GAMEDAY
GAMEDAY, the Daily 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) Noah Whittington (6) hurdles Michigan State defender Nikal Martinez (1) to advance into the Redzone. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
(Right) Center lapani Laloulu (72) getting ready to snap the ball inside the Redzone. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
BEST VERSUS THE BEST: Ohio State Preview
Will primetime and a higher-ranked opponent bring out the best in these Ducks?
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Sports Reporter
As is typically the case in top-10, star-studded matchups, No. 3 Ore gon’s (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) showdown with No.2 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) epitomizes the relative state of parity in college football.
If all the pieces fall in place, and the Ducks couple a talented offense with the right combination of defense and timely plays, the team could top Ohio State in a battle of unbeaten teams and continue its run towards the top of the standings.
But if the burden of Oregon’s non-conference struggles return on Sat urday, the Ducks could just as easily lose — being dealt a significant blow to their College Football Playoff and Big Ten Championship aspirations.
The Ducks enter Saturday’s prime-time matchup against the Buck eyes riding high, playing three near-complete games in a row, and most recently drubbing Michigan State 31-10. Ohio State enters coming off a strong 35-7 performance against the struggling Iowa Hawkeyes, in which it went 7-11 on third down.
Neither team’s quarterback has proved talented enough to single-hand edly win their team a game. With Ohio State’s Will Howard, however, his job is fairly simple — get the ball to his playmakers — true freshman Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Ebuka — a pass-catching duo that’s combined for over 866 yards through just five games.
For the Ducks, Dillon Gabriel has enjoyed a strong season, but will enter having played his worst game of the season, in which he threw a pair of endzone interceptions that dulled his squad's beatdown of Michigan State.
"At times my eyes get bigger than my stomach in the red zone," Gabriel said postgame.
However, the true matchup that the large contin gent of national media will be looking for will be the Ohio State offense vs. the Oregon defense — squads that enter ranked No.9 and No.10 nationally.
The Buckeyes rank No.11 overall in 3rd-down conversion percentage, No.14 in rushing offense and are a plus nine in the turnover margin. Where as the Ducks — led by a strong combination of transfers and veterans — have flown around the field, most recently holding Michigan State to just 250 total yards — most of which came with substitutes in the game.
Another key storyline to look for is both teams’ head coaches, as Dan Lanning and Day of Ohio State are both looking for mar quee wins to establish themselves with the that College Football has to offer. Day’s eyes enter 17-8 against top-25 teams, and ning’s Ducks are 7-5.
ESPN’s College Football Gameday Eugene Saturday morning, parked out on lawn — the eyes of the college football certainly be on Autzen Stadium.
“It’s things that you look to as a Gabriel said after the Michigan State the game is those big-time moments spheres.”
The stage is set, and the players it's time for both teams to compete most hyped game in Autzen Stadi is set for 4:30 p.m. — and the world will be watching.
(Right) Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a drag to tight end Terrance Ferguson (3) for a huge gain. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024.
(Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
WEEK 7 TEAM ROSTERS:
OREGON OHIO STATE
OREGON OFFENSE
PLAYER
DILLON GABRIEL
DANTE MOORE
JORDAN JAMES
NOAH WHITTINGTON
TEZ JOHNSON
TRAESHON HOLDEN
EVAN STEWART
KENYON SADIQ
JAYDEN LIMAR
TERRANCE FERGUSON
JOSH CONERLY JR.
MARCUS HARPER II
IAPANI LALOULU
MATTHEW BEDFORD
NISHAD STROTHER
AJANI CORNELIUS
OREGON DEFENSE
PLAYER
JORDAN BURCH
JAMAREE
DERRICK HARMON
KEYON WARE-HUDSON
MATAYO UIAGALELEI
TEITUM TUIOTI
JESTIN JACOBS
BRYCE BOETTCHER
JEFFREY BASSA
DEVON JACKSON
NIKKO REED
TYSHEEM JOHNSON
KOBE SAVAGE
JABBAR MUHAMMAD
BRANDON JOHNSON
DONTAE MANNING
OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS
PLAYER
OHIO STATE OFFENSE
JEREMIAH SMITH
CARNELL TATE
EMEKA EGBUKA
JOSH SIMMONS
DONOVAN JACKSON
SETH MCLAUGHLIN
TEGRA TSHABOLA
JOSH FRYAR
GEE SCOTT-JR.
