of the highly anticipated games this season with one of the coaches who brings the most swag to college football?

As a part of building culture, Oregon football releases its uniform combo behind a hype video. Ahead of the home game against Colorado with Deion Sanders, one of the biggest sports icons in the 90s with his Prime Time persona and his fashion, they used the opportunity with all eyes on them to drop one of the most talked about cleats in the sneaker world.

Heat-activated, color changing Nike Vapor Edge KF Dunks.

In sneakerhead culture, Dunks are one of the most popular shoes at the moment.

It’s a staple of fashion that can bring personality to any outfit. But honestly, any shoe that Oregon drops immediately becomes a big conversation. Everyone waits for those short clips to see the uniform combo for the week because Nike is one of the foundations of sports fashion and Oregon deserves a lot of credit for that success.

Through Nike, the Ducks continue to push the envelope with their uniforms, but it wouldn’t be possible without the players.

“Thinking about designing uniforms, our players do have input in that,” Kenny Farr, the football equipment

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

administrator, told Rob Moseley on Oregon’s Virtual Happy Hour. “We have a bunch of former Ducks that are actually involved with that process. Some of the people that work closely with us at Nike.”

Daryle Hawkins, a former wide receiver for the Ducks, was the chief uniform designer for Nike and NCAA football before leaving the company in September 2022.

Brandon McLemore, Mattrell McGraw and Bronson Yim also work at Nike to design uniforms for their former school.

Current players also get a say in uniform and cleat decisions, even though they might not get to wear them.

“When we design a uniform or cleat, we are working 18-24 months out,” Farr said.

“So a junior and senior may come up with an idea but they won’t be able to wear it because it won’t come out for another two or three seasons.”

Oregon and Nike is the type of partnership where they push each other to be creative. The two are so tight-knit that it’s drawn criticism, with UO being derisively nicknamed ‘Nike University’ by those who disapprove of Nike founder Phil Knight’s enormous donations to the university.

“It’s the willingness that we have a school and a team to push the envelope on things and look to try new stuff,” Farr said. “Some more traditional schools, if they change the color of a shoelace,

alumni would get mad about that.”

Now with NIL in place, players are able to capitalize off of their creativity, which is a major part of Oregon’s brand success.

Through Division Street, a company founded by Phil Knight to help Oregon student-athletes build their own unique brand, participating football players designed an NFT and an Air Max 1 alongside Tinker Hatfield, a former UO athlete and sneaker designer at Nike.

“Oregon is a special place that’s meaningful to each of us individually,” Jamahal Hill, a linebacker for the Ducks, said. “But it’s our work together as a team that makes us who we are. We came from all over, with different backgrounds, experiences and circumstances. Once we landed at Oregon, we became family.”

Oregon wouldn’t be what it is without Nike, and vice versa. But all of that is rooted in the players. Fashion is rooted in sports, but without the experiences and backgrounds of each player, we wouldn’t get the uniform reveals every week. We wouldn’t have gotten the outside-ofthe-box cleats that were inspired by a chameleon. Oregon football wouldn’t have strong brand identity without its entire roster and the creativity they bring to the table.

Bo Nix (10) rocks a pair of black Nike cleats.

The Oregon Ducks football team took on the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald) |

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

Are you a renter in Eugene?

The City of Eugene wants to know about your experience renting. Watch your mailbox for an invitation to participate in a survey that will be used to inform the City’s rental housing program.

The survey will take place Oct. 30 – Nov. 27, 2023.

Take our survey & enter to win a local grocery store

gift card!

If you’re a Eugene renter who has not received an invitation by Nov. 3, call 541-682-5550 or visit eugene-or.gov/rentersurvey to request survey. Survey results will not identify those who took the survey or where they live.

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 1 3

GAMEDAY

WAS IT THE RIGHT

DECISION?

BY JACK LAZARUS • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

All of Dan Lanning’s aggressive calls to go for fourth down conversions against Washington failed.

What do the analytics say?

In recent weeks, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has come under scrutiny for his aggressive decisions to go for a conversion in multiple fourth down situations during the Washington game. This season Lanning has continued to play it risky in certain situations, such as going for two more often, using fake field goals or punts to fool the defense and going for it on fourth downs.

the Huskies’ 8-yard line, to which the analytics say go for a field goal. Given the situation Oregon was in, the decision to go for it was understandable, but ended up being detrimental to its hopes of winning.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is interviewed following Oregon’s victory over Washington State. The Ducks defeated the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023 in Eugene, Ore. (Lulu Devoulin/Emerald)

Oregon has gone for it 13 times this season, only converting eight times. That translates to just over a 61% conversion rate, which is something to bat an eye at when considering the situations that these fourth downs came in.

