10/04/18 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

GAMEDAY

TAKING STOCK FIVE WEEKS INTO THE SEASON, Oregon’s offensive stars exceed expectations, and its defense is making big plays.

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ON THE COVER

Ducks cornerback Deommodore Lenoir lines up during the game against Cal. Photograph by Sarah Northrop

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GAMEDAY

CRISTOBAL WANTS TO KEEP BYE WEEK ENERGETIC,

FOCUSED FOR NO. 10 WASHINGTON BY: Maggie Vanoni @maggie_vanoni | PHOTO: Sarah Northrop

e No. 18 Oregon Ducks (4-1, Pac-12 1-1) may have a break from playing this week, but that doesn’t mean there’s room to relax.

Come Oct. 13, the Ducks will face off against the No. 10 Washington Huskies and their senior quarterback, Jake Browning, at Autzen Stadium.

Head coach Mario Cristobal talked with the media Wednesday morning to take a look back on last weekend’s 42-24 win against Cal, talk about the team’s focus during bye-week and preview the highly-anticipated top-20 matchup between the Ducks and the Huskies.

“I think the bye-week for us comes at a very good time,” Cristobal said.

“Sometimes you worry about a bye-week because you’re in a good rhythm and you don’t want to get off that rhythm. We maintain that rhythm by doing some good-on-good work, making sure the speed of the game is being practiced.”

After last year’s grueling 38-3 loss to the Huskies, an Oregon victory would mark the program’s first win against Washington (4-1, 3-0) in the past two years, including a 70-21 loss in the 2016 season. e Huskies will be led by Browning, a senior out of Folsom, California.

He is the school’s all-time leader in career passing yards (10,347) and touchdown passes (86).

Cristobal emphasized that he wants his defense to understand that in order to slow down the Huskies they have to make the pocket uncomfortable for Browning.

“You’ve got to disrupt the timing of the passing game, and that goes with affecting the receivers, affecting their routes, affecting the quarterback,” he said. “You’ve got to change the picture.”

In last weekend’s victory over the California Golden Bears, Oregon’s quarterback and Heisman candidate Justin Herbert completed 16-outof 22 of his attempted passes for a total of 225 passing yards and two touchdowns. e game was packed with successful big plays for Oregon, including outside linebacker La’Mar Winston Jr.’s scoop-and-score which helped propel the Ducks to a 28-10 halftime advantage over the Bears.

However, despite the ‘W,’ the game left Cristobal frustrated with Oregon’s efforts to stop the Bears in the red zone. “ e disappointing point about our coverage this past game was I didn’t feel we ran hard out there,” Cristobal said. “[I] wasn’t very pleased at all about the guys that did not run down there with the DNA, the toughness, the sense of urgency, the discipline that we teach that with. … We have to

ramp up the competition. We can’t have them playing certain phases of the game and then all of a sudden our coverage teams take a break. at’s not the DNA of the program.”

With the week off, Cristobal said he’s demanding just as much focus from his team. “[It’s] certainly not a week to take our foot off the gas,” Cristobal said. “I’ve seen bye weeks at places where everyone is in relax mode. I want it to be the opposite. I want to make sure that we’re early to class, early to tutoring appointments, everything else just goes with it. Just enhance the culture, enhance the standards, keep elevating it and making sure that they find a way to be successful in every single day.”

Mario Cristobal coaches the offensive lineman during practice. (Sarah Northrop)

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GAMEDAY

PLAYERS TO WATCH BY: Maverick Pallack @mavpallack

DEFENSE

JEVON HOLLAND e freshman safety is tied for the team and Pac-12 lead in interceptions with three. He has already tied sophomore omas Graham’s total from last season and has the most interceptions by a freshman safety since now-wide receiver Brenden Schooler in 2016.

Holland has 12 solo tackles and two pass break-ups. With Oregon’s tendency to use three safeties (the other two are Ugochukwu Amadi and Nick Pickett), Holland has effectively put himself in the position to get more chances for interceptions.

Oregon Ducks safety Jevon Holland (8) makes a play during the game against UC Berkeley.

