Tag: Oregon Ducks

Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. (1) catches a touchdown pass while defended by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dontae Manning (8) during the first quarter of the 2022 Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Oregon beats UNC on Bo Nix’s last-minute TD

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Nix tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Chase Cota with 19 seconds left and Camden Lewis’ point-attempt went through despite hitting the upright as No. 15 Oregon rallied for a 28-27 victory over North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night in San Diego.

Bucky Irving rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks (10-3). Nix was 23-of-30 passing for 205 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Troy Franklin caught the other scoring pass for Oregon.

Drake Maye completed 18 of 35 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while Power Echols had an interception for North Carolina (9-5). Kobe Paysour had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown and Andre Greene Jr. and Bryson Nesbit also had scoring grabs for the Tar Heels.

The Ducks trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter before staging the comeback in the final seven minutes in the first football game played at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

First, Nix connected with Franklin on a 6-yard scoring pass to bring the Ducks within 24-21 with 6:58 left.

Noah Burnette booted a 44-yard field goal to give the Tar Heels a six-point lead with 2:29 remaining.

Nix then guided Oregon on an eight-play, 79-yard drive and hit Cota on fourth down for the score. The point-after attempt by Lewis hit the left upright and went through the goal posts for the one-point lead.

North Carolina had one last possession and made it into Ducks territory. But Maye’s Hail Mary pass from the Oregon 41-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired.

Maye threw three touchdown passes in the first half to lead the Tar Heels to a 21-14 halftime lead.

Oregon struck first on Irving’s 2-yard scoring run less than four minutes into the contest. The Tar Heels knotted the score when Maye connected with Greene on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:37 remaining in the quarter.

Irving broke loose on a 66-yard scamper to give the Ducks a 14-7 advantage with 9:13 left in the half. North Carolina tied the score on Maye’s 14-yard pass to Nesbit with 4:34 remaining.

Echols made a key interception with 35 seconds left in the half on a play in which Nix’s pass intended for Terrance Ferguson hit the back of the leg of North Carolina’s Cedric Gray and the toe of Echols before the latter collected it and returned it 40 yards to the Oregon 49. Maye connected with Paysour on the next play for a touchdown and the seven-point lead.

The second half was scoreless until Burnette kicked a 19-yard field goal with 9:13 remaining to give the Tar Heels a 24-14 lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) runs with the ball during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

No. 21 Oregon State rallies from 21-point hole to edge No. 9 Oregon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Isaiah Newell scored on two fourth-quarter touchdown runs — his only carries of the game — as host No. 21 Oregon State rallied from a 21-point, second-half deficit to defeat No. 9 Oregon 38-34 Saturday afternoon in Corvallis, Ore., preventing the rival Ducks from clinching a berth in the Pac-12 Conference championship game.

Damien Martinez had his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, gaining 103 yards before leaving with an apparent leg injury for the Beavers (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12), who clinched their first nine-win regular season since 2012.

A hobbled Bo Nix completed 27 of 41 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (9-3, 7-2).

The Ducks were 0-for-5 on fourth-down attempts, with three of those coming in the fourth quarter.

Leading 34-31 with 9:39 remaining, the Ducks went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line. Nix was stopped for a 1-yard loss on a keeper.

Oregon State took advantage, with Newell scoring on a 6-yard run with 8:11 left to give the Beavers their first lead of the second half.

The Ducks marched to Oregon State’s 3-yard line with three minutes left, but Nix’s fourth-down pass for Troy Franklin fell incomplete and the Beavers ran out the clock.

Ben Gulbranson, who started his seventh straight game at quarterback with Chance Nolan sidelined by a neck injury, completed just 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards with two interceptions.

But Gulbranson scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, the latter with 12:31 remaining, to pull the Beavers within 34-31.

Nix threw a 9-yard scoring strike to Franklin with 14 seconds remaining in the second quarter to give the Ducks a 14-10 lead following a back-and-forth half, sparking a run of 24 unanswered points.

The Ducks seemed to pull away in the third quarter on short touchdown runs by Jordan James and Noah Whittington.