WILL HOWARD
TREVEYON HENDERSON
OHIO STATE DEFENSE
TYLEIK WILLIAMS JT TUIMOLOAU
SONNY STYLES
CODY SIMON
DENZEL BURKE
LATHAN RANSOM
CALEB DOWNS
DAVISON IGBINOSUN
JORDAN HANCOCK
OHIO STATE SPECIAL TEAMS
A CAUSE BIGGER THAN THE GAME
Oregon football brings cancer awareness to life behind the Lanning family
BY MAX KOEBEL Sport Reporter
This past Friday night, University of Oregon students made their first trip to Autzen Stadium since beginning fall classes and the team welcomed them with something much bigger than football. For the fifth time in the program’s history, the Ducks introduced a uniform to raise cancer awareness.
This uniform design was inspired by head coach Dan Lanning’s family in honor of his wife, Sauphia, who beat bone cancer in 2017.
The design is known as the “Heroes” uniform, to honor those who conduct cancer research and contribute to saving the lives of Sauphia and many others. The uniform was brought to life by Van Horne Brands. Senior designer Quinn Van Horne said to GoDucks, “This is her love letter to her heroes, and that’s why we wanted to call it ‘Heroes.’ This is her thanking the people who truly helped save her life.”
“I’m really glad the boys and Dan got to be a part of it all. They were definitely my driving force in getting better and healing. I’m just so glad they were able to put their touch on it,” Sauphia said to GoDucks.
The goal that night was to raise awareness to all types of cancer. The yellow base color acknowledged osteosarcoma, which is what Sauphia had, and the colorful stripes on the front of the helmets and the tops of the cleats and gloves were to emphasize all other forms of cancer.
In addition to the words “Stomp Out Cancer,” which has been used by all Oregon athletic teams who have honored cancer awareness, the Ducks had three new logos in honor of this occasion using the trademark Oregon "O".
The logo that was seen the most on the players’ and coaches’ clothing had a yellow ribbon under the "O," which was sketched by Sauphia herself. On the left side of the ribboned "O" was the word “Flight” and on the right side “+ Fight.”
Another logo, which came from Dan and Sauphia’s old-
est son Caden, was an ice cream cone with an "O". This was to acknowledge the treat that families like the Lanning’s get to enjoy when the research and treatment of cancer is successful.
Finally, the logo that was displayed on the scoreboard was the “O” inside a bell, to represent patients ringing the bell after they beat cancer. During the game, three cancer survivors from the UO community were invited onto the field to ring a bell in front of the Autzen crowd.
When the Lanning’s first started working with Van Horne Brands on these designs earlier in the year, Sauphia said to GoDucks, “This is beyond what I would have envisioned for this. We’re just really honored and grateful for you guys, and we’re looking forward to it. I can’t wait to see it all really come to life, and everyone really represented.”
The Duck Store has been selling shirts with the new logos for the past week, and the concessions at Autzen Stadium served drinks in cups that featured all of these logos during the game.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t (feel emotional) you know, this game was definitely special for a lot of people, anybody that’s been affected by cancer,” Lanning said after the Michigan State game. “You know, I couldn’t help but notice the people ringing the bell out there on the field and I remember that moment and what it felt like. So it’s certainly special for our family. It’s certainly special for a lot of people out there tonight.”
It was clear in his face that this meant a lot more than the game itself.
(Right) Rodrick Pleasant (16) running DB drills in the pregame. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024.
