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) The Duck surfs in the crowd as the show kicks off. ESPN's College GameDay makes its 12th visit to the University of Oregon on Oct. 12, 2024. (Molly Mcpherson/Emerald)
(Right) Kamar Mothudi finishes praying before the game begins. The previously No. 3 ranked Oregon Ducks football team took on the previously No. 2 ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes on Oct. 12, 2024, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
OREGON VS. PURDUE PREVIEW
The Ducks look to stay undefeated against the Boilermakers
BY LILY CRANE Sports Reporter
No. 2 Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) hasn’t started a season with seven straight wins in 11 years. The Ducks are presented with the opportunity to do just that, as they hit the road for Purdue (1-5, 0-3 Big Ten) on Friday.
Oregon exited Autzen Stadium off an all-time high last weekend after it defeated Ohio State 32-31 in a Saturday night thriller. The Ducks are playing their best football of the season, taking down Big Ten powerhouses in the process.
But to maintain their spot as second in the nation, the Ducks need to take care of business in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, with their lone victory coming in the first game of the season against Indiana State University. Still, Purdue enters the matchup off a narrow 50-49 loss against No. 23 Illinois.
much yardage in the fourth quarter. Illinois converted on a 38-yard field goal as the clock expired and Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was sacked on a potential game-winning twopoint conversion.
Finding the end zone is something the Boilermakers have struggled to do this season. Since Purdue’s 49-0 win to open the season, it has been outscored 234 to 93. Browne and Hudson Card have split time at quarterback, but only combine for 10 touchdowns to four interceptions.
And unfortunately for the Boilermakers, the Oregon defense put up a monster performance against the Buckeyes’ star-studded offense last week.
The Ducks were without defensive end Jordan Burch against Ohio State, but the defense didn’t miss a beat. Oregon recorded three tackles for a loss, a sack and one recovered fumble. A Buckeyes program that is more than capable of running the ball only picked up 141 rushing yards in the top-3
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had arguably his best performance as a Duck against Ohio State. Despite taking time to settle into the offense, he’s remained efficient throughout the season.
Gabriel’s offensive line has done a better job at protecting him since the first two games where he was sacked a total of seven times. As a result, Gabriel has 13 passing touchdowns on the year — more than Browne and Card combined — and he has completed over 76 percent of his passes.
The Ducks are favored to win by four scores against the Boilermakers. Anything less than a dominant showing could mean Oregon drops in the rankings. As long as the Ducks stay undefeated, they’ll continue to head toward favorable seeding in a potential College Football Playoff appearance.
Purdue returns home for the fourth time this season. With the home crowd rallying behind the team, the opportunity is there for the Boilermakers to play spoiler on Friday.
Devon Jackson (6) celebrates with Jeffrey Bassa (2) after a big play. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
When the comes to Eugene
the world Eugene
BY OWEN MURRAY Sports Reporter
Carli Feist has been a Ducks fan “forever.” She grew up watching quarterback Kellen Clemens because they’re both from Burns, Oregon. After No. 3 Oregon’s win over No. 2 Ohio State, she said, “I’ve never felt anything like this. It was one of a kind.”
That’s the feeling that Oregon fans have been waiting for under Dan Lanning. Twice, last year, they were on the other end of heartbreaking, last-second losses. Now, Lanning and the Ducks — and an ecstatic Autzen Stadium crowd — have their signature moment. They’ve been waiting for this circus to spin their way. It happened in front of the world.
The day wasn’t just about the game. It was a 48-hour celebration of football in a place few college football fans can reliably point out on a map. The group who could, though, was ESPN College GameDay.
There was little doubt that the college football world’s marquee pregame show would travel to Eugene last week. Oregon against Ohio State — no matter the ranking — was a circled-in-pen date on the calendar. It didn’t matter that Oct. 12 was potentially the most game-packed Saturday of the year. Oregon had captured the eyes of the nation.
“I think it's a celebration of the culture of college football, and there's very little in our entire society and culture that's as unifying as sports in general,” GameDay anchor Rece Davis said on Friday. “I think college football specifically, it’s a short period of time that students are on campus, and to have sort of a communal experience, a unified goal, big game, exciting event, and to have a forum to celebrate that is really important.”
When Ducks fans began to pack Memorial Quad more than 12 hours before the show was scheduled to go live, an emotional chain of events were set in motion. Oregon student Wilder Lewis was on campus for Oregon’s last GameDay appearance, in 2022. Was this better?
“For UCLA (in 2022),” he said early on Friday morning, “it was crazy…but the stakes were just not as big. I felt like everybody at Oregon felt as if we were going to win regardless. Coming into this game, there’s a lot more uncertainty. It’s just a whole ‘nother level to this one.” It was a moment.
