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GAMEDAY, the Daily Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.
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(On The Cover) Oregon's Kobe Savage (5) and Jabbar Muhammad (7) celebrate together after a big play. The previously No. 3 ranked Oregon Ducks football team took on the previously ranked No. 2 Ohio State University Buckeyes on Oct. 12, 2024, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
(Right) Jabbar Muhammad (7) stares down his assignment, Montorie Foster Jr. (3) in the presnap. University of Oregon took on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4, 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
OREGON VS. WISCONSIN PREVIEW
BY LILY CRANE Sports Reporter
No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) continues its reign as the top-ranked team in the nation despite offensive troubles last Saturday against the Terrapins. The Ducks take their final road trip of the regular season to Wisconsin (54, 3-3 Big Ten).
Oregon is coming off arguably its shakiest performance since it played Boise State in the second game of the season. The Ducks defeated Maryland 38-19 at home last Saturday, but the game was closer than the final score indicated.
“Adversity is real,” Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel said postgame. “You’ve got to find ways to win when things aren’t always going your way. We definitely made it tougher on ourselves, but Maryland played really well.”
The Terrapins didn’t play like the 17th-ranked team in the Big Ten. They picked up 289 total yards and many of their drives got within field goal range.
Oregon ended up being bailed out by its defense — which forced three turnovers and scored its first defensive touchdown of the season — and by clever coaching from Dan Lanning. A fake punt in the third quarter led to a touchdown and a two-point conversion to put the score at
The Ducks and the Badgers meet for the seventh time
28-10. Both of the plays into the end zone featured unexpected recipients: offensive linemen Gernorris Wilson and Josh Conerly Jr.
Lanning and his squad are certainly looking to clean things up before they head to Wisconsin.
“We got to go back and look at the film and figure out how we can eliminate [penalties],” Lanning said postgame about the 12 infractions his team committed. “We didn’t play clean. I don’t know, we were distracted and we weren’t focused.”
On the other side of this weekend’s matchup, the Badgers come in with a week off to reset following their 4210 loss at Iowa. Wisconsin will face a top-25 team for the fourth time this season. The first three matchups accounted for its first three defeats of the season.
The rushing attack is something to look out for against the Ducks. The Badgers rank sixth in the Big Ten in total rushing yards (1563), fifth in rushing touchdowns (19) and fifth in rushing yards per game (173.7). Oregon, on the other hand, is 38th in the nation in defensive rushing yards per game (121.4) which is 10th in the conference.
Tawee Walker is the leading running back for Wisconsin. Walker has 676 yards on 142 carries and is second in the conference in rushing touchdowns with 10.
The Badgers are ranked first in the Big Ten in fumbles, which could prove to be a major weakness against the Ducks. Oregon is second in the conference in forced fumbles — which includes the fumble defensive end Jordan Burch forced to lead to a recovery and a 62-yard Brandon Johnson defensive touchdown last weekend.
Wisconsin lost at home twice this season, with both coming against teams that were in the top-5 at the time. This will be the seventh meeting between the two, but Oregon has won the last three, including the 2020 Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has won both of the two matchups at home, but those were in the 1970s.
Oregon and Ohio State continue to separate themselves from the rest of the nation. The University of Georgia and the University of Miami, then-ranked No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, both lost their matchups last weekend. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, defeated Purdue 45-0 while the Ducks began their season 10-0 for the third time in program history.
The Cheese State is Oregon’s last stop on the road before a potential appearance in the Big Ten Championship. It’ll look to keep its record unblemished for its rivalry matchup in the regular season finale against Washington the weekend of Thanksgiving.
