11-30-23 Emerald Media Group - Gameday

GAMEDAY 11.30.23

Emerald Media

NEVER SATISFIED Dan Lanning’s standards lead Oregon into a rematch with the Huskies O R E G O N ’ S R E D E M P T I O N S H O T P G 7 • A R O U N D T H E PAC : O N E F I N A L T I ME P G 1 0 • F L O C K TA KE S F L I G H T T O L A S VE G A S P G 1 6

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GAMEDAY

GAMEDAY

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ON THE COVER

Bryce Boettcher celebrates after recovering a fumble. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Portland State University Vikings in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 2, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

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 3 0 , 2 0 2 3

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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. FAAOPE LALOULU MARCUS HARPER II NISHAD STROTHER GEORGE SILVA PATRICK HERBERT TY THOMPSON NOAH WHITTINGTON

WASHINGTON 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

ROME ODUNZE JA’LYNN POLK JALEN MCMILLAN TROY FAUTANU NATE KALEPO PARKER BRAILSFORD JULIUS BUELOW ROGER ROSENGARTEN DEVIN CULP MICHAEL PENIX JR. DILLON JOHNSON DENZEL BOSTON GERMIE BERNARD GILES JACKSON JALEN KLEMM ZACHARY HENNING LANDEN HATCHETT SAMUEL PEACOCK JACK WESTOVER DYLAN MORRIS WILL NIXON

No. 1 No. 2 No. 11 No. 55 NO. 71 No. 72 No. 77 No. 73 No. 83 No. 9 No. 7 No. 12 No. 4 No. 00 No. 70 No. 58 No. 66 No. 65 No. 37 No. 5 No. 8

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

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

WASHINGTON 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

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PLAYER BRALEN TRICE ULUMOO ALE TULI LETULIGASENOA ZION TUPUOLA-FETUI EDEFUAN ULOFOSHIO ALPHONZO TUPUTALA MISHAEL POWELL JABBAR MUHAMMAD DOMINIQUE HAMPTON MAKELL ESTEEN ELIJAH JACKSON SEKAI ASOAU-AFOA JACOB BANDES FAATUI TUITELE VOI TUNUUFI RALEN GOFORTH CARSON BRUENER TRISTAN DUNN THADDEUS DIXON VINCENT HOLMES KAMREN FABICULANAN JAIVION GREEN

#

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

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

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

JACK MCCALLISTER GRADY GROSS JADEN GREEN GERMIE BERNARD DANIYEL NGATA

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POS

No. 8 No. 68 No. 91 No. 4 No. 5 No. 11 No. 3 No. 1 No. 7 No. 24 No. 25 No. 46 No. 55 No. 99 No. 52 No. 10 No. 42 No. 12 No. 9 No. 18 No. 13 No. 00

RS JR EDGE RS SR NT RS SR DT RS SR EDGE RS SR MLB RS JR WLB HUSKEY RS JR SR/TR LCB RS SR SS RS SO FS RS SO RCB SR/TR EDGE RS JR NT RS JR DT JR EDGE GR/TR MLB JR WLB HUSKEY RS FR SO/TR LCB FR SS RS JR FS SO RCB

YEAR

WASHINGTON SPECIAL TEAMS

PLAYER

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

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#

No. 38 No. 95 No. 89 No. 4 No. 21

POS

PT/H PK/KO LS PR KR

YEAR

RS SO SO JR SO/TR RS JR/TR

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

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GAMEDAY

OREGON PREPARES FOR A REDEMPTION SHOT AT RIVAL WASHINGTON It’s been a tremendous season for Oregon this year. The No. 5 Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) have walked through the majority of their schedule and boast impressive wins over several teams that were ranked at one point in the season, including Oregon State, USC, Utah, Washington State and Colorado. There’s just one ugly, purple stain on the Ducks’ season: a 36-33 loss to the currently-ranked No. 3 Washington Huskies (12-0, 9-0 Pac-12) back on Oct. 14.

Since the loss, Ducks and Huskies alike have fought and scraped their way toward an inevitable rematch. The final Pac-12 Championship Game in conference history will feature a clash of two of the bigger rivals on the West Coast.

It’s a rivalry built on tradition, trash talk, heartbreak and, of course, incredible talent. This season has been no different as Washington and Oregon feature two of the best offenses in the entire country.

Washington just finished its first 12-0 season in school history. The Huskies are hoping to make their second appearance in the College Football Playoff and their first since the 2016-17 season. The Ducks, on the other hand, have dominated their schedule and have played in only two one-score games (Washington

THE DUCKS AND HUSKIES WILL MEET AGAIN FOR THE 2023 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

BY BRADY RUTH DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

and Texas Tech).

Oregon could make the CFP for the second time in program history — and first since the inaugural 201415 season — with a win over its rival to the north.

The Pac-12 Championship Game in Las Vegas will also be the stage for two Heisman-hopeful quarterbacks to make another push for the prestigious award at the end of the season. Both are well deserving. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix leads the nation in passing yards with 3,906 while Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. sits just seven yards behind with 3,899.

Nix had more passing yards than Penix Jr. during the regular-season meeting with 337 to Penix Jr.’s 302. The Huskies won the game on an Oregon would-be game-tying field goal miss as the clock expired. Washington fans stormed the field as Oregon fans’ hearts sank.