(Devin Roux)

DRAYTON CARLBERG e redshirt junior was not projected to start this season, but after starting defensive end Austin Faoliu went down with an injury against Stanford, Carlberg was given a chance. He stopped Stanford running back Cameron Scarlett on third and 1 in the third quarter and came up with a momentum-shifting stop of Scarlett again in the fourth quarter, tackling him for a loss on fourth and 1. e next week, Carlberg had another dramatic stop for the Ducks. Carlberg stripped Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain and Oregon linebacker La’Mar Winston scooped the ball up and returned it for a 61-yard touchdown. With his effective play and flair for the dramatic, Carlberg should see the field a lot more going forward.

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Drayton Carlberg (90) brings down Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Xavier Hawkins (7) during the 2017 Civil War. (Emerald Archives)

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IN THE REST OF PAC-12 PLAY OFFENSE

JOHNNY JOHNSON III Dillon Mitchell has had an explosive last two weeks. He now has 27 receptions for 442 yards, both more than double the second player on that list. Eventually, defenses are going to double-team him, making a second consistent target for quarterback Justin Herbert all the more important. Johnny Johnson is the most logical of the group to fill that role. e sophomore leads the team in touchdowns (four) and has 10 receptions for 177 yards. Although drops plagued the group early in the season, Johnson has made some difficult catches look easy lately.

Wide reciever Johnny Johnson III during the warmup before the game against Portland State (Sarah Northrop)

TONY BROOKS-JAMES After sustaining an injury against Stanford, Brooks-James was limited to just kick-return duties against Cal. Fellow running backs Travis Dye, CJ Verdell and Cyrus Habibi-Likio played very well in Brooks-James’ absence, which should only increase the constant level of talent in the backfield. But Brooks-James will not lose his role in the offense and should see a lot of carries when he returns. e senior has 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns thus far and has had over 450 rushing yards the last two seasons (771 in 2016).

Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James (20) runs towards the end zone during the game against San JosĂŠ State. (Devin Roux)

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COVER Ducks safety Ugochukwu Amadi during the game against UC Berkeley. (Devin Roux)

LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD BY: Maverick Pallack AND Jack Butler

e No. 18 Oregon Ducks (4-1, 1-1) are off this weekend, but a tough test at home against the No. 10 Washington Huskies looms. e Ducks will take this week to stay in form and prep for the Huskies.

Here is where the Ducks stand after five weeks of play:

Offense

When Oregon’s offense “struggled” to score against San Jose State, fans and media members raised questions. Although potentially holding back, they still produced 58, 62 and 35 points.

Now in the midst of conference play, all restraints are off. e worries from Oregon’s “struggles” on offense have become an afterthought given the immense success in Pac-12 play. Oregon’s prolific rushing and passing has it averaging 36.5 points in Pac-12 games. With Washington lined up after the bye week, the Ducks cannot hold back.

“During league play, we’re trying to kill guys,” wide receiver Dillon Mitchell said. “We’re not trying to not show things; we’re not trying to hide things from people. I definitely feel like we’re coming out and trying to go after people.”

Recently, quarterback Justin Herbert has seen his stats improve. Herbert is averaging 282.2 passing

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yards and three touchdowns per game — 50 more yards and 0.2 touchdowns more than current heisman-favorite, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.

“He just continues to elevate his game,” head coach Mario Cristobal said after the 42-24 win over Cal. “He sees the whole field. He’s a great decision maker.”

Catching a lot of those passes is Mitchell. e receiver caught just six passes through Oregon’s first three games. He now has 27 catches on the season after an almost record-breaking performance against Stanford (14 receptions for 239 yards) and another solid game against Cal (seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown).

Since conference play began, Mitchell has become Herbert’s go-to target due in part to his increased work on the field, and the coaching staff is taking notice. “ e key to him these past couple games is how he has been practicing the last few weeks,” Cristobal said. “In practice, he’s just been relentless about his approach to everything in the details of his craft. It’s showing up on game day and certainly the quarterback trusts him more and more, so we’ll continue to expand that role.”

Attention comes with success. Defenses will begin to key in on Mitchell, upping the need for another elite receiver.

