9-28-23 Emerald Media Group - Gameday

WINNING FROM FALL TO SPRING WINNING FROM FALL TO SPRING WINNING FROM FALL TO SPRING

ON BOTH THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND BASEBALL DIAMOND, BRYCE BOETTCHER IS A JACK OF ALL TRADES

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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.

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ON THE COVER

Oregon players hype up the crowd pregame. The University of Oregon Ducks Football team defeat the University of Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

The Oregon Ducks mascot dances during the third quarter. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

OREGON OFFENSE

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

GEORGE SILVA

OREGON DEFENSE

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

OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS

STANFORD OFFENSE

BRYCE FARRELL

FISHER ANDERSON

LANCE KENELEY

ANTHONY FRANKLIN

TOBIN PHILLIPS

DAVID BAILEY

TRISTAN SINCLAIR

GAETHAN BERNADEL

ZAHRAN MANLEY

JIMMY WYRICK

ALAKA’I GILMAN

COLLIN WRIGHT

JADEN SLOCUM

WILFREDO AYBAR

ZACH BUCKEY

JAXSON MOI

SPENCER LYTLE

SPENCER JORGENSEN

MATT ROSE

JOSHUA THOMPSON

SCOTTY EDWARDS

MITCH LEIGBER

TERIAN WILLIAMS

ERNEST COOPER

92

94

40

23

8

00

4

18

33

6

20

14

STANFORD DEFENSE STANFORD SPECIAL TEAMS

CONNOR WESELMAN

JOSHUA KARTY

ALEJANDRO CHAVEZ

CASEY FILKINS

BRYCE FARRELL

AIDAN FLINTOFT

EMMET KENNEY

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

LOOKING BACK AT THE COLORADO BLOWOUT

Oregon players come together in prayer pregame. The Oregon Ducks football team defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 23, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

Oregon’s defense was unstoppable, only allowing a total of 199 yards for Colorado’s offense.

< A sold-out Autzen Stadium cheers on the Ducks. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders head > into their locker room down 35-0 at halftime. The Oregon Ducks football team defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 23, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

Troy Franklin (11) has put up 100 yards receiving in three out of four games played. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

(Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

Bucky Irving (00) led the Ducks in rushing yards with 89 yards on just 10 attempts. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

>

TWO-SPORT STAR BREAKS OUT FOR DUCKS DEFENSE

Bryce Boettcher plays fast – no matter what field he’s on

BY JOE KRASNOWSKI • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

Bryce Boettcher flies down the field, lowers his head and lays a hit on Hawaii’s kick returner. A collective “Oof!” is heard from the fans at Autzen Stadium.

Boettcher had just laid a guy out.

“I take a lot of pride in special teams,” Boettcher said after the game. “Just running down fast, I had been meaning to make a play like that for some time now.”

Boettcher likened the collision to another familiar experience of his — hitting a baseball.

“It’s kinda like when you hit a homerun,” Boettcher said. “When you square it up on the barrel, and you don’t feel anything.”

It’s a connection he would certainly know a lot about. When he isn’t delivering bone-crushing hits and forcing fumbles, Boettcher is roaming the outfield at PK Park for the Oregon baseball team.

An alumnus of South Eugene High School, Boettcher grew up coming to Ducks games with his family. He always imagined he’d be flying down whatever field he was playing on dressed in green and yellow. In the fall of 2019, Boettcher’s dreams became reality: the University of Oregon offered him a baseball scholarship.

Although he was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football at UO wasn’t on Boettcher’s mind until a meeting with Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski. It was then that football truly became a facet of Boettcher’s college career.

“He [Wasikowski] allowed me to set up a meeting with coach [Dan] Lanning,” Boettcher said in an interview with 247sports. “Coach Lanning was very open to the idea. So, he allowed me to get over there during the summer and do workouts with the team. That was like my tryout period.

It went well, and they saw something in me and invited me to fall camp.”

Boettcher made the football team as a walkon in 2022, but in a limited role. He filled in at defensive back late in games as well as on special teams.

Growing up so close to campus, playing football at Autzen Stadium has always been special for Boettcher. “My family had season tickets for the Ducks, so every time I run out of the tunnel at Autzen, I check that spot and get chills remembering when I was sitting up there,” Boettcher said in an interview with driftersbaseball. com “It is unbelievable.”

Per the suggestion of his coaches, Boettcher made the transition from defensive back to middle linebacker this offseason. Boettcher’s day-to-day regimen has included an extensive diet and weight training program.

“It’s just been a lot of eating, four or five meals a day,” Boettcher said. “And a lot of work in the weight room.”