The rest of the season, Oregon has used its powerful offense to blow past opponents. The Ducks have an incredible +352 point differential this season and their offense ranks second in the nation in average yards per game.

The defense, on the other hand, looks like it gets better every week. Leaders Evan Williams — who leads the team in tackles — and Jeffrey Bassa have gotten their defense on the same wavelength. Oregon’s defense has held its opponents to single-digit scores five times this season, three of which came against ranked opponents (Colorado, Utah and Oregon State).

Two of the better wide receivers in the game will

again face off for the Pac-12 title. Oregon’s Troy Franklin is third in the nation in receiving yards with 1,349 while Washington’s Rome Odunze sits fourth with 1,326. Covering these two provides many challenges, including potentially opening up other dangerous receivers like Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk and Oregon’s Tez Johnson. Both Nix and Penix Jr. have utilized several weapons all season long and both defenses will have their hands full on Friday.

The Ducks and Huskies also rank first and second respectively in passing yards per game. The rematch in Vegas is shaping up to be a shootout, and it’s very likely again that the team that scores last is victorious and playoff bound.

According to ESPN’s FPI, the tool it uses to predict outcomes and playoff odds, the Ducks have a 75.8% chance to beat the Huskies in the rematch. It’s a number that seems incredibly high considering Oregon is playing an undefeated Washington team that’s already bested the Ducks this season, but the Ducks have been absolutely unstoppable since that matchup.

As far as the CFP goes, the FPI gives Oregon a 53% chance to make the playoff — the fourthhighest odds in the country. Washington, on the other hand, has just a 26% chance to move to the biggest stage. However, it has to be imagined that an undefeated Huskies team that would have beaten the Ducks twice would secure a spot in the CFP. It’s been an interesting second half of the season for Oregon. The Ducks really haven’t played in a competitive game since losing to Washington, and the Huskies will be a test Oregon hasn’t faced since … well, the Huskies.

Everything is still on the table for Oregon, but the Ducks could also lose it all by falling to Washington again. One of the biggest games of the college football season kicks off Friday at 5 p.m.

Head coach Dan Lanning celebrates with his team after winning the Holiday Bowl. The Oregon Ducks faced the North Carolina Tar Heels in the annual Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif. on Dec. 28, 2022.

(Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

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GAMEDAY

NIX

KNOWS

In crucial moments, Nix used quarterback keepers in the first half against Oregon State, quietly propelling the Ducks to victory

BY NINA-GRACE MONTES • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART With Oregon’s sixth Pac-12 Championship appearance and a potential College Football Playoff berth on the line, Bo Nix stepped up in subtle moments that mattered most.

THANKS TO THE QUARTERBACK KEEPER. The QB keeper is something that Nix doesn’t do often, as he likes to spread the ball around. But in moments that quietly mattered, he took the ball himself in No. 6 Oregon’s (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) 31-7 win against instate rival, No. 16 Oregon State (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12).

It all started with the first drive of the game.

After running for no gain on 3rd down, Nix kept the ball and pushed for a one-yard gain that would result in a first down and, later, the first touchdown of the game.

To start the second quarter, Nix ran for 16 yards to extend Oregon’s lead to 14 without any response from Oregon State.

Once the Beavers found a way to score, Nix showed who was in control by running the ball for 11 yards for a first down, and four plays later, the score would become 21-7.

“It just kind of happened,” Nix said of the run game against Oregon State. “When you get in that situation, we kept getting first downs but we kept getting PA G E 8

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BEST

Gloves honoring former Oregon tight end Spencer Webb were part of the special uniform worn by Oregon. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

tackled. All that matters is that we move the chains, but we did what we had to do to stay on the field.”

While these plays typically wouldn’t make the highlight reel of the game, especially when he threw for 367 yards — including a 41-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin — with an 83% completion rate, those moments are important to the bigger conversation that’s being had right now: the Heisman.

Heading into Saturday’s game, Nix ranked within the top-five in the nation in eight different quarterback statistical categories — all related to passing. To start the season, Nix was relatively quiet on the ground after finishing the 2022 season with 510 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, but has recently started to establish his run game as a threat.

Nix ran for a touchdown in three-straight games against Washington State, Utah and California. He currently leads all active FBS quarterbacks with 38 rushing touchdowns and his 20 as a Duck ranks third all-time amongst Oregon quarterbacks.

In the last Pac-12 in-state rivalry game and Nix’s last game in Autzen Stadium, he added another reason to why he’s headlining the Heisman conversation by showcasing his rushing game. His six carries for 31 yards were his highest this season against conference opponents.

Even though on paper it’s not a lot, 28 out of those 31 yards came in the first half and set the tone of the game.

“I think sometimes, I don’t necessarily shock myself, but I prove to myself over and over that I can get out of situations to make us right and I think

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that’s just the competitiveness of my game,” Nix said. “It’s the refusal and denial of being stopped.”

As these conversations about the Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff spots are starting to reach their peak, it’s important to think about how players get such high numbers and what discreet things that aren’t being talked about as much that led to those leaderboards.

“Bo will be his hardest critic and that is what makes Bo special,” head coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “He is going to go back and look at all those plays he could have had or should have had and fight to find a way to make sure that it happens. That’s why he’s playing at such a high level right now and he’s a coach out there on the field. When you have that mindset of how can I get better, that’s how you improve.”

