11-14-19 Emerald Media - Gameday

GAMEDAY 11.14.19

THE MAN, THE MYTH,

THE MUSTACHE AARON FELD COMES FROM THE SOUTH BUT HAS FOUND HIS HOME IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAINING AND MAINTAINING THE DUCKS’ PHYSICAL FITNESS DURING ONE OF THEIR BEST SEASONS.

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GAMEDAY

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ON THE COVER

Ducks strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld at the Redbox Bowl. (Ben Green/Emerald)

OREGON

ARIZONA ARIZONA OFFENSE

OREGON OFFENSE Penei Sewell Shane Lemieux Jake Hanson Dallas Warmack Calvin Throckmorton Hunter Kampmoyer Bryan Addison Jaylon Redd Johnny Johnson III CJ Verdell Justin Herbert

No. 58 No. 68 LG No. 55 No. 75 No. 54 No. 48 No. 80 No. 30 No. 3 No. 7 No. 10

LT

So. Sr.

C RG RT TE WR WR WR RB QB

Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. R-Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr.

No. 5 No. 34 No. 99

DE NT DT STUD

No. 41 No. 35 No. 4 No. 6 No. 16 No. 23

Fr. Jr. Jr. Sr.

MLB WILL NICKEL/SAM So. CB CB S S R-Fr.

So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr.

No. 63 No. 42 No. 49

LS P PK

LT LG C

No. 76 No. 72 No. 18 No. 1 No. 5 No. 81 No. 21 No. 14

So. RS-So. So.

RG RT WR WR SLOT TE RB QB

RS-Sr. RS-So. RS-Sr. RS-So. RS-So. Jr. RS-Jr. Sr.

JB Brown Finton Connolly Trevon Mason No. 90 Jalen Harris Colin Schooler No. 7 Tony Fields II Tristan Cooper No. 31 Christian Young Jace Whittaker No. 17 Lorenzo Burns No. 2 Scottie Young Jr.

No. 12 No. 91

END NOSE TACKLE Jr. No. 49 END MIKE Jr. No. 1 WILL SPUR Sr. No. 5 BANDIT BC RS-St. FC RS-Jr. No. 6 FS

Jr. RS-Sr. RS-So Jr. So.

Jr.

ARIZONA SPECIAL TEAMS

OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS Karsten Battles Blake Maimone Camden Lewis

No. 78

ARIZONA DEFENSE

OREGON DEFENSE Kayvon Thibodeaux Jordon Scott Austin Faoliu Bryson Young No. 56 Isaac Slade-Matautia Troy Dye Jevon Holland No. 8 Thomas Graham Jr. Deommodore Lenoir Nick Pickett Verone McKinley

Donovan Laie Robert Congel No. 66 Josh McCauley No. 50 Cody Creason Edgar Burrola Cedric Peterson Drew Dixon Brian Casteel Bryce Wolma J.J. Taylor Khalil Tate

So. Sr. Fr.

Seth MacKellar No. 64 Kyle Ostendorp No. 19 Lucas Havrisik No. 43 PK

LS P

Fr. Fr. Jr.

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GAMEDAY

LAST YEAR’S UPSET LOSS TO ARIZONA

IN THE BACK OF THE MINDS OF CRISTOBAL, DUCKS BY: Clayton Franke @clayfranke1

The Ducks celebrate a touchdown. (D L Young/Emerald)

On Oct. 27, 2018, the No. 19 Oregon Ducks marched into Arizona Stadium in Tucson looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss against Washington State, only to be upset by the Wildcats 44-15. The loss dropped them to 5-3 on the season as they saw their Pac-12 championship hopes fade.

Since that game, the Ducks are 12-2 and have launched themselves into College Football Playoff considerations. Meanwhile, Arizona is 4-5 this season and sits at No. 5 in the Pac-12 South.

Although the Ducks have tremendously improved since that last time they faced Arizona, head coach Mario Cristobal’s squad is using what they learned on that fateful night in Tucson to prepare for their matchup on Saturday.

