⚑ GAMEDAY AT OREGON, THEY’RE JUST PART OF THE TEAM. Oregon’s skill positions are riddled with players who would be individual stars anywhere else. But in a group more concerned with a team win than personal stats, these athletes don’t mind sharing the ball.
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Receiver Devon Allen (13), tight end Pharaoh Brown (85) and running back Royce Freeman (21) make up a large part of the humble but talented Oregon offense. Photos by Kaylee Domzalski Photo illustration by Raquel Ortega
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WEEKLY STACK-UP
OREGON VS. NEBRASKA
Written by: Ryan Kostecka @Ryan_Kostecka | Photo by : Kaylee Domzalski As Oregon lines up to take the field against Nebraska on Saturday, it will be the first time all season that the Ducks have had a formidable foe looking back at them. No. 22 Oregon will enter its matchup against Nebraska 2-0 after securing wins
Oregon players run out onto the field as the game against Virginia begins on Sept. 10.
against FCS opponent UC Davis and ACC foe Virginia. The Cornhuskers are also 2-0 with wins over Fresno State and Wyoming. This will be the first time both teams have a chance to make a statement in the early portion of the season.
Here’s how the teams stack up.
OREGON OFFENSE: Advantage: Oregon
The Ducks will enter Nebraska with transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop in full control of Oregon’s high-octane offense. Prukop has completed 69 percent of his passes on the year with six touchdowns and no interceptions. All six of his scoring passes have gone to different receivers. When Prukop isn’t slinging the ball to Darren Carrington, Devon Allen and tight end Pharaoh Brown, the ball is usually in the hands of Royce Freeman. Freeman ran for 207 yards and two scores last week, proving he’s more than ready to carry the load. More importantly for Oregon’s offense, the linemen controlled the trenches and the offense ran at a much quicker tempo.
DEFENSE:
If there was one side of the ball that’s been letting Oregon down, it’s been the defense. The defensive backs have been solid thus far and delivered two key interceptions last week that helped Oregon get the victory over Virginia. However, the defensive front seven is struggling mightily after losing five-of-seven starters from last year’s squad. Virginia, who ran for 38 yards against Richmond in the season opener, gashed the Ducks’ defense for 193 yards last week. Too many times did Oregon fill the wrong gap at the line of scrimmage or miss an open tackle. Simply put, defensive coordinator Brady Hoke’s new 4-3 scheme better start making massive improvements if Oregon wants a chance at the victory.
NEBRASKA OFFENSE:
Tommy Armstrong Jr. is a true dual-threat quarterback. He can beat defenses with his strong arm and fast feet. So far on the year, Armstrong has thrown four touchdowns and ran for three more. Devine Ozigbo is the top rusher for the Cornhuskers, amassing 147 yards and four scores on the year. Jordan Westerkamp and Alonzo Moore are the top receivers for Nebraska and each has two touchdown catches so far, but the depth drops off significantly after that. Nebraska’s offensive line is big and tough but not very agile, leaving them susceptible to more athletic down linemen.
DEFENSE: Advantage: Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are athletic ballhawks who hit hard and force turnovers. Nebraska has surrendered 13.5 points per game while forcing eight turnovers in the two games. Seven of the turnovers have come from interceptions and the offense has turned those turnovers into 35 points. Kieron Williams is the core of the secondary, leading the team with 15 tackles and two interceptions. Ross Dzuris is a menace on the inside, leading the team with 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. Fast and physical is what Nebraska preaches and that’s what it will rely on come gameday.
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Players to Watch Written by: Ryan Kostecka @Ryan_Kostecka Photos by : Adam Eberhardt Illustration by : Brandon Montes-Nguyen When Oregon and Nebraska collide on Saturday, it will be a battle of pride. Whichever team wins will give its conference a big victory and signify that they are ready to compete for a conference championship. Likewise, the loser will further sink into college football’s graveyard of mediocrity.
OREGON
Here are the players to watch:
Charles Nelson, WR Both Darren Carrington and Devon Allen have had big games to start the season and now it’s Nelson’s turn. Nelson can do it all for the Ducks but he’s struggled to get going this year, amassing only five catches for 37 yards. While not big in stature, Nelson is very strong and amazingly explosive so when he has the ball in his hands, he can make a difference. If this is Nelson’s breakout game to start the season, it could be a long day for Nebraska.