Offensive lineman, Josh Conerly Jr., and his teammates celebrate after he took a direct snap and ran for a two-point conversion. The Oregon Ducks played against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Nov. 11. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
gan],” Lanning said. “Especially on special teams. He was
fer portal, something Lanning has nailed down in his
“No matter what happens, we just kind of stick to the plan,” Muhammad said. “We don’t get rattled. Obviously this is an older team. There’s really good leadership on this
The Ducks simply do not allow opposing quarterbacks to rack up passing yards. They’ve played an astonishing ing yards. Against Purdue, Oregon only allowed 93 yards
“I feel like it all just comes down to just doing our job and playing with technique and executing every call,” Reed said. “We do it at a high level and we give effort on
“They play for each other and play together,” Lanning said. “I think that’s an important trait for a defense. They don’t really care who gets the credit, they just want to go
With the season reaching crunch time, the secondary nents to less than 200 passing yards, this Ducks’ defense
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF WEEK 11 RANKINGS
Who are the playoff committee’s top 10 teams?
BY BECK PARSONS Sports Reporter
Following a turbulent Week 11 of college football, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee released the second edition of its top-25 teams. What do this week’s top 10 teams need to do in order to secure their spots in the first-ever 12-team playoff?
Oregon Ducks
(10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) (-)
Oregon, possibly the most well-rounded team in the country, was unanimously voted No. 1 in the AP Poll for the second straight week. The Ducks are two heavily-favored wins from a perfect regular season and a berth in the Big Ten Championship game. Appearing in that game would almost certainly earn the Ducks their second-ever playoff appearance, but winning it would earn them a firstround bye.
Ohio State Buckeyes
(8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) (-)
Ohio State boasts perhaps the nation’s best roster and certainly the nation’s best loss, a one-point heartbreaker at Oregon a month ago. A win against undefeated and No. 6-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in two weeks would almost certainly secure them a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.
Texas Longhorns
(8-1, 4-1 SEC) (+2)
Texas was the nation’s top-ranked team before losing to Georgia in Week 8. Though that lone loss is respectable, Texas’ best win remains a threepoint victory over then-No. 25 Vanderbilt. The Longhorns will need to win out if they want to stay safe above the SEC’s growing horde of two-loss teams. They’ll especially need to beat Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC) in their season finale.
Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) (+2)
Penn State has looked solid, but appears to be a tier below Big Ten heavyweights Oregon and Ohio State. The loss to Ohio State will likely keep them out of the Big Ten title game, but an 11-1 Penn State should make the playoffs anyway.
BYU Cougars
(9-0, 6-0 Big 12)
BYU was a penalty away from losing to 4-4 Utah on Saturday. They may need to remain undefeated and win the Big 12 in order to make the playoffs. Even if things go differently, a one-loss BYU would be hard to exclude.
Tennessee Volunteers (8-1, 5-1 SEC) (+2)
Like Texas, Tennessee likely only needs to win out to secure an SEC Championship appearance. That’s easier said than done with a visit to Georgia coming this weekend. Another loss would make Tennessee the sixth SEC team with two losses and the fifth to lose both in-conference.
Indiana Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) (+2)
Indiana is undefeated, thanks in part to their famously light schedule. The Hoosiers will face their biggest test on Nov. 26 in Columbus, when they visit the No. 2 Buckeyes. The winner of that game will likely secure both a Big Ten title berth and playoff spot.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1, Independent) (+3)
Notre Dame’s one loss (16-14 at home to lowly Northern Illinois in Week 2) was as bad as losses get, but the Fighting Irish got up and kept fighting. As an independent, Notre Dame has no chance of a first-round bye, but the Fighting Irish are three wins from a playoff berth.
Miami Hurricanes (9-1, 5-1 ACC) (-5)
Miami’s string of second-half comebacks came to an end at Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Hurricanes will need to avoid falling behind again if they want to win the ACC Championship Game, which is likely their only path to the playoffs.
Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2, 4-2 SEC) (+2)
Alabama lost to both Tennessee and Vanderbilt in October, but has since regained its momentum. The Crimson Tide will need to play perfectly in or der to stay alive in the SEC and playoff races.