“We were ineffective at moving the football,

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and not nearly consistent enough,” Cristobal said of last year’s loss. “Running the football and beating man coverage are important not only for this game but for the rest of the season.”

Arizona relies on running back J.J. Taylor, who rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon last year. The 5-foot-6 redshirt junior from Corona, California, was injured earlier this year but is still a threat and has been successful against the Pac-12. However, the Oregon front seven has vastly improved since last season, and the defensive scheme has changed as well.

Cristobal is emphasizing form-tackling and push from the defensive line in practice.

Another weapon for Arizona’s high-tempo offense is the dual threat at quarterback. Senior Khalil Tate and freshman Grant Gunnell are

both options to lead the offense, and they both played two weeks ago against Stanford. In the 2018 matchup, Tate threw for three touchdowns and picked apart the Oregon secondary. Both quarterbacks are good passers and have the ability to move. The Oregon defense could be facing either one at any point in the game, so they are preparing to defend both this week in practice.

The Ducks have been working on refining their game and staying sharp with no game this past Saturday. Injury concerns about CJ Verdell, Dallas Warmack and Cyrus Habibi-Likio have been alleviated by the bye week, and they are expected to play against Arizona. Given the team’s good health, Cristobal has been implementing competitive drills at practice to keep his players

Ducks wide receiver Jaylon Redd (30) reaches to catch a pass. (DL Young/Emerald)

on edge. Sundays are generally used for a simple walkthrough practice, but the Ducks got on the field for a full practice. While Cristobal is grateful for the bye week and confident in his team, he’s well aware that sometimes teams can get complacent after the lull of a week off.

“You can get better, but you can also get worse,” Cristobal said. “We’ve had success after bye weeks, and we’re confident that what we did this past week was a real good investment in us improving as a football team.”

Not only was the bye week useful for practice, but it was useful for recruiting, with Cristobal using the

week off to make recruitment visits.

The recent success of the Ducks comes at a good time, as the brand of football that Cristobal has been preaching to recruits is being backed up on the scoreboard. The head coach didn’t give any specifics about his visits, but he did admit it was “a great week out.”

Oregon hasn’t seemed to slack off in its preparations during its second bye week of the year, and the Arizona offense isn’t being taken lightly. When Arizona comes to Autzen Stadium on Saturday, the 2018 upset loss to the Wildcats will be fresh in the minds of the Ducks, just as it has been all week.

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GAMEDAY

BY THE NUMBERS

JUWAN JOHNSON’S CAREER PERFORMANCE AGAINST USC

ONLY THE FIFTH PAC-12 PLAYER TO CATCH 3 TOUCHDOWNS IN A GAME THIS SEASON

7 RECEPTIONS FOR 106 YARDS AND

3 TOUCHDOWNS

CAUGHT 3 TOUCHDOWNS AGAINST USC AFTER HAVING JUST 2 IN HIS 3-YEAR CAREER AT PENN STATE.

FIRST CAREER MULTI-TOUCHDOWN

GAME

FIRST OREGON PLAYER WITH 3 TD CATCHES IN A GAME SINCE BRALON ADDISON IN 2015 Ducks wide receiver Juwan Johnson (6) catches an open field reception and looks around for opposing Trojans. (DL Young/Emerald) PA G E 6

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COVER

STRENGTH STAFF STIMULATES GROWTH AND AARON FELD IS THE VOICE BEHIND IT BY: Noah Noteboom @noah_boom23 Ducks strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld hypes up the team. (Devin Roux/Emerald)

In the $68 million weight training facility, Oregon’s strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld filmed the last episode of his “Squatober” series as he attempted to squat 600 lbs — the weight of an average adult male tiger.

Donning a bright green Oregon wrestling mask, Feld effortlessly lifted the weight and proceeded to wish his viewers a happy Halloween. That is the kind of enthusiasm Feld brings to the Oregon football program.

Before Feld found himself at Oregon as a strength and conditioning coach, he was the long snapper for Mississippi State during his sophomore and junior years of college. Feld

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graduated in 2010 with a masters in exercise science and earned certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.