Camden Lewis added a 42-yard field goal to give the Ducks a 31-10 lead with 4:46 left in the third quarter.

The Beavers rallied — entirely on the ground.

Oregon State got a 4-yard TD run from Deshaun Fenwick to stop the Ducks’ run before Lewis kicked a 24-yarder to make it 34-17 with 14:57 to go.

Newell scored on a 15-yard run and the Beavers got the ball back on Oregon’s 2-yard line after Ducks punter Alex Bales bobbled a snap. That set up Gulbranson’s second TD.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) calls out for the ball in the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Arch-rival Washington visits Oregon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Oregon Ducks moved from No. 8 to No. 6 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings following last Saturday’s 49-10 rout of Colorado. To rise even higher, the Ducks likely will have to win out against three tough opponents, and potentially a fourth should they earn a place in the Pac-12 championship game.

The gauntlet starts Saturday afternoon at home in Eugene, Ore., where Autzen Stadium will be rocking when arch-rival No. 25 Washington visits.

The Ducks (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) start a three-game stretch to end the regular season with home games against Washington and current CFP No. 13 Utah, followed by the annual in-state rivalry matchup at Oregon State.

Oregon has won 15 of the last 17 meetings with Washington, which includes three in a row, and eight of the last nine games in Eugene.

Oregon’s rise to prominence on the national scene means Washington, once the dominant program in the region, is not what it once was, although the Huskies (7-2, 4-2) have won three straight and jumped into the CFP Top 25 this week.

The rivalry is such that on Tuesday at Oregon’s practice, the Huskies’ fight song was played on repeat instead of the typical music used to get the players’ spirits up.

“This is one of those weeks that you don’t have to give any extra fuel for our players to be excited and ready to roll,” Ducks head coach Dan Lanning said this week. “They all understand the significance of this game, how important it is and they’re definitely ready to attack.”

Lanning also had to deal with speculation of him being a top candidate to return to the Southeastern Conference and head up the Auburn program, with Bryan Harsin recently fired. Lanning told reporters he is very happy at Oregon.

“The grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene,” Lanning said. “I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me.”

Quarterback Bo Nix spent the week as the third player in conference history to win Offensive Player of the Week in three straight weeks, after leading Oregon over Colorado with two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and his first career receiving touchdown.

For the Huskies, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. might be the transfer with much of the attention on him were it not for Nix. Penix has set several school records this season, including the marks for single-game passing yards (516), completions (36) and total offense (529 yards).

Penix leads the nation in passing yards with 3,232. He has 23 touchdown passes to five interceptions.

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer is in his first year guiding the program, and has come to understand how big the Washington-Oregon rivalry is for fans of both teams.

“I don’t know if there’s a speaking engagement I’ve went to where they haven’t emphasized how important it is to beat the Ducks,” DeBoer said. “It’s certainly important. It’s going to be fun, because we’ve put ourselves in a spot where it means something.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates his touchdown reception in in the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Nix accounts for 5 TDs as No. 8 Oregon routs Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Nix ran for two touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes and caught a touchdown pass to lead No. 8 Oregon to a 49-10 Pac-12 win over Colorado on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

The Ducks (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) remained the Pac-12’s only undefeated team in conference play, scoring more than 40 points for the eighth consecutive time, all in wins.

Nix completed 20 of 24 passes for 274 yards before exiting in the fourth quarter. Bucky Irving rushed for 120 yards on 11 carries, including a 65-yard run, and threw an 18-yard touchdown on a trick play to Nix in the first quarter.

Christian Gonzalez, who transferred from Colorado before this season, had two interceptions against his former team.

The first three touchdowns of the game involved a backup offensive lineman, Nix catching a pass and a star linebacker scoring a rushing touchdown. Oregon scored first on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Josh Conerly Jr., who’d lined up as an extra offensive lineman and eligible receiver.

After the Ducks stopped the Buffaloes on fourth down, Nix caught a soft toss from Irving and jogged into the end zone for a 14-0 Oregon lead with 2:25 left in the opening quarter.

