Top-25 Showdown Up Next At Autzen

Saturday, September 17

Eugene, Ore.

12:30 PM

University of Oregon

BYU

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The Oregon Ducks take on the Eastern Washington Eagles at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on September 10, 2022 (Eric Evans Photography)

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

09/12/22 | Football

Oregon Game Notes Game Program

By: Nate Krueger

The Matchup
No. 12 BYU at No. 25 Oregon
Saturday, September 17, 2022
FOX | 12:35 PM PT
Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Ore.

#25 Oregon Ducks (1-1)
AP/Coaches Rank: 25/24
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 1-1 (1st Season)
Career Record: Same

#12 BYU Cougars (2-0)
AP/Coaches Rank: 12/14
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake (BYU, 2000)
Record at BYU: 50-29 (7th Season)
Career Record: Same

TV: FOX
Play-By-Play: Jason Benetti
Analyst: Brock Huard
Sideline: Allison Williams

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: Series tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: BYU won, 38-8 (2006, Las Vegas)

Numbers To Know
5 - Bo Nix threw a career-high 5 touchdown passes vs. EWU, becoming the first UO QB to throw 5+ since Justin Herbert in 2019.
20 - Oregon has won 20 straight home games, the third-longest active streak in the nation.
29 - The Ducks own a 29-game home nonconference winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the FBS.
40 - Oregon's offense gained 40 first downs vs. EWU, breaking the program record of 39 set on Oct. 20, 2007.
58.62 - The Ducks are No. 11 in the nation with a 58.62 conversion percentage on 3rd down (17-of-29).

TEAM NOTES

Top-25 Showdown In Autzen
Oregon returned to the AP top-25 poll following last week's 70-14 win over Eastern Washington, and the No. 25 Ducks will face a big test Saturday in their final nonconference game when No. 12 BYU comes to town. The Cougars are coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory over then-No. 9 Baylor. Oregon is 28-23 vs. ranked teams since 2010, and the Ducks are 35-33-2 all-time against top-25 opponents in Autzen. Oregon is looking for its first win over a ranked team at Autzen since beating No. 7 Washington, 30-27, in overtime in October of 2008.

Ducks Roll, Lanning Earns First WIn
Head coach Dan Lanning earned his first win as a head coach last Saturday as Oregon dominated Eastern Washington in the 2022 home opener. The Ducks scored touchdowns on each of their first nine drives while racking up 605 yards of total offense, while the Oregon defense allowed just 87 passing yards and 187 total yards. Quarterback Bo Nix was terrific with a career-high five touchdown passes, seven different Ducks combined for nine offensive touchdowns, and Casey Rogers recovered a fumble in the end zone for a defensive touchdown.

Protecting Home Turf
Autzen Stadium is one of the nation's toughest places for visiting teams to play, and the Ducks have done a tremendous job of taking care of business at home over the last four seasons. Oregon enters Saturday with a 20-game home winning streak, the third-longest active streak in the nation behind only Clemson (35) and Cincinnati (28), and just three shy of the program record (23) set from 1997 to 2001. UO owns the second-longest home nonconference winning streak at 29 straight games, trailing only Alabama (40). The Ducks' win over EWU also marked the program's 18th straight home-opening victory. Overall, Oregon is 221-100-5 in 55 seasons at Autzen Stadium with nine undefeated home seasons, including each of the last three years.

Youth Movement
The Ducks entered 2022 as one of the youngest teams in the country, tying for the fourth-most underclassmen of any FBS team with 96 on its roster. That number is comprised of 53 freshmen and 43 sophomores, and makes up 76.2 percent of Oregon's 126-player roster. The only teams with more underclassmen are Navy (117), Army (108) and Nebraska (110), with Wymoing tied with the Ducks at 96. Colorado ranks second in the Pac-12 with 91 total underclassmen. Oregon played four true freshmen in the season opener - OL Josh Conerly Jr., DB Jahlil Florence, ILB Devon Jackson and RB Jordan James. The Ducks took advantage of jumping out to a big lead vs. Eastern Washington, playing 10 total true freshmen.

Fresh Faces
In addition to having 53 freshmen on the roster, Oregon added 21 players via transfers over the offseason to give the program 74 total newcomers. 15 of those 21 transfers came from Power 5 programs, and they combined to make exactly 100 starts prior to coming to Eugene. Oregon also boasts an entirely new coaching staff under head coach Dan Lanning.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Explosive Offense
Oregon's offense was firing on all cylinders in last week's home opener, putting up 605 yards of total offense against Eastern Washington. The Ducks scored touchdowns on each of their first nine drives to open the game, with seven different offensive players combining for the nine offensive touchdowns and 14 players recording at least one reception. Oregon moved the chains at a historic pace, setting a new program record with 40 first downs (21 rushing, 16 passing, 3 penalty). The Ducks reached the 70-point mark for the first time since Sept. 7, 2019 vs. Nevada, finishing just seven points shy of the program's modern day scoring record set in that game vs. the Wolf Pack. Oregon also reached 600 yards of offense for the first time since that game.

Third Down Efficiency
The Ducks have been terrific on third down through the first two games of the season, ranking second in the Pac-12 and 11th in the nation with a 58.62 conversion percentage (17-of-29). Oregon was 10-of-14 on third down against Eastern Washington, including 10-of-12 through the first three quarters. Third-down offense was also a big strength for the Ducks in 2021, when they led the Pac-12 and ranked fourth in the nation with a 51.11 conversion percentage (92-of-180).