#34
Lamar Winston, LB
Johnny Ragin III didn’t play last week and A.J. Hotchkins was carted off with an injury, leaving the Ducks extremely thin at linebacker. That’s where Winston comes into play. Winston, a freshman, will be tasked with shadowing Nebraska quarterback Terry Armstrong Jr. and taking away the rushing aspect of his game. If Winston can plug the right gaps and contain Armstrong in the pocket, it might be enough to give Oregon the win.
Dakota Prukop, QB Prukop has been nothing short of phenomenal this season with six touchdowns passes and no interceptions, as well as another touchdown rushing. He’s showing that he’s in control of the Oregon offense, moving it along at a high tempo and wearing down defenses. But he’s never faced a defense like Nebraska’s. He’s going to feel pressure and he’s going to get hit. How Prukop responds to the adversity will be telling if Oregon is going to get the “upset.”
NEBRASKA Ross Dzuris, DE
Devine Ozigbo, RB
Dzuris is Nebraska’s best interior defensive lineman and has been a terror in the trenches so far, amassing 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss on the season. A former walk-on who earned a scholarship last year, Dzuris has had to fight for every second of playing time so fighting in the trenches comes easy to him. He’ll be going against an inexperienced offensive line with the Ducks and if he can disrupt Prukop’s timing with receivers, it could mean celebration at the end of the game.
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Virginia ran around and through Oregon’s front seven last week. Ozigbo is better than Albert Reid of Virginia and he has a better offensive line so that should mean big things for him. If Ozigbo can run wild and make Oregon miss tackles like it did last week, he could keep the Oregon offense off the field. Ozigbo is big in size — 230 pounds — so getting into the second line of the defense will lead to big things for the Nebraska offense and take pressure off Armstrong.
Kieron Williams, S While Nathan Gerry is probably the more experienced safety for Nebraska, Williams is the one who’s been tested more this year and come up bigger. Williams leads the team with 15 tackles while also having two interceptions. He’ll be tasked with keeping up with Allen and Carrington on the outside and limiting the receivers in big plays. If Williams plays big, Oregon’s offense could really sputter.
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OFFENSE
Oregon players run during warm ups prior to the game against Virginia on Sept. 10.
OUTCOME OF NEBRASKA GAME COULD BE A MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT FOR OREGON Written by: Ryan Kostecka, @Ryan_Kostecka | Photo by: Kaylee Domzalski When No. 22 Oregon takes the field against Nebraska on Saturday, more will be at stake than a simple victory over a Big-10 team. After the years of Chip Kelly, Marcus Mariota and top-five national rankings, the Ducks have dropped off significantly. While it’s difficult to pinpoint one single reason for the descension, something about Oregon football has changed. Offensively speaking, the Ducks can keep pace with or outscore any team in the country. With the amount of offensive weapons Oregon has at its disposal, it’s no secret why the Ducks have ranked in the top-five in scoring every season of college football since 2010. With Heisman candidate Royce Freeman running the ball and NFL prospects at wide receiver and tight end, the offense continues to execute at a high tempo and light up scoreboards. If that’s the case, then why isn’t Oregon still among the nation’s elite? The reason is simple: defense. Oregon has never been one of the best defensive teams in the nation, but they have excelled in two areas — forcing turnovers and red zone defense.
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Consistently, the Ducks would find ways to force turnovers in big-time situations and take advantage of them. As for the red zone, Oregon’s bend-but-don’t-break philosophy worked because too many times opponents would settle for field goals while the Ducks’ offense scored touchdowns. That’s not the case anymore. The Ducks aren’t forcing the turnovers and aren’t getting the necessary stops. Combinations of blown coverages, not being physical enough and missed tackles have plagued Oregon the last two seasons. With those issues and the game against Nebraska pending, it begs the questions: Is Oregon going to change direction and head back to being a national power? Or are the Ducks going to continue their downward trend from the nation’s elite? If Oregon can travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, march into Memorial Stadium, and run roughshod over the Cornhuskers on Tom Osborne Field to the tune of a victory, the Ducks might just prove that they’re back. Make no mistake, the Cornhuskers aren’t one of college football’s elite teams. This trip isn’t
the same as traveling to Death Valley to play No. 3 Clemson or traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to play Nick Saban and the No. 1 Crimson Tide. Still, this game has to mean just as much to the Ducks. Nebraska is no walk in the park. The Cornhuskers have an elite quarterback and are consistently in the running to challenge for the Big10 west division. They possess above average units in all three phases of the game and have a formidable coach in Mike Riley, the former coach of Oregon State. Plus, they have the x-factor of playing in front of 87,000 screaming fans called the “Sea of Red.” Traveling into the Cornhusker’s home is no easy task, which is why they are 89-25 at home since 2000. Before last year, Nebraska had 46 consecutive years with a winning record at home. Oregon won’t have to play perfect to win, but it will have to be better than what it’s shown the previous two games. An Oregon victory starts the path of its return to national prominence while a loss continues its current descent to national mediocrity.
