Tag: oregon

Sep 7, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks down field to pass the ball during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

‘Fun game for the state of Oregon’: No. 9 Ducks vs. Beavers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Despite only a three-point win at home over Boise State last week, Oregon remains a top-10 team.

The ninth-ranked Ducks (2-0) have shown how good they can be with a big-play offense, a possible Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and an athletic defense, but there have been too many penalties, sacks and turnovers for AP poll voters to keep them at No. 3 in the nation, where they began the season.

Now comes a rivalry game against Oregon State (2-0) in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday afternoon. The Beavers and Ducks for decades were in-state rivals in the Pacific-8, Pac-10 and Pac-12 conferences, and this season Oregon is making its Big Ten debut while Oregon State remains in the Pac-12 alone with Washington State.

Oregon and Oregon State will meet for the 128th time and will play as non-conference opponents for the first time since 1963. The programs, at schools less than an hour’s drive apart, will play in September for the first time in the history of the rivalry, according to the Ducks’ sports information office.

This is the earliest in the season the Ducks and Beavers have faced each other, and the first time in a month other than November or December since October 1945. Oregon is 68-49-10 all-time against Oregon State and has won 13 of the past 16 meetings, including 31-7 last season in Eugene.

But the Ducks haven’t won at Reser Stadium in Corvallis since 2018.

“This is a fun game for the state of Oregon; it’s certainly a fun game for our players. I think they know exactly what it means. It means a little bit more,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “Is it another game? Yeah, it’s another game. Is it important for us? It’s very important for us. Our guys want to go out there and have success.”

Oregon State, like Oregon, has wins over a Big Sky Conference team and a Mountain West team this season. The Beavers posted a 21-0 shutout of San Diego State on the road last weekend and have two running backs in the nation’s top 20 in rushing yards — Jam Griffin (124.5 yards per game, 12th) and Anthony Hankerson (113.0, 17th).

Head coach Trent Bray’s defense has held opponents to a combined 15 points in the first two games, the fewest allowed by Oregon State to open the season since the 2002 Beavers gave up 13.

Oregon State surely will look to run the ball after Oregon gave up 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty last week.

“The great teams that I’ve been around or have watched have been great running football teams. That’s where it starts,” Bray said. “Your ability to close out games, you’ve got to be able to run the football. It definitely helps your defense stay off the field, so it helps you play better defense.”

–Field Level Media

Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington is hoisted into the air after kicking the game winning field goal as the Oregon Ducks host the Boise State Broncos Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

No. 7 Oregon edges Boise State on FG with no time left

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On Atticus Sappington’s 25-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, No. 7 Oregon survived Boise State’s upset bid with a 37-34 win on Saturday night in Eugene, Ore.

In a wild, back-and-forth game that saw Oregon (2-0) score twice on long returns on special teams and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty run the ball 25 times for 192 yards with three touchdowns, the Ducks had the ball at the end of the game and quarterback Dillon Gabriel engineered the winning drive.

Gabriel was 18-for-21 passing for 243 yards and two touchdown passes and running back Jordan James rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries. Boise State (1-1) outgained Oregon 369 to 352 and was 9-of-19 on third down compared to the Ducks’ 4-of-12. The Broncos ran 16 more offensive plays and forcing two turnovers, but the Ducks extended the nation’s longest active nonconference home win streak to 34 games.

The Ducks took a 27-20 lead on Tez Johnson’s 85-yard punt return in the third. But they trailed 34-27 early in the fourth after losing two fumbles on consecutive possessions, both leading to Boise State touchdowns. Jeanty ran 70 yards to tie the score at 27 with 13:09 to play, and after Gabriel fumbled in Oregon territory on the next drive, Jeanty scored on an 8-yard run.

The kickoff after that touchdown was returned 100 yards by the Ducks’ Noah Whittington. He appeared to drop the ball before he crossed the goal line, but Jayden Limar picked up the ball in the end zone to tie the score at 34.