(Below) The University of Oregon wearing custom cancer awareness patches. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
WHICH MASCOT RULES?
The Duck and Brutus are two of college football’s most iconic mascots. Which one takes the cake?
BY BRADY RUTH Sports Editor
For a long time, two of college football’s best mascots were separated by conference alignment that we were all sure would last forever. The Duck dominated the Pac-12, standing alone as the best mascot on the West Coast. Brutus Buckeye had to compete in a Big Ten conference with incredible mascots like Michigan State’s Sparty and Iowa’s Herky the Hawk.
Now, the two iconic mascots call the Big Ten home. While the bulk of the talk of this weekend’s game is focused (rightfully) on the field, some attention must be paid to the sideline, where Brutus and The Duck will go to work in a tense Autzen Stadium environment.
So, which one is better? To answer that, we take a dive into their pasts.
The Duck had a long journey to get to where he is today. When the football team started as the Webfoots, a Duck seemed like a fitting mascot. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that “Puddles” — a live white duck — became a common sight at football games. “RoboDuck” became a thing in the early 2000s before The Duck we know and love came to be in 2010. But, make no mistake, his name is not Puddles. The costumed duck will never be “Puddles.” Nothing grinds his gears quite like misnaming him — I’m assuming.
Boring name? Advantage, Brutus.
Brutus came around in 1965 as Ohio State University's first official mascot. He’s gone through some tweaks and upgrades to get to the iconic nut he is today. If you want to learn more about his inspiration, a buckeye tree can be found outside of the Lillis Business Complex — a gift Oregon State University left after defeating Oregon in the 2015 National Championship.
Brutus, admittedly, has seen more success in his tenure than The Duck has. Ohio State has won eight national championships and has made the playoffs five times since the four-team playoff began in 2014.
Playoff experience? Advantage, Brutus.
One of the best segments on ESPN’s College Gameday is Lee Corso’s pick for the featured game. He always puts on the head of the mascot of the team he thinks will win the big game. Corso has admitted to loving The Duck and hates picking against Oregon. Since the show’s inception, Corso has donned The Ducks’ head 21 times, and the Ducks are 14 and 7 in such games. He’s picked against Oregon 10 times, and has only been wrong twice.
Yet, somehow, Ohio State has hogged a bigger portion of Corso’s heart. He’s worn Brutus’ head 42 times over the years, and OSU has won 28 of those matchups. Remark-
ably, he’s only picked against the Buckeyes 16 times in the show’s history.
Corso has picked both The Duck and Brutus over each other once before and the Buckeyes were victorious in both contests. He picked Ohio State to win the 2015 National Championship over Oregon and took the Ducks to beat OSU in 2010.
So, Corso has a decision to make. Saturday’s pick will be a tiebreaking one: will he take Brutus or The Duck? Can Oregon win a College Gameday appearance over OSU? Only time — and The Daily Emerald — will tell.
Corso’s picking history? Advantage, Brutus.
So, who’s the best? By my accounts, all the “advantages” of this piece have gone Brutus’ way.
But this is The Duck we’re talking about!
One looks friendly, approachable and feathered. One looks like he’s wearing a brown spaceship on his head. Don’t get me wrong, both are great… but nothing beats The Duck.
(Below) The Duck riding on the back of the motorcycle leading out the team before the Michigan State game. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
‘THE HAY IS NEVER IN THE BARN’: How the Ducks are preparing to fly in primetime
Faced with three-straight nationally televised games, there’s no change in mentality for Oregon football.
BY OWEN MURRAY Sports Reporter
Primetime.
It’s an interesting concept. ‘Let’s take away all of the distractions, and focus everyone’s attention on one place.’ It is the idea that this one game is the most important — so important, in fact, that everyone needs to watch it.
It’s no secret that the No. 3 Oregon Ducks live on primetime television. All of their next three games are scheduled to stand alone: Friday night matchups against Michigan State and Purdue bookend what is expected to be one of college football’s most-watched games of the year at Autzen Stadium against No. 2 Ohio State.