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LLC Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and Nebraska head coach Mike Riley are old friends. The coaches competed against one another for years in the Pac-12 before Riley bolted from Oregon State to Nebraska in 2015. Now in his second year at the helm of the Cornhuskers, Riley will once again face Helfrich and the Ducks. This time it’ll be with a new team, a new batch of athletes and in an atmosphere far superior to Corvallis’ Reser Stadium.
Here are the matchups to watch.
Oregon Wide Receivers vs. Nebraska Secondary
This will probably be the biggest matchup to watch on Saturday. Nebraska has nicknamed its defense the blackshirts because of their fast, physical and hard-hitting way of doing things. Likewise, Oregon is blessed with arguably the best group of playmakers in the nation, so whoever rises to the occasion will probably lead its team to victory. The Ducks can beat opponents with speed (Devon Allen or Charles Nelson), size (6-foot-5 Dwayne Stanford and 6-foot6 Pharaoh Brown) or the combination of both (Darren Carrington). Quarterback Dakota Prukop does a great job of spreading the ball around to the playmakers. Nebraska counters with some ball-hawking safeties in Kieron Williams and Nathan Gerry (each with two interceptions on the year). While Josh Kalu gives the Cornhuskers size to contend with Carrington, the depth for the Huskers isn’t the greatest.
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It’s been noted how badly Oregon’s front seven was gashed last week by Virginia’s running game. Now the Ducks will have to contend with a bigger and more physical Nebraska offensive line. Nick Gates and Dylan Utter are the top returnees along the Nebraska offensive line and make up the two most important positions in left tackle and center, respectively. It will be up to Gates and Utter to make sure their unit is on the same page and locks up blocks, allowing quarterback Terry Armstrong Jr. and running back Devine Ozigbo to run wild. Meanwhile, the Ducks need to improve in shedding blocks and filling gaps if they want any chance of slowing down Nebraska and its 47.5 points per game.
Helfrich vs. Riley
Both of these coaches know each other’s tendencies and styles. With no disrespect to Oregon State, Riley will finally be coaching a team that can compete athletically with Oregon. This matchup will be like an advanced game of chess with each coach trying to predict what the other will do. The Riley and Helfrich series has been completely one-sided with Helfrich yet to lose, but with Riley’s new team and greater ability to recruit, he might secure his first win against Helfrich and the Ducks.
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FEATURE
COVER FEATURE
TRUST BETWEEN THE
TALENT Written by: Ryan Kostecka, @Ryan_Kostecka Photos by : Kaylee Domzalski
No matter whom it is you choose to talk about, the playmakers for Oregon’s football team can all be characterized by one word: selfless. Individually, these Oregon athletes are some of the more well-known names in the Pac-12, but when combined, they make up arguably the most formidable group of playmakers in the nation. Oregon’s offense is among the best in the nation, finishing fifth in scoring offense last year and averaging 48.5 points this year. This group makes up three-fourths of the Ducks’ offensive production. “There’s no doubt how talented we are with our skill guys — but what sets them apart is how they have to earn every play that comes their way,” Oregon offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said. “They’re a very special group but it’s more than that with them.” Wide receiver Devon Allen and running back Tony Brooks-James are the speedsters. Allen, the U.S. champion in the 110-meter hurdles who finished fifth at the Rio Olympics, has showcased that speed on the field throughout his career by averaging 17 yards per catch. Brooks-James, a member of Oregon’s 4x100-meter relay team, uses his elite speed to put continued pressure on defenses. Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby lifts star running back Royce Freeman (21) following a long touchdown run.
