9-29-22 Emerald Media Group - Gameday

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

Ducks tight end Cam McCormick (84) watches his teammates perform tackling drills and waits his turn. The Oregon Ducks football team holds practice during their spring season at the Moshofsky Sports Center in Eugene, Ore. on April 16, 2019. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

The Duck joins Oregon cheerleaders as they sing and dance to Oregon’s third quarter tradition, “shout.” The University of Oregon Ducks hosted and defeated the Oregon State Beavers 38-29, claiming the Pac-12 North champions title. (Emerald/ Ian Enger)

OREGON

TROY FRANKLIN

DONT’E THRONTON

SEVEN MCGEE

STEVEN JONES

T.J. BASS ALEX FORSYTH RYAN WALK

MALAESALA AUMAVAE-LAULU TERRANCE FERGUSON BO NIX BRYON CARWELL

OREGON DEFENSE

DJ JOHNSON

TAKI TAIMANI

BRANDON DORLUS BRADYN SWINSON NOAH SEWELL JUSTIN FLOWE CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ BRYAN ADDISON TRIKWEZE BRIDGES DONTAE MANNING JAMAL HILL

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

STANFORD STANFORD STANFORD

STANFORD OFFENSE

PLAYER

BRYCEN TREMAYNE

ELIJAH HIGGINS

MICHAEL WILSON WALTER ROUSE

JAKE HORNIBROOK

DRAKE NUGENT LEVI ROGERS

MYLES HINTON

BENJAMIN YUROSEK

TANNER MCKEE CASEY FILKINS JAY SYMONDS

No. 81 No.

No.

No.

No.

No. 60 No. 57 No. 78 No. 84 No.

No.

No.

STANFORD DEFENSE

PLAYER

STEPHEN HERRON

TOBIN PHILLIPS

ANTHONY FRANKLIN

DAVID BAILEY

JACOB MANGUM-FARRAR LEVANI DAMUNI RICKY MIEZAN KYU BLU KELLY

KENDALL WILLIAMSON JONATHAN MCGILL ETHAN BONNER PATRICK FIELDS

OREGON SPECIAL

ANDREW BOYLE CAMDEN LEWIS KARSTEN BATTLES SEVEN MCGEE KRIS HUTSON

No. 15 No. 40 No. 94 No. 23 No. 14 No. 3 No. 45 No. 17 No. 21 No. 2 No. 13 No. 24

STANFORD SPECIAL TEAMS

PLAYER

RYAN SANBORN

JOSHUA KARTY BAILEY PARSONS RYAN SANBORN CASEY FILKINS BRYCE FARRELL

No. 27 No. 43 No. 42 No. 27 No. 2 No. 3

GAMEDAY ROUND UPGAMEDAY ROUND UP

Troy Franklin (11) jogs back to the line of scrimmage after an incomplete pass. The Oregon Football team competes in it’s annual spring game on April 23rd, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

Game attendees make the walk down MLK Jr. Blvd in Eugene, Ore., on the way to Autzen Stadium. Duck fans engage in tailgating festivities prior to the first home game of the Ducks Football season at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Ore., on Sep. 10, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Ducks sophomore tight end Terrance Ferguson (3) battles Cougar defense for a touchdown in endzone territory. University of Oregon Ducks Football defeat the BYU Cougars in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sep. 17, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Created in 1972, the Daisy Ducks organization is a division of the Oregon Boosters Association which provides assistance for intercollegiate athletic teams and programs at the University of Oregon. Duck fans engage in tailgating festivities prior to the first home game of the Ducks Football season at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Ore., on Sep. 10, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Ducks sophomore wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) leaps to catch a ball with Cougar defense right behind. University of Oregon Ducks Football defeat the BYU Cougars in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sep. 17, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

AROUND

BY BRADY RUTH • TWITTER @BRADYRUTH10

Conference play is finally here, and Pac-12 fans get the chance to see who is truly competitive in the Conference of Champions. Week four of the season and week one of conference play gave the first impressions for which teams are up and which teams are already looking forward to basketball season. All four ranked Pac12 teams were victorious on Saturday, but some games were closer than expected.

NO. 7 USC (4-0, 2-0 PAC-12) SNEAKS PAST OREGON STATE (3-1, 0-1 PAC-12) WITH FOURTH QUARTER COMEBACK IN 17-14 WIN

It was anticipated to be a close game, but few expected such a low scoring affair. The highly-ranked Trojans faced their first true test of the season, and it showed, especially in their offense. Caleb Williams, who had been phenomenal through his first three games with USC, only threw for a season-low 180 yards and one touchdown. Oregon transfer Travis Dye led the way for the Trojans with 133 rushing yards and a score. Despite the offensive struggles, USC never trailed by more than one possession, and a 14 point fourth quarter capped off by a Jordan Addison touchdown snag completed the comeback, keeping the perfect season alive. The Trojans return home next week for a meeting with Arizona State (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12).