McCormick's TD Stands Apart
A lot of players impressed for Oregon's offense against Eastern Washington, but one touchdown stood out above the rest. Wearing No. 18 in honor of the late Spencer Webb, tight end Cam McCormick hauled in a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The score was a tribute to Webb's legacy, and was also McCormick's first touchdown since the 2017 season. After battling injuries over the last several seasons, the seventh-year tight end is back healthy and is looking to put together a full season for the first time since 2017. "I've been working towards that [touchdown] since he was here and we were waiting to share that moment together," McCormick said. "I'm super thankful that I was able to share that moment wearing his jersey because I felt like he was there watching over me and cheering me on... It felt like he was right there with me."

Nix Shines In Autzen Debut
Quarterback Bo Nix was terrific in Oregon's win over Eastern Washington, completing 28-of-33 passes for 277 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in his Autzen Stadium debut. Nix became the first Oregon quarterback since Justin Herbert on Sept. 14, 2019 to throw five or more touchdowns in game, and it was his first career game with four or more TD passes. Nix got off to a blazing start by completing each of his first 10 passes, and his 84.8 completion percentage was the second-best of his career. Pro Football Focus gave Nix a terrific overall grade of 90.0, the top mark of the week among Pac-12 quarterbacks and tied for 23rd among all FBS QBs. The Pinson, Ala., native won the starting role after competing with talented freshmen Ty Thompson and Jay Butterfield over the spring and summer, and he is 49-of-70 for 450 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions through his first two games as a Duck.

Big Games For Franklin, Ferguson
It was a balanced attack offensively for Oregon vs. Eastern Washington, but wide receiver Troy Franklin and tight end Terrance Ferguson stood out with terrific performances. Franklin shattered his previous career-highs with 10 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Oregon player to record double-digit catches in a game since Johnny Johnson III on Nov. 23, ;2019. Ferguson was a force for the Ducks early in the game, scoring UO's first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard pass and adding another in the second quarter on a 19-yard pass. Ferguson notched his first career multi-TD game, and became the first Oregon tight end since Jacob Breeland in 2019 to catch multiple touchdown passes in a game.

Loaded Running Back Room
Oregon has used a steady rotation of running backs through the first two games, playing five guys at the position in each contest so far. Sean Dollars has been a great story through the first two games, leading Oregon with 91 rushing yards on 13 carries (7.0 YPC) after missing the entire 2021 season due to injury. Transfers Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington each scored their first Oregon touchdowns in the win over Eastern Washington, and Irving is averaging 6.7 yards per carry through the first two games. Returner Byron Cardwell found the end zone twice against EWU, once on the ground and once through the air for his second career multiple-TD performance. True freshman Jordan James carried the ball seven times in the season opener against Georgia, and Hawai'i transfer Kilohana Haasenritter rushed seven times for 37 yards and scored his first career touchdown last Saturday in his collegiate debut.

Experienced & Versatile O-Line
The offensive line is a clear strength for Oregon this season, with experience and versatility playing a valuable role up front. The Ducks are one of eight teams in the nation to return five starters along the offensive line, as Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, T.J. Bass, Alex Forsyth, Steven Jones and Ryan Walk all started at least nine games in 2021. Forsyth was the only one of those five to start at just one position, speaking to the versatility of Oregon's returning group, and Oregon used seven different starting offensive line combinations throughout the 2021 season. Dawson Jaramillo is also back after playing four different positions last season as a valuable sixth O-lineman, and more talent returns with Jackson Powers-Johnson, Marcus Harper II, Faaope Laloulu and others. Oregon brought in some talented freshmen up front as well, headlined by five-star prospect Josh Conerly Jr. Oregon's offensive line has yet to allow a sack through the first two games of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Ducks have allowed just eight total quarterback pressures, six quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Superb Sewell
Linebacker Noah Sewell established himself as one of the best defensive players in the nation during his first two seasons with the Ducks. He enters Saturday with 164 career total tackles and seven double-digit tackle performances, as well as 15.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. Sewell has made at least five tackles in 18 of 23 games played, including 13 of 14 games in 2021.

» One of four current Pac-12 players to have 100-plus tackles in 2021, and one of 36 in the nation coming off a 100-tackle season.
» Owns the most returning tackles against the Pac-12 from last season with 84.

Ducks Cage Eagles
While the offense stole the show in last Saturday's home opener, Oregon's defense put together an impressive performance of their own against a high-flying EWU offense. The Ducks allowed just 66 total yards in the first half and only 187 for the game, and the Eagles' usually potent passing attack was limited to only 87 yards through the air. It was the first time Oregon has allowed fewer than 100 yards passing in a game since Sept. 16, 2017 vs. Wyoming, when current NFL star Josh Allen was the quarterback for the Cowboys. The Ducks held EWU to just 11 total first downs, and limited the Eagles to a 5-of-13 showing on third down. Oregon also notched its first two takeaways of the season, with Christian Gonzalez and Trikweze Bridges each picking off passes. It was the first career interception for Gonzalez after coming over from Colorado, while Bridges hauled in his second career INT.

Rogers Finds The End Zone
Oregon's first defensive touchdown of the season came in unusual fashion last week against Eastern Washington. After Trikweze Bridges picked off a pass in the third quarter, he fumbled the ball as he attempted to return it for a touchdown. The fumble bounced into the end zone, and transfer nose tackle Casey Rogers was there to pounce on it for his first career touchdown. Rogers also tied for the team lead with three tackle and added a tackle for loss in his Autzen Stadium debut. With Popo Aumavae out for the season with an injury, Rogers has started each of the first two games at nose tackle and figures to be a major part of Oregon's defense moving forward.

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 192 total interceptions since 2010, five more than second-place Alabama and eight more than third-place Iowa. That impressive run of picking off passes goes back even further, as the Ducks rank second with 354 total interceptions since 2000, trailing only Virginia Tech (355). Since 2018, Oregonis tied for third in the nation with 61 interceptions.