(Above) Head Coach Dan Lanning talks with a reporter from the B1G Ten Network after the game. The Oregon Ducks played against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Nov. 11. (Saj Sundaram/ Emerald)
Grading Oregon's 2024 transfer portal additions
How have the Ducks’ transfers fared in 2024?
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Sports reporter
The wooing is over, the cash committed, the targets landed. What was graded as 247sports No. 2 overall transfer portal class — 14 players in total — has helped spur the Ducks to become the No. 1 team in the nation. From a Heisman Trophy candidate to a budding star on the defensive line, Oregon once again added to its talented roster through the transfer portal this off-season.
Now 10 games (and no losses) in, here is the Daily Emerald’s list grading the nine Ducks transfers who have played legitimate time this season.
Dillon Gabriel — A+
After arriving in Eugene with big shoes to fill, Gabriel has done more than enough stepping in for Bo Nix behind center. A Week 11 touchdown pass earned Gabriel the most career total scores in NCAA history.
More than halfway through the season, the southpaw has totaled 28 total touchdowns to just five interceptions, adding more than a few highlight-reel plays on the way.
Derrick Harmon — A+
Since arriving in Eugene, Harmon has established himself as one of the best defensive players not just in the Big Ten, but in the country. The defensive lineman has totaled three sacks and 36 total tackles on the season, living in the backfield and often drawing two or more defenders to block him.
Since transferring from Michigan State in the off-season, Harmon has seen his name skyrocket up draft boards. He was predicted to be picked No. 22 to the Green Bay Packers in The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner’s most recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Jabbar Muhammad — A
With the Jim Thorpe Award — given to the top cornerback in the country — consideration swirling around his name, Muhammad has been exactly as advertised. On top of playing lock-down defense on the op
Evan Stewart — B+
Stewart was one of the biggest names flocking to the Ducks this offseason, and for good reason as he’s been one of the bigger contributors to their success. His biggest outburst came at the biggest moment, with a seven reception, 149-yard game helping the Ducks topple Ohio State.
Kobe Savage — B+
An under-the-radar addition, Savage has made the most of his time as a Duck, slotting in as a consistent force in the secondary. Savage has added 47 total tackles including a season-high of nine in the Ducks’ win over Maryland.
Jamaree Caldwell — B+
Despite being far from the biggest name on the Ducks’ defense, Caldwell has solidified himself as a quality contributor on a talented defensive line. He’s tallied 2.5 tackles for loss this season.
Brandon Johnson — B
One of the more polarizing players of the season, Johnson has shown both electric skills as well as occasional erraticness at times in coverage. His most notable play of the season came in Week 1 with a highlight-reel tipped interception.
Atticus Sappington — B-
The Oregon State transfer has missed four of his 56 kicks this season, but has split time with Andrew Boyle. He hit a game-winning 25-yard field goal in the Ducks Week Two nail-biter against Boise State.
Dante Moore — B
Moore has impressed in what little time he has seen, with clear arm-strength and impressive poise in the pocket. The expectation is that the UCLA transfer will redshirt this season before becoming the Ducks’ starter in 2025.
(Below) Evan Stewart celebrating with teammates after a succesful touchdown. The Oregon Ducks played against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium in Eugeneon Nov. 11. (Saj Sundaram/ Emerald)
PRO DUCKS: WEEK 10
Here's
where Oregon alumni stand on their respective NFL teams
BY MAX KOEBEL Sports Reporter
Week 10 was filled with close games, and with the trade deadline in the past, every team will have to work with what they’ve got for the remainder of the season. Let’s take a look at how some of the Oregon alumni did.
Justin Herbert Quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers improved to 6-3 on the season with a 27-17 win at home over the Tennessee Titans. In the game, 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert went 14/18 passing and threw for 164 yards and one touchdown. He did not have a sack or an interception. Herbert has adjusted very well to the Chargers’ new head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is looking to lead the team back to the playoffs.