The qualifications for the Heisman state that it is “the most outstanding college football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance and hard work.” While those plays were not Nix’s viral moments, they led to big things – and that wouldn’t have happened without the characteristics to be a Heisman winner. And why not do it on a big stage like the last conference, instate rivalry game against a ranked opponent?

“This was a great game and I think it’s a great rivalry for the state of Oregon and would love to keep it going,” Lanning said. “If we have to put the ball out in the parking lot, that’s fine with me.”

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GAMEDAY

AROUND THE PAC-12: WEEK 13 Which teams were victorious in the final week of the regular season?

BY BRADY RUTH • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ The final week of regular-season football for the Pac-12 this season — and the rest of the near future — was a memorable one. The No. 6 Oregon Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) hammered the No. 16 Oregon State Beavers (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12) 31-7 at Autzen Stadium on Friday night. The Ducks punched their ticket to the Pac-12 Championship Game with the win, but what else happened in the final week of the Pac-12’s legacy?

NO. 4 WASHINGTON SURVIVES WASHINGTON STATE 24-21

head coach – fresh off a stint as Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2022 – was far from ideal. The Sun Devils didn’t show much fight in many of their games, and it’s hard to imagine that ASU will be overly successful recruiting after a season like this.

Dillingham and the Sun Devils will move to the Big 12 Conference next season.

UTAH BEATS COLORADO 23-17 IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

Another week, another narrow Washington (12-0, 9-0 Pac-12) win. The Huskies won the Apple Cup for the second-straight year. A last-second walk off field goal erased a flat performance by the Washington offense. The Huskies gained just 306 yards in their win but have now won nine of their last ten games against the Cougars (5-7, 2-7 Pac12). Washington’s 12-0 season is its first in school history and earned the Huskies a shot at the College Football Playoff. However, the Ducks await in Las Vegas next week with their own dreams at a CFP appearance.

Washington State’s season was an embarrassing one. The Cougars started 4-0 and were once ranked before losing seven of their last eight games. The wheels fell off and Washington State never got them going again. Two interceptions sunk the Cougars against rival Washington. A heartbreaking loss to end the season seems fitting for a team that has to watch its conference dissolve at the end of the season, leaving just it and Oregon State behind.

NO. 15 ARIZONA CONTINUES TO ROLL WITH 59-23 WIN OVER ARIZONA STATE

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CALIFORNIA EARNS SIXTH WIN WITH 33-7 WIN OVER UCLA Who had the Golden Bears (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) finishing bowl-eligible on their 2023 bingo card?

California unraveled UCLA (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12) on Saturday night in a must-win for securing a bowl game. The Golden Bears’ defense forced four UCLA turnovers and limited the Bruins to just 71 rushing yards in the closing week of Pac-12 football.

The Bruins had a really funky season. Some weeks, they looked like Pac-12 Championship Game contenders. Other weeks, they looked like they could barely field a team. Week 13’s game against Cal was the latter. The Bruins still earned a rivalry-win over USC last week and will go to a bowl game, so the season isn’t a complete failure.

However, UCLA has some major steps to take to prepare for football in the Big Ten Conference next fall.

NO. 18 NOTRE DAME DISMANTLES STANFORD 56-23

Arizona (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) has been one of the hottest teams in the country during the second half of the season. Quarterback Noah Fifita had 527 passing yards — a school record — in the dominating win.

Arizona finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak and should earn a solid bowl-game bid for the Wildcats’ first postseason game since 2017.

Kenny Dillingham’s first season as Arizona State’s (3-9, 2-7 Pac-12)

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The Utes (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12) put together a solid season considering star quarterback Cameron Rising didn’t take a single snap all year. Utah finished its season with a rivalry win over Colorado (4-8, 1-8 Pac-12). The Utes have now won seven straight over the Buffaloes and ended up 11-2 against Colorado during the two schools’ stints in the Pac-12. Utah will look ahead to a bowl appearance for a ninth-straight eligible season.

The Colorado hype turned into a “what happened” season rather quickly. The Buffaloes finished the season on a six-game losing streak.

Deion Sanders seems determined to have a strong recruiting offseason, but clearly has a lot of work to do to get to an adequate spot when Big 12 play starts next fall. The Buffs finished last in the Pac12 for the second year in a row. When looking at Colorado’s schedule this season, conference losses “ain’t hard to find.”

The Cardinal (3-9, 2-7 Pac-12) surrendered 381 rushing yards while only collecting 359 total yards in their season finale. Stanford was a doormat in the Pac-12 this season and will hope to put up a better effort in the American Coast Conference next season.

Bo Nix interacts with the Autzen crowd. The Oregon Ducks football team defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023. (Eric Becker/ Emerald) |

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GAMEDAY

GREAT EXPECTATIONS HAVE PROPELLED THE DUCKS FORWARD Dan Lanning’s expectations lead Oregon into a rematch with Washington

BY JOE KRASNOWSKI • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

The second quarter against Arizona State on Nov. 18 had just ended and a seemingly dissatisfied Dan Lanning made his way to do his weekly halftime radio address.

“We’ve played a half,” he said. “Now let’s play the whole game.”

The score was 42-0. Quarterback Bo Nix had thrown for six touchdowns and Lanning wasn’t pleased.

