Saturday, October 8
Tucson, Ariz.
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
at
Arizona
Photo by: Eric Evans
Trip To the Desert Next For No. 12 Oregon
10/03/22 | Football
The Matchup
No.12 Oregon at Arizona
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Pac-12 Network | 6:00 PM PT
Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Ariz.
#12 Oregon Ducks (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12)
AP/Coaches Rank: 12/12
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 4-1 (1st Season)
Career Record: Same
Arizona Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12)
AP/Coaches Rank: NR/NR
Head Coach: Jedd Fisch (Florida, 1998)
Record at Arizona: 4-13 (2nd Season)
Career Record: 5-14 (2nd Season)
TV: Pac-12 Network
Play-By-Play: Ted Robinson
Analyst: Yogi Roth
Radio - Oregon Sports Network
Local: KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene) | KFXX-AM 1080 (Portland)
Sirius: 133 | XM: 197
Play-by-Play: Jerry Allen
Analyst: Mike Jorgensen
Sideline: Joey McMurry
Pre-Game Show: Terry Jonz
Series History
All-Time Series Record: Oregon leads, 28-17
In Eugene: Oregon leads, 16-5
In Tucson: Tied, 11-11
Neutral Site: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 41-19 (9/25/21 in Eugene)
Current Streak: Oregon W2
Numbers To Know
1 - The Ducks lead the nation with just one sack allowed, going until the third quarter vs. Stanford before allowing their first.
6 - Oregon is one of just six teams in the nation to rank in the top 20 in both rushing offense (10th) and rushing defense (17th).
9.5 - UO averaged 9.5 yards per carry vs. Stanford, the Ducks' highest since 2013 and fifth-highest by an FBS team this season.
21 - Oregon's offense leads the Pac-12 and is tied for third in the nation with 21 red zone touchdowns.
50.0 - Oregon is averaging 50.0 points per game since week two, best in the Pac-12 and No. 3 in the FBS during that span.
Did you Know?
Bo Nix's 23.5 yards per carry vs. Stanford is the highest by an FBS QB with five or more rushes since 2010, and third-highest since 1996.
TEAM NOTES
Ducks In The Desert
Riding a four-game win streak, Oregon will look to enter its bye week on a high note when the No. 12 Ducks take on Arizona on Saturday in Tucson. UO owns a 28-17 lead in the all-time series with Arizona and has won the last two meetings, but the Wildcats have won the last two times in Tucson.
Home Win Streak Hits 22
Oregon rushed for a season-high 351 yards in a 45-27 win over Stanford on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, improving to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Ducks won their 22nd straight home game - the third-longest active streak in the nation and one shy of the program record - and tied a program record with their 16th straight conference home win. UO averaged a whopping 9.5 yards per carry, the program's highest average vs. a FBS team since at least 1971. Bo Nix led the way with a career-high 141 rushing yards with two touchdowns on just five carries, an incredible 23.5 yards per carry, and also threw for two TDs. Nix became the first Duck this season to rush for 100 yards in a game, while Bucky Irving came up just shy with 97 rushing yards on a night he surpassed 1,000 for his career.
A Win Would...
» Make Oregon 3-0 to start Pac-12 play for the first time since 2020, and 2-0 in road conference games for the first time since 2019.
» Give the Ducks a win streak of five or more games for the third time in the last four seasons.
» Be Oregon's fifth in the last six games vs. the Wildcats and first in Tucson since 2011.
» Give UO a 12-11 lead in the all-time series in Tucson.
Owning The Run Game
Oregon has been among the best teams in the nation both rushing the football and defending the run. The Ducks are one of just six teams in the nation to rank in the top 20 in both rushing offense and rushing defense, ranking 10th with 228.80 rushing yards per game and 17th with 94.60 rushing yards allowed per game. Oregon has rushed for 200-plus yards in three of the last four games, and the Ducks' defense has yet to allow 150 rushing yards in a game while holding opponents to 100 or fewer yards on the ground three times.
Cleaning Up The Penalties
There was plenty of good in Oregon's win over Stanford, but the Ducks are looking to address a major area of concern after committing a season-high 14 penalties for 135 yards. It was the most penalties committed by Oregon in more than five years, and the Ducks rank 116th nationally with 72.0 penalty yards per game. "It's something we've got to get better at it and we're not going to sit here and ignore it," head coach Dan Lanning said. "It's something we got to go improve on."