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“ T O U S , I T D O E S N ’ T M AT T E R WHO’S GETTING THE TOUCHES ON O F F E N S E — W E D O N ’ T H AV E T O P R OVE A N Y T H I N G TO A N Y B O DY AS LO N G AS WE G E T T H E W I N S . ” - Running back Royce Freeman
Running back Royce Freeman and wide receiver Darren Carrington are the NFL prospects. Freeman currently ranks third in Oregon history in career rushing yards and is averaging 9.2 yards per carry this season. Carrington is the go-to for Oregon quarterbacks, consistently coming up with catches in big-time situations and winning one-on-one scenarios with his size and speed. “To us, it doesn’t matter who’s getting the touches on offense — we don’t have to prove anything to anybody as long as we get the wins,” Freeman said. “We have so many guys who can do so many things that we all can’t get the ball. But it doesn’t bother us — all that matters is winning.” Tight end Pharaoh Brown and wide receiver Dwayne Stanford are the veterans. Brown had a breakout year in 2014 when he was named first team All-Pac-12 after catching six touchdown passes and averaging 16.8 yards per catch. A devastating knee injury cost him the end of 2014 and all of 2015, but his return was solidified after scoring last week against Virginia. Stanford is a possession receiver who seems to make the most of his contributions when plays break down or in the blocking game, a very important staple of Oregon’s offense. Finally, Charles Nelson is Mr. Everything. Listed at 5-foot-8 and weighing 170 pounds, Nelson is a dynamo who plays bigger than anybody. He’s so versatile that he played safety and receiver last year for the Ducks before converting full-time to offense this year as a running back and receiver. “My thing with those guys is I don’t want to be able to tell who scored the touchdown by how excited you are, “ Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said. “They take a great deal of pride in that.” Each one of these athletes were the stars of their respective high school teams. All of them passed up opportunities for bigger roles at other colleges to come to Oregon
and be another piece of the puzzle. “That’s just the culture we’ve built here and what we want to keep here — everybody will get theirs within this offense but all that matters is that we win,” Brown said. “We have so many guys who can do stuff with the ball that you don’t realize how guys are doing [stat-wise] because we just keep scoring.” Quarterback Dakota Prukop joined the Ducks this year as a graduate transfer and says he’s never played with a group like this before. “It’s a neat deal to line up at quarterback, look to your left and right and have 100 percent confidence in every player at every position — not a lot of guys can say that,” Prukop said. “Most guys are going out there looking for their one guy; we have four or five of those guys.” Prukop first noticed how special this unit was during fall camp. According to him, each position group was to come up with three words that define them and then explain to the team why those words were chosen. One of the words the receivers chose was “respect.” What surprised Prukop even more was the explanation as to why that word was chosen. “They talked about the respect they had for each of the individual’s own skill sets — how Charles is the speedy, quick guy, how Dwayne and Darren are the big possession receivers,” Prukop said. “It was cool to hear them talk like that and see how much respect they have for each other. They do put that ego aside and that’s what allows us to have a great team.” Lubick knew how good the playmakers were early on when he was at Oregon. “What makes these guys happy is winning football games. From day one they’ve understood that team goals are more important than individual goals and they live and play by that,” Lubick said. “We have a very selfless group — they get what we are about here as a culture and they’ve not just embraced it, they’ve thrived in it.”
Devon Allen (13) grabs a crucial deep ball from quarterback Dakota Prukop in the Ducks’ game against Virginia on Sept. 10.
Tony Brooks-James (20), a member of Oregon’s deep running back crew, runs with the ball late in the game against Virginia.
Tony Brooks-James (20) sets to block for receiver Charles Nelson (6). Nelson played offense, defense and special teams last season, but has transitioned out of defense this fall.