He never is — and his players love it.

“He’s the best coach in the country,” wide receiver Tez Johnson said of Lanning after Oregon’s win over USC on Nov. 11. “He’s going to coach hard, and he’s going to challenge us every day.”

Behind Lanning, Oregon is 11-1 and set for a Pac12 Championship rematch with Washington.

“The way Coach Lanning approaches kind of everything gets us fired up,” center Jackson Powers-Johnson said after a practice. “He has so much passion.”

On both sides of the ball, Lanning’s Ducks have been dominant, Oregon is ranked in the top 15 nationally in both total offense and total defense.

“At the end of the day it’s Oregon vs. Oregon,” linebacker Bryce Boettcher said after a practice.

“We’ve got to control what we can control, and if we do that, good things will happen.”

Oregon vs Oregon — it’s like a code in Eugene.

Quite simply, Oregon is the only team that can beat itself, as has proven time and again to be the case. Lanning’s squad opted not to kick a field goal twice in the Ducks’ loss to Washington on Oct. 14, leaving six points on the board. They lost by three.

Despite analytics saying Lanning should do otherwise, with a 4th-and-3 facing the Ducks late in the second quarter, Lanning elected to pass on fourth down and was unsuccessful.

“The one before half was one you could go back and say, ‘Let’s take the field goal,’” Lanning said postgame.

The Ducks would go for it twice more on 4th downs and come up unsuccessful both times. Oregon is the only thing that can beat itself, and it did.

“We are in control, we can go out and win out,” Nix said after Oregon’s loss. “Put ourselves in a really good spot, that’s all we can control and that’s really all we have to control.”

That’s exactly what Oregon has done.

The Ducks have won out since their loss to Washington. A 31-7 victory over Oregon State punched Oregon’s ticket to a rematch with the Huskies in the Pac-12 Championship.

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wouldn’t get there if we didn’t do a good job at focusing on the task at hand,” Lanning said of his team earning a berth to the Pac-12 Championship and a rematch with the Huskies. “It’s not going to be about Washington either, it’s going to be about the Ducks and what we have to do to be better.”

It wasn’t facile. Oregon has been more motivated than ever. Following the Ducks’ lone loss of the season, Lanning’s squad immediately responded.

In the following week’s practice, Lanning quipped that Oregon’s practice intensity was “a little too much at times.”

“There’s a rule of diminishing returns,” Lanning said, “where you have so much juice that you can’t focus on the job at hand.”

Oregon’s intensity eventually balanced out.

The Ducks went on to score five touchdowns against a hapless Washington State on Oct. 21. Still, Lanning’s Ducks were not content.

“We weren’t playing to our standard,” defensive back Nikko Reed said. “That’s what we had to adjust to, playing to our standard.”

Oregon has won by more than one score in all of its games following the Ducks lone loss. Lannings

said regarding the rumors. “I’ve got unfinished business here. My number one priority is being elite here at Oregon.”

The Ducks have been as elite as they come — not only has Oregon been near perfect, it has defeated opponents by one or more scores in all but one of its games so far this season.

“1-A win, 1-B play to the standard,” Lanning said of his team’s goals after practice. “If you do either one without the other, you’re going to feel unfulfilled. That’s what it’s about for us.”

Lanning’s self-proclaimed “Oregon standard” has been near impossible to reach, and that’s likely how he wishes it to be. At halftime of Oregon’s win over California on Nov. 4, Lanning was as displeased as ever.

“Really disappointing start. Really disappointing half,” he said of his team’s performance. “I don’t care what the scoreboard says, we have a standard of play.”

The scoreboard read 35-13. Cal was yet to record an offensive touchdown and Lanning was as incensed as ever.

“I think we put ourselves in some tough positions at times,” Lanning went on to say after the game. “We didn’t play to our standard of play.”

Oregon won the game 63-19.

Coaches at any level are innately demanding and want more from their teams. Lanning takes his expectations to a whole new level. And it’s worked.

The Ducks are now 11-1 and are going into a rematch with the Huskies, and they are as motivated as ever.

“Right after the game in Seattle, that’s one of the main things that I said,” linebacker Jeff Bassa said. “‘We are going to see that team again. I promise you that, don’t lay your heads down.’ We didn’t see that in the locker room. Guys were ready to go to work, we knew what was at stake, we knew we could control our future.”

“We got one goal, and that’s to go 1-0,” offensive lineman Steven Jones said before Oregon’s victory over the Beavers. “So we just have to go 1-0 this week and the rest will handle itself.”

Oregon did that and now it’s on to a rematch with a bigger foe. No matter what the score is in the following games, fans can bet Lanning won’t be satisfied.

“I expected us to be here,” Lanning said after the Oregon State game. “We still have some unfinished business.”

“AT THE END OF THE DAY IT’S OREGON VS. OREGON. WE’VE GOT TO CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL, AND IF WE DO THAT, GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN.” BRYCE BOETTCHER, Ducks linebacker squad has dominated, regardless of the opponent.

“Every single day the standard is the standard,” Lanning said after the Washington State game.

It’s said in every program nationwide, but in Eugene it’s palpable: the Oregon standard is rooted deep in the Ducks’ success.