As for the Beavers, a very winnable game became increasingly more difficult with every costly mistake. Quarterback Chance Nolan did his team absolutely no favors. He threw four interceptions and his offense was just 5-12 on third down. Oregon State struggled to do much of anything offensively. USC scored 10 points

WEEK FOUR

off turnovers, and the Beavers were responsible for just two scoring drives. A game that would have really gotten the attention of the nation slipped through the grasp of Oregon State as it suffered its first loss of 2022. The Beavers travel to Salt Lake City for a showdown with No. 13 Utah (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) next Saturday.

NO. 18 WASHINGTON (4-0, 1-0 PAC-12) DOMINATES STANFORD (1-2, 0-2 PAC-12) 40-22

If the Huskies continue to average 44 points per game, they’re going to be serious contenders for the Pac-12 title. Another Saturday night game meant another chance for Washington to prove that competitive football is back in Seattle. The newly ranked Huskies wasted little time, jumping ahead to a 17-0 lead over the Cardinal. Michael Penix Jr. had another outstanding night. His 1,388 passing yards this season ranks first in the nation, and his two touchdown passes against Stanford brings his season total to 12, with just one interception. He’s been truly unstoppable, as have his Huskies. Washington hits the road for the first time in week five as a Friday night matchup with UCLA (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) again puts the Huskies in a primetime slot, a place they’ve truly shined in so far in 2022.

Stanford is already demonstrating that Pac-12 play may be too strong for the Cardinal this season. The offense surrendered three turnovers, and the defense allowed 478 total yards. In a game it was never truly in, Stanford lost its eighth conference game in a row. Next week looks no easier as the Cardinal travel to Eugene for a meeting with the Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12).

UCLA (4-0, 1-0 PAC-12) REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH BLOWOUT 45-17 WIN OVER COLORADO (0-4, 0-1 PAC-12)

The Bruin offense was on full display at Folsom Field on Saturday. Five hundred and fifteen yards of sheer domination propelled UCLA to a good win over a bad opponent. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was 19-of-23 for 234 yards and two touchdowns before being taken out of the game… in the third quarter. The Bruins punted just three times in the slaughter and forced two Colorado turnovers. The game was never in question, and it was a very necessary win for UCLA after a somewhat concerning victory over South Alabama last week. The Bruins look to keep the momentum rolling against No. 18 Washington (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) on Friday.

Colorado might not win a game this year. Including Saturday’s loss, the Buffaloes’ fourth blowout loss of the year, Colorado is being outscored 173-47 in 2022. For the first time all year, the Buffaloes only used one quarterback. Owen McCown had 258 yards (tied for the most by a Buff quarterback since 2020) as Colorado fell to 8-14 in the Karl Dorell era. Football in Boulder is really bad. Fortunately, Colorado has won two straight over Arizona (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12), the Buffaloes’ week five opponent.

NO. 13 UTAH (3-1, 1-0 PAC-12) HANDLES WEAKENED ARIZONA STATE (1-3, 0-1 PAC-12) 34-13

Utah picked up right where it left off. 2021 saw the Utes walk through the Pac12 en route to a conference championship and roll past the Sun Devils to begin the title defending season. Cameron Rising added 260 yards to his season total. Seven scoring drives put Utah in command for the entire game. The Ute defense kept ASU at bay, limiting the Sun Devils to just two red zone trips. Utah hosts Oregon State (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12), the only Pac-12 team to beat them in 2021 next weekend.

Following the firing of Herm Edwards, there weren’t many positive expectations for Arizona State in week four. The Sun Devils certainly didn’t impress anyone in their third loss of the year, but nobody expected them to be held to just six rushing yards over 60 minutes of play. ASU lost the turnover battle, time of possession, had more penalties, fewer first downs and total yards. A daunting game against No. 7 (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) awaits the Sun Devils next Saturday.

CALIFORNIA (3-1, 1-0 PAC-12) OFFENSE EXPLODES IN 49-31 WIN OVER ARIZONA (2-2, 0-1 PAC-12)

The Golden Bears found the end zone seven times on Saturday in a thrilling home win. A game that saw 1,135 total yards of offense came down to the team that made fewer costly errors. Cal was able to avoid turning the ball over as running back Jaydn Ott led the way with 274 yards and three scores. On the flip side, the Golden Bears forced three Wildcat turnovers as Cal earned its first 1-0 start in the Pac-12 for the first time since 2019.