“I hate to say it, but FEBU,” quarterback Dillon Gabriel said after Oregon’s win over Boise State last month. Brought to the table by Lanning last year, 'FEBU' stands for “Forget Everybody But Us.”
That’s exactly how Oregon wants to run this month.
“I think the preparation always goes down to ‘We want to get the preparation done’,” linebacker Jeffery Bassa continued, “but ‘the hay is never in the barn,’ as coach Lanning always likes to say,” Gabriel said. “We’re always going to prep up until the game, but the guys are majorly focused, not too focused on the spotlight, not too focused on the rankings or whatnot, whatever awards are going on outside right now. I think that our mindset is in the right space right now.”
Inside the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, they’re tuning out all of the noise. Outside, they’re turning it up.
Oregon will debut at least two uniforms in those games, including an all-yellow “Stomp out Cancer” outfit designed in part by the Lanning family used for Michigan State’s arrival and the blackout “Fly Era” set for the Buckeyes’ visit. It’s just part of the “Generation O” closet that equipment manager Kenny Farr and the Ducks designed for their Big Ten entrance. National expectation is building, too. ESPN’s national show “College Gameday” will come to town on Oct. 12. “Gameday,” which the Ducks last appeared on in Week 7 last year against Washington, travels to one college campus each week in order to host a televised preview show. Its target is usually the biggest
game of the week.
When it comes to Eugene, the “pit” on the lawn outside Lillis will be packed on gameday at 3:00 a.m., with students hoisting signs. It’s an event that Oregon hasn’t hosted since 2022, when UCLA came to town in Week 8.
Do you still remember the actual game?
Oregon is trying to. A short week of practice began after the flight back from Los Angeles on Saturday night. Fresh off the first interception of his college career, linebacker Bryce Boettcher turned straight to the practice field.
“It’s just our same prep,” Boettcher said in the middle of that following week. “We’re prepping this week the same as we did Week 1, the same as we did in fall camp. Nothing really changes — obviously our gameplan changes a little bit depending on the team, but for the most part it’s all the same.”
On gameday, the Ducks will walk from that courtyard into the west tunnel at Autzen Stadium. A camera will follow them — it always does. They’ll wait, just a little longer, while the tension builds — they always do. Finally, they’ll think about this game.
They’ve tried to put it out of their minds for the last five weeks.
“They’ve done a really good job of not listening to you guys,” Lanning told media after Oregon’s win over Michigan State. “But finally, you guys can talk about it. We’re finally there. We’re going to play them now.”
As they wait in the tunnel, while the Duck dances around the “O” and announcer Don Essig reminds the crowd that “It never rains in Autzen Stadium,” Lanning will hope that his group isn’t overwhelmed.
“We talk about play[ing] the game, not the occasion,” Lanning said. “That’s going to be part of it for us. The best thing we can do as a football team is go play a great game.”
That’s what it’s been about this year. Play the game. Celebrate the win. Turn your attention. Repeat.
“How long do you savor this win?” a media member asked Lanning after Oregon’s win over Michigan State.
“Right around until midnight,” he answered.
(Left) Noah Whittington (6) gets an outside carry inside the Redzone. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
WEEK 6 BIG TEN RECAP
College football’s most chaotic week yet unearthed several headlines in the Big Ten
BY BRADY RUTH Sports Editor
A Friday night win over Michigan State gave Oregon fans a free Saturday to watch the rest of the conference do battle in what was an insane Week 6. Several ranked teams fell to unranked teams while Oregon and Ohio State both look ready for their big clash on Saturday.
No.
7 Penn State stays unbeaten with 27-11 win over UCLA
Many of the Nittany Lions’ (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) wins this season have been unimpressive. But, in a season with countless upsets, they haven’t fallen yet. Quarterback Drew Allar had a precise day, completing 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 237 yards and a score. Neither team rushed for over 100 yards or turned the ball over, and UCLA (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) is still looking for its first conference win of the season.