Lanning’s work has begun garnering national attention. Amid Oregon’s success, he was mentioned in rumors regarding a potential Texas A&M job opening.

“Everything I want exists right here, I’m not going anywhere. There’s zero chance I would be coaching somewhere else,” Lanning emphatically

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GAMEDAY The Oregon Ducks defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023.

(Eric Becker/Emerald)

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GAMEDAY

WARNING SIGNS FOR WASHINGTON AHEAD OF VEGAS After a Seattle barn burner that saw the Washington Huskies outlast the Oregon Ducks, both teams have controlled their own destiny

BY JACK LAZARUS • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARINEZ The clash of Ducks and Huskies on Oct. 14 was an instant classic. But while neither team has lost since, their two seasons have had different tones since they met in Seattle.

Both Washington and Oregon have survived the gauntlet that has been the Pac-12 this season. The No. 5 Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) have only lost to the No. 3 Huskies (12-0, 9-0 Pac-12), but each team has been able to knock off the same, at times tricky conference opponents.

Washington came out on top in the first matchup of the two Pac-12 contenders on the back of a late Rome Odunze touchdown and a missed field goal that would have tied the game as time expired. Since then, the Huskies have been a mixed bag, but they won out and finished the regular season with a 12-0 record.

The Huskies have looked very impressive at times and a lot less so at others.

Their star receiver Odunze has had over 80 receiving yards in each of the last six games since playing Oregon and has had seven touchdowns in those games.

Running back Dillon Johnson has also been very dangerous at times, especially rushing for 256 yards in the Huskies’ victory over USC. In their first game coming off of their win against the Ducks, the Huskies and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled to overcome one of the conference doormats in Arizona State.

Penix Jr. threw two interceptions that game and neither team got anything going on offense with a

Washington pick-six being the decider.

However, in the next three games, the offense posted over 35 points, but the defense exclusively allowed at least 28 points each game. The Huskies’ defense could barely contain teams like Stanford, who posted just six points on Oregon earlier this season.

To its credit, Washington had two ranked wins in that stretch against USC and Utah, but both games were shootouts. These games were also within 10 points, so it meant that even though its offense was firing and scoring points, the defense was struggling and couldn’t make many stops.

Washington having had a hard time against USC’s Caleb Williams, along with the fact that they let Bo Nix pass for over 300 yards in Seattle, demonstrates the idea that big-time quarterbacks with high-powered offensive attacks can outmatch the Huskies defense.

The Huskies’ previous two contests have been close, low-scoring games where the grind of a long season is starting to show on these teams. Against their in-state rival Washington State, Washington needed a game-winning field goal at the end of the game to pull out the victory in its last-ever regular season Pac-12 game.

All of the opponents that Washington has struggled against, most notably Stanford and Arizona State, have been teams that Oregon has thoroughly dismantled at one point or another this season. The Ducks have looked much more dominant in their games since Seattle than the Huskies.

Oregon is 6-0 since it played Washington, and all of those games have been decided by more than one possession. Nix has put in some of the best

Bucky Irving (0) stiff arms a defender. The Washington Huskies defeated the Oregon Ducks 36-33 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash. on Oct. 14, 2023. (Eric Becker/ Emerald)

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performances of his collegiate career in the past weeks, including over 400 yards and six touchdown passes against ASU and six total touchdowns against Cal. Another standout performer has been slot receiver Tez Johnson, who has taken a considerable step up in the second half of the season. The junior has hauled in six touchdowns in his last six games, along with amassing over 100 yards receiving in three of those.

The Ducks’ defense has continued to be stellar since they let up 36 points in Seattle. This unit hasn’t let up that amount since then and has forced teams out of games early.

Oregon has the No. 7 ranked scoring defense in the country and a vast majority of that production has happened in recent weeks. Tysheem Johnson has led this defense to most of its success including a huge ranked win in Utah, where he intercepted the Utes twice.

The Ducks also conceded just seven points to in-state rivals Oregon State, a team that pushed Washington to the end, scoring 22 points.

Ever since that fateful Camden Lewis missed kick, these squads have been on a direct path to meeting each other in the last Pac-12 championship game ever. Both these teams have survived the conference gauntlet, beat all of the teams eating each other alive and came out with a real shot to make it to the playoffs.

It’s only fitting that the two teams with the best chance the Pac-12 has had at a CFP berth duke it out for that spot in Vegas.

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GAMEDAY

FLOCK TAKES FLIGHT TO LAS VEGAS Oregon football’s support squad will touch down in Nevada for the final Pac-12 Championship matchup

BY RUBY WOOL • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART Last Friday, Duck fans stayed in Eugene to witness the last rivalry Series game on home turf. One week later, Oregon football fanatics will take flight to Las Vegas to witness the final Pac-12 Championship contest in history.

This time, instead of a 20-minute walk over the bridge and through the woods to Autzen Stadium, UO senior Simon Eckel will spend two hours in the air from takeoff to touch down in Nevada. His plane will land three miles from Allegiant Stadium, the neutral site where kick off will commence at 5 p.m. on Friday Dec. 1.

“I’m going to this game because, one, it’s the Ducks, and two, I’ve tried to go to as many away games as I can this year,” Eckel said. “So, this contest would complete the gauntlet.” The advertising major and sports business minor has attended every away matchup this season, except for the one against Stanford University on Sept. 30.

