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Defensive Back Christian Gonzalez prepares for the start of a new play. The Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins in Autzen Stadium on Oct. 22, 2022. (Ali Watson/ Emerald)
The Duck joins Oregon cheerleaders as they sing and dance to Oregon’s third quarter tradition, “shout.” The University of Oregon Ducks hosted and defeated the Oregon State Beavers 38-29, claiming the Pac-12 North champions title. (Emerald/ Ian Enger)
TROY FRANKLIN
CHASE COTA KRIS HUTSON
T.J. BASS
MARCUS HARPER II ALEX FORSYTH RYAN WALK
MALAESAL AUMAVAE-LAULU TERRANCE FERGUSON BO NIX BUCKY IRVING ISAAH CROCKER
DOONT’E THORNTON SEVEN MCGEE
JOSH CONERLY JR DAVE LULI KANEN ROSSI
JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON
No. 11 No. 23 No. 1 No. 56 No. 55 No. 78 No. 53 No. 71 No. 3 No. 10 No. 00 No. 6 No. 2 No. 7 No. 76 No. 52 No. 60 No. 58
WR WR WR LT LG OC RG RT TE QB RB WR WR WR LT LG OC RG
OREGON
SO SR/TR SO SR/TR SO RS SR RS SR RS SR/TR SO SR/TR SO/TR RS JR SO SO FR FR RS FR SO
PLAYER # POS YEAR
BRANDON DORLUS
JORDAN RILEY CASEY ROGERS DJ JOHNSON NOAH SEWELL
JEFFREY BASSA TRIKWEZE BRDIGES JAMAL HILL STEVE STEPHENS IV CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ BENNETT WILLIAMS TREVEN MA’AE TAKI TAIMANI
KEYON WARE-HUDSON
No. 3 No. 91 No. 98 No. 2 No. 1 No. 33 No. 11 No. 19 No. 7 No. 00 No. 48 No. 55 No. 95 No. 18
DE NT DT EDGE MLB WLB CB S S CB DE NT DT EDGE
JR RS SR/TR RS JR/TR RS SR/TR SO SO RS SO JR RS JR SO/TR SR/TR RS SO RS JR/TR RS SO
PLAYER # POS YEAR
ROSS JAMES CAMDEN LEWIS ANDREW BOYLE KARSTEN BATTLES ADAM BARRY
No. 92 No. 49 No. 98 No. 45 No. 93
PT/H PK/KO KO LS H/PT
SO/TR JR RS JR/TR SR SR/TR
DAWSON JARAMILLO CAM MCORMICK JAY BUTTERFIELD NOAH WHITTINGTON KYLER KASPER CALEB CHAPMAN JOSH DELGADO MICHAEL WOOTEN KAWIKA ROGERS FAAOPE LALOULU BAILEY JARAMILLO MOLIKI MATAVAO TY THOMPSON SEAN DOLLARS CHARLIE PICKARD PATRICK HERBERT JORDAN JAMES
No. 70 No. 84 No. 9 No. 22 No. 17 No. 19 No. 83 No. 77 No. 73 No. 75 No. 69 No. 8 No. 13 No. 5 No. 65 No. 88 No. 20
RT TE QB RB WR WR WR LT LG RG RT TE QB RB RG TE RB
RS JR RS SR RS FR SO/TR FR RS SR/TR RS SO FR FR SO RS FR SO RS FR RS SO RS FR RS SO FR
# POS YEAR
# POS YEAR PLAYER
MASE FUNA JACKSON LADUKE JUSTIN FLOWE DONTAE MANNING DAYMON DAVID BRYAN ADDISON JAHLIL FLORENCE JJ GREENFIELD JAKE SHIPLEY BRADYN SWINSON KEITH BROWN DARREN BARKINS KHAMARI TERRELL
No. 18 No. 42 No. 10 No. 8 No. 12 No. 13 No. 6 No. 24 No. 90 No. 44 No. 21 No. 22 No. 14
EDGE MLB WLB CB S S CB NB DE EDGE WLB CB NB
JR RS FR RS FR SO SO RS JR FR RS FR SO SO SO RS FR FR
KRIS HUTSON SEVEN MCGEE ALEX BALES LUKE BASSO CHASE COTA