He began his strength training career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was head strength trainer for the football team and assisted with the women’s basketball team for one year. He then went on to bigger and better things with a move to a football powerhouse, the University of Alabama, where he volunteered.

His time as an unpaid intern at Alabama led him to cross paths with Oregon Head Coach Mario

Cristobal, who coached the offensive line. After a short stint in Tuscaloosa, Feld didn’t stray far as he took a job as the head strength coach for all sports at the University of North Alabama. After that, he moved on to the University of Georgia, where he spent two years, before finally finding himself a home in Eugene, recently signing a contract extension that will keep Feld at the University of Oregon until at least January 2021.

Feld can attribute much of his immediate rise to fame to a brief camera shot of him and his handlebar mustache that aired on ESPN during the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship. People noticed it and

Ducks strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld hypes up the crowd. (Devin Roux/Emerald)

people liked it.

Feld chalked the start of his iconic mustache up to a brief winning streak before he arrived in Oregon.

“At one point, this mustache was undefeated,” Feld said. “And you don’t shave an undefeated mustache.”

His easily recognizable facial hair has led to other endeavors such as a clothing company, and even an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, where he discussed his “Fill the Sleeves” campaign. It started out as a challenge to other strength and conditioning coaches around the country but blossomed into larger challenges

and goals. He started challenging other coaches to a 45-day challenge in which participants would attempt to do 100 bicep curls and 100 tricep extensions each day. When Feld was away from the weight room, he found different ways to get his reps in. Whether it’s lifting rocks on the beach or stretching resistance bands on the tops of mountains, Feld gets creative when it comes to weight training.

Feld and his wife, Brittany Burgess Feld, seem comfortably transplanted from the South to the Pacific Northwest. “’Fill the Sleeves” is more than a campaign and is now a clothing line. The couple donated an unexpected $10,000 of profits

to the Special Olympics in 2018.

But Feld’s main duty on the field and in the weight room is to prepare his players for the next week. The team’s offensive line and running backs are the ones who benefit the most from Feld’s knowledge. In the beginning of the season, Oregon relied heavily on the running game with transfers and injuries to its receiving corps.

Oregon’s running game has been elevated this season, thanks to its talented and experienced offensive line. All of the starters stand over 6 foot 2 and weigh over 295 pounds. In an attempt to reshape their players, the strength and conditioning staff has been working closely with

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COVER

Ducks strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld shakes an Oregon fans hand after the game. Oregon Ducks Football takes on UC Berkeley at California Memorial Stadium on Sept. 29, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

the offensive line especially.

No. 1 overall JUCO player, offensive tackle Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, arrived to Oregon at 380 lbs. He managed to get his weight down to 330 with the help of Feld and his staff. Aumavae-Laulu and the entire offensive line took part in the offseason workouts and lost weight. Things like height, weight, body fat, body composition and nutrition are all taken into consideration when creating an exercise plan.

“That’s a tribute to coach Feld and his staff,” offensive line coach Alex Mirabal said. “They might’ve lost some weight, but they’ve gained power, they’ve gained strength and they’ve gained explosion.”

While some players are trying to lose weight, tight end Patrick Herbert has added 25 pounds since his arrival at Oregon. Cristobal thinks high-school athletes don’t get the nutrients they need.

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“Their breakfast is a bag of chips and a glass of Gatorade,” Cristobal said.

When the players get to college, they gain access to more nutritious foods as well as better exercise regimes. Herbert’s weight gain is a perfect example of the strength staff doing their job.

The position group that needs the most explosion is by far the running backs. Seeing a hole created by the line, the backs have a split second to attack before the defense closes in.

Balancing speed and explosion is crucial.

In the past, speed has been Oregon’s calling card. LaMichael James, De’Anthony Thomas and Devon Allen are just a few notable players.

All of these athletes went on to compete at the next level, whether it be the NFL or running track professionally.