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“[Simon’s] dedication to get to Oregon games is unmatched.”

Subjectively, this may be true.

However, Eckel is not the only devoted Duck in the nation; he will fly out of the Eugene airport on Thursday morning in what he expects to be a full flight of fans outfitted in green and yellow.

“All year the Ducks have traveled really well; even for the game in Lubbock, Texas, where the Ducks played Texas Tech,” Eckel said. Unlike lonesome Lubbock, which still attracted a surprisingly decent-sized crowd, he believes the lively and vibrant Las Vegas will give fans more of an incentive to invest in this travel itinerary.

Oregon fans will need to fill a majority of the stadium’s 60,000 seats if they want to seize the momentum and out-support the University of Washington’s entourage. In order to do this, some students are skipping their final day of classes, while UO alumni are cutting their work week short.

The postseason matchup is pulling people from their responsibilities in a communal effort to seek revenge

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Signs supporting quarterback Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign were a common sight in the stands. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

against an unbeaten Pac-12 rival.

Among the alumni attending the title game is 2020 UO graduate Andrew Tennant. The 26-year-old will make the four-hour drive from his apartment in Los Angeles to his hotel on the Las Vegas strip Friday morning. By the evening, Tennant will be reunited with his senior year roommates in the stands — all supporting their alma mater.

This will be Tennant’s first time attending a Pac-12 Championship game in-person, but his second time watching the Ducks live this season. The former public relations major cheered on Oregon at home on Nov. 11 when the Ducks defeated the University of Southern California. He managed to sneak into the student section to sing “Shout” one more time, yet he did so in front of a drastically different Oregon football team.

Tennant went to college during the famous Justin Herbert era, but despite witnessing the hometown hero at the helm, he and his friends all say that Bo Nix is their favorite Oregon quarterback of all time.

“I feel like I have a better

relationship with this team than any other team during my time as a Duck,” Tennant said. “The way that Nix and Dan Lanning came into Eugene, transformed this team in two seasons and ignited a special spirit makes me feel really engaged and excited about Oregon football.”

From a football standpoint, Eckel and Tennant both agree that the Ducks do not have to do anything differently to defeat the Huskies. If they play the same game that they have been all season and let Nix and Lanning dictate the style of play, the Ducks can come out victorious.

From a fan standpoint, Tennant shared a similar sentiment. He said, “For everyone that’s going, let’s be as loud as possible and bring the same Eugene energy to Vegas.”

Although the game is outside of Oregon — and only a short trip southbound — there is a lot at stake.

“A win will give Oregon warranted credit as it enters the Big 10 Conference next season,” Eckel said. “A win would cement ourselves in history.”

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GAMEDAY

SEE US COMING In a world that divines order from fact, the Oregon Ducks are exactly what meets the eye — but aren’t recognized as such BY OWEN MURRAY • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ As the football universe — on every level from the armchair quarterback to the national media — begins to anticipate the reveal of the final College Football Playoff rankings on Dec. 3, everyone is searching for an unseen reason to elevate one team over another. It believes that what is plain to see cannot be all there is to the game. One team’s ranking over another must be quantifiable, through what has already been decided through results, but that may not tell the whole story.

This year the Oregon Ducks have been exactly what meets the eye. Since a battle with Washington in Week 7 steered them wide right of a victory that would’ve catapulted the team firmly into the national spotlight, the Ducks have been on the warpath toward a rematch with the team that usurped them.

They play football that fulfills their expectations — they don’t fight to surprise themselves.

“I expected us to be here,” head coach Dan Lanning told GoDucks after defeating Oregon State on Friday. “I don’t really know what everybody else

thought but I expected us to be in this position because I know what our team’s capable of.”

However, despite Lanning’s expectations, they didn’t beat the Huskies. It ended by virtue of a lastsecond field goal that was missed by a literal foot and a metaphorical mile, leaving the Ducks three points adrift of an undefeated record.

The prevailing narrative from that game, though, was that Oregon had beaten itself –– that the Ducks outplayed Washington on the day; that Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr. failed in comparison to his Oregonian counterpart; and that the Ducks might just look like the better group of the two.

Since then, morally, the football world says, “The Ducks can’t be ranked above the Huskies until they beat them, even if they ‘look’ better.”

It’s the same concept that has kept Texas ahead of Alabama — the Longhorns went into Tuscaloosa in Week 2 and took down the Crimson Tide. Much like the Ducks, Alabama has surged back, but it remains pinned in the eighth slot on the basis of a result that occurred 82 days ago. Both sides look better, but that’s apparently not enough to see

them leapfrog their respective competitors.

That’s the eye test: an ambiguous method of measurement that leaves decisions to instinct and feel rather than records and statistics. The Ducks lost that day in Seattle, but they’ve looked better — even if neither has dropped a game since. No team has come within a score of beating Oregon, and they’ve demolished their opponents 221-89, scoring roughly 248% of their opponents’ total points. In isolation, those numbers are impressive, but it doesn’t come close to describing what’s happened on the field.

Closely tied to this is the ESPN Football Power Index, which, much like the eye test, diverges early and often from the national narrative. For Oregon’s purposes, it’s the closest thing that statistics have to the eye test. There, the Ducks find themselves ranked fifth, best amongst the Pac-12 teams, and behind two Big Ten and two SEC sides.