# POS YEAR
No. 1 No. 7 No. 91 No. 57 No. 23
PR KR/PR PK LS PR
SO SO SR/TR RS FR SR TR
DANIEL ARIAS
MONTANA LEMONIOUS-CRAIG
R.H. SNEED II
GERAD CHRISTIAN-LICHTENHAN
CASEY RODDICK
AUSTIN JOHNSON
TOMMY BROWN
JAKE WILEY
BRADY RUSSEL
OWEN MCCOWN
ALEX FONTENOT
TY ROBINSON
JORDYN TYSON
MAURICE BELL
FRANT FILLIP
LUKE ECKARDT
NOAH FENSKE
AUSTIN JOHNSON
No. 6 No. 1 No. 2 No. 69 No. 70 No. 64 No. 75 No. 60 No. 38 No. 7 No. 8 No. 80 No. 4 No. 13 No. 76 No. 52 No. 53 No. 64
WR-X WR-Z WR-F LT LG OC RG RT TE QB RB WR-X WR-Z WR-F LT/RT LG OC RG
SR SO GR/TR RS FR RS JR RS SO GR/TR RS SO RS SR FR RS SR SO FR RS SR RS JR RS FR/TR RS SO/TR RS SO
CALEB FAURIA
J.T. SHROUT DEION SMITH JACK HESTERA CASEY RODDICK ALEX HARKEY BEN REZNIK ERIK OLSEN
DREW CARTER
ANTHONY HANKERSON JAYLON JACKSON AUSTIN SMITH MADDOX KOPP JAYLE STACKS ZACH COURTNEY CHARLIE OFFERDAHL
No. 18 No. 5 No. 20 No. 25 No. 70 No. 65 No. 73 No. 87 No. 9 No. 22 No. 10 No. 82 No. 14 No. 21 No. 86 No. 44
TE QB RB WR-F LT RG RT TE QB RB WR-F TE QB RB TE RB
RS FR RS JR/TR RS JR RS FR RS JR SO/TR RS FR RS FR RS FR FR RS SR RS FR RS FR/TR RS FR FR RS FR
PLAYER # POS YEAR
TERRANCE LANG
NA’IM RODMAN JALEN SAMI GUY THOMAS JOSH CHANDLER-SEMEDO QUINN PERRY ROBERT BARNES NIKKO REED TYRIN TAYLOR TREVOR WOODS KAYLIN MOORE SIMEON HARRIS CHANCE MAIN TYAS MARTIN JUSTIN JACKSON JAMAR MONTGOMERGY
No. 54 No. 91 No. 99 No. 1 No. 8 No. 12 No. 20 No. 6 No. 5 NO. 43 No. 00 No. 15 No. 90 No. 95 No. 13 No. 4
DE DT DT JOKER ILB ILB STAR ICB FS SS RCB NB DE DT DT JOKER
RS SR JR RS JR RS SR/TR GR/TR RS SR/TR GR/TR RS FR RS FR RS FR RS FR FR GR/TR RS FR SR/TR RS SR/TR
MISTER WILLIAMS
MARVIN HAM II AUBREY SMITH JASON OLIVER JEREMY MACK JR. JAYLEN STRIKER NIGEL BETHEL JR. DEVIN GRANT MASON MADDOX ISAAC HURTADO TOREN PITTMAN DYLAN DIXSON ANTHONY LYLE JOSHUA WIGGINS BEN FINNESETH
TRENT CARRIZOSA COLE BECKER DEREK BEDELL NIKKO REED CRISTIANO PALAZZO CAMERON WARCHUCK
No. 53 No. 36 No. 85 No. 6 No. 98 No. 57
PK/H PT/PK/KO LS PR/KR PK/KO LS
FR RS FR RS SO RS FR RS FR/TR RS FR
JORDYN TYSON
MAURCE BELL NOAH HUBBARD R.J. SNEED II DEION SMITH CHARLIE OFFERDAHL
No. 35 No. 7 No. 32 No. 26 NO. 3 No. 2 No. 27 No. 44 No. 56 No. 29 No. 22 No. 9 No. 41 No. 21 No. 28
ILB ILB STAR LCB FS SS RCB/NB DE DT STAR LCB FS SS RCB STAR
RS FR RS SO FR FR SO/TR RS JR/TR RS JR/TR RS FR RS FR SO/TR RS FR FR RS SR/TR FR RS FR
No. 4 No. 13 No. 45 No. 2 No. 20 No. 44
PR KR PK/KO/H PR KR KR
FR RS SR RS FR GR/TR RS JR RS FR
For a split second, 59,962 raucous fans fell silent. A sense of shock permeated throughout Autzen Stadium. Amidst the joyous chaos that flooded Eugene on Saturday, it seemed like the whole community was put on pause for one moment.