Most prominently, in Oregon’s close loss against heated rival Washington, Lanning made the decision to go for it on fourth down three times, and the Ducks didn’t convert on any of them. On the first two, it was entirely possible to kick a very short field goal and settle for three points which would have alleviated the pressure on kicker Camden Lewis on the last play where he missed a game-tying field goal.

Let’s look at the analytics of each one, helped by a 2017 study done by SB Nation. The study takes into account the probability of getting the first down, the placement of that first down marker on the field, the points risked/given up if the conversion fails and the percentage of field goals made from that spot.

The first one was a 4th-and-goal from the Washington 3-yard line as time was expiring in the first half. In a 4th-and-3 situation, teams convert the fourth down just under 33% of the time. The analytics say to go for a field goal there, and given the situation where the time was expiring and the Ducks were receiving the ball to start the second half, a field goal definitely should have been taken.

The next one was towards the end Head coach Dan Lanning watches his team warmup. The Oregon Ducks football team took on of the third quarter with the Ducks the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald) down 29-18. It was a 4th-and-3 at PA G E 1 4

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

The last one was with just over two minutes left in the game, with the Ducks winning 33-29. It was a 4th-and-3 at the Washington 47-yard line, which is a situation that the analytics say to go for the conversion in.

That was a badly drawn up play where Bo Nix had to rush a throw and it ended up falling short of Tez Johnson. In that situation, also given a certain amount of hindsight, it was probably the best decision to punt that ball and try to pin Washington deep in its own territory.

It is these types of aggressive decisions that make or break seasons. Oregon just fell short of a huge, top-10 win away against a heated rival, but certain decisions weren’t made sound enough and the wheels fell off towards the end.

The Ducks left six free points up on the board, which would have dramatically changed a three-point loss. Those two decisions, especially given the analytics, will be a dark cloud over Oregon’s season all year. The Ducks had been waiting for another shot at the Huskies since they suffered a similar loss last season, highlighted by a late-game knock to Nix’s ankle.

If the first two decisions were different, the pressure on the third one wouldn’t have been nearly the same, and given the brevity of the Huskies’ scoring drive after that, Oregon would still have had the chance to go down the field and win the game.

That being said, this is all speculation as who really knows what would happen if a few plays went differently?

Lanning has made a living this season on being aggressive and not second guessing these kinds of decisions. It is part of the Ducks’ identity now and could be for as long as Lanning is in charge.

CROSSWORD Across

1 State gem of Wyoming 5 Strongly suggest 9 Make selfconscious 14 Really excited 15 Horn output 16 Brown shade 17 *Baklava base 19 Spiral-horned antelope 20 Craft brewer’s concoction 21 No more than 22 Part of a process 23 Taylor Swift album with the hit “All Too Well” 24 “C’est la __!”

25 “Don’t move a muscle” 28 *Gives testimony 30 Den fixture 33 Accessory with some Lego Riddler minifigures 34 __ & Perrins steak sauce 35 Fireplace fuel 36 Corestrengthening exercise

38 Result of foggedup glasses 39 Touchdown stat 40 Twofold 41 Axels and lutzes 42 *Fix-it guide 46 Words of wisdom 47 Kimono accessory 48 “Way cool!”

51 Make the grade 52 Cabinet dept.

53 Sunny Day Real Estate genre 54 Land of the Minotaur 56 Art of fencing, and a hint to the starts of the answers to the starred clues 58 Out in the country 59 Inheritance factor 60 Bulldoze 61 Trips around the sun 62 Trampled (on) 63 Plow pullers

Down

1 “Aladdin” villain who transforms

into a giant cobra 2 Quick and nimble 3 Parceled (out) 4 Swelled head 5 Perfect place 6 Network device 7 Disco era adjective 8 Horn of Africa country: Abbr.

9 Transparent overlay 10 Second wife of Henry VIII 11 Like Pentatonix performances 12 Dad’s lad 13 Possessed 18 Comforter 22 Perform abysmally 25 The ugly duckling, eventually 26 Exhaust 27 Rulers before the Bolsheviks 28 Turning in place?

29 Milan’s La __ 30 Pipsqueak 31 Polling booth user 32 Serialized drama

36 Good vibrations?

37 Ewe kid 38 “The Fresh Prince of __-Air” 40 Some trucks 41 Highlands title 43 Gamer’s game face 44 “What are you doing!?”

45 Got a ride through an app 48 Kick back 49 Astonish 50 Senior member 52 Washstand accessory 54 React to onion fumes 55 “You will __ the day!”