Since that day in Seattle, where Penix Jr. was anointed the de-facto Heisman favorite, Bo Nix has stormed toward the award, tying Oregon’s singlegame passing touchdown record in the first half against Arizona State in Week 12 and making the most of his star receivers. On the College Football Playoff show on Nov. 21, ESPN pundit Anthony “Booger” McFarland said that “Oregon is a team that nobody wants to play right now.”

That comes down to the way that it beats teams — the way it looks.

It’s not personal. They take care of business, are never satisfied and beat teams out of contention.

Oregon has played Colorado (at the time No. 19) and Utah (at the time No. 18) in games where it beat the spread by multiple scores. Neither is now ranked.

In 2023, it’s not about what happened in Week 7. It’s not about what has happened since either, inside and out of the West Coast’s football capital. It’s just been about playing the best football that Oregon can, without an eye on anyone else. Oregon has been the most entertaining team in college football — and they’ll head to prove it in the entertainment capital of the world next week, against the team whose only remaining leg to stand on is its victory on Montlake.

It’s not Ducks vs. Huskies. It’s “Ducks vs. Them,” just like it has been each week since they’ve last met, and Oregon will hand the world its new green-andyellow glasses. It’s not a question of whether the Ducks can play — it never has been. Friday night will be about overcoming expectations, proving the eye test true and blowing the world open with spectacle.

Jordan James (20) dives forward to gain more yards. The Oregon Ducks football team takes on the Washington State Cougars on Oct. 21, 2023 in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/ Emerald)

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CROSSWORD

WORD JUMBLE

Across

1 Many a four-hour movie 5 Blue-white heavenly body 10 Dash dial 14 Taboo 15 Shrine on the San Antonio city flag 16 Dull pain 17 First queen of Carthage 18 Formal name of a tech business?

20 Employ 21 __ Pueblo, New Mexico 22 “The Bear” platform 23 Formal name of a bun holder?

26 Heath shrub 29 Submission 30 Ham it up 32 Picture 36 Small bit 37 Formal name of a free local periodical?

41 “Argo” spy org.

42 Home of the WNBA’s Storm 43 Chihuahua y Tabasco 46 Microorganisms 50 Egg specification 51 Formal name of a twin-engine fighter jet?

55 See 9-Down 57 Theater honor 58 Wail 59 Formal name of a DNA collection?

62 April honoree?

63 Queens stadium namesake 64 First name in cosmetics 65 Sunscreen additive 66 “Darn it all!”

67 “Doctor Who” role for Michelle Gomez 68 Map publisher __ McNally

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

LATVE MIGER HLIRTL GAUTOE Now arrange the circled letters to form the answer as suggested by the cartoon.

Down

12 Sulu player John 13 __ and haw 19 Massive 21 Response to “You won’t believe this” 24 Speedskater Jackson who won a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics 25 Nine-piece combo 27 Injury reminder 28 Check-in info 31 Sleeveless outerwear

33 Plus 34 “Whither thou __ ... ” 35 Craft brew with a high ABV 37 Italian city known for a campanile 38 Nutritionist’s advice 39 Aquarium gunk 40 Victory signs 41 Cartoon still 44 Corresponds 45 Norris of “Breaking Bad” 47 Soda since 1905

48 Dark red 49 Arranged 52 Nocturnal noises 53 Winds orchestras tune to 54 “Younger Now” singer Cyrus 56 “So it would __” 59 Orecchiette shape 60 G7 member 61 Omega preceder 62 Many miles

SUDOKU

ANSWERS

Jumbles - VALET, GRIME, THRILL, OUTAGE CARTOON CAPTION - GIVE IT ALL THEY GOT

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

THEY

1 Last 2 Cause of death in some cozy mysteries 3 Owing 4 Dove sound 5 Unskilled in 6 Single-master 7 Anklebones 8 “Yo te __” 9 With 55-Across, nest egg options 10 “Midnights” artist Swift 11 Spot on

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

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GAMEDAY

LANNING PICKS UP HIS FIRST WIN OVER A MAJOR RIVAL By beating the Beavers, head coach Dan Lanning overcomes a major Oregon rival a week before a rematch with Washington

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023.

(Eric Becker/Emerald)

BY JOE MOORE • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

The Oregon Ducks’ head coach Dan Lanning was able to secure his first win over a major rival in the two years he has been at the helm of the team. After losing to Washington and Oregon State last season, and the Huskies again this season, Lanning and the Ducks came away with a win over the Beavers in Autzen Stadium last week.

Lanning faced a lot of pressure heading into the contest to take his first victory over a rival, and he delivered in a big way. An impressive 31-7 win over then No. 16 Oregon State was enough to prove to doubters that this is a different Oregon team than last year or even earlier this year. A win over a good team like the Beavers, especially when the Huskies struggled in their own rivalry game, could be exactly the momentum shift that the Ducks need to be able to avenge their lone loss this season in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

One of the main criticisms of Lanning’s gameplans in the past losses was the over aggressive play calling which was often called unnecessary and too risky. When these risks did not pay off and Oregon lost, it became easy to point to specific moments in the contests that changed the course of the game. Before this past game against the Beavers, the Ducks were averaging four 4th-down attempts per game in their previous three rivalry games. After

converting three of their four attempts in the matchup with Washington last season, Oregon failed to convert on all five attempts against the Beavers last season, and on all three attempts against the Huskies this season. Lanning kept his aggressiveness heading into this matchup to much better results. The Ducks converted both of their 4th-down conversion attempts.