Five plays into the second quarter, Noah Sewell, one of Oregon’s top defensive players, got a carry from the 1-yard line and powered into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

Colorado (1-8, 1-5) answered with J.T. Shrout’s deep throw to wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who caught the ball on the run, gained his balance and ran for an 81-yard touchdown. But the Buffaloes wouldn’t get any closer.

Shrout had 247 passing yards and Tyson 137 receiving yards for Colorado. Nix (two) and Noah Whittington (one) ran for the three Oregon touchdowns in the second half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) catches a touchdown pass during the first half against UCLA Bruins defensive back Kenny Churchwell III (23) at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 10 Oregon continues dominance of No. 9 UCLA

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Nix threw for 283 yards and five touchdown passes, leading 10th-ranked Oregon to a 45-30 win over No. 9 UCLA on Saturday afternoon at Eugene, Ore.

The Ducks (6-1, 4-0 in Pac-12) ended the day as the only undefeated team in the conference and won their 23rd straight game at Autzen Stadium.

Bucky Irving rushed for 106 yards and caught a touchdown pass, while Troy Franklin had eight catches for 132 yards and two TDs for the Ducks.

UCLA (6-1, 3-1) got 259 yards passing and two touchdown from Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Bruins also had 154 rushing yards from the Pac-12’s leading rusher, Zach Charbonnet.

Since a 49-3 loss to top-ranked Georgia at Atlanta in the first game of the season, Oregon has won six straight games and scored no fewer than 41 points in each win.

With Oregon up 17-10 after Nix hit Franklin for a 49-yard touchdown pass, the Ducks seized momentum for good when kickoff specialist Andrew Boyle recovered his own onside-kick attempt.

Oregon took over at its own 46-yard line and marched down the field for Jordan James’ 2-yard touchdown run for a 24-10 lead with 6:34 to go in the second quarter.

The Ducks took a 31-13 lead into halftime thanks to Nix’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Franklin with six seconds left in the first half. The score completed a 10-play, 88-yard drive.

The Ducks totaled 544 yards of offense, with 283 passing yards and 261 rushing yards.

After UCLA’s Nicholas Barr-Mira made a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut Oregon’s lead to 31-16, the Ducks converted two fourth downs in their own territory on their way to a 7-1/2 minute touchdown drive that ended with Nix’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Cam McCormick.

Oregon scored again early in the fourth quarter. Facing fourth-and-4 from the UCLA 37-yard line, Nix found an open Irving near the sideline and the back scooted up the field and into the end zone for a 45-23 lead.

Former wide receiver Bryan Addison intercepted a Thompson-Robinson pass into the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, ending any hope of a Bruins comeback.

The Ducks’ win left former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly winless against his former program in four meetings with UCLA. The Ducks improved to 15-3 against the Bruins since the 2000 season.

Oregon has won four straight meetings and 10 of the last 11 in the overall series.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) is stopped short of the goalie by Washington State Cougars linebacker Travion Brown (82) in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Ducks won 44-41. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

No. 13 Oregon carries winning streak into hosting Stanford

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a wild comeback win over previously undefeated Washington State on the road last week, No. 13 Oregon is on a three-game winning streak with Stanford coming to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday night.

The Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) trailed 34-22 more than halfway through the fourth quarter, but ended up scoring 22 points in the final four minutes to stun the Cougars.

After a rough start to his Oregon career in the team’s 49-3 loss to Georgia, quarterback Bo Nix has been the signal caller the Ducks hoped they were getting when he transferred from Auburn. Nix completed 33 of 44 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for 30 yards against Washington State.

The 33 completions and 428 passing yards were both career highs.

“To respond the way he responded, and for our team to respond to Bo the way they responded, I think that shows the ultimate confidence that this team has in Bo,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said after the game.

Oregon has a 21-game winning streak at Autzen Stadium that started in 2018. It’s the third-longest active home win streak in the FBS. The Ducks have also won their last 15 home conference games, which is just one win away from matching the program record.