The atmosphere was so great that it drew more than Ducks and Buckeyes fans to the city. Springfield resident Craig Murphy is a Washington State alumnus who is part of one of GameDay’s great traditions. He told the story of “Ol’ Crimson,” a Cougar flag that makes its way across the nation to the set every week. It started at the show in Austin in 2003, when the Texas Longhorns hosted Kansas State.
“And several of us were like, ‘There's a Cougar flag on GameDay in Texas,’” Murphy said, “and it just kind of started from there. People started talking to each other and got on a message board, and some people said, ‘Hey, I'm in that area. I can do it this week.’ And then as the word
spread, more and more people heard about it, more and more people got involved.”
It was Murphy who brought the flag to the Memorial Quad on Saturday morning. Was he planning on watching the game?
“Probably not,” he said, “I think it’s on the same time as Wazzu.” He was there for the moment.
Those who stuck around were treated to an instant classic. Every moment — two Dillon Gabriel bombs to his flying receivers, an onside kick which bounced off the Buckeye returner and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s slide a moment too late to save the last second of clock — felt like a moment promised to Ducks fans when Lanning took over in 2021. They’ve been on the other end often throughout his tenure. Finally, it feels like he has a signature win.
Lanning joined GameDay ahead of the game on Saturday alongside his mentor: legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. A fist bump from the man — whose seven national titles are the most in history — felt like a good omen.
When Lanning eventually left the field on Saturday night, he’d done a whole lot more than fist bump. He’d made his best effort to chest-bump and bear-hug his way to the media room outside Autzen Stadium. He stopped on the way to offer an emotional interview to NBC reporter Kathryn Tappen.
“I’m so proud of our players, I’m so proud of our crowd,” Lanning said. “You talk about big moments…this is why you come to Oregon.”
The crowd was the story as much as it was the Ducks. A bevy of false start penalties against the Buckeyes’ offense, including three on one drive that eventually forced a punt, shook the visitors. Every crowd moment seemed like a turning point. Sixty-thousand voices sounded like something far-greater than the six-figure crowds other schools — including Michigan, Oregon’s Week 10 opponent — routinely pack in.
What’s going to be most relevant for everyone who made their way into Autzen Stadium last weekend, though, is the memory. Media personality Josh Pate mentioned after the game that, “You only get one of those in a lifetime.” Everything, he suggested, from the execution to the ending to the field rush fell into line as if ordained by the football gods for the night of Saturday, Oct. 12. He wasn’t wrong. Saturday night was that perfect moment. Eugene made it so.
(Top Right) Pat McAfee leads the crowd in his own rendition of Shout.
(Middle Right) Kaitlin Olson delivers her pick during the final segment of the broadcast.
(Bottom Right) Nick Saban applauds the crowd as he enters the stage.
(Left) The Duck shaves the head of an Oregon fan as ESPN's GameDay broadcast continues.
(Molly Mcpherson/Emerald)
UNLOCKING OREGON’S FULL POTENTIAL
Is it possible that Oregon’s biggest win of the season could have been even more dominant?
BY BRADY RUTH Sports Editor
Oregon dominated Ohio State University this weekend. You already know this. The world saw the game, the score and the mob scene that ensued as Oregon captured its biggest win in recent history.
But, as has been the case for most of the Ducks’ season through their 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) start, the 32-31 score doesn’t tell the full story.
Oregon worked the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten). Dan Lanning’s squad won by one point, but it could have been so much more.
A quick disclaimer: this is not a commentary directed to pick apart the Ducks’ mistakes or harp on the negatives of the day. Instead, it poses an exciting question: what can this team be when firing on all cylinders?
Entering a game against one of the country’s best rush ing offenses without star defensive end Jordan Burch was a major concern. Yet, the Ducks limited the Buckeyes’ ground game to just 141 yards and OSU’s one-two punch of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson — per haps the best rushing duo in the country — to 110 combined yards. And they did it without Burch.
“Jordan is certainly a loss for us,” Lanning said postgame. “You don’t replace a Jordan. He’s been un believable this season. But, you know, in football, it’s about the next man up... and some guys showed up tonight.”
So, imagine how much more effective the defense could have been with Burch.
Imagine what Ohio State’s score is if a questionable com pletion on its first drive gets reviewed. Replay showed a bobbled ball, secured by Jeffrey Bassa. The Buckeyes, quite wisely, got up to the line and ran a play before Lanning could call a timeout. Ohio State went on to score on that drive, but what if it had been reviewed?
“I thought there might be a review on the field,” Lanning said. “I thought [the officials] missed that opportunity. We were trying to get that information from up top, and if they could see it…We got pretty excited on that play, we almost didn’t get back for the next play.”