Oregon’s backfield this season can surely outrun almost anyone. CJ Verdell bulked up this offseason, but it’s not just to power through

his opponents. He said this offseason that he wanted to improve his blocking skills and maintain his health.

“Feld and the weight staff,” Verdell said. “The program they got us on definitely helped me out a lot.”

Recognizing the types of players that come through the Oregon football program is a strength Feld and his staff have. Whether that be 6-foot-2, 220-pound Cyrus Habibi-Likio or 5-foot-8, 180-pound Jaylon Redd, Feld must have tailored workouts ready for action.

Feld and his staff are responsible for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work with the team.

While he has no say in the depth chart and who plays, he must keep every athlete in peak condition in case an opportunity comes knocking. Keeping players healthy for the long run is difficult, but luckily Oregon has state-ofthe-art training facilities and a staff to go with it.

GAMEDAY

PLAYERS TO WATCH BY: Shane Hoffmann @shane_hoffmann

Arizona J.J. TAYLOR / RUNNING BACK / ARIZONA Junior J.J. Taylor spearheads the Wildcats’ explosive run game, which averages just under 200 yards per game. While the 5-foot-6 back has yet to come close to the monumental year he had as a sophomore in 2018 — notably dicing up the Ducks’ defense for 212 yards — he’s still the most effective runner in a deep stable of backs.

Don’t let Taylor’s stature fool you. He is not

only one of the conference’s most elusive and speedy runners, but he’s equally hard to bring down. His low center of gravity and excellent balance make him a tough tackle for any defender.

The Ducks will need to stuff the run early and often if they hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s performance.

JACE WHITTAKER AND LORENZO BURNS / CORNERBACKS / ARIZONA Arizona’s Jace Whittaker and Lorenzo Burns will challenge Oregon’s deep receiving corps on Saturday. With both Whittaker and Burns standing at 5 feet 11 inches, on paper, neither has the requisite size to match the frame of Juwan Johnson or even Bryan Addison.

But despite their size, they don’t back down and always play physical at the point of attack.

The duo has made plays on the ball all year Ducks running back Darrian Felix gains yards. (D L Young/Emerald)

THE RUNNING BACKS / OREGON Although CJ Verdell has put up some eye-popping numbers, at times he’s disappeared. He’s been inconsistent, not unlike his peers at the position.

Travis Dye is second on the team with just over 400 yards, but the elusive speed back has yet to find the end zone and his fumbles have occasionally been costly. Cyrus Habibi-Likio has had his moments, most notably in Oregon’s comeback win in Seattle, but still can’t seem to grasp a steady role week after week.

Even Darrian Felix has had his

moments, but after a strong nonconference showing, he disappeared altogether until Oregon’s rout of USC. There’s nothing wrong with a strong stable of backs, but when the stakes grow larger with every looming week, who will Oregon turn to when it matters most? Who can be trusted to hold onto the ball as the Ducks try to preserve a lead? Who can find their way into the end zone on the goal line at the game’s most pressing moment?

With every growing week, the answer begins to solidify.

and despite Arizona’s near-bottom of the pack defensive ranking, they have been a bright spot in an otherwise listless unit.

They have a combined 57 tackles, 12 passes defended and six interceptions on the year.

For Arizona to pull off an upset, they’ll have to force Justin Herbert into turnovers. Should that happen, Whittaker and Burns will be at the heart of it.

Oregon JORDON SCOTT / NOSE TACKLE / OREGON Jordon Scott is the Ducks’ forgotten man. With the plethora of breakout players on defense, the unit’s anchor has flown under the radar.

Scott has only recorded 17 tackles and has yet to put the quarterback on the ground. But that’s not the nose tackle’s job.

Sure, some defensive tackles have established themselves as disruptive pass rushers, but that isn’t Scott’s strength, nor what he prides

himself on.

He’s a block-eater. He takes up space, and his presence, while often unnoticed by the average fan, helps everyone around him succeed. Scott is a huge part of Oregon’s secondplace Pac-12 defense, especially its stout run defense.

The Ducks will need him at the top of his game this weekend if they hope to stifle the Pac-12’s secondbest ground attack in the Arizona Wildcats.