Minnesota upsets No. 11 USC in 24-17 win
The Golden Gophers (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) earned one of their biggest wins in recent memory as they took down the ranked Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) on Saturday night. A back-and-forth affair that didn’t see one team fully pull away was tied with less than a minute to play when Max Brosmer snuck forward for a touchdown on 4th-and-goal. USC’s following drive resulted in an interception and Minnesota pulled off what could be a momentum-shifting win for Brosmer’s squad.
No. 10 Michigan falls 27-17 to Washington
In a rematch of last year’s National Championship Game, both teams entered with significantly depleted rosters. Still, the Huskies wanted revenge. Washington (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) bookended the scoring in Saturday’s contest, blanking Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) in the first and fourth quarters. The defending national champions were limited to 287 total yards of offense and turned the ball over twice in the second half, leading to two Huskies’ scores.
No.
23 Indiana starts 6-0 after 41-24 win over Northwestern
One of the bigger surprises in college football continued on Saturday as Indiana improved to 6-0. The Hoosiers (60, 3-0 Big Ten) used 380 air yards and a pair of 4th-down conversions to control the Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) from start to finish. Indiana scored in every quarter in a seamless offensive rhythm that’ll need to be intact when Nebraska comes to town after a well-deserved bye week.
No. 3 Ohio State dominates Iowa in 35-7 win
Yep, the Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are still legit. Ohio State got off to a slow start offensively, but was never in any danger of losing to Iowa (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) in another home win. Now, the Buckeyes turn their attention toward the Ducks.
Wisconsin routs Purdue 52-6 at home
It felt like the Badgers (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) were about due for a big win. They finally dominated a team from start to finish, collecting 589 yards in a thumping win over Purdue (1-4, 0-2 Big Ten). The Boilermakers were limited to 216 yards and were just 1-11 on 3rd downs. Oregon should take care of business against Purdue in Week 8.
Nebraska wins low-scoring affair 14-7 over Rutgers
Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) pitched a shutout in the second half to hand Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) its first loss of the season. Scarlet Knights’ quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis couldn't find his groove, throwing a pair of interceptions in the loss. The Cornhuskers didn’t look great, but they were good enough to earn a timely conference win.
(Above) University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
EARLY STRUGGLES FOR EVAN STEWART
Production woes continue to haunt the transfer wideout
BY BECK PARSONS Sports Reporter
Evan Stewart was ranked 247Sports’ No. 2 receiver and No. 5 overall transfer when he became an Oregon Duck this offseason. His addition to a lineup full of talented receivers like Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden caused Pro Football Focus, On3 and CBS Sports to name Oregon the nation’s best preseason receiving corps.
Oregon is now five games into the 2024 season. Johnson
reception (3.0).
Stewart similarly failed to produce during his two previous years with Texas A&M University, something he acknowledged during his media day interview.
“Everyone says I lack the production, which in my eyes, I do,” Stewart said before the season. “Seeing Troy [Franklin] and Tez [Johnson] do the production they did last year, I definitely feel like I can do that or even more.”
While Stewart has not yet produced to that level, nothing in his play indicates he’s incapable of doing so. Stewart
Despite Stewart’s struggles, Oregon is undefeated and on track to make a run at a national championship. According to Johnson, that title is more important than anybody’s stats.
“We don’t really look at records. We look at wins,” Johnson said after defeating Michigan State last week. “We wanna be 1-0 each week and be the best in the country, no matter what.”