Bo Nix
Quarterback, Denver Broncos
After being the last quarterback taken in the first round, Bo Nix is certainly making a case for himself as a rookie. The Broncos have not been in the playoffs since 2015 when Peyton Manning led them to a Super Bowl 50 win in his final season. Since then, they have gone through 13 different quarterbacks, but the 14th just might be a charm.
Denver currently sits at 5-5, and despite a heart breaking, last-second loss to defending back-to-back Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, Nix still had a strong game. He had a 22/30 day while throw ing for 215 yards and no interceptions. The future looks bright in the Mile High City.
Bucky Irving
Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite falling short to the defending NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers, Bucky Ir ving’s performance was not one that will go unno ticed in Tampa. Irving rushed for 73 yards on 13 carries; more than anyone else on the team, and scored the only rushing touchdown.
Bucs fans throughout Raymond James Stadium could be heard chanting “Bucky! Bucky!” at var ious points in the game as the rookie makes a case for himself to become the No. 1 running back on the Buccaneers’ offense
Arik Armstead
Defensive Lineman, Jacksonville Jaguars
Armstead has faced some struggles in his first season in Jacksonville. As a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he was a part of four playoff teams and two Super Bowl teams. The Jaguars currently sit at 2-8 after a very defensive 12-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Armstead currently has 17 tackles on the season, which is similar to the numbers he posted in San Francisco, but on a roster with much less talent, it’s going to take some major changes to turn things around.
Christian Gonzalez Cornerback, New England Patriots
After missing a good chunk of last season due to injury, the second year defensive back has been ready to work. Gonzalez has 42 tackles and an interception so far this season, which is more than double what he did last year.
In the Patriots’ last game, Gonzalez recorded a couple tackles as the defense kept the Chicago Bears out of the end zone the entire game on their way to a 19-3 win. The Patriots organization hopes he is the first big piece to their rebuilding process
PERSEVERING OVER PENALTIES
How Oregon overcame one of its messiest games in the season
BY BRADY RUTH Sports Editor
Maryland was on the field, but Oregon was its own worst enemy and biggest opponent on Saturday night in its 39-18 win over the Terrapins.
Yes, the score would indicate that the No. 1 Ducks dominated the Terps, and they did. But Oregon allowed 95 penalty yards on 12 infractions, dampening the mood of its 10th win of the year.
Oregon ran a 36-yard fake punt to defensive lineman Jordan Burch, a flea flicker, a trick-play passing touchdown to lineman Gernorris Wilson and a twopoint conversion run from lineman Josh Conerly.
“Play to win, you know,” Lanning said. “We’re playing to win.” Madness.
“Nice to walk away with a victory,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said after the win. “That being said, I feel like we can play a whole lot better. I think everyone
Perhaps, as a defense, the time in which you’d least expect a trick play is immediately following a trick play. But, Maryland head coach Michael Locksley won’t admit to that.
Maryland only conducted three scoring drives in the 60 minutes of play. On two of the three drives, the Ducks’ defense should have gotten off the field, but committed a penalty to keep
“Yeah, you know, it’s poor, poor, poor performance for us,” Lanning said. “We got to go back and look at the film and figure out how we can eliminate that.”
Maryland’s offense picked up 19 1st downs in the contest, but six of them came automatically
“We weren’t focused,” Lanning said. “I feel like our guys had good energy and enthusiasm,but we put ourselves in some bad spots on defense, giving them opportunities for first downs and hurt ourselves with some pre-snap penalties on offense. So, it’s definitely some-
Penalties plagued the Ducks’ first two games of the season. A pair of wins by a combined 13 points over Idaho and Boise State had fans scratching their heads early in the
In the win over Boise State, Oregon had to rely on special teams and big plays to eke out a 37-34 victory. On Saturday, Lanning and the Ducks again turned to unconventional methods to
Within the span of an eightplay, 85-yard touchdown drive,
“It’s not frustrating because a lot of those things were plays we expected,” Locksley said of the trick plays. “It’s a matter of being lined up. It’s a matter of these are the plays that we talk about. When you watch [The Ducks] on tape, they’re always lined up in formation. They fake punts, they attack on special teams, and we’ve got to do our part.”
