Autzen Stadium Set For Another Top-20 Showdown
10/21/24 | Football
The Matchup
#1 Oregon vs. #20 Illinois
Saturday, October 26, 2024
12:30 p.m. PT | CBS
Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Ore.
#1 Oregon Ducks (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: 1/1
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 29-5 (3rd Season)
Career Record: Same
#20 Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: 20/21
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (Iowa, 1992)
Record at Illinois: 24-20 (4th Season)
Career Record: 121-78 (16th Season)
TV: CBS
Play-By-Play: Brad Nessler
Analyst: Gary Danielson
Sideline: Jenny Dell
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: Dusty Harrah
Pre-Game Show: Joey McMurry
Another Top-20 Matchup In Autzen
No. 1 Oregon will play at home for the third time this month on Saturday, hosting No. 20 Illinois in another top-20 showdown at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are one of 10 remaining undefeated teams in the nation after a 35-0 win at Purdue last week, improving to 7-0 to open the season for the first time since 2013 and sixth time in program history. Saturday will be the fourth all-time meeting between Oregon and Illinois and first since 1995, when the Ducks pulled out a 34-31 win in Eugene. The Ducks hold a 2-1 lead in the all-time series with the Fighting Illini.
A Win Would...
» Be the Ducks' third this season over a team