Arizona’s offense looked really good, but it just wasn’t good enough. Jayden de Laura had 401 passing yards, but his two interceptions proved costly as Cal was able to capture 14 points off turnovers. The Wildcats get to host the abysmal Buffaloes (0-4, 0-1 Pac-12) on Oct. 1.

Noah Sewell (1) pushes down Utes reciver, Solomon Enis (21), and continues running after making a interception. The Oregon Ducks take on the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on December 3, 2021. (Serei Hendrie/Emerald)

DUCKS COME BACK TO WIN 44-41 OVER UNDEFEATED WASHINGTON STATE

Oregon scores 28 points in the fourth quarter to secure their first road win of the season.

BY KEIJI PATTERSON • TWITTER @PATTERSON_KEIJI

In the Ducks first true road game of the season, they faced a hostile Martin Stadium crowd. Unlike former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, Dan Lanning led his squad to a massive comeback victory in the debut against the Washington State Cougars.

The undefeated Cougars opened the game with a flea flicker that gained a first down. Starting quarterback Cameron Ward continued to fire on all cylinders with quick and precise passes to the outside and across the middle to march them down the field.

Washington State’s offense punched it into the endzone on a 5 yard touchdown run from Ward and put the Ducks on upset alert early. However, the Ducks didn’t lay down. They strung together a well orchestrated drive but had to settle for a field goal — a conclusion to each of the Ducks’ first half drives.

Despite reaching the red zone four times, Oregon’s offense looked stagnant once they got in goal-line situations as they failed to reach the endzone. Oregon kicked three field goals in those four trips, and quarterback Bo Nix threw a costly interception, resulting in a 95 yard touchdown for the Cougars.

Going into halftime, Lanning and his staff were primed to make a ton of adjustments, as all of the momentum was on Washington State’s side. And that’s exactly what they did.

Oregon’s offense opened up the second half with the ball and didn’t squander that opportunity, as Nix threw a 55 yard bomb to sophomore wide receiver Kris Hutson. This play set up a 12 yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Mar’Keise Irving two plays later, the first of the afternoon for the Ducks.

That drive kickstarted a back-and-forth third quarter that included a bounty of emotion as the Ducks committed penalties due to their lack of composure.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Ducks were down by 12 on the 1 yard line. On the next play, freshman running back Jordan James scored his first collegiate touchdown to bring Oregon within five.

Later in the fourth quarter, Washington State extended their lead back to 12, but not for long. The Ducks regained momentum when they converted a fourth down and two as Nix threw a dime to a double-covered Irving .

The drive continued with multiple quick passes to the sideline to preserve the game clock. That strategy paid off as Oregon capped off that possession with a play-action touchdown pass from Nix to a wide open Cam McCormick in the back of the endzone.

For the first time in the entire contest, the Ducks’ defense looked tenacious on the Cougars’ ensuing possession and forced them to go three-and-out.

Ducks’ offensive line prepares to make a move towards the goal line. Ducks football take on the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 13, 2021. (Maddie Stellingwerf)

That play that they ran on the interception, it was one that we practiced multiple times throughout the week. I lined up and trusted what I was doing all week.”

MASE FUNA Junior Outside Linebacker.

Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham didn’t back down from the pressure filled situation. He drew up yet another deep shot play for the offense. However, this one resulted in 6.

Nix connected with sophomore wide receiver Troy Franklin, who broke the defender’s tackle and ran into the endzone on that 50 yard play.

Oregon elected to go for 2, as Nix punched in the conversion using his legs, extending their lead to 3.

Three plays later, junior outside linebacker Mase Funa jumped a quick pass and ran it back 31 yards for a touchdown to secure the victory for the Ducks.

“That play that they ran on the interception, it was one that we practiced multiple times throughout the week,” Funa said. “I lined up and trusted what I was doing all week.”

Oregon scored 29 points in the fourth quarter and gained their first lead of the game with less than 2 minutes left in the contest. Not to mention, it scored 21 points in the last 2 minutes and 48 seconds of the game. Bo Nix threw for a

career-high 428 yards and added three passing touchdowns to his statline.

In a game with a roller coaster of emotions, the Ducks prevailed. Lanning and his program, or “progrum” as he would say, should be immensely proud of the team as they displayed true grit in what he referred to as a “unique atmosphere” in a pregame press conference earlier this week.

Oregon made a statement in Martin Stadium by winning their first game since the 2019 Rose Bowl while trailing to start the fourth.

The No. 15 Ducks (3-1) take on the Stanford Cardinal next weekend back at Autzen Stadium as they look to avenge last season’s loss.

Cougars left back Jahad Woods (13) takes down a member of Ducks offense. Ducks football take on the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 13, 2021. (Maddie Stellingwerf)

STANFORD VISITS AUTZEN

STADIUM AS OREGON LOOKS FOR REVENGE

The Cardinal have struggled, but they beat the Ducks last year and have a rising quarterback.