Stewart seems similarly focused. “I just want to help this team be the best team,” he said before the season.
gon Ducks are truly championship contenders. The Ducks will face this season’s biggest test this Saturday against the
fense according to PFF, and the Buckeyes specialize in
(Below) Evan Stewart (7) and Tez Johnson (15) celebrate together after Evan Stewart caught a touchdown right before the end of the first half. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
Pro Ducks: Defensive Spotlight
Week 5 saw a good amount of pro Ducks on the sideline, but Oregon continues to prove that it boasts one of the best developmental defensive programs in the nation
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Associate Editor
With some of the most explosive, offensive former Ducks on a bye week this past weekend — most notably Penei Sewell and Justin Herbert — let’s take a look at how some of Oregon’s former defensive stalwarts fared this week.
Deommodore Lenoir
Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
While Lenoir’s niners are off to a rocky, 2-3 start to the season, the fourth-year veteran had his best game of the season statistically this past weekend in a narrow 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Lenoir tallied eight tackles — the most he has all season — and defended one pass, as he again helped anchor what continues to be one of the league’s best defenses. Lenoir
Matthew Stafford’s pass, forced an incompletion and gave the Packers the ball to kneel the clock out.
Christian Gonzalez
Cornerback, New England Patriots
Gonzalez seems to improve every week. In just his sophomore season, Gonzalez has already carved out a clear role as the top corner in New England, and is well on his way to becoming one of the finest corners in the NFL. Gonzalez tied his season-best in tackles with six, added two pass deflections and picked up his first interception of the season after perfectly cutting under a slant route and making an incredible diving catch. Gonzalez spent most of the game shadowing Miami’s All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and holding him to a relatively quiet day — an impressive feat for any defensive back, let alone someone in their second year.
Linebacker, Houston Texans
Hill saw his first action of the season this Sunday in a 23-20 win against the Buffalo Bills. The rookie linebacker made the most of his first professional opportunity, as he made his first career tackle and even got all the way to Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen for a QB hit. The Texan’s finally found their use for him, as they played a very mobile quarterback in Allen, and Hill can slot in to help curb that due to his speed and size for
Defensive End, Jacksonville Jaguars
The 10-year veteran has had a quiet start to the season in 2024, but he just helped his Jaguars win their first game of the season. Armstead accrued two tackles in the close win against the Colts, but only registered five in the previous four games. Armstead also has only recorded one sack so far this season, and it is evident that his improvement could be a major key to the Jaguars’ improvement, as they currently sit at 1-4 on the
DOMINATING ON THE
GROUND
The Ducks beat the Spartans at their own game last Friday
BY LILY CRANE Sports Reporter
A Michigan State squad that entered the season in search of new beginnings found early success due to an offense that tends to run the ball.
Last Friday, it was the Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) who flipped the script on the Spartans (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) — and turned their greatest strength into a weakness.
The Oregon run game paved the way for a win on a night that started out slow for quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Running back Jordan James led the Ducks’ rush by extending his career-high in rushing yards by nearly 50 yards in the first half alone.
“The guy's special,” Gabriel said. “I think he would say the same — the guys up front creating the alleyways for him to work with. But when you're able to give him that space and then work on a third-level defender, then he's able to do his thing and make a move and get vertical.”
James recorded 166 yards in the game to go along with his touchdown. He brought life to the Oregon offense when putting the ball in the air wasn’t working.
Gabriel started 2-7 on the first two drives. On two separate occasions, an endzone pass was picked off by the Spartans — one occurring when the Ducks were on the Michigan State 1-yard line.
But Gabriel still put Oregon on the board first when he rushed for nine yards and the score. Later in the first half, he ran for 12 yards to force 1stand-goal — ultimately leading to a second touchdown.
“You see the one-two punch with [James] and Noah [Whittington]. I think that's special,” Gabriel said. “And then, you know, whenever I can finagle my way into the run game, I try.”
On the other side of the field, the Ducks were able to contain the Spartans’ run game. The disparity ended up being 192 Oregon rushing yards to 21 for Michigan State heading into halftime.
“We knew that they had an attack that was tough to be able to stop,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “Once we were able to secure the run game, it made them play a little bit left-handed.”