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OFFENSE
(Kaylee Domzalski)
WHY OREGON WILL BEAT NEBRASKA
WHY NEBRASKA WILL BEAT OREGON
Written by: Jarrid Denney, @jarrid_denney
Written by: Jack Butler, @butler917
Nebraska wide receiver Alonzo Moore said Saturday’s match-up with the Ducks is “just another game on the schedule,” and the Cornhuskers won’t treat them any differently than they would any other team. The problem is, you can’t treat Oregon like any other team. The Ducks may have lost a step since Marcus Mariota bolted for the NFL, but their offense remains one of the most dangerous in the country. To stop it requires a unique game plan and relentless preparation, and even that is not always enough. It’s no secret Oregon owns one of the deepest and most explosive receiving corps in the country, yet it’s the running backs who consistently burn opposing defenses. While the speedy receivers spread the defensive backs and linebackers out downfield, Heisman dark horse Royce Freeman and company use the open space to break off big gains. Freeman this year has averaged 9.2 yards per carry, while back-ups Kani Benoit (5.6) and track star Tony Brooks-James (7.3) change the pace. Shift your focus off the receivers for one down, however, and NFL prospect Darren Carrington or Olympic hurdler Devon Allen will torch you deep. They combined for 200 yards on eight catches against
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Virginia last week, including a 55-yard completion of third and 36. Don’t sleep on dual-threat quarterback Dakota Prukop either. He may be an FCS-transfer, but Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh and Charlie Strong each made him offers that he turned down. He’s got plenty of experience and big-play ability, and showed poise and elusiveness against Virginia, passing for 331 yards and three touchdowns and running seven times for 19 yards in the read-option. The Ducks aren’t going to shut anyone out; their games are typically high-scoring affairs. Teams that beat them usually do so by controlling time of possession and keeping their fast-moving offense off the field. The Cornhuskers should have no issue scoring points against Oregon, but whether they make defensive stops will determine whether they win the shootout. In the end, it will be a humbling experience for the Ducks, who didn’t appear ready for a big game in Memorial Stadium during their two lackluster wins. Nearly 100 points will be scored, but Nebraska will expose Oregon’s defense and score a few more. Come next season, when the teams rematch at a raucous Autzen Stadium, the Ducks will be ready.
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Mike Riley can’t escape the Oregon Ducks. After coaching Oregon State from 20032014, the current Nebraska Cornhusker head coach is losing sleep from the nightmares that Oregon created in previous seasons. The same goes for Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker, who followed Riley from Oregon State to the Huskers. In the seven consecutive Civil War loses Oregon State had before Riley and Banker jumped ship, the Oregon offense averaged 578 yards and 45.6 points per game. But this time, after both coaches had a year off from facing the Ducks, they come armed with better players. In its first two games, the Nebraska defense held Fresno State and Wyoming – two respectable non-power five teams – to an average of 13.5 points per game. On the ground, the Huskers’ opponents averaged only 81 yards per game. The most impressive aspect of the Nebraska defense has been its ability to create turnovers. Through two games, the Husker defense has eight turnovers. The Husker defense will rattle Oregon transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop, who is playing his first big Division 1 road game. Additionally, the Oregon offense has started
slow and failed to reach the efficiency of past seasons, so in a tight situation when the offense is not clicking, Prukop may force a pass where it should not go and the Husker defense will capitalize. When the Huskers’ defense does grab a turnover, the offense will be ready. So far, Nebraska has 35 points off turnovers. However, the key matchup is Nebraska’s offensive line against the inexperienced Oregon defensive front. Against U.C. Davis and Virginia, the Ducks front seven allowed 3.9 yards per rush. This is troubling, as they face a Nebraska team with a bigger, more physical offensive line that has given talented running back Devine Ozigbo holes to run through. The Husker offense has a talented dual-threat quarterback in Tommy Armstrong Jr. who will give Oregon a taste of what their own quarterbacks have been doing for years. Containing Ozigbo will be difficult, but adding Armstrong to the equation may be too much to handle. The young Oregon defense will be on the road without Autzen noise around them, surrounded by a sea of red and against an opposing head coach that knows exactly where to attack them. Wait, Riley isn’t losing sleep – he’s salivating.
GAMEDAY
Oregon receivers look to continue history of blocking Written by: Jarrid Denney, @jarrid_denney Illustration by: Brandon Montes-Nguyen
During Oregon’s 44-26 win over Virginia on Sep. 10, Royce Freeman broke off the longest play from scrimmage by a Duck player this season with a rumbling 85yard rushing touchdown that boosted Oregon’s lead to 43-13 midway through the third quarter. There was plenty for Oregon fans to be excited about from their dark horse Heisman candidate on the run: Freeman shot out of the backfield on a misdirection handoff, danced past a Virginia defender at the line of scrimmage and shook off a second defender at the 20-yard line before hitting the sideline and turning on the jets. The most important factor on the touchdown, though, wasn’t Freeman’s quick feet. It was a textbook block from sophomore receiver Jalen Brown that started on Oregon’s 30-yard line and ended at the 50, allowing Freeman to cruise untouched to his fourth score of the year. “I wouldn’t have made the run without him,” Freeman said of Brown’s block following the game. On the play, Brown locked onto the shoulders of a Virginia defender like he was a blocking sled and made sure there was no chance of him intervening on Freeman’s run. The play served as a throwback to a time when Oregon’s receivers were almost as well known for their blocking in the run game as they were for their pass catching.