For argument's sake, let’s take those points off the board. Now, it’s a 32-24 Oregon win.
Imagine if Traeshon Holden, one of Oregon’s best wide receivers, doesn’t lose control of his temper and get himself ejected. Prior to spitting on an opponent and being dealt an early exit, Holden had a big 32-yard reception to set the Ducks up in great scoring position. What could Oregon’s point total have been if Holden played a full 60 minutes?
Make no mistake, the offense was just fine without him. Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards in what was easily his best game of the season. But on drives where points were left off the board, what difference could Holden have made?
Imagine the comfort Duck fans could have felt at the end without the missed 44-yard field goal attempt, botched extra point and a failed two-point conversion that left pre cious points off the board. A questionable 4th-and-goal conversion attempt from the 2-yard line could have been another field goal. Assuming Oregon kicks a second extra
point instead of the two-point attempt, that’s eight points.
That’s now a 41-25 win that Oregon easily could have had
Oregon team. The Ducks have demonstrated an ability to win games even when they don’t play their best. But imagine what
Imagine the glory it can bring Eugene. Imagine. Soon, you
(Below) Ohio State quater back Will Howard (18) tries to get out of a tackle by Matayo Viagalelei (10). (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM OREGON VS. OHIO STATE
What did we learn from one of Oregon’s biggest ever home wins?
BY BECK PARSONS Sports Reporter
No. 3 Oregon’s win over No. 2 Ohio State was the biggest win in Oregon regular-season history. The result will be talked about for years to come, but what will people discuss besides the score? Here are three takeaways from Oregon’s historic 32-31 victory over the Buckeyes.
#1. Gabriel can elevate this team
Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s two-interception performance against Michigan State had some fans questioning the sixth-year senior’s ability to elevate his teammates. Question no more. Gabriel looked like a championship-caliber quarterback in what was likely the biggest game of his lengthy 55-game college career to date.
Presented with statistically the best defense in the country, Gabriel went 23/34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns through the air. His PFF Pass and offense grades of 87.6 and 85.7 respectively were his best since he dominated Oregon State in Corvallis and were each 10 points better than any opposing quarterback had mustered against the Buckeyes this season.
Gabriel was at his most effective throwing deep, as evidenced by Evan Stewart’s 69-yard reception and Tez Johnson’s 48-yard score. His NFL QBR on 20+ yard throws between the numbers was a perfect 158.3, and he went 8/8 for 179 yards and two touchdowns when targeting critically acclaimed Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke. Gabriel was also incredibly poised and mobile in the
pocket. He faced a career-high 14 pressures but was never sacked. Instead, he used his speed to extend plays and find open targets in the flats. He also scored a 27-yard rushing touchdown. Bottom line? Gabriel looked like the kind of quarterback that can win this Ducks team a national title.
#2. The Ducks pass defense needs to improve
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (28/35, 326 yards, two touchdowns) was able to consistently connect with star wideouts Jeremiah Smith (nine catches, 100 yards, one touchdown) and Emeka Egbuka (10 catches, 93 yards, one touchdown). Although Oregon’s defense had to focus plenty of its attention on stopping Ohio State’s dominant run game, the team’s inability to stop Howard downfield was cause for some concern.
Starting nickelback Brandon Johnson had a particularly rough night, allowing a reception on each of his 11 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. With four minutes remaining in the first half, Johnson moved away from Egbuka in the defensive slot and mimicked a possible blitz. Egbuka ran a wheel route directly into the zone Johnson vacated for a 15-yard touchdown that put the Buckeyes ahead 21-15.
Howard tallied an 81.7 PFF Pass grade — his best of the season — in Saturday’s losing effort. Oregon’s defense has largely been outstanding, but will need to stop their remaining opposition from passing so freely if the Ducks want to keep winning come playoff time.
#3. Stewart is worth the hype
After struggling to make a consistent impact through Oregon’s first five games of football, wideout Evan Stewart played his best when the Ducks needed him the most. Ohio State’s defense entered Saturday’s contest allowing 6.8 points-per-game and less than 130 passing yards per game. They hadn’t allowed a 30-yard completion all year.
Stewart eclipsed all three of those totals on his own, finishing with seven catches for 149 yards (both season highs) and a touchdown.
Interestingly, this game also saw Stewart’s season-high in snaps from the slot (10). It seems as though mixing up (as well as simply increasing) Stewart’s involvement may unlock continued production from the newly-unleashed wideout. If it worked on Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs and the rest of Ohio State’s top-rated defense, don’t fix it.
(Above) The previously No. 3 ranked Oregon Ducks football team took on the previously No. 2 ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes on Oct. 12, 2024, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/ Emerald)