The Oregon Duck had more pushups than the Spartans had rushing yards on Friday night — 97 pushups to only 59 yards on the ground for Michigan State.
The Ducks’ defense played a big role in limiting the Spartans. Former Spartan Derrick Harmon set the tone in the first quarter, sacking opposing quarterback Aidan Chiles for a loss of 11 yards.
“We usually don’t go out onto the field before the game. [Harmon] was like, ‘Everybody get dressed, we're going out,’” defensive end Jordan Burch said. “He was ready all week.”
Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith operates a run-heavy offense. When he coached Oregon State last season, 445 of his 825 offensive plays were on the ground.
Oregon was ready for the Spartans’ plays. The defense also tallied six tackles for a loss, with 2.5 coming from Burch.
The next matchup will be the biggest yet for the Oregon run game. The Ducks play Ohio State for the tenth time and the second at Autzen Stadium.
The Buckeyes only conceded 47 yards on the ground when they played Michigan State two weeks ago. Their opponents average just 72.6 rushing yards per game, while they average 222.2.
“Winning football is winning football regardless of conference,” Lanning said. “And if you're able to control the run game on both sides of the ball, that's going to equate to wins a lot of times.”
(Above) Traeshon Holden (1) making a circus catch after slipping. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024.
(Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
(Left) Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) takes a breath during warm ups. Oregon Ducks Football takes on the University of Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash. on Oct. 19, 2024. (DL Young/ Emerald)
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Associate Editor
Potential playoff preview. Many say that Oregon v.s. Ohio State has the best odds of being the Big Ten championship matchup.
Will the winner of this blockbuster become the new national No. 1? It’s easy to forget — we’re only in Week 7.
The stakes for the upcoming matchup between the No. 3 Oregon Ducks and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes have elevated each week. Both teams will enter Saturday undefeated and both have had a lot of eyes on them every week leading up to now.
When a top team in the country hiccups — or has any amount of trouble against a not-so-amazing team — everyone’s on notice. This past weekend saw four of the top11 teams fall to inferior opponents, with Ohio State “only” leading the Iowa Hawkeyes by one touchdown at halftime.
Oregon hasn’t been absolved from this phenomenon so far this season. The first two matchups showed that the
Ducks can hiccup and pull out some victories, especially when it required a game-winning field goal against now No. 17 Boise State.
Both the Ducks and Buckeyes underwent their fair share of tests during the first six weeks of the season, but this matchup may be the one that comes up again as the season goes on. The two teams have been on a collision course, and one that may see.
At this point, Ohio State and Oregon are the clear front-runners in the conference. With defending-national champion Michigan falling out of contention this past weekend, the Big Ten is primed for a new top dog.
The moniker of the conference’s best — one which will almost surely be tested again come championship weekend — is at stake Saturday evening, as Autzen Stadium becomes the center of the football world once again.
If the season ended today, both schools would be ranked in the top three, vying for a first-round bye. Unfortunately, only one team can earn said off week in the new 12-team College Football Playoff format. Saturday’s game will sep-
arate the two, lining one up in an even better position for a bye. The Big Ten Champion will almost-certainly earn a bye, so stakes would be even higher if the Ducks and Buckeyes meet again in Indiana at the end of the year.
At this point, it would be incredibly surprising to see one of these schools not make it to the grand finale of the Big Ten’s season. With all the movement in other conferences, a game like this could be the difference between the top seed and not when it comes down to playoff time.
Saturday will prove the biggest test of the season, and, in a lot of ways, will be a preview of the Dec. 7th conference finale. This holds especially true if both of these teams live up to their expectations, which include winning out after this game.
However, that may not happen, which makes the game at hand even more important. Whoever wins will take the mantle of the Big Ten’s best, at least until another hiccup happens. But it hasn’t happened yet, and leads us perfectly into the most anticipated 4:30 p.m. kickoff of the season.
Defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell (55) celebrating after a monstrous 11 yard sack, pushing Michigan State deep into their own territory. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