In the middle of the second quarter, the No. 8 Oregon Ducks football team was attempting an onside kick.
Instead of booming the kickoff out of the end zone like he normally would, Andrew Boyle tapped the top of the ball with the side of his foot and let it trickle for 10 yards before falling on top of it himself. The Ducks had recovered an onside kick for the first time since 2013.
A number of emotions filled the crowd: confusion for why they even attempted it, fear, for if they didn’t recover it UCLA would have advantageous field position, then excitement once they completed it.
Autzen erupted.
Boyle’s recovery completely changed the shape of the game. With six minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Ducks had just taken a 17-10 lead over the No. 12 Bruins on a 49-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to wide receiver Troy Franklin. However, their defense had yet to find its footing, and the Bruins had two possessions coming their way as they would receive the second-half kickoff. Head coach Dan Lanning didn’t hesitate. His special teams unit had practiced this play earlier in the week, and he saw an opportunity to pull it off.
“That was something we wanted to do,” Lanning said. “It looked like there was some weather coming in. We felt like if there was a chance to steal a possession, it would be before the weather really hit.”
Weighing each of these factors, Lanning disguised his status as a rookie head coach. The onside kick wasn’t the only play on Saturday where he outsmarted veteran Chip Kelly, who Ducks fans used to swear by.
In fact, Lanning, and the atmosphere in Eugene, revived the pleasure that many Ducks fans felt when the now-UCLA head coach manned the ship at Oregon. In the week leading up to the top-10 matchup, the Oregon campus was buzzing as it prepared to host ESPN College GameDay for the first time since 2018. Construction of the set started on Tuesday, adding to the excitement.
For the majority of the students, this was the first time they would have the chance to attend the show. For seniors at the University of Oregon — who had longed for excitement on a national level as two of their years of fandom were limited by the COVID-19 pandemic — it meant even more.
Donovan Muniz and Ian Johnson certainly thought so. They were determined to make the most of it.
Muniz and his friends’ day began at 2 a.m. when their alarm went off and GameDay prep began. Some donned togas, as it was the theme for ESPN College GameDay, while others sported pink for breast cancer awareness.
They arrived at the Memorial Quad at 4 a.m. just as the gates for GameDay opened, and they began to wait. By 6 a.m., when the show went on air, the mob that had gathered on the Quad was wet from the rain and tired from a minimal night’s sleep — or none at all.
The crowd’s excitement outweighed mother nature.
“We wanted to get there early so that we could get good seats and watch College GameDay,” Muniz said. “When else are you going to be able to witness that as a student when it’s at your school?”
While the actions of many on Saturday morning may have seemed irrational, Muniz had a point. This was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that no other Oregon football team had earned during his time at the school. That’s not for a lack of success. The Ducks went 26-8 in his first three years, were ranked as high as No. 3 in the country last year and won the Rose Bowl when he was a freshman.
Yet, 2022 feels different.
“It just felt really exciting,” Muniz said. “It felt like Oregon was being put front and center for everyone in the college football world to see.”
Not only were the Ducks hosting their first top-10 opponent since Stanford in 2018, but GameDay was on campus, and it was Parents Weekend. Altogether, it culminated in the fourth-greatest attendance in Autzen Stadium history and a feel around the team that has rarely been replicated since Kelly left.