When Scott Frost served as Oregon’s wide receiver coach from 2009-12 and its offensive coordinator from 2013-15, he made it clear that if the Duck receivers didn’t block, they wouldn’t play. Players like Keanon Lowe and Daryle Hawkins didn’t necessarily post gaudy receiving stats, but they made names for themselves by laying down crushing blocks that made Oregon’s rushing offense one of the best in the country. “We take pride in [blocking],” Lowe told reporters in 2013. “We love when we rush for over 300, 400 yards or whatever. We love that and we wanna keep doing that.” Blocking from Oregon’s receivers hasn’t been as sharp as it was in years past, and there could be several reasons for that. With Frost gone, now working as the head coach at the University of Central Florida, Oregon has switched up its play calling a bit. With less screen passes and less runs to the outside, the need for key blocks from receivers hasn’t been as prevalent. However, if Oregon wants to continue to be known as a bigplay offense, those blocks will be required as the Ducks begin to face tougher opponents. “This year, so far, we’re not on the same page that we were last year and the year before that. I’d say that’s more on us receivers,” Oregon wideout Charles Nelson said. “I’d say it has to do with the leadership; Keanon was a big leader here. We were young back then, so blocking was stressed. “Now that we’re leaders, we need to start stressing it.”
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OFFENSE
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dakota Prukop (9) takes charge of the offense against Virginia on Sept. 10.
PRUKOP PLAYING POINT GUARD IN OREGON’S HIGH-FLYING OFFENSE Written by: Ryan Kostecka @Ryan_Kostecka | Photos by : Kaylee Domzalski & Aaron Nelson Four and a half months ago, Oregon quarterback Dakota Prukop got to showcase his knowledge and command of the Oregon offense for the first time. It was the Ducks’ 2016 spring game and Prukop, a senior transfer from FCS Montana State, finished the game by going 20-of-29 for 190 yards and two scores. Prukop didn’t show much in the game, gaining most of his completions on check-downs. Fast forward to present and it’s evident that Prukop is now mastering the Ducks’ high-flying, tempo-pushing offense. “Great, great,” was offensive coordinator Matt Lubick’s response regarding Prukop’s command of the offense. “He’s making good decisions — he’s very coachable so he does what you ask him to do and he takes what the defense gives him.” In his second start of the season, Prukop finished Oregon’s 44-26 victory against overmatched Virginia with 331 yards and three scores on 21-of-31 passing. The Ducks had 632 yards of total offense in the win, averaging 8.3 yards per play and converting 9-of-14 thirddowns. Prukop has thrown for six touchdowns on the year, each of which has gone to a different receiver. “One of our philosophies on offense is we
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are going to get a team horizontal, we are going to use tempo,” Prukop said. “When you stretch them horizontally and then have vertical threats like we do, it pulls on defenses every which way.” Prukop likens his game to that of a point guard in basketball. He wants to control the tempo that Oregon plays at, forcing opponents to waver under the speed of the game. He spreads the ball around to each open receiver he sees, never focusing on just one guy for an extended period of time. Since the Ducks have arguably the deepest and most talented group of playmakers in the nation, it’s safe to say that Prukop’s ability get the ball out quick and make the right reads has been a winning formula. ‘It’s really easy to make the right play when you have skill players like that around you,” Prukop said. “If I kind of want to get risky here and take this shot, it’s almost like nine times out of 10 that they’re going to make that play — it makes my job really easy.” What made last Saturday’s victory so enthralling for Oregon was the way Prukop handled certain situations. With the Ducks on their own one-yard line, Prukop faked a handoff to Royce Freeman and ran diagonally right. Just before he was tackled,
Prukop pitched the ball to Dwayne Stanford, allowing the receiver to pick up an extra 14 yards and push the ball out to the 24. Later in the drive, facing a third-and-36, Prukop had Olympic receiver Devon Allen matched up one-on-one and took a chance on the speedster, connecting for a 55-yard gain and breathing life into the Oregon offense. In the third quarter, on third-and-12, Prukop stood tall in a collapsing pocket and threw a 77yard bomb to Allen for a touchdown, putting the game out of reach. Instead of taking off and running with the ball, Prukop trusted that Allen would be open and held on until the very last second before he was walloped by an oncoming Virginia lineman. “When you have receivers out on the edge like that, if you can hold it for an extra second, buy a little more time for them, they will get themselves open,” Prukop said. “Just to be able to trust a guy and say ‘hey it’s third-and-36, I’m going to throw it as far as I can and see what happens’, makes this offense special.” Prukop understands how talented his teammates are. He doesn’t have to account for 500 yards of total offense or run the ball 28 times to be effective like he did at Montana State. All he has to do is trust his teammates and trust in himself.