Oregon’s offensive line has played well, and the Ducks have yet to allow a sack, while every other team in the country has. Oregon leads the nation with a 94.2 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

However, Stanford (1-2, 0-2) leads the overall series between the two Pac-12 rivals with a 47-34-1 record. The Cardinal, though, are coming off a 40-22 loss to then-No. 18 Washington in Seattle last weekend.

“We play up to our ability, we’ll have an opportunity to win,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said Tuesday. “This is another team you can’t give chances. You can’t turn the ball over against these guys. Our defense is in for a battle, but offensively we’ve got to live up to our abilities as well.”

Shaw isn’t happy about when kickoff is, at 8 p.m. local time, and suggested that game start times should be no later than 7 p.m. on a Saturday, and 6 p.m. on a weeknight.

Shaw’s concern revolves around the difficulty for student-athletes to get rest and get schoolwork done on the day after a game if the athletes don’t get back to the Bay Area until early morning.

Oregon will be the third straight Top-25 program Stanford will face, after losses to then-No. 10 USC on Sept. 10 and Washington last week.

Running back E.J. Smith will miss the rest of the season, due to an unspecified injury, Shaw announced Tuesday. Smith had 206 rushing yards in two games for Stanford.

Casey Filkins, who started in place of Smith, had 20 carries for 100 yards and added two catches for 29 yards against the Huskies. Shaw said Filkins will be the lead running back going forward.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Nakia Watson (25) carries the ball against the Oregon Ducks in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Nix rallies No. 15 Oregon to 44-41 win over Wazzu

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Nix threw for 428 yards and three touchdowns as No. 15 Oregon rallied for a 44-41 victory against host Washington State in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Wash.

The Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) scored 29 fourth-quarter points — including 22 in a late span of 2:47 — to take their first lead.

Oregon trailed 34-22 when Nix, who finished 33-of-44 passing, threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cam McCormick with 3:48 left.

The Ducks’ defense held WSU (3-1, 0-1) to a three-and-out and Nix hit Troy Franklin on a 50-yard scoring strike with 1:21 left to give Oregon a 37-34 advantage.

The Ducks’ Mase Funa intercepted a Cameron Ward pass and returned it 27 yards for a score with 1:01 left to clinch the victory.

Ward was 37-of-48 passing for 375 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score. He threw a 15-yard TD pass to De’Zhaun Stribling and a 1-yarder to Robert Ferrel. The latter, with 6:42 left, gave WSU a 34-22 lead.

The Cougars’ Nakia Watson scored on a 1-yard run with one second left for the final margin.

Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa returned an interception 95 yards in the first half, giving the Cougars a 17-9 lead at the intermission.

Nix hit Kris Hutson for a 55-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and two plays later threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving. A two-point conversion pass failed when Franklin was stopped just short of the goal line by Mauigoa, leaving the Cougars with a 17-15 lead.

Dean Janikowski kicked a 38-yard field goal and Ward hit Stribling with a 15-yard scoring strike later in the third to extend Wazzu’s lead to 27-15.

Oregon’s Jordan James scored on a 1-yard plunge on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull the Ducks within 27-22.

The Ducks had a 624-416 edge in total yardage.

–Field Level Media

Detroit King's Dante Moore throws a pass against DeWitt during the third quarter on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, at Ford Field in Detroit. 211127 Dewitt Detroit King 069a

5-star QB Dante Moore commits to Oregon

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Five-star quarterback Dante Moore announced his commitment to Oregon on Friday.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound pocket passer from Detroit’s Martin Luther King High is ranked No. 8 overall in the ESPN 300 for the Class of 2023.

Moore becomes the highest-ranked commitment to date for new Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, the former Georgia defensive coordinator who was hired to replace Mario Cristobal in December.

“Coach Lanning is going to be a great head coach, because he knows what it takes to get to a national championship, of course being at Georgia,” Moore told ESPN. “Coach (Kenny) Dillingham as the offensive coordinator, I know I can trust in the coming years. The playmakers and the team they’re building around them will be great for me in the future.”

Moore selected Oregon over Notre Dame, Texas A&M, LSU and Miami.

–Field Level Media