Johnson can surely attest to that. The senior, from Scappoose, Oregon, has rooted for Ducks football well before he began attending the school. During his time as a student, he found himself unimpressed with the lackluster offenses
“I think the main thing that I’ve noticed is the quarterback play,” Johnson said. “In comparison to the last two quarterbacks the Ducks have had — Tyler Shough and Anthony Brown — the talent gap is definitely evident when you watch the way Bo Nix is able to air the ball down the field.”
Muniz also referred to that disparity changing the shape of Oregon football.
“I can tell there’s a difference in the Oregon offense,” he said. “They have the ability to run the ball, but they also have the capability, with Bo Nix, to go deep downfield, which I feel like we’ve been missing. Also, I feel like the playcalling this year has been better than years past. It feels like we’re making stuff happen on offense.”
Making stuff happen on offense.
Doesn’t seem like an inordinary strategy, right? But it’s something that many students, seniors especially, rarely saw with Cristobal
In their three-and-a-quarters years as students, Johnson, Muniz and most seniors have had to support a mediocre quarterback carousel. While Cristobal was successful in recruiting what has become one of the nation’s top offensive lines — which has protected Nix to the tune of one sack on the season, and has helped propel him to top-10 in rushing yards among all quarterbacks in the NCAA — he could never get it right at quarterback. Cristobal’s smashmouth philosophy even capped Justin Herbert’s potential.
That stark contrast in quarterback play alone has helped raise the spirits of Oregon students. Even this season, the Ducks have come a long way.
Not many would have predicted an ESPN GameDay visit to Eugene after the Ducks’ blowout loss in Week 1 to Georgia. Yet, there they were: standing in the pouring rain at the Memorial Quad at 4 a.m., then walking to Autzen two hours before kickoff and standing for three straight hours in a student section filled to the brim.
“It got a little chaotic and there were definitely times when it felt kind of crowded and overflowing with the aisles being super full,” Johnson said. “At the same, it just kind of added to the atmosphere.”
Johnson, who stood just a few rows back of the field, was astonished at the capacity of the student section each time he turned around.
Pandemonium dominated Eugene last week.
But what will continue to separate the 2022 football season from any other that current Oregon students have been a part of is if this team sustains the success it’s built, if it doesn’t fall victim to a trap game that caught each Ducks team during the Cristobal era.
For now, following the statement win against the Bruins and hosting ESPN GameDay, the delight that came with it will linger and be strung out by students, as it should.
ESPN GameDay showed up for Oregon football’s matchup with the UCLA Bruins, and students made the most of the opportunity.administered by former head coach Mario Crisotbal. Fans cheer in the stands of Autzen Stadium as the Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins on October 22 in Eugene, Oregon. (Ali Watson/ Emerald)
At this point in the season, the conference contenders are clear. No. 8 Oregon, No. 12 Utah, No. 9 USC and No. 10 UCLA are the top dogs in the Pac-12 and it will almost certainly be one of these teams that wins the conference championship in Las Vegas this December. All four of these teams won this weekend and kept the race for Vegas tight in another high scoring week of college football.
This game was an awful lot closer than it should have been. But for a Trojan team fighting to stay alive in the conference, a win is a win. Coming off a loss to Utah and a bye week, many expected a bigger bounce back from USC. Quarterback Caleb WIlliams certainly did his part, the transfer quarterback had 411 and five passing touchdowns. But the USC defense isn’t where many thought it would be. It has now surrendered 80 points over its last two games. USC hosts Cal (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) next week.
Arizona’s offense had quite a night against the highly ranked Trojans, falling just short of the upset. That high-powered attack kept the Wildcats just one step behind USC all evening. But that was just the issue, Arizona’s defense just couldn’t earn timely stops to complement the offense and the Wildcats had to play catch-up. Arizona will play yet another high caliber Pac-12 team in Salt Lake City next Saturday against No. 11 Utah (6-2, 4-1 Pa-12)
Head coach Chip Kelly’s offense is still very much in stride with where it needs to be for a conference championship run. The difference between Saturday’s game and last week’s 45-30 loss at No. 10 Oregon, was the Bruins defense. Unlike the contest in Eugene, UCLA’s defense was not only competent, but dominant in limiting Stanford’s offense. UCLA built an early cushion with 24 points in the first half, and it was more than enough for the defense to protect as the Bruins earned a key win over the struggling Cardinal. UCLA travels to Tempe for a Saturday night game with the Sun Devils (3-5, 2-3 Pac-12) in week 10.