Oregon had the ball with 3:36 to play and converted two third-and-1s to drive inside the Boise State 10-yard line for the winning field goal.

Boise State was the better team in the first half, outgaining Oregon 214 to 149 in total yards. Jeanty had 85 rushing yards with a touchdown at halftime, and when the Ducks loaded up to stop the run, Boise State’s Maddux Madsen had some downfield success and threw a first-half touchdown to Cameron Camper.

Oregon gained only 16 net yards on the ground in the first half. The Ducks scored touchdowns on a 1-yard run for Gabriel, set up by a 67-yard completion to Evan Stewart, and later a 34-yard strike from Gabriel to Stewart to give Oregon a 14-10 lead with 9:28 to go in the half.

The second of two Jonah Dalmas field goals came with two seconds left in the half and sent the Broncos into the break with a 20-14 lead.

–Field Level Media

Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James carries the ball for a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Idaho Vandals Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Efficient Dillon Gabriel helps No. 3 Oregon hold off Idaho

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Fans at Autzen Stadium expecting fireworks from third-ranked Oregon didn’t get all they’d hoped for, but the Ducks began their Big Ten era with a 24-14 home win over Idaho on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

New Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a transfer from Oklahoma playing his sixth college season, completed 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards with two touchdowns, including a 12-yard connection with Tez Johnson with 5:36 to play that sealed the Ducks’ win.

The play was reviewed and upheld, as Johnson was close to the sideline near the goal line but touched the pylon.

Idaho had cut the lead to 17-14 with 9:45 left on quarterback Jack Layne’s 4-yard touchdown run, but Oregon had an answer and avoided the upset.

Gabriel finished his first drive as a Duck by throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, one of Oregon’s top receivers from 2023.

The Vandals cut a 14-0 lead to 14-7 with Layne’s flea-flicker 36-yard pass to Jake Cox for a touchdown at the 4:15 mark of the third quarter.

Atticus Sappington made a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter after the Ducks stalled in the red zone, making it 17-7.

Oregon got an early scare when Gabriel’s left hand – his throwing hand – banged off the helmet of an Idaho pass rusher on the Ducks’ second possession of the game. A trainer tended to Gabriel, but he returned on the next offensive possession.

Oregon defensive back Brandon Johnson thwarted a potential Vandals game-tying scoring drive when he turned around at the last moment to intercept a pass into the end zone from Layne.

Jordan James ran for a 6-yard touchdown to cap off the Ducks’ ensuing eight-play, 80-yard drive to make it 14-0 with seven minutes to go in the first half.

Oregon outgained Idaho 296-113 in the first half as Gabriel completed 22 of his 27 passes but was sacked twice and lost a fumble.

The Vandals’ defense continued to frustrate the Ducks in the third quarter, during which Oregon failed on a fake punt attempt.

The Ducks’ defense was stout, however, forcing seven punts and two turnovers, including a late interception in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass during practice with the Oregon Ducks Wednesday Aug. 21, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.

No. 3 Oregon begins Dillon Gabriel era vs. Idaho

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A new era dawns for No. 3 Oregon in 2024, as it begins its first season in the Big Ten Conference having departed the Pac-12 with Washington, UCLA and Southern California.

The Ducks open the season against FCS opponent Idaho on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore.

Expectations are high for the Ducks, who are coming off a 12-2 season, an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship game and a dominating performance in the Fiesta Bowl. Third-year head coach Dan Lanning’s program is in the national championship conversation.

The Big Ten powerhouses stand in the way, plus potentially the expanded college football playoff. But first, Saturday’s game offers a chance to see how new quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who transferred from Oklahoma, looks in a new offense and program.

Gabriel replaces Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix, who is set to be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos as a rookie.

Gabriel looks like the type of mobile and accurate-armed quarterback the Ducks have had in the recent past that has led the program to more than a decade of overall success, from Nix to former Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to Anthony Brown to Darron Thomas. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert was more known for his pocket presence, but he had 13 rushing touchdowns over his four college seasons.