The game plan not shifting shows that Lanning has learned from his previous mistakes, but rather than stopping the risk taking, he opts to instead learn which plays do and do not work in those situations. The downtick in attempts also could prove to be an accurate risk assessment that shifted certain situations from worth it to not worth it in Lanning’s mind.

The lack of two-point conversion attempts has also been another shift in the game plan for the Ducks.

After attempting over one a game for over half of the season, the two-point conversions have become less and less frequent. That shift could also be traced back to the Washington game, just for a different reason.

Camden Lewis missed the game-tying field goal at the end of the loss to the Huskies. Rebuilding Lewis’ self confidence became a secondary goal for Oregon over the course of the season.

“You know, that game never should have come down to that,” Lanning said in his press availability about Lewis’s field goal miss against Washington.

“It’s a high-pressure situation. It’s tough on a

kicker, but he shouldn’t wear the blame on this.”

Lanning being quick to defend his kicker, and the faith he has shown in Lewis since, has made it clear that the game plan moving away from those two-point conversions after touchdowns is not a result of not valuing that risk, but rather a matter of allowing Lewis to make the easy kicks.

The Ducks will have a much better chance of winning high pressure games if Lewis is playing the best he can. A missed field goal in the win over Oregon State brought to light once again that need for confidence heading into the conference championship. Lanning helped Lewis to move past that miss by trusting him to take all three extra-point kicks and another field goal after that miss. Lewis playing at the peak of his ability is something that Lanning and the rest of Oregon’s coaching staff have seemed to prioritize.

A matchup with the Huskies could be a winand-in game for a College Football Playoff berth.

Finally being able to secure a win over a major rival is a good sign heading into a matchup with a No. 3 Washington team that looks more vulnerable than it has at any other point this season. The championship game will be the culmination of a great season for the Ducks, and will determine if they can win the Pac-12 and represent it in the final season of the conference in its current iteration, or if that honor will fall to the Huskies.

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GAMEDAY

THE FINAL CHAPTER OF PAC-12 FOOTBALL An extended history of the conference has led it to its last game

Tez Johnson (15) attempts to make a catch in the end zone.

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Stanford Cardinal in an away match at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif. on Sept. 30, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)

The Pac-12 Championship kicks off on Friday for the final time.

Before people can understand the significance of this matchup, it’s necessary to know the decades of history that have led to this moment.

It can be argued that the conference began in 1915 when it was founded as the Pacific Coast Conference. In 1959, it became the Athletic Association of Western Universities. It turned into the Pac-8 in 1968, before later becoming the Pac-10 and Pac-12.

The modern version of Pac-12 football started in 2011 after Colorado and Utah were added to the conference. Before 2011, there wasn’t a

BY LILY CRANE • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ

championship game.

On Friday, Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) will face off against Washington (11-0, 8-0 Pac-12) for a chance to secure the last conference title. The two sides have been among the most successful programs in the title game since it was created.

The Ducks have won four championship games, including the first one, and have made six appearances. Four of Oregon’s appearances have come since 2019, although the Ducks were absent from the game last season.

The Huskies are tied for the third most titles, winning in 2016 and 2018.

In addition to Oregon and Washington, Stanford has three Pac-12 titles, while Utah won the last two championships. Oregon State, Washington State and Cal are the only programs to never make a championship appearance since the game has been held.

From 2011 to 2021, the game was a matchup between the winners of the North and South divisions. The last two seasons, it has been the teams with the top two winning percentages to play in the game.

Since 2021, the game has been played at Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, which is a neutral site. In the first three years of the game, it was held at the stadium of the team with the better conference record. From 2014 to 2019 it switched

to a neutral site, which was Levi’s Stadium in California. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the matchup went back to the home-hosting model for the 2020 season.

Before the championship game formed in 2011, the champion was decided based on which team had the best record. Dating back to the first PCC football season in 1916, USC has the most conference titles with 37. The Ducks have 13 titles and the Huskies have 17.

Fans will be rewarded with a historic matchup for the conference’s final game. First of all, it is a showdown between two universities that have a long sports rivalry. Oregon and Washington have never met before in the title game, even though both have consistently featured in it.

This game is also the highest-ranked matchup ever in the game. Prior to this matchup, the lowest was in 2014 when the No. 3 Ducks faced off against the No. 8 Arizona Wildcats. Oregon won that game 51-13. It set the Ducks up for the first College Football Playoffs, where it advanced to the National Championship and ended up falling to Ohio State.

This time, both teams have an opportunity to clinch a berth in the CFP, with Oregon being No. 5 in the latest rankings and Washington being No. 3. Whoever wins has a good chance at not only winning the final Pac-12 Championship but continuing its season on the national stage.

As the Pac-12 is remembered for its greatest moments and the history it’s produced, Friday’s matchup will determine a final winner. With a spot in the CFP on the line, perhaps no Pac-12 game will be more important than its last.

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson (3) attempts to make a catch in the end zone.

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Oregon State Beavers 31-7 in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 24, 2023.

(Eric Becker/Emerald)

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