The Stanford defense was owned by UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet. He had 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinal. The UCLA ground game chewed up the clock and Stanford’s defense as the Cardinal
No Cameron Rising? No problem. The Utes were without their starting quarterback on Thursday night, but it didn’t stop them from handing Washington State its fourth conference loss of the year. Utah relied heavily on its defense against the Cougars. The offense had just 344 total yards on the night, but Utah was able to limit Washington State to 264 total yards. The Utes have competed in and won plenty of high scoring games this year, so seeing them win a low scoring affair is reassuring to Utah fans. The Utes host Arizona (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) next Saturday.
Washington State gave the highly ranked Utes all they could handle on Thursday night, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. The defense held the Utah offense to a season low 21 points. The offense just failed to get anything going, have a lead or take advantage of a wounded Utes’ squad. Now sitting at 4-4, the Cougars are just fighting to end the season bowl eligible. They’ll play at Stanford (3-5, 1-5 Pac-12) next week – a team they’ve beaten in each of their last five meetings.
The Sun Devils started quarterback Trenton Bourguet over Emory Jones, and they may have struck gold. The junior popped off for Arizona State with 435 passing yards through the thin Boulder air. The Sun Devils scored at least one touchdown in each quarter and another offensive onslaught earned ASU its second conference win of the year. Bourguet may be the future of this team. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against No. 12 UCLA (7-1, 4-1) next Saturday.
It’s official. Colorado will not finish bowl eligible. As if there was any doubt. Saturday seemed like the last chance for the Buffaloes to win a game in 2022. Their remaining schedule consists of No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 USC, Washington and No. 12 Utah. It’s a bad year to be a Buff. Colorado plays the red-hot Ducks (7-1, 5-0) in Boulder next Saturday.
Christian Gonzalez knew it was time to abandon the ship.
In his two years playing for Colorado, the Buffaloes were 8-10 and many of his teammates were transferring. It made perfect sense for him to end his tenure as a Buff.
But for Gonzalez to leave Boulder, Colorado, and transfer to a program bringing in a brand new head coach, offensive coordinator and nine other transfers was a little surprising.
He knew coach Demetrice Martin from his time as a Buffaloe. But aside from Martin, Gonzalez was entering a new program with very few connections and very little establishment.
Little about 2022 was crystal clear. During media day, the questions that dominated the afternoon gave the impression that Dan Lanning’s first season would be a reboot year for the Ducks. Lanning made it known that there would be competition at every position and that playing time was to be earned. Nobody’s job was safe. Especially not the new guys. Gonzalez knew he’d be leaving a program that he was the center of, for one he may not even start for.
Even still, Gonzalez took the risk. In January of 2022, he announced he was leaving the Buffaloes after two seasons in Boulder and entering the transfer portal. Later that week, he said he’d found a new home: Oregon.
“I was excited. It was a new chance to do what I want to do,” he said. “And it’s Oregon. That’s a national team, a national organization and a national university. That played a big role in [my decision].”
Gonzalez’s decision evidently affected both programs. The switch seems to have paid off in his favor.
Since Gonzalez left, Colorado and Oregon have gone in two completely different directions. The Ducks are flying high at 7-1 and first in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are 1-7 and are 11th in the conference standings.
Oregon is looking to make a meaningful bowl game, but Colorado is already looking ahead to basketball season. The Buffs fired their head coach, Karl Dorell, after an 0-5 start and several blowout losses. Gonzalez would have been overlooked by everyone had he remained in Boulder.
The Ducks, however, are thriving in their first season under Lanning’s command.
They’ve won seven straight and are favored to win the Pac-12.
Gonzalez, like the Ducks, has had serious success in 2022. His career at Colorado was littered with penalties, but he’s truly been a dominant force at cornerback for Oregon and is drawing hardly any flags. A true accomplishment on this team.
“The way I run, the way I step, the way I take the field, the way I mentally take the field. All the little things lead up to the plays you make and the plays don’t make,” Gonzalez said. “Film study is something
the draft boards.