Oregon has six starters returning on offense, four on defense and one specialist. Lanning said wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr., who caught two touchdowns over his final three games of last season, could play on Saturday after being limited in practices this month.

On defense, the Ducks are led by senior linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, who was the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl and was second on the team in tackles as a junior. He was also named to the all-Pac-12 second team in 2023.

“We know that we want to set the bar for us, what’s our bar, what’s our standard, what do we want it to look like, and being self-aware enough that you attack the things that you have to improve,” Lanning said this week. “Regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re playing, we always talk about our biggest opponent is Oregon … to be the best version of Oregon that we can be.”

Idaho went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. The Vandals made the FCS postseason in each of the first two years of head coach Jason Eck’s tenure.

Jack Layne didn’t enter the offseason as the lead candidate to win the starting quarterback job, but he is in line to start Saturday for Idaho at Autzen Stadium. It’s a homecoming for Layne, an Oregon native.

The Vandals are heavy underdogs against Oregon on Saturday, but that won’t stop Eck from being loose, free and aggressive on the sidelines.

“I don’t think we have any pressure on us in this game,” Eck told the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Monday. “We could lose by 100, and it is not going to affect us winning a conference championship.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; A general view of an end zone pylon during the second half between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

5-star WR Gatlin Bair commits to Oregon, won’t play until 2026

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Gatlin Bair, a five-star prospect in the 2024 class, has committed to Oregon.

“I’m super excited about Oregon and what coach (Dan) Lanning is building,” Bair told 247Sports on Saturday. “He is one of the most ambitious coaches I’ve ever been around and they’re on track to compete in the Big Ten and win some titles. … They’re running an offense that any receiver would want to be a part of.”

From Burley, Idaho, Bair is the highest-rated player ever from the state, per 247Sports, which ranked him the No. 6 wide receiver in the class and No. 27 among all positions in the nation.

The 6-foot-1 Bair intends to sign with Oregon next week but won’t be part of the team until 2026 after he serves a two-year mission through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 247Sports reported.

Bair previously was committed to Boise State but decommitted on Dec. 1.

He also considered Michigan for his new commitment.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Ty Thompson (13) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oregon QB Ty Thompson commits to Tulane

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson committed to Tulane on Friday.

Thompson entered the transfer portal on Dec. 10 following the commitment of former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel to the Ducks.

The 6-foot-4 Thompson was a four-star prospect in the 2021 class, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 quarterback and the No. 81 overall prospect.

He announced his decision on social media with a photo of him in a Tulane uniform and the simple caption “roll wave.”

With Bo Nix entrenched at quarterback for the Ducks, Thompson saw limited action in 2023. He appeared in seven games, completing 24 of 31 pass attempts for 287 yards with four touchdowns and an interception.

In three seasons in Eugene, he appeared in 17 games, throwing for 456 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions.

Thompson will have two seasons of eligibility remaining for the Green Wave.

Tulane finished the 2023 season with an 11-3 mark under former head coach Willie Fritz, who has taken over at Houston. Thompson will play under new head coach Jon Sumrall, who was hired in December.

–Field Level Media

Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood watches the last seconds of the game against Southfield A&T at the Division 1 state final at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.

Report: 2025 No. 1 player Bryce Underwood to commit Saturday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2025 class by the 247Sports composite, is set to announce his college decision Saturday afternoon, per a report.

Underwood attends Belleville (Mich.) High School and has finalists of Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State, 247Sports reported Wednesday.

As a junior in 2023, he completed 66.7 percent of his pass attempts for 3,165 yards with 40 touchdowns and two interceptions, per MaxPreps. His QB rating was 146.0.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback added seven rushing scores on 25 carries.