56 PD rank 57 Tennis club expert

Answer

SUDOKU

© 2023 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

WORD JUMBLE RTILW

FELYEU

RAHDO

WDEAMO

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt & Jeff Knurek

Unscramble these Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the cartoon.

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 1 5

Answers: Jumbles - TWIRL EYEFUL HOARD MEADOW CARTOON CAPTION - HEIRLOOM

GAMEDAY

THE PAC-12 IS EATING ITSELF

The competitive play of Pac-12 teams could hurt the conference’s chances of fielding a playoff team

BY JOE MOORE • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ CONTRERAS

In what seems to be bitter irony, the Pac-12 Conference is enjoying one of its best seasons in a very long time just in time to see 10 of its 12 members vacate the conference in favor of other powerhouse conferences after the 2023 season. However, in true Pac-12 fashion, the conference may see yet another year without a team in the College Football Playoff.

The Pac-12 has a tendency to knock off its own top teams, having all the middle of the pack teams playing spoiler to those who have real chances in the playoff hunt. Since no team has made the CFP with more than one loss, that seems to be the cutoff, at least until a team does it. Despite having six teams ranked, there are only two Pac-12 teams still in the running for a playoff spot.

This past weekend of games in the Pac-12 exemplified this problem, with two one loss teams taking their second loss of the season.

The then-No. 8 Oregon Ducks handed the then-No. 13 Utah Utes their second loss of the season in a 35-6 rout. That game, whichever way the final score ended up, would have seen one of those teams take their second loss of the season. The then No. 11 Oregon State Beavers also suffered their second loss of the season to the Arizona Wildcats in a 27-24 finish.

This past weekend helped contribute to the season-long theme of Pac-12 teams –– hurting other Pac-12 teams’ chances of making the

playoffs. Utah, which just got its second loss, has also beaten USC and UCLA, but lost to Oregon State. The Beavers suffered key losses to Washington State and Arizona that put them at two losses for the season. Oregon’s only loss came against Washington, which almost lost to Arizona State and played a relatively close game against Stanford.

The USC Trojans, who began the season as the highest ranked Pac-12 team, took their second loss of the season when they fell to Utah. That string of losses leaves only two teams with a chance to make the playoffs: the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies.

However, if both teams meet in the Pac-12 Championship, either the Ducks or Huskies could knock the other out of contention in the final week of the season.

No Pac-12 team has made the playoffs since the 2016 season, with the Washington Huskies finishing fourth in the nation that year. The Huskies and Ducks currently sit at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively in the latest AP Poll, which gives them both a good chance to finish the season inside the top four teams. However, Oregon still has to face USC and Oregon State, who are currently ranked No. 24 and No. 16 respectively. Washington faces USC and Oregon State, too, but also still has Utah coming up on the schedule. A grueling Pac-12 slate is what every top team in the conference had to face this season, and some of the toughest matchups are

still to come for those teams still in the hunt.

Even the Pac-12 teams that find themselves at the bottom of the conference have almost played spoiler for some of the top teams. Cal, which sits tenth in the conference, lost by just one point to USC, and Arizona State, which is currently 11th in the conference, lost by only eight against Washington. Half of the currently ranked Pac-12 teams have at least one game remaining against either Cal or Arizona State. These games, which are as close as the Pac-12 has to free wins, have proven so far that they are anything but easy games for the top teams to blow out.

The Pac-12 peaked early this season with eight of the 12 teams ranked — the most it’s ever had — going into Week 4 of the season.

Since that point, a few teams have fallen out and rejoined the rankings, but the number has hovered consistently around having six teams present in the rankings.

This strong play from the whole conference has caused many observers to recognize the strength of the Pac-12 this season, when for so long it has been widely considered the least of the Power-5 conferences. However, as the season winds down, it is easy to see a possible outcome that finds all 12 teams in the conference on the outside looking in at the playoff picture — an image that would perfectly capture the spirit of the Pac-12 in its final season.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning celebrated with Duck fans after beating the University of Utah 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake CIty, Utah on Oct. 28, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald) PA G E 1 6

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

1214 KINCAID ST PRESENTS...

GAMEDAYS AT

RENNIE’S OPEN EVERYDAY UNTIL 2AM FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS @RENNIESLANDING

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 1 7

Looking Glass is hiring Mental Health Therapists!

Join a passionate workforce dedicated to serving youth, adults, and families in our community

Apply Now! Looking Glass Counseling Program embraces a healthy, balanced work environment for staff and values the importance of culture and community.