Leading up to Week 1, Boettcher found out his hard work had paid off — he would be getting the start against Portland State.

Against the Vikings, Boettcher made his presence known by collecting four total tackles as well as a fumble recovery in Oregon’s 81-7 victory.

“Obviously, it was surreal, but at the same time I knew that was one of my goals, so I knew it was attainable,” Boettcher said. “I believed in myself so it wasn’t that much of a surprise.”

Playing so close to home, Boettcher realizes the impact his play could have in his community.

“Those kids in Eugene, who want to be at this level and want to do it, a lot of times don’t get the opportunities,” Boettcher said in a post game interview following Oregon’s win over the Vikings. “I was a double walk-on here at Oregon, and I’m doing it and trying to show everyone that it’s possible.”

In 2022, Boettcher was one of only 15 football/baseball dual-sport athletes in the FBS, and the only one in the Pac-12. On April 29, 2023, Boettcher played in the annual spring football game and later played in a conference baseball victory against Arizona State.

“I didn’t think I would ever be doing that, playing in the spring game and a baseball game on the same day,” Boettcher said after the Oregon baseball win. “This has been unbelievable, obviously a dream come true

“I DIDN’T THINK I WOULD EVER BE DOING THAT, PLAYING IN THE SPRING GAME AND A BASEBALL GAME ON THE SAME DAY. THIS HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE, OBVIOUSLY A DREAM COME TRUE AND HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS.”

Bryce Boettcher, UO football and baseball

and hard to put into words.”

Lanning was equally as impressed by Boettcher’s act. “Talk about impressive people,” Lanning said after the spring game. “I hope we have a camera following you today, Bryce.”

That day in Eugene, Boettcher flew all around both fields he appeared on. He totaled three tackles and two pass breakups before coming in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of the Ducks’ victory.

Boettcher’s effort was commended by football teammate Trikweze Bridges. “I just want to salute him for what he’s doing,” Bridges said after the game. “If we were doing most valuable player of the game today, I’d give it to Bryce.”

Boettcher’s role has only grown in 2023. Starting in all four of Oregon’s games thus far

at middle linebacker, Boettcher has totaled 16 total tackles for the Ducks.

“I love Bryce. I mean he’s earned every opportunity he’s gotten, nothing has been handed to that guy,” Lanning said. “He had a long track to go to get his way, to where he was on the field and he’s earned that, he’s done a great job.”

Despite starting the 2023 baseball season filling in as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement, Boettchers playing time increased as the season went on. His breakout moment came in the form of a walk-off single that capped off a Ducks’ sweep of rival Oregon State. He also batted second and started in center field during all three of Oregon’s super-regional games against Oral Roberts.

Boettcher isn’t worried that his body transformation — Boettcher has put on significant

muscle-weight during the offseason — will have an effect on his speed on the baseball diamond. “Originally when I made the transition to linebacker, I thought it would. By putting on the weight, actually I’ve gotten faster,” Boettcher said. “I’ve been hitting in the cages and the ball seems to be coming off the bat faster.”

Bryce Boettcher plays fast, no matter what field he’s on.

When football season ends, Boettcher fully intends to be back on the diamond. “Hopefully they’ll let me wear my pads out in center field, too.”

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

TRAVELS TO TAKE ON STANFORD CARDINAL

For their Pac-12 road debut, the Ducks look to remain undefeated after an exciting win over Colorado

BY EMMA LOGAN • DESIGNED BY ESTHER SZETO

The Oregon football team (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) travels south this weekend with a chip on its shoulder. In the No. 9 Ducks’ Pac-12 debut, they convincingly defeated the Colorado Buffaloes in all aspects of the game and handed them their first loss of the season. This game moved the Ducks to 4-0 after their first conference game.

Next stop: Stanford.

Stanford (1-3, 0-2 Pac-12) was not a threat to Oregon for the past few seasons and this weekend’s matchup should be no different. So far this season, the Cardinal have one win under their belts which came in their season opener against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The Cardinal came away with the victory with a final score of 37-24. Hawaii is the one team that both teams have faced so far this season.

Meanwhile, the Ducks faced the Rainbow Warriors in Week 3 and defeated them 55-10 in front of a home crowd.

Oregon and Stanford enter this weekend’s

matchup after two completely different conference debuts in Week 4.