GAMEDAY
HEISMAN HOPEFUL
Always a hopeful, never a finalist; is this THE YEAR FOR FREEMAN? Written by: Kylee O’Connor, @kyleethemightee | Photo by : Kaylee Domzalski
Oregon running back Royce Freeman has been one the most consistent players on the Ducks’ team since he first stepped foot on Rich Brooks Field as a freshman in late August 2014. In that game against South Dakota, Freeman rushed for a modest 75 yards on ten carries behind Byron Marshall in Oregon’s dominant 62-13 victory. Since then, he has been a Heisman hopeful every year, but found himself buried behind star backs such as Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin and Derrick Henry of Alabama. Freeman is one of the top returning players in the nation, but is this the year he truly breaks out and makes it to the Heisman ceremony in New York? Freeman only had 11 carries in Oregon’s opener against U.C. Davis and rushed for a solid 78 yards, but said that he “had more than enough in the tank” and was “still fresh” going into the fourth quarter. In Oregon’s preseason game against Virginia on Sept. 10, Freeman was given those extra carries that he wanted and didn’t waste a single one. He rushed for 210 yards on 21 attempts for two touchdowns, including one 85-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. “Last week I fell short of my standard,” Freeman said following the Virginia win. “You know, I always want to get 100 plus on carries and things like that. There’s a lot of ball to go around, but this week Coach Lubick was showing love.”
With three college football players named finalists and invited to the Heisman presentation in New York every year, Freeman must contend for those sacred three spots with other college football standouts, some of which have already experienced being a finalist. Last season, Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson and Stanford star Christian McCaffrey placed second and third in voting, and are front-runners in this year’s competition. Three Oregon greats have also been Heisman finalists: Joey Harrington, LaMichael James, and Oregon’s only Heisman winner, Marcus Mariota. In Saturday’s game against Virginia, Freeman moved up the rankings of Oregon’s top running backs. He surpassed Derek Loville for the third spot on Oregon’s career rushing list. Now, with 3,495 career-rushing yards, Freeman is less than 130 yards away from passing up Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenyon Barner and drawing closer to LaMichael James’ record of 5,082 yards. When asked about how it feels to be in the record books among Oregon greats, Freeman said, “it’s pretty amazing.” “Knowing the previous backs that came before me and all the hard work that they put in at this university, knowing some of those guys and actually talking to some of those guys personally, and having the ability to surpass them — it makes me feel good,” Freeman said. “It’s a great feeling and honestly a team milestone.”
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TAYLOR ALIE
Former walk-on rewarded with scholarship Written by: Gus Morris @justgusmorris | Photo by : Kaylee Domzalski
Taylor Alie, a Eugene native, walked on for the Oregon Ducks in 2013. After substituting during Vernon Adams Jr.’s absence last season, Alie received a scholarship this fall.
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At the end of a film session about two weeks ago, Mark Helfrich handed redshirt junior and preferred walk-on Taylor Alie a Muhammad Ali quote to read aloud to his team: “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.” Alie told the team what the quote meant to him, then turned back to Helfrich, who told Alie he would be joining the ranks of the players on scholarship. “It was definitely surreal,” Alie said of that moment. “There’s pretty much no other way to describe it other than that.” Alie is now a scholarship player on the hometown team he had watched as a kid. A Eugene native, he played quarterback for Sheldon High School and helped lead the Irish to a state title in 2012. Coming out of high school, Alie wasn’t a highly sought after recruit. He had three offers to play football in college. Two of those were for preferred walk-on positions at Oregon and Washington State, and the other was an offer from a Division III school that couldn’t offer him a scholarship. When the time came for Alie to choose, the decision wasn’t all that difficult. As Alie enters his junior year at Oregon, putting on a Duck jersey is now a natural thing. But it wasn’t always like that.