Tight end Jacob Breeland (seven catches and two touchdowns) and wide receivers Johnny Johnson III (10 catches and four touchdowns), Jaylon Redd (nine catches and three touchdowns) and Brenden Schooler (six catches) all have opportunities to fill that role.

“I think we’ve just done such a great job of getting everyone involved in the pass game and with the run game,” Herbert said. “It’s a lot easier to throw the ball when you got guys like Dillon Mitchell, Brenden Schooler, Johnny Johnson and a couple great tight ends.”

Just like with the passing game, youth was a question mark in the backfield. But thanks to stellar play by linemen Penei Sewell, Shane Lemieux, Jake Hanson, Dallas Warmack and Calvin rockmorton, the running game has been a bright point.

Prior to the season, the running backs’ youth was seen as a weakness, but with redshirt freshman CJ Verdell (420 yards and two touchdowns) and true freshman Travis Dye (253 yards and two touchdowns) leading the team in rushing,

experience is no longer an issue. “ ey’re all doing a great job,” Herbert said.

“It doesn’t matter who’s back there. I’ve got faith in them.”

Defense

is is the first time in four years that Oregon has the same defensive coordinator for two years in a row. Jim Leavitt is in charge, and he is largely responsible for turning Oregon’s defense into something to respect.

But it’s not just happening with top NFL prospects. It’s happening with seniors who are comfortable and ready to capitalize on their final season.

Safety Ugochukwu Amadi and outside linebacker/defensive end Justin Hollins aren’t just hitting their marks. ey’re making big plays.

Amadi is a cornerback-turned-safety listed at 5-foot-10 and 201 pounds. He is undersized but not underutilized. e Ducks have him playing deep, covering the slot and blitzing. He is tied for the team lead in interceptions with fellow safety Jevon Holland at three. He also has two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, both more than defensive star Troy Dye. Against Cal, Amadi had two interceptions, including one for a touchdown and one on the first play of Cal’s second drive. e Golden Bears tested Amadi early when they threw a deep ball over the middle, but he was in position and snagged it. He passed the test.

“I knew they were going to try me deep,” Amadi said. “ e way our system is, leaving me on an island a lot. I had to play big — make plays.

He’s been a key part of a defense that ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in yards per game. Some of that is influenced by the strength of schedule.

Oregon played three bad nonconference teams and a below-average Cal offense, and the Ducks are allowing 412.5 yards per game in conference play, which ranks eighth. e defense has allowed some yards, but they are making big plays. It leads the Pac-12 in interceptions and is second in sacks.

Hollins, Oregon’s sack leader, has attacked quarterbacks all season long. He’s recorded four sacks in five games this season, already a career high. He has three forced fumbles and has bolstered Oregon’s already strong front seven. e defense is second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards allowed, but at times, Cal was able to move the ball on the ground, specifically with its quarterbacks.

“We hold ourselves to a very high expectation,” linebacker La’Mar Winston Jr. said. “We want to be one of the best defenses in the country, and that just doesn’t happen for the best defenses in the country.”

Oregon will face better offenses in the future.

Washington, Washington State and Arizona all provide their own challenges, and the Oregon

Ducks wide reciever Dillon Mitchell (13) keeps the ball from PSU safety Houston Barnes (9). (Sarah Northrop)

Oregon Ducks inside linebacker Troy Dye (35) hypes up the crowd during the game against Portland State. (Devin Roux)

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GAMEDAY Ducks runningback Cyrus Habibi-Likio (33) celebrates a touchdown.

(Sarah Northrop)

Ducks running back CJ Verdell (34) dodges a hit. (Ben Green)

YOUNG RUNNING BACKS

ON THE RISE BY: August Howell @howell_august

On the first play of the second half against No. 24 Cal, redshirt freshman running back CJ Verdell took the ball from Justin Herbert, maneuvered between the battling offensive line and sprinted 74 yards down the field. He was eventually brought down on the 1-yard line, which set up another redshirt freshman running back, Cyrus Habibi-Likio, to score his sixth touchdown of the season and put Oregon up 35-10.

With senior running back Tony

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Brooks-James limited to kick returns due to an ankle injury, much of the running game was in the hands of freshmen.