BY MOJO HILL • TWITTER @MOJOHILL22

The Stanford football program hasn’t been particularly impressive recently. The Cardinal went just 3-9 last year and are off to a 1-2 start this season.

However, one of their wins last year was an upset victory over Oregon. On Saturday, Stanford will visit Autzen Stadium as the Ducks look to enact some revenge on their Pac-12 foe. Oregon has played well after meeting its match in the season opener against Georgia. The Ducks demolished Eastern Washington, took down a ranked BYU team and opened Pac-12 play with a comeback win over Washington State. Now, they’ll try to chop down some trees.

The Cardinal went into this year with some hope, despite a brutal ending to last season. After beating the Ducks to improve to 3-2, they lost their last seven games of the year. But now they’re led by quarterback Tanner McKee, a 6-foot-6 junior they have high hopes for.

ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked McKee as the top prospect in tier two of his NFL draft preview, naming him a “prospect with potential to rise.” McKee is considered a borderline first-round draft

pick and could very well be a future NFL player.

McKee won’t immediately solve all of Stanford’s problems, though; an area that plagued the Cardinal greatly last year was the running game. They failed to rush for 90 yards on eight occasions, and they lost all eight.

Despite losing to No. 10 USC in week two, the Cardinal had a net gain of 221 yards on the ground — back to the type of mark that made them a successful team years ago. E.J. Smith had a net gain of 88 yards, while Casey Filkins had a net gain of 77.

It was actually in the receiving game that USC outplayed Stanford, throwing for 341 yards compared to the Cardinal’s 220. USC’s Jordan Addison was particularly dominant, as he brought Stanford down with seven catches for a total of 172 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cardinal took a step back in week four, losing 40-22 to Washington. They rushed for just 86 yards in the loss. They were actually solid in the passing game, as McKee threw for 286 yards. Receiver Michael Wilson was a standout, accounting for 176 of those yards. Filkins was

about the only player with a good performance on the ground. He rushed for 100 yards, while the rest of the team had a net loss of 14.

While the Cardinal saw improvement from McKee, the game still exemplified the inconsistencies that have plagued Stanford over the last few seasons. The defense struggled badly, and the offense had three turnovers. The toughest thing for them has been putting it all together. Dating back to last season, they’ve lost eight conference games in a row.

It’s hard to say which version of Stanford will show up against Oregon. The Ducks will be the vast favorites, but last year’s result showed that you can never be too sure. Stanford’s path to an upset would have to involve another strong performance from McKee combined with a return to the running performance from the USC game. Against a vaunted top-25 Oregon team with momentum in its favor, that may be quite a tall task.

The Ducks and Cardinal will meet for a late 8 p.m. kickoff at Autzen Stadium Saturday night.

The Ducks blast out of the tunnel and onto the field. Oregon Ducks football takes on the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Ca. on Sept. 21, 2019. (Connor Cox/ Emerald)

STANFORD LINEMAN BRANSON BRAGG PLANS TO STEP AWAY FROM FOOTBALL

The fourth-year Cardinal cited mental health and concussion-related issues as his reason for retirement.

BY JACK AARON • TWITTER @JACKMAARON

With Stanford and Oregon set to take the field on Oct. 1, the Cardinal’s will be without guard Branson Bragg indefinitely . He played in 16 games for Stanford dating back to the 2019 season.

Although Bragg hadn’t appeared in any contests this season, it’s still a sizable loss for the Cardinal program. The Texas native was a promising four-star recruit with prototypical physical traits at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds.

“From the first time I met him he fit the profile of a Stanford man through and through. He can play center, guard, tackle, and we feel very good about his versatility,” Offensive line coach Kevin Carberry glowingly remarked. “He’s a big strong guy who can play inside or out for us… He plays with suddenness and quickness.”

Bragg was even named a Preseason Pac-12 Honorable Mention at his position,

which speaks to how valuable his skillset was, given his lesser experience.

“I’m heartbroken to announce that I’ve decided to retire from football. This was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but with long-term lingering and intense symptoms stemming from a severe concussion I sustained in training camp, along with mental health factors, I’m confident that stepping away is the best decision for me…” the former Cardinal tweeted.

Bragg was locked in to be the starting left guard this season. The Duck defensive line will try to take advantage of his absence to stop the run and cause chaos in the pocket for Cardinal quarterback Tanner McKee.

Although football won’t be in his future, Bragg plans to graduate on time with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical and computational science.

An entrance into Autzen stadiums field, full of fans from both teams in the stands. University of Oregon Ducks Football defeat the BYU Cougars in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sep. 17, 2022. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)