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Explosive Offense
Oregon's offense has been firing on all cylinders over the last four games. The Ducks are averaging 50.0 points per game during their four-game winning streak, third in the nation during that stretch behind only Ohio State (55.8) and TCU (52.0), while scoring 40-plus points in four straight games for the first time since 2015-16. The Ducks rank second nationally since week two with 2,182 total yards, trailing only Ohio State (2,253).
» No. 13 nationally in total yards per game (499.0) and No. 16 in points per game (40.6).
» Fourth in the nation with 27.2 first downs per game, and tied for sixth with 136 first downs.
» Tied for eighth in the FBS with 96 plays of 10-plus yards from scrimmage.
Running Wild
The Ducks' dynamic offense has been fueled in large part by a terrific running game. Oregon leads the Pac-12 and ranks eighth nationally with 5.96 yards per rush after averaging a whopping 9.49 yards per carry last week vs. Stanford, and the Ducks are 10th in the FBS with 228.8 rushing yards per game. Oregon's 351 rushing yards vs. Stanford were a season-high and the program's most since 2018, as well as the third 200-plus yard rushing performance in the last four games.
» No. 10 in the nation with 1,144 rushing yards.
» 9.49 YPC vs. Stanford is the fifth-highest in the FBS this season, the highest for Oregon since 2013, and the highest by the Ducks vs. an FBS opponent since at least 1971.
» Bo Nix (8.16) and Bucky Irving (7.54) rank second and third, respectively, in the Pac-12 in yards per carry.
» First in the Pac-12 and fourth nationally with 43 rushes of 10-plus yards.
Dominant O-line Play
Oregon's stellar rushing attack and Bo Nix's hot start have surely been helped by tremendous play from the offensive line. UO leads the nation with just one sack allowed, making it to the second half of last week's game vs. Stanford before allowing its first of the season. The Ducks are the highest-graded pass-blocking team in the nation by Pro Football Focus at 92.1, and are tied for seventh with a 89.8 run-blocking grade. Oregon has used the same starting lineup combination of T.J. Bass (LT), Marcus Harper II (LG), Alex Forsyth (C) Ryan Walk (RG) and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (RT) in each of the last three games, with Steven Jones starting the first two games at left guard before missing the last three due to injury. Jackson Powers-Johnson and Dawson Jaramillo both have positional versatility and provide valuable depth, and true freshman Josh Conerly Jr. has solidified a role as an extra lineman in certain personnel packages.
» Bass was named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week after helping Oregon rush for 351 yards and 9.49 yards per carry.
» Most games (4) Oregon has gone without allowing a sack to open a season since sacks became an official stat in 2000.
» Allowed just 18 pressures, 15 hurries and three QB hits, according to PFF.
» Team pass-blocking grade above 90.0 from PFF in three of five games.
» Forsyth leads all Pac-12 offensive linemen and is tied for 10th nationally with an 87.8 pass-blocking grade.
Go Bo Go!
An established passer, Bo Nix has also proven himself to be a dangerous runner with the football. He leads all Pac-12 quarterbacks and ranks 10th among FBS QBs with 261 rushing yards after exploding for a career-high 141 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries against Stanford. Nix averaged an incredible 23.5 yards per carry while rushing for multiple TDs for the second time this season, after he found the end zone three times in Oregon's win over BYU on Sept. 17. Nix's stellar rushing performance vs. Stanford was headlined by a career-long 80-yard touchdown, the longest by an Oregon quarterback since 2015.
» Tied for fourth among FBS QBs with five rushing TDs.
» First FBS QB to average 23.0+ YPC on 5+ carries in a game since Denard Robinson in 2010, and just the third since 1996.
» One of just two FBS QBs with multiple games of multiple passing and rushing TDs (Mike Wright, Vanderbilt).
» 141 rushing yards vs. Stanford are the most by a Duck QB since Jeremiah Masoli in 2009.
» 80-yard rush is the second-longest by a FBS QB in 2022.
» Surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards vs. Stanford.
Franklin Becoming Go-To Target
Troy Franklin has been one of the most productive receivers in the Pac-12 early in 2022. He caught a career-high 10 passes for a then-career-best 84 yards and a touchdown vs. Eastern Washington, and matched that production with three catches for 84 yards a week later vs. BYU. The sophomore erupted for five catches and a career-high 137 yards and a touchdown on Sept. 24 at WSU, giving Oregon its first lead of the game with a 50-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and he added another touchdown last week vs. Stanford. Franklin leads the Ducks with 24 catches for 391 yards and three touchdowns on the season, already surpassing the marks he set as a true freshman in 2021.