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GAMEDAY

MATCHUPS BY: Oscar Duyck

Arizona pass defense vs Oregon passing game

The Ducks warm up at the start of the game. (DL Young / Emerald)

Arizona’s defense has been ineffective this season, especially in the passing game. The Wildcats give up an average of 313 yards per game through the air — a significant contributing factor to their 37-points-per-game average that give up to opposing offenses.

Their defensive woes reached a low point against Oregon State two weeks ago, when the Beavers torched the Wildcats to the tune of 56 points.

The team’s defensive struggles have led to midseason coaching changes, as Arizona fired defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. It remains to be seen if this midseason change will fix its issues.

In any case, the Wildcats will have to lean on cornerbacks Lorenzo Burns and Jace Whittaker, who lead the team with three interceptions apiece.

Burns has been especially good in an otherwise-struggling defense,

as he also leads the team with seven deflected passes. Both corners will have a full workload ahead of them against a polished Oregon passing game.

Oregon’s passing game will throw a lot of different looks at Arizona. Veterans Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd have provided consistency week in and week out. Freshman Mycah Pittman has worked his way back from an offseason injury, recording 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

Graduate transfer Juwan Johnson emerged in the Oregon offense and wrecked the Trojans defense at the Coliseum two weeks ago. Johnson had seven catches for 106 yards and three touchdowns. With Arizona’s reeling pass defense, it seems likely that one or more of Oregon’s receivers will have a breakout game.

ADVANTAGE: OREGON Arizona run game vs Oregon’s run defense Arizona has a strong offense, especially on the ground. Its rushing attack averages 196 yards per game, and at times, Arizona’s talented rushing attack has kept the team in high-scoring games. Some of that success can be attributed to dual-threat quarterback Khalil Tate, who has Ducks cornerback Deommodore Lenoir at play. (D L Young/Emerald)

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69 rushes for 312 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Oregon has not faced a dual-threat quarterback of Tate’s caliber this season.

J.J. Taylor is the squad’s leading rusher. Taylor is a talented running back who has 107 carries for 566 yards and five

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Ducks running back Cryus Habibi-Likio gets tackled for a loss of yards. (DL Young/Emerald)

touchdowns on the season. He is also solid receiving out of the backfield, tallying 20 receptions for 205 yards. Running back Gary Brightwell has posted solid numbers for the Wildcats as well, with 56 carries for 343 yards and five touchdowns. He also has a receiving touchdown.

Oregon has the second-best defense in the conference, but the Ducks struggled to contain the high-octane Washington State offense, and Arizona has the second-most yards per game in

ADVANTAGE: OREGON

the conference after Washington State. However, Oregon’s defense is the second-best run defense in the Pac-12, allowing only 100 yards per game.

Getting to the quarterback will be especially important for the Ducks. Oregon’s sack leaders Mase Funa and Kayvon Thibodeaux will play a critical role in containing Tate. Oregon has 26 sacks on the season, first in the conference. The Ducks will also rely on veteran linebacker Troy Dye to contain the Brightwell-Taylor duo.

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GAMEDAY

Ducks cornerback Mykael Wright (2) on the field. (DL Young/Emerald)

‘HE WANTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE IT’:

MYKAEL WRIGHT’S JOURNEY AT OREGON BY: Brady Lim @BradyLim619 Mykael Wright’s 100-yard kickoff return against USC seemed somewhat ordinary in the context of one of the craziest halves in college football this season.

But from Wright’s perspective, that touchdown was anything but ordinary. The thought of playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum wearing green and yellow was already far-fetched. Making the defining play of the game as a kickoff return man was almost unthinkable.

Wright attended Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California, about an hour north of LA. For much of his recruitment, it was assumed that he’d pick USC — despite the recent struggles of the 11time national champs. But on May 31, 2018, he chose to play his college ball 836 miles north, in Eugene, Oregon.

“A lot of people want us to stay in our hometowns and go to our background colleges,” Wright said.