Lanning has high praise for Gonzalez saying his experience has benefitted him and having him on the team is “certainly good for our program.”
It was a calculated risk for Gonzalez to come to Eugene, but one that may just land him a spot in the National Football League.
Draft Network said Gonzalez “flashes good eyes and instincts in zone coverage and makes it hard to find throwing windows.” NFL Draft Buzz said his “closing speed and willingness to make the big hit make him one of the more versatile safeties in the class.”
It seems 32 professional teams will have their eyes on Gonzalez in April at the 2023 NFL Draft. It’ll be a similar feeling to when he had 32 original offers to play in college. Ironically, Oregon wasn’t one of them.
“When he finally settled on Colorado I was kind of surprised,” his mother, Temple Gonzalez, said. “His words [to me] were, ‘they were the first ones to notice me. They were the first ones to take a chance on me.’”
CHRISTIAN GONZALEZthat I really stepped up and I think it’s translated over.”
His risky transfer has paid dividends. He’s fifth in the team in tackles with 32 — a stat that could be higher, but opposing quarterbacks just aren’t testing him.
There’s a fear of Gonzalez that didn’t exist during his time at Colorado where he was regularly picked on as an inexperienced underclassmen, and it often led to the aforementioned penalties.
But he got significant playing time as a bright spot on a disappointing roster. He gained experience, discipline and a better understanding of the game. He said his time in Colorado allowed him to focus on the “little things” that make a player great.
After two seasons in Colorado, Gonzalez had bolder ambitions. He took a risk to join a retooling Oregon team. He had to earn his spot during spring ball, where he turned heads and established himself as the top cornerback yet again.
As a part of Lanning’s new defense, Gonzalez has proved to be one of the best corners in college football. He’s flying up
Gonzalez found playing time at Colorado, but true success in Oregon.
On Saturday, the Ducks face Colorado in Boulder. Gonzalez gets to flex his new team in his old stomping grounds.
He expects to be welcomed back kindly, as he states there’s no bad blood between him and Colorado.
“I was blessed to get the opportunity to go there,” Gonzalez said. “They gave me the opportunity to play and show what I can do.”
Colorado’s loss has been Oregon’s gain. Duck fans have been blessed to watch the young corner play this season. He’ll likely make an NFL team happy in the future.
But for now, as Gonzalez says, it’s “one step at a time.” That next step is a homecoming reunion with the first team to want him and a chance to cement that his new team is a better fit.
“I WAS BLESSED TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THERE. THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND SHOW WHAT I CAN DO.”
As the NFL nears the halfway point of their 18week season, Sunday brought exciting moments to former Ducks. Of the numerous Oregon football players who have moved onto the next step in their careers, four stood out during week 8.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota had his best game, which fell on his 29th birthday, this season. This is his first season with the Falcons and he had important contributions to an exciting overtime win 37-34 over the Carolina Panthers. Mariota showcased his mobility with a 30-yard run in overtime. This play set up his team for the game winning field goal.
Despite throwing two interceptions — one during overtime — his coach was impressed with his resilience during his performance. Mariota had three touchdowns with 253 passing yards, with his longest pass of the day being 47 yards.
“Not many boys can play like that,” Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith said. “The moment is never too big for him.”
The Minnesota Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt had his first career NFL touchdown in their win over the Arizona Cardinals. The touchdown came after Mundt was wide open in the end zone and quarterback Kirk Cousins found him for a one yard pass. The Vikings won 37-34 and are currently first place in the NFC North.
Mundt is in his first season with the Vikings after playing with the Los Angeles Rams since 2017.
The Miami Dolphins’ safeties Jevon Holland
Holland has been named one of the 2022 captains for the Dolphins, while McKinley is an undrafted rookie who was brought up from the practice roster prior to Sunday’s game. After being called up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McKinley was promoted to a starter in this week’s call up.
During the game against the Steelers, McKinley made his NFL debut and recorded his first tackle. Holland also had himself a game with an exciting fourth quarter interception that brought the Dolphins the victory, making this win important for both former Oregon players.
After the game, Holland expressed the excitement he felt to have his teammate on the same field again.