» Sixth in the Pac-12 in yards per catch (16.29), seventh in receiving yards (391) and tied for eighth in receptions (24).
» Leads the Pac-12 and is tied for fourth nationally with two catches of 50-plus yards, and tied for fifth in the conference with 17 catches of 10-plus yards.
» 22 catches for 357 yards over the last four weeks, fourth in the Pac-12 during that span.
Ferguson A Red Zone Threat
Tight end Terrance Ferguson established himself as a major red zone threat early in the season. The sophomore caught two touchdowns in back-to-back games vs. Eastern Washington and BYU, and is tied for fourth among FBS tight ends with four receiving TDs. Ferguson has touchdowns catches of 13, 19, 15 and 9 yards, and he is one of 22 FBS tight ends with three or more TD receptions. The Colorado native ranks third among Ducks with 14 catches for 134 yards on the season.
» Four touchdown receptions are tied for 31st among all FBS players, and tied for fourth in the Pac-12.
» First Oregon tight end since Jacob Breeland in 2019 to catch multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games.
Loaded Running Back Room
Oregon has used a steady rotation of running backs through the first five games, with six different players getting time at the position. Transfers Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington seem to have established themselves as the first two options, combining for 150-plus rushing yards in each of the last three games. Irving is Oregon's leading rusher with 48 carries for 362 yards while ranking third in the Pac-12 with 7.49 yards per carry, and Whittington is just behind quarterback Bo Nix for third on the team with 46 carries for 244 yards. Freshman Jordan James has scored a one-yard touchdown in each of the last two games, and Sean Dollars found the end zone for the first time in his career last week vs. Stanford. Sophomore Byron Cardwell scored twice vs. Eastern Washington but hasn't played since due to injury, and redshirt freshman Kilohana Haasenritter notched his first career score in his collegiate debut vs. Eastern Washington.
» Irving is fifth in the Pac-12 in both rushing yards and rushing yards per game (72.40).
» Irving has rushed for 97 yards twice this season, and surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards last week vs. Stanford.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Run Stuffers
Oregon has been terrific against the run early in 2022. The Ducks rank second in the Pac-12 and 17th nationally in rush defense at 94.60 yards allowed per game, and Oregon has yet to allow a team to rush for more than 150 yards in a game. The Ducks held Eastern Washington (100), BYU (61) and Washington State (53) to 100 or fewer rushing yards, and Stanford had just 57 rushing yards at halftime last week before finishing with 127. Oregon is 44th nationally with 3.48 yards allowed per carry.
» 53 rushing yards by WSU are the fewest Oregon has allowed in a game since the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game (38, USC).
» Since week two, Oregon ranks second in the Pac-12 and 13th nationally with 85.3 rushing yards allowed per game.
Dorlus Brings The Pressure
Defensive end Brandon Dorlus is the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second time in three weeks after putting together an impressive performance vs. Stanford. The junior set career-highs with 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, his first career multi-sack performance. He was also the Pac-12 Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after making a career-high seven tackles with 1.5 TFLs and a sack vs. BYU. Dorlus was on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy along with teammate Noah Sewell after putting together an impressive 2021 season, when he set career-highs with 25 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while earning first-team all-conference honors.
» No. 8 in the Pac-12 with 5.5 TFLs, and tied for 13th with 2.5 sacks.
Back On Defense, Johnson Getting After The QB
DJ Johnson was one of the more versatile players in the nation last season for Oregon, playing 152 snaps on defense as an outside linebacker, 98 on offense as a tight end and 18 on special teams. Johnson had made the move from defense to offense during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but has moved back to defense full-time in his final season. Johnson racked up a career-high 2.0 sacks at Washington State and added another last week vs. Stanford. He is Oregon's leader on the season with 4.0 sacks, tied for third in the Pac-12.
Williams Provides Veteran Presence In Secondary
Bennett Williams is Oregon's leading tackler through five games with 26, and the defensive back is one of the more established players on the Ducks' defense. Williams is second among current Ducks with 127 career tackles, and first with six career interceptions. Williams matched his career-high with three interceptions last year despite playing just five games due to injury. He added his first career forced fumble last week vs. Stanford, punching the ball away from a Cardinal receiver for linebacker Noah Sewell to pick up and return 21 yards.