“But people make other decisions. They make the decision that’s best for them.”

Wright’s decision entailed joining a loaded and

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experienced Oregon secondary, but he’s quickly carved out an essential role in the nation’s No. 10 scoring defense. He recorded his first career interception in just his second-ever game and sealed Oregon’s dramatic comeback win against Washington with his coverage on the last pass of the game.

In the two biggest wins of Oregon’s season, Wright arguably made the biggest play of the day.

And when it came to being able to shine as a kick returner, Oregon was the best decision for him. Even if he had never done it before.

“I actually, in high school, never returned a kick return,” he said. “Here they told me they wanted me to do kick return … Last week I had the opportunity to go back there and return a kick, and it just carried over from there.”

Head coach Mario Cristobal saw Wright’s potential, even if his high school coaches didn’t.

“I go back to his high school film — I don’t know who was reluctant to put him back there — but without question, he’s not only an electrifying

player, I think the more he does it, the better and better he will get,” Cristobal said.

The potential for experimentation in returning kicks goes back to the reason why he chose Oregon in the first place. He didn’t want to be funnelled into USC just because geography would tell him that’s what he should do. He wanted to make the best decision for his football career, and his evolution into a dangerous return man was made possible because of that decision.

“It’s a very hard decision,” Wright said of choosing Oregon over USC. “It all comes down to the coaches and what role you’ll be able to play at whatever school you go to.”

Just a few years ago, people were predicting he would be at USC, playing solely cornerback. Now, with a win over USC and roles in both the secondary and on special teams on his resume as just a true freshman, there’s no question that he made the right choice.

“He wanted it,” Cristobal said. “He wanted this opportunity to prove it.”

GAMEDAY

A DEEP DIVE INTO

ARIZONA BY: Charles Gearing @CharlesGearing

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert at play. (DL Young/Emerald)

Arizona football has struggled in 2019. After a 4-1 start to the season, which included two in-conference victories against UCLA and Colorado, the Wildcats have suffered four straight losses to Pac-12 opponents in matchups with Washington, USC, Stanford and Oregon State.

The Arizona defense has been porous, allowing all four of their last opponents to score over 40 points.

The Wildcats parted ways with their defensive coordinator Marcel Yates just days after losing 41-31 to a struggling Stanford Cardinal team.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their defensive woes would only continue, dropping the following week’s game to Oregon State 56-38.

While the Wildcats have struggled greatly on defense, they certainly possess talent on the back end. At the cornerback position, they have two veteran defensive backs, Jace Whittaker and Lorenzo Burns.

Much like their talented duo in the secondary, the Wildcats have solid players at the linebacker position as well. Colin Schooler, brother of recent Oregon transfer Brenden Schooler, leads the team in tackles with 63 thus far in 2019. Close behind him is fellow linebacker Tony Fields II, who’s gathered 62 tackles and an interception on the season.

Although their defense has struggled, the Wildcats’ offense hasn’t had too much trouble getting

on the scoreboard. They sit at fifth in the Pac-12 with an average of 32.9 points per game. The Arizona offense ranks fourth and second within the conference in passing and rushing touchdowns, respectively.

Leading the Arizona rushing game is junior running back J.J. Taylor. The Corona, California, native has rushed for 566 yards in 2019, 358 of which were against Pac-12 opponents.

The Wildcats passing game, with quarterback Khalil Tate at the helm, has been more multifaceted than the rushing game, featuring a handful of skilled wideouts. Freshman Jamarye Joiner leads the pack in that regard, catching 24 passes for 366 yards at an average of 15.3 yards per catch

and three touchdowns on the season.

Trailing closely behind Joiner is wide receiver Brian Casteel. The junior wideout has tallied 34 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, having his best game of the season against USC, when he caught five passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wildcats will face challenges on both sides of the ball upon traveling to Eugene to take on the Ducks this Saturday. Oregon ranks 10th nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 15.8 points per game.

The Ducks also sit at 12th in the FBS in scoring offense, putting up an average of 38.2 points per game.

T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 9

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