Underwood led Belleville to the Division 1 Michigan high school state championship game in 2023. The Tigers were seeking their third straight title and their 36-32 loss to Southfield A&T in the championship game snapped a 38-game winning streak.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws the ball under pressure from Liberty Flames defensive tackle Jay Hardy (4) during the first quarter of the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Nix, No. 8 Oregon dominate No. 23 Liberty at Fiesta Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix threw five touchdown passes including four in the the second quarter, and No. 8 Oregon steamrolled No. 23 Liberty 45-6 on Monday in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nix, in his final collegiate game after two seasons at Oregon and three at Auburn, tied a Fiesta Bowl record for TD passes in a game. The Ducks, who just missed the College Football Playoff with a close loss to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game, scored 45 unanswered points after trailing 6-0 in the first quarter.

Nix completed 28 of 35 passes for 363 yards, and wide receiver Tez Johnson had 11 catches for 172 yards and was one of five different receivers to catch a touchdown pass. Oregon (12-2) held previously undefeated Liberty (13-1) to its season low in points.

The Ducks’ Bucky Irving, who announced his intentions to enter the NFL draft but opted to play in the bowl game, rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries and added a touchdown run.

Liberty got the ball first and scored a touchdown in six plays. Quarterback Kaidon Salter had plenty of time to pick a receiver and found Bentley Hanshaw for a 17-yard touchdown pass.

The Flames didn’t score again, as Salter was held to 126 passing yards and Oregon outgained Liberty 584-294 in total yards.

The Ducks went ahead 10-6 early in the second quarter on Nix’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Gary Bryant Jr., a play set up by Irving’s 44-yard swerving run deep into Liberty territory.

Oregon’s defense delivered hard hits and established control after Liberty’s first possession, and the Ducks offense got going as well. Dropped passes and batted balls didn’t affect Oregon’s ability to move the ball, and the Ducks went up 17-6 on Nix’s 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson with 7:13 to go in the first half.

At halftime, Oregon had a 31-6 lead. Nix’s flip to Kenyon Sadiq for a 3-yard touchdown was set up by another of the Ducks’ several explosive plays on the day, a 50-yard pass to Bryant.

Oregon stopped a Liberty drive before halftime with Steve Stephens IV’s interception. Then Nix needed just five plays and 1:09 on the clock to find Traeshon Holden for a 17-yard touchdown with 3 seconds left.

The Ducks added two more touchdowns in the second half before Nix exited mid-drive in the fourth quarter to cheers from Oregon fans.

–By Jose M. Romero, Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; An Oregon Ducks cheerleader performs during the third quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

National signing day: 4-star WR flips from Ohio State to Oregon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Four-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan decommitted from Ohio State and committed to Oregon on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period, 247Sports reported.

He is listed as the No. 13 wide receiver and the No. 49 player overall in the 2024 class by the 247Sports composite.

McClellan took official visits to both schools in June and committed to Ohio State on Aug. 13. From the St. Louis area, he played his high school football at Christian Brothers College.

He had not signed his national letter of intent as of Wednesday morning.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dante Moore (3) throws the ball during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-UCLA QB Dante Moore commits to Oregon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore is set to become the second transfer quarterback moving to Oregon ahead of next season.

Moore announced his commitment to Oregon on Monday in an Instagram post. The Ducks previously snagged ex-Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Moore was ranked one of the top five quarterback prospects in the high school Class of 2023, and he initially committed to Oregon out of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High in Detroit.

He wound up going to UCLA instead and played nine games as a freshman this year for the Bruins, starting five times.

Moore completed 53.5 percent of his passes (114 of 213) this past season for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was intercepted nine times. His best outing was a 290-yard, three-touchdown effort in a Sept. 9 win over San Diego State. Moore also threw for 290 yards in a victory over Washington State on Oct. 7.

Gabriel, who has one year of eligibility remaining, is widely viewed as the favorite to replace Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix for the Ducks. Moore could be in line to take over the job in 2025.

No. 8 Oregon (11-2) lost the Pac-12 championship game against Washington on Dec. 1 and is headed to the Fiesta Bowl against No. 23 Liberty on Jan. 1, 2024.

–Field Level Media