Ready or not, Oregon appeared to catch the Terrapins on their heels on arguably its most-important scoring drive of the night. The touchdown and two-point conversion gave Oregon a hearty, 29-10 lead midway through the third quarter.
Lanning commented after the game that “momentum is real” in a game like that. The Ducks were undeniably able to create some on a wild drive and put Maryland in too big a hole to climb out of.
So, when things that should be conventional (avoidable penalties) don’t go Oregon’s way, the Ducks can get unconventional to get the job done. It’s just another creative component that makes this Oregon team so lethal. Once they clean up the penalties, the Ducks will be back on track with a few additional tricks up their sleeve.
(Above) Gernorris Wilson, a redshirt freshman and an offensive lineman, celebrating after catching a pass for a touchdown, The Oregon Ducks played against Maryland Terrapins at Autzen stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 11.. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
CAMP RANDALL IS NOTHING NEW FOR THE DUCKS
No. 1 Oregon travels back east to the oldest stadium in the conference in Camp Randall Stadium, but even that potential may not move the Ducks
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Associate Editor
With No. 1 Oregon’s off-season shift to the Big Ten, it meant that the Ducks would start taking road trips to some of the most historic playing fields in the sport.
Two weeks ago, Oregon traveled east to arguably the most historic of the conference’s various cathedrals of college football — Michigan Stadium, better known as “The Big House.”
The Ducks handily took care of business in the Wolverine State in a dominating 38-17 rout of the home team. That performance kept Oregon’s perfect record on the season, furthered its record on the road to 4-0 and increased its away point differential to 156-44 so far this season.
Oregon’s upcoming matchup, one in Wisconsin against the Badgers, carries a lot of the same mystique.
Wisconsin’s home, Camp Randall Stadium, holds the title as the oldest stadium in the Big Ten, which is the original college football conference. Camp Randall gets its namesake from the site’s use as a base during the American Civil War, and the stadium was built on its site in 1917.
There’s one part of the original camp still intact, the arch, which stadium goers walk through upon entering Camp Randall Memorial Park just outside the stadium. In its time playing its games at the camp, Wisconsin has dominated.
That domination over the years has resulted in one (unclaimed) national championship and 14 Big Ten titles — fifth-most all time. The Badgers also maintain a home record of 483-221-30 throughout their history, which is a winning percentage of .658. Even though the Badgers sit at 3-2 while playing in Madison this season, Camp Randall’s crowd of 80,321 will be riled up trying to play spoiler to the surging Ducks.
But, that’s simply not important to the 2024 Oregon Ducks.
This team fields 21 seniors or redshirt-seniors regularly, which speaks to this team’s ability to fight off hostile crowds and the negative effects of blaring noise. The Ducks also boast a plethora of players who transferred in, so the team’s experience isn’t limited to the West Coast.
Oregon’s composure also speaks to the preparation it takes each week for the nation’s most earth-shaking environments, as each practice the staff blasts crowd noise to mimic the sensation of playing on a Camp Randall-esque stage.
Not even that makes the Ducks feel anything special heading into the oldest stadium in the conference — it’s all just another game, another week for them.
“Any of these games are the same, we try to go into each game and prepare to the best of our ability, and just win that game, one week at a time,” senior defensive tackle Derrick Harmon said last Tuesday before the Michigan game.
Much has been made about Oregon, a more recent program in the annals of college football, walking into some of the most historic and daunting atmospheres in the sport and dominating teams with incredibly rich history relative to that of the Ducks. What has remained consistent is the team’s commitment to drowning all that noise out with its presence on the field.
No one has been able to hang with Oregon this season, and even the oldest atmosphere in the conference could fail to stop it.
(Left) Students clap and sing "Shout" during the third quarter. The Oregon Ducks played against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Nov. 11. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