“Let me tell you something: That’s one of my best friends in the entire world. I love him dearly. And to have him on the field with me, that was more exciting than the pick,” Holland said.
Holland currently has 27 solo tackles which leads the Dolphins defense.
NOT MANY BOYS CAN PLAY LIKE THAT. THE MOMENT IS NEVER TOO BIG FOR HIM.”ARTHUR SMITH Atlanta head coach on Marcus Mariota Legendary Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota makes an appearance at the game. Oregon Ducks Football takes on the University of Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 16, 2019. (Connor Cox/Emerald) Ducks safety Jevon Holland (8) leads the ducks onto the field. Oregon Ducks Football takes on the University of Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 16, 2019. (DL Young/Emerald)
Coming off a commanding win against UCLA in week 8, the Oregon Ducks (7-1, 5-0) took a while to warm up against the California Golden Bears (3-5, 1-4). Despite a slow start with many early unsuccessful scoring drives, No. 8 Oregon managed to hold off Cal, winning 42-24.
This is Oregon’s seventh straight win and Cal’s fourth straight loss.
“Obviously, it’s always great to go on the road and get a win, “Coach Dan Lanning said. “I think our guys are hungry to improve. I think we’re going to build off this one and keep growing.”
The Cal defense put pressure on Oregon’s offense early on, but could not keep up with quarterback Bo Nix after the first quarter — he totaled 412 passing yards. Cal earned the first score of the game and had the lead going into the second quarter.
red zone. where it was stopped twice on fourth down and threw an interception, costing them potentially 21 points. Cal, however, was unable to capitalize on these mistakes.
“It’s nice when you don’t perform at your best, miss a few opportunities in the red zone, and you still do what we did on offense. It’s a good thing, but we have to go back to work,” Bo Nix said.
Cal quarterback Jack Plummer threw for 214 yards and one touchdown, but had two interceptions in the first half. He had three prior to the game and was eventually replaced by redshirt freshman Kal Millner in the fourth quarter.
Millner made an immediate impact by scoring his first career rushing touchdown. He went on to score two total touchdowns, including a pass to Justin Richard Baker for 55 yards for Cal’s final touchdown.
HEAD COACH DAN LANNING BY EMMA LOGANThe Ducks took command of the game in the second quarter where they scored three touchdowns. Nix continued to impress with three rushing and three passing touchdowns, making him the first Oregon quarterback to do this since Jeremiah Masoli in 2009.
Following this game, Nix leads the Pac-12 with 11 rushing touchdowns.
Despite the final scoreline, Oregon struggled in the
Oregon didn’t leave Saturday’s win unscathed as Chase Costa, Troy Franklin and DJ Johnson sustained injuries. Franklin went down with a non-contact injury after catching a pass, but returned to the game in the second half.
Oregon faces Colorado (1-7, 1-4) next week looking for another win to stay in contention for the Pac-12 championship.
“I THINK OUR GUYS ARE HUNGRY TO IMPROVE. I THINK WE’RE GOING TO BUILD OFF THIS ONE AND KEEP GROWING.”
The No. 8 Oregon Ducks will travel to Boulder, Colorado, in week 10 to play their second-to-last away game of the regular season.
After a lackluster first half performance from the Ducks against the California Golden Bears in week 9, they rallied to trounce Cal in the second half.
Senior quarterback Bo Nix continued his Heisman Trophy campaign as he accounted for six total touchdowns. He passed for 412 yards and three touchdown passes while he rushed for 59 yards and three touchdowns.
Nix’s contributions gave Oregon 42 points, which extended their scoring streak to seven games of putting up more than 40 points on the scoreboard.
Needless to say, Nix and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s connection is on full display. Dillingham’s play calling is on another level, and Nix is playing like the seasoned veteran that he is. As a result, the Ducks’ total offense is ranked as third best in the nation, behind the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers.
Versus the Bears, Oregon’s secondary had their best showing of the season as they broke up four passes and intercepted two interceptions. Two key members of the Ducks’ secondary and staff are former Colorado Buffaloes in Christian Gonzalez and cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator Demetrice Martin.