Two of Oregon’s major freshmen running backs, Travis Dye and Verdell, became the first pair of Oregon freshmen to each run for 100 yards in a game. Verdell had 106 yards on nine carries, while Dye had a 45-yard touchdown late in the first half to give Oregon a 14-10 lead, and ended with 20 carries for 115 yards.

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Verdell tweaked his MCL in the game, so Dye played for most of the second and managed to earn his third 100-yard game of the season, tied for most in the Pac-12. Head coach Mario Cristobal believes Verdell should be healthy against Washington, especially with a bye week to recover.

Cristobal said he was glad to see Verdell bounce back from a rough finish against Stanford, when he fumbled on Oregon’s final drive.

“Very happy for him,” Cristobal

said. “We know what kind of competitor he is, and we completely trust him, as we do Travis.”

With his older brother Troy as a leader on the defense, Dye has a lot of football in his blood. In the fifth game of his career, he rushed for 71 yards on 8 carries in the first half.

He has two touchdowns over 40 yards this season.

“I feel like I’m moving and grooving now,” Dye said. “I always try to keep the ball high and tight.”

Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, a former Oregon safety, said that Herbert and a consistent running game were key reasons in Berkeley’s loss.

“Elite quarterback and we didn’t play the run,” Wilcox told reporters. “ e two long runs kill you.”

As a freshman, Dye is still learning from his mistakes.

Late in the third quarter of the Cal game, he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Golden Bears.

“I know Travis is probably beating himself up in the locker room,” Cristobal said. “And

they’re two freshmen, and that’s okay. ey’ve earned the opportunity to go.”

As the season goes on, the experience Dye and Verdell are getting, multiple touches in big games, should pay dividends for them down the road. Cristobal intends to keep using them, and had positive things to say after Dye’s solid performance.

“Travis has done a great job since the day he’s gotten here,” Cristobal said. “ at’s a pretty good bloodline of football players. Travis showed up big and we’re going to continue to depend on him.”

Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye (26) carries the ball. (Devin Roux)

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GAMEDAY

SEASON SNAPSHOTS OREGON’S FIRST FIVE GAMES HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH ACTION AND MEMORABLE HIGHLIGHTS.

Justin Herbert (10) looks for an open pass during the game against Bowling Green.

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Ducks wide reciever Tabari Hines (17) reaches the ball into the endzone, scoring a touchdown against Portland State.

(Sarah Northrop)

GAMEDAY

Outside Linebacker Justin Hollins (11) tackles a San JosĂŠ State opponent. (Devin Roux)

Stanford wide reciever Osiris St. Brown (9) attempts to break the tackle.

(Ben Green)

Justin Herbert (10) hands the ball off to running back Travis Dye (26) during the game against UC Berkeley. (Devin Roux)

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GAMEDAY

MARIOTA VS. HERBERT PER GAME STATISTICS

3 PASSING TOUCHDOWNS

2.8 PASSING TOUCHDOWNS

282.2 PASSING YARDS

296.9 PASSING YARDS 1 INTERCEPTION

.26 INTERCEPTIONS

MARCUS MARIOTA

JUSTIN HERBERT

FRESHMEN RUSHING YARDS PER GAME 2009

2013

2014

2015

LaMichael James

Thomas Tyner

Royce Freeman

CJ Verdell

118.92 rushing yards per game

59.25 rushing yards per game

91 rushing yards per game

84 rushing yards per game (Numbers from Sports Reference)

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GAMEDAY

EMERALD SPORTS No U . 1 tah 4 St vs an . fo rd

THIS WEEK’S GAMES:

Ar vs izo . C na ol St or at ad e o No .1 0 vs Wa . U sh CL ing A to W n vs ash . O ing re to go n n St St at at e e Ca lif Ar orn izo ia na vs .

PAC-12 PICKS

JACK BUTLER RECORD: (23-9)

MAVERICK PALLACK RECORD: (17-15)

SHAWN MEDOW RECORD: (23-9)

MAGGIE VANONI RECORD: (22-10)

AUGUST HOWELL RECORD: (18-14)

ZACH PRICE RECORD: (26-6)

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