2022

At Looking Glass our mental health therapists enjoy training and support from a diverse and committed team.

www.lookingglass.us/employment www.lookingglass.us/employment PA G E 1 8

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3

GAMEDAY

KRASNOWSKI: SOMETIMES, OREGON IS

Oregon linebacker Blake Purchase (17) breaks up a pass attempt by Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes (16). The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 Utah Utes 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

JUST THAT GOOD Oregon showed that there are times where it is just plain better

BY JOE KRASNOWSKI • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

Troy Franklin celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown, adding to his stat-filled season.

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 Utah Utes 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

Sometimes, Oregon is just the more talented team.

Sometimes, the bevy of talent that having perennial top recruiting and transfer portal classes leads to is on full display.

Sometimes, Oregon dominates from start to finish.

Plain and simple. Oregon is just better. As seen in Saturday’s 35-6 destruction of Utah.

Coming into Saturday’s matchup, Utah was flying high after a win against USC. With backup-quarterback-turned-starter Bryson Barnes leading the way, a packed house at Rice-Eccles Stadium looked destined to lead Utah to an upset win over Oregon.

And absolutely none of it mattered.

At all.

Oregon dominated from start to finish, and the Utes were no contest.

Coming into Saturday’s game, Utah had gone 18 straight home games undefeated.

Oregon saw that record and did not bat an eye, and the dismantling ensued.

“I’m extremely proud of our team,” head coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “I thought this was our most complete game; we faced moments of adversity, our guys never flinched.”

Never flinched? How about they were never challenged. The Utes were listless all game long.

Sione Vaki, who was a week removed from a 149-yard, two-touchdown torching of USC, failed to record a reception. The Utah defense that Lanning had categorized before the game as the unit that he had the “most respect for” in the Pac-12? Exposed for 6.7 yards per play.

“We wanted to try to make them play left-handed,” Lanning said after the game.

Forget left handed, Oregon looked to be playing a different sport than the Utes.

It was shocking, too; with other key wins against Florida and UCLA, Utah looked to be a formidable opponent for the Ducks. But the Utes just weren’t even close.

A let up could be expected, as few teams can continue a dominant season with a backup quarterback. Utah looked to be an outlier until it met the Ducks.

“The guy plays tough,” Lanning said of Barnes before the game. “He’s impressive.”

Respect quickly turned into contempt Saturday afternoon: all game long Barnes looked flustered, completing just 52% of his passes.

The Oregon defense dominated. Its players flew around the field holding the Utes to a measly six points.

It’s not a shock on paper either. Oregon is flat out the more talented team.

When it comes to recruiting top talent nationally, the Ducks just outclass Utah.

According to 247 Sports, since 2000, Utah has yet to have a five star recruit. Oregon has had 13. The Ducks’ 2023 transfer portal class ranked No. 9 nationally in 2023. Utah’s? No. 44.

In every recruiting category, Oregon is plain and simple in a league of its own compared to Utah.

Oregon was plain and simple in a league of its own compared to Utah Saturday afternoon.

One of those transfer portal acquisitions, Evan Williams, flew around the field tallying seven total tackles on the day.

“Our defense is the reason we won the game today,” Bo Nix said after the game. “They gave up six points; they gave them absolutely nothing.”

Offensively was no different. Nix — a transfer portal addition from a year ago — added to his Heisman campaign with three total touchdowns. Another transfer portal addition, Bucky Irving, added a touchdown of his own.

“Bo Nix is the best quarterback in the nation,” Lanning said after the game.

“This guy just plays consistent, he gets us in the right call, he comes to the sideline and helps us through adjustments.”

Nix and the Ducks sure were consistent, and the box score says it all: it was a routing in Salt Lake.

Oregon — for the second time in as many weeks — didn’t allow a sack. Jonah Elliss, who came into Saturday’s matchup third in the country with 10 sacks, was a non-factor.

“That dude’s a good player,” Lanning said of Elliss after the game. “I’ll tell you that we knew where he was at all times.”

The Ducks probably don’t know where to look now. Elliss’ name does not appear on the stat sheet.

Things aren’t bleak yet for the Utes, as conference realignment will lead Utah to likely be favored in the Big-12. However, for perhaps the final time against the Ducks, Utah was outmatched by Oregon.

“When you have a good team like we have, and a quarterback like we have,” Lanning said. “That’s a special recipe for success.”

The special recipe for success was on full display. Another possible recipe?

Being plain better than your opponent.

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

PA G E 1 9

A debit card for Duck fans

Or visit MyOCCU.org/GameDayDuck

PA G E 2 0

|

E ME R A L D G A ME D AY E D I T I O N

|

T H U R S D AY, N O VE M B E R 2 , 2 O 2 3