At Autzen Stadium, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix led the Ducks to a 42-6 victory to extend their win streak. Nix completed 28 of 33 attempts for 276 total yards and also had three touchdowns. Receiver Troy Franklin totaled eight receptions for 126 yards and had two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Oregon defense also protected their side of the field and held the Buffaloes to only one score, which came in the three final minutes of the game. Buffaloes’ quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 23 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. As a team, Colorado had 40 total rushing yards while the Oregon offense had 240 total rushing yards.

The Ducks defense just played one of its most complete games in recent memory, and will look to feast on a struggling Stanford opponent. Coming off a game in which it had seven sacks for the first time since 2017, Oregon’s defense will be tasked with pressuring Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels, and forcing him to make as many mistakes as possible.

Oregon will likely be without one of its better rushers after Noah Wittington left the game during the second half on Saturday.

On the other hand, Stanford hosted the Arizona Wildcats which ended in a score of 21-20 and became the Cardinal’s third loss of the season. Daniels completed 14 of 23 passes for 198 yards and no touchdowns. The team ran for 112 total yards and two touchdowns combined. Kicker Joshua Karty contributed eight points to the teams total for the day, going two for four.

Through four weeks, Oregon remains undefeated and looks to continue its win streak through the Pac-12 season. The Ducks have proven to be very strong at home, allowing very few points from opponents. They have also proven to be able to perform on the road after their exciting victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders back in Week 2.

Oregon’s second road game of the season will kick off at 3:30 p.m. PST, airing on the Pac-12 network.

Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws downfield towards a receiver. Oregon Ducks football takes on the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Cali. on Sept. 21, 2019. (Connor Cox/Emerald)

OUT-COACHED

WHILE COLORADO HAD BEEN GETTING A LOT OF TRACTION ON THE NATIONAL STAGE FROM THEIR IMPRESSIVE FIRST THREE WEEKS, THE DUCKS SILENCED THE BUFFALOES WITH A BLOWOUT WIN

BY JACK LAZARUS • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

Going into Saturday’s matchup with the Ducks, the University of Colorado Buffaloes have been one of the most exciting stories in college football this season. This is largely due to the high profile of their head coach Deion Sanders,or “coach Prime”, an NFL hall of famer who has completely turned the program around after a dismal 1-11 record last season.

His tenure at Colorado was flawless until the Buffs traveled to Eugene. This can be attributed to Sanders’ ability to recruit top talent to play for him, no matter the school he’s at. Take Travis Hunter for example, the top recruit in the 2022 class, who was committed to Sanders’ alma mater Florida State University before decommitting and joining Coach Prime at Jackson State University, a subdivision school in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and then following him to Colorado.

Sanders works hard to promote his players and lets them be themselves and their personalities shine. He also makes sure that his media availability, along with high profile players like Hunter and his son and starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, are carefully crafted by his oldest son Deion Sanders Jr.

With one of the most vibrant personalities in college sports, Coach Prime makes sure that he and his squad are featured on all of the most important sports publications in the country. Throughout the season, media giants like ESPN and Bleacher Report have been constantly promoting Colorado through an extensive amount of highlights and many media bites from Sanders.

On the field, the Buffaloes showed that the best that college football has to offer is just too much for them, as much as they would like to say otherwise. There seemed to be no change in game plan against a top-10 team from what was planned for the more pedestrian teams they played in the first three weeks.

There were a lot of longer progressing pass plays that ran far too early in the game to be effective. Colorado never established a presence on the line of scrimmage, getting beat on both sides of the ball in the trenches. The offensive line looked extremely subpar, allowing seven sacks to a much better, NFLcaliber defensive line.

The Buffs’ defensive line didn’t cut it either, rarely breaking through and getting pressure on either quarterback Bo Nix or the running backs. The secondary was also very lackluster this weekend, with Troy Franklin finishing with eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

It didn’t seem like there was a ton of commitment from coach Sanders to adjust anything in the second half, as his Buffaloes came out just as flat-footed as they were in the beginning. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, on the other hand, seemed to push the Ducks to keep their foot on the gas.

Lanning crafted the perfect game plan to curb Colorado’s explosive offense and at times suffocating defense. Throughout the game, Oregon’s bread and butter were quick runs and throws outside of the tackles, as all the offensive weapons knew that they were much faster and skilled than anyone the Buffaloes could put against them. The Ducks came out firing on offense, scoring on their first three drives of the game while dominating every phase of the game, even special teams.

This domination was highlighted at the beginning of the second quarter when the Ducks successfully converted on a fourth down fake punt from their own 17-yard line. From this point on, it seemed that Coach Prime knew he was being out-coached. After the Ducks went up three scores, the Buffs seemed to throw in the white flag and showed no fight for the rest of the game.