At first, Alie was “a little awestruck” about being a Duck. He went from watching games in the stands as a kid to running out of the tunnel, looking up at the crowd. “It was quite the experience,” Alie said. Alie has come a long way in his tenure at Oregon. As a true freshman in fall 2013 he served as one of Oregon’s scout team quarterbacks but never saw the field. During the 2014 season, Alie became a placeholder for field goals, the role he still plays today. And in 2015, he and Jeff Lockie took over the reins of the Oregon offense in the absence of Vernon Adams Jr. Coaches and teammates have lauded Alie’s work ethic, which Helfrich credited as one of the main reasons for his scholarship. Freshman quarterback Justin Herbert, who attended Sheldon while Alie was a senior, said that Alie has been “a big inspiration.” “Just to show up everyday and work his ass off — it’s incredible to watch,” Herbert said. Helfrich echoed the same sentiment. “He’s worked his tail off, in every realm ... just brings it every single day,” Helfrich said. “That resonates with guys. That work always is credible in football and in sports in general. “I think when you reward that it’s a positive thing for everybody.”
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DEPTH CHART
Ducks move to No. 22 after win over Virginia Written by: Jarrid Denney, @jarrid_denney After a less than convincing 44-26 win over the Virginia Cavaliers on Sept. 10., the Oregon Ducks saw their stock in the AP Poll improve nonetheless. Oregon held the No. 24 spot in the poll for the first two weeks of the season, but jumped two spots to No. 22 following its win over the Cavaliers that came during a week featuring very few upsets. Oregon benefited from Oklahoma State’s shocking loss to Central Michigan last Saturday. The Cowboys were No 22 in last week’s poll, but were leapfrogged by the Ducks and fell out of the top 25. The Alabama Crimson Tide held steady at No. 1 for the third straight week, and the Florida State Seminoles jumped to No. 2 while the Clemson Tigers dropped to No. 3. Three Pac-12 teams were featured in the AP Top 25: Stanford held steady at No. 7 and Washington remained at No. 8, while Oregon rounded out the conference. Colorado and Utah also received votes, and could each break into the top 25 with week 3 wins. Here’s a look at the entire poll:
1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Ohio State 4. Michigan 5. Clemson 6. Houston 7. Stanford 8. Washington 9. Wisconsin 10. Louisville 11. Texas 12. Michigan State 13. Iowa 14. Oklahoma 15. Tennessee 16. Georgia 17. Texas A&M 18. Notre Dame 19. Mississippi 20. LSU 21. Baylor
22. OREGON 23. Florida 24. Arkansas 25. Miami (FL)
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OREGON DEPTH CHART
GAME 3 — NEBRASKA DEFENSE DE DT DT DE WILL MIKE SAM CB S CB S
92 HENRY MONDEAUX 91 T.J. DANIEL
OFFENSE WR
47 REX MANU 74 ELIJAH GEORGE
WR
50 AUSTIN MALOATA 90 DRAYTON CARLBERG 11 JUSTIN HOLLINS
88 13 4 6 82
WR
DWAYNE STANFORD DEVON ALLEN ALEX OFODILE CHARLES NELSON CASEY EUGENIO
7 DARREN CARRINGTON 15 JALEN BROWN
97 JALEN JELKS
LT
73 TYRELL CROSBY 66 BRADY AIELLO
28 JOHNNY RAGINII
LG
68 SHANE LEMIEUX 79 EVAN VOELLER
54 DE’QUAN MCDOWELL
C
55 AJ.. HOTCHKINS 46 DANNY MATTINGLY 35 TROY DYE 3 JONAH MOI 14 UGO AMADI
RG
78 CAMERON HUNT 57 DOUG BRENNER
RT
54 CALVIN THROCKMORTON 70 ZAC MORGAN
TE
85 PHARAOH BROWN 81 EVAN BAYLIS
2 TYREE ROBINSON 2 TYREE ROBINSON
QB
26 KHALIL OLIVER 1 ARRION SPRINGS
RB
23 MALIK LOVETTE 17 JUWAAN WILLIAMS 8 REGGIE DANIELS
SPECIAL TEAMS PK
41 AIDAN SCHNEIDER
KO
49 MATT WOGAN
P
38 IAN WHEELER
49 MATT WOGAN
42 BLAKE MAIMONE
KR
6 CHARLES NELSON 20 TONY BROOKS-JAMES
PR
6 CHARLES NELSON
LS
58 TANNER CAREW
H
55 JAKE HANSON 63 DAVIS MIYASHIRO-SAIPAIA
23 MALIK LOVETTE
12 TAYLOR ALIE 6 CHARLES NELSON
9 DAKOTA PRUKOP 10 JUSTIN HERBERT 21 ROYCE FREEMAN 29 KANI BENOIT
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