Coach Martin was hired by head coach Dan Lanning on Dec. 23, 2021, after two seasons under former Colorado coach Karl Dorrell, who was fired after an 0-5 start to this season.
Once Martin departed, the 2021 all-Pac-12 honorable mention in Gonzalez followed suit the next month. He announced on Jan. 8, 2022 that he’s
transferring to the Ducks via his Twitter.
On the year, Gonzalez has accounted for 25 solo tackles, an interception and seven pass deflections. Of those 25, eight of them came against Cal as well as a blocked field goal attempt, the first for Oregon since 2017.
Colorado’s first and only victory of the season was versus Cal in week 7. Since, the Buffaloes have lost their last two games to the Oregon State Beavers and Arizona State Sun Devils by a combined 84-43.
Now they will host the No. 1 team in the conference, as Oregon is riding a hot seven game win streak this season. The Ducks are currently on a two game win streak against the Buffaloes, and their series total sits at 14-9, in favor of Oregon.
Colorado has only averaged 16.3 points per game and allowed 39.1, so look for them to lean on their three leading tacklers in sophomore safety Trevor Woods and senior linebackers Josh Chandler-Semedo and Quinn Perry to remain competitive in this contest. These three defenders have at least 30 solo tackles each, while Woods leads the team with 54.
With that being said, the Ducks are far better statistically, so they should be able to rest their starters early in this one. If they’re able to do this, then they will be able to provide meaningful playing opportunities for their reserve players, which would be beneficial for their growth going forward.
Tune into ESPN this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. to see if the No. 8 Ducks (7-1, 5-0) can top their largest margin of victory against the unranked Buffaloes (1-7, 1-4), which was 70-14 in 2012.
The 2016 Oregon Ducks football team may not have had the most successful season, but man, were they fun to watch. The game at California was no exception. It fit that description, as both offenses combined for a video game-like 1,086 yards of total offense along with 13 touchdowns.
What made Oregon’s offensive performance so impressive was how they started the game. Freshman Justin Herbert was completely unable to get the offense going. The Ducks struggled to
find any rhythm in the run or pass game, leading to four punts on their first four offensive possessions.
As Oregon’s offense failed to put points on the board, let alone move the ball down the field, the floodgates began to open on its defense. Former Cal quarterback Davis Webb — who went on to be a third round pick in the NFL — took full advantage of an inexperienced Ducks’ defense and scored three touchdowns to put the Golden Bears up 21-0. No Cal scoring drive took more than four and a half minutes to that point, showing how deadly Webb was in that offense.
Near the end of the first quarter, Herbert settled in and began looking like the prominent thrower
we now know him to be. He calmly diced up the Cal defense for throws of 22 and 21 yards to Darren Carrington II and Pharaoh Brown. Just two plays later, Herbert found Brown open again, this time for a 27-yard touchdown to put the Ducks on the board, down 21-7.
The offense began to find its stride towards the end of the half. Herbert led an eight play, 71yard drive, punctuated by a Tony Brooks-James touchdown. While the offense found a rhythm, the defense would continue to get beat, giving up another 10 points before the half, making the score 14-31 at halftime.
The second half is where the fireworks started.
In order for the Ducks to get back in this game, they needed an offensive explosion and for the defense to turn into a steel curtain with timely stops. Both sides of the team took the challenge and stepped up. Herbert and the offense shrewdly lit up the Cal defense on their way to scoring five second half touchdowns.
While not the Steel Curtain of the 70s, the defense stepped up too, allowing fewer points in the second half than they did in the first.
Unfortunately, the Ducks’ effort fell short, as they lost on an overtime field goal, 52-49. Although the Ducks lost in heartbreaking fashion, fans were assured that the future of the program was in good hands with Herbert. He finished with 258 yards, six touchdowns and a pick.
Fast forward to the 2022 matchup, last Saturday, which produced a similar game script.
The Ducks started out slowly, falling behind 10-3, however their comeback-effort proved successful.
Quarterback Bo Nix mimicked Herbert’s output to the tune of his own 6 total touchdowns, while throwing for 412 yards. No. 8 Oregon left Berkeley with a 42-24 win after taking hold of the game in the second quarter.