All the while, Lanning made sure his guys were relentless. During the third quarter, Oregon took out most of their starters, and only then did it seem like Colorado could even share the field with the Ducks.

Even the confidence and swagger of Coach Prime couldn’t overcome the relentless nature of a Lanning-coached team. Lanning prioritized effort, grit and playing the Oregon way, while Sanders seemed to focus on his postgame press conference and getting clicks.

Head coaches Dan Lanning and Deion Sanders meet at the 50-yard line postgame. The Oregon Ducks football team defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 23, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/Emerald)

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

PNITE

GNADOR

LHIEW

NSIRTG

OR OVERRATED OVERHYPED?

Opinion: My thoughts while watching Colorado v. Oregon from the student section

BY NINA-GRACE MONTES • DESIGNED BY ESTHER SZETO

“Overrated.”

That’s what rang throughout Autzen Stadium during the Ducks’ 42-6 stomping of Colorado this weekend. Whether it was towards Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who only finished with 159 total yards and was sacked seven times with only one touchdown, or head coach Deion Sanders, it was said nearly every time Colorado’s offense left the field.

This was one of the rare times that I was able to be a fan at a game. If I’m not running around the stadium to make sure things are running smoothly, then I’m in the press box covering the game, so I was excited. After being in Eugene for four years, it was my first time in the student section, and I think I chose the best game to be at. I sat right next to the marching band and was on top of Oregon’s tunnel, so I got to witness everything that all of the Oregon football fans talk about with the Duck, the motorcycle and watching the team run out onto the field.

Personally, I wanted to see coach Sanders because he’s a former San Francisco Giant, and anyone who knows me knows that the Giants are so near and dear to my heart — and the No. 1 stressor in my life. I knew that Oregon was going to take this one, but for the week leading up to the game, I defended him. I kept telling people that the Buffs were going to put up a fight. Boy, was I wrong.

But I don’t think they’re overrated. While I was having those conversations with friends, co-workers and honestly anyone who

would listen, I realized that there are two different types of people: real college football fans and ones who follow ESPN on Instagram.

Talking to the people who dedicate their entire Saturdays over the course of 12-ish weeks, they knew that Colorado’s Cinderella story wasn’t going to last, but Sanders is the guy to turn around a program that went 1-11 just a season ago. They have some of the right tools, but it’s a brand new team, and their quarterback, head coach and star two-way player, Travis Hunter, are getting adjusted to making the jump from a subdivision conference to a Power-Five conference and schedule. A learning curve is happening right now, but if you only watch football through social media, you wouldn’t know that.

In the last three weeks, a fourth of all of ESPN’s social media posts have been about Colorado. With 26.2 million followers on Instagram alone, it’s easy to set a narrative. That’s the power of the media, right?

“One thing I can say honestly and candidly, you better get me right now,” Sanders said after the game. “This is the worst we’re going to be. You’d better get me right now.”

He’s right and Ducks fans should know what that feels like. Lanning’s first game last season in charge ended with a 49-3 loss against Georgia, the former national champions — and his old team — with seven consecutive touchdowns. And look where we are now. People are quick to assume the future after one game.

At halftime, Lanning said, “We’re not done yet. We’re not satisfied. I hope everyone that’s been

watching [Colorado] every week is still watching.” While it’s true that Colorado draws big crowds, I hope they stayed for Oregon’s eliteness.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone appreciated how Oregon played. There was so much beauty to it, so much variety. On the Ducks’ side of the stat sheet, it was pretty balanced across the board, meaning everyone got to contribute to the win.

And don’t let me confuse you. While Colorado has been enjoying all of the media hype since Week 1, Oregon enjoyed it on Saturday, too. Lanning got his viral moment during his pregame speech when he gave the ESPN cameras “unprecedented access” to the locker room and was caught on camera saying, “The Cinderella story is over man. They’re fighting for clicks, we’re fighting for wins. There’s a difference, right? There’s a difference. This game ain’t going to be played in Hollywood. It’s going to be played on the grass, right? It’s going to be played on the grass.”

“I got messages,” Sanders said of Lanning’s pregame speech. “God bless him, though. He’s a great coach and did a great job. They can take their shots. They won. I don’t do that. They won.”

I think the word that everyone in the student section was looking for today was overhyped. That, I do believe. ESPN’s sole mission is to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere, and right now they seem to only be serving Sanders and Colorado. But I do believe that the ranking in the AP polls and all of the discussions about the Buffaloes are fair. At the end of the day, what’s the difference anyways?

The University of Oregon Ducks football team defeated the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 16, 2023. (Eric Becker/Emerald)