Superb Sewell
Linebacker Noah Sewell established himself as one of the best defensive players in the nation during his first two-plus seasons with the Ducks. He enters Saturday with 180 career total tackles and seven double-digit tackle performances, as well as 17.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. Sewell has made at least five tackles in 20 of 26 games played, including 13 of 14 games in 2021.
» Career-high 2.5 tackles with a sack and a season-high nine tackles in Oregon's win at Washington State on Sept. 24.
» Recovered a fumble for the first time in his career last week vs. Stanford, returning it 21 yards.
Bassa Settling In At ILB
Jeffrey Bassa was a great storyline for the Oregon defense last year as a true freshman, starting seven of the Ducks' last nine games at inside linebacker after transitioning from defensive back early in the season. Bassa played 452 total defensive snaps - 423 at linebacker - finishing with 48 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He has stuck at inside linebacker so far as a sophomore, and is second on the team entering Saturday with 23 total tackles. Bassa led the Ducks at Washington State with a career-high 10 tackles, his first double-digit tackling performance, and added his first tackle for loss of the season. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native made his first start of the season in Pullman, and was a captain for the Ducks in the Sept. 10 home opener vs. Eastern Washington.
Pick Party
No team has been better at coming away with interceptions than Oregon over the last decade-plus. Oregon leads all FBS teams with 194 total interceptions since 2010, six more than second-place Alabama and seven more than third-place Iowa. That impressive run of picking off passes goes back even further, as the Ducks lead the nation with 356 total interceptions since 2000, one ahead of Virginia Tech. Since 2018, Oregon is tied for third in the nation with 63 interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Lewis Kicks It Into Gear
Kicker Camden Lewis made a drastic improvement as Oregon's place kicker and kickoff specialist from 2020 to 2021. The North Carolina native was a second-team Pac-12 all-conference selection last season after ranking second in the league with an 81.3 field goal percentage (13-of-16). Lewis started the season 10-for-10 on field goals, the longest streak of his career and longest by a UO kicker since Aidan Schneider made 10 straight in 2015. The junior has gotten off to a good start this season as well, going 7-for-7 on field goals entering Saturday after making a season-long 38-yarder last week vs. Stanford.
» Recorded Oregon's first points of 2022 with a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter against Georgia.
» Handled all 10 kickoffs vs. EWU, totaling 645 yards (64.5 AVG) with six touchbacks.
» One of three Pac-12 kickers and one of 17 FBS kickers yet to miss a field goal this season.
Competition Abound On Special Teams
While Lewis returned as the incumbent at place kicker, Oregon had a competition-filled fall at the other kicking spots after bringing in a quartet of transfers. Andrew Boyle has emerged as Oregon's top option on kickoffs after transferring from Washington State, totaling 1,159 yards and 13 touchbacks on 18 kicks (64.4 Avg.) in three games played. Alex Bales is another experienced leg after transferring from Cincinnati. At punter, Temple transfer Adam Barry won the starting role out of camp and has punted seven times for 261 yards, but East Central CC transfer Ross James handled the punting duties last week vs. Stanford with five kicks for 217 yards (43.4 avg) with a long of 52 yards.
Battles As Consistent As They Come
You won't hear Karsten Battles' name much - or ever - during the course of a game, and that speaks to how consistent he has been as Oregon's long snapper since taking over the job in 2018. Battles has been the long snapper for all 53 games since the start of that season, and he has been on the preseason watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award - given to the nation's top long snapper - each of the last two seasons. Battles was named a preseason second-team all-American by Phil Steele entering his final season in Eugene.
Boettcher Trades Bat For Pads This Fall
The Ducks boast a two-sport athlete this fall, with baseball outfielder Bryce Boettcher joining the football team as a defensive back. Boettcher is one of 15 football/baseball dual-sport athletes in the FBS this season, and the only one in the Pac-12. Boettcher has earned a spot on first-team kickoff unit early in the season. He has played in 81 games over two seasons for Oregon baseball, making 10 starts in center field, two at second base and one in right field.
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/ FootballDucks vs Them BONUS FEATURE | 2025 Oregon Football Game 3 | “What Oregon Is About”
Wednesday, September 17
Bryce Boettcher: "I love playing in Autzen."
Wednesday, September 17
Malik Benson: "This is bigger than us."
Wednesday, September 17
Dan Lanning: "Excited about the rivalry."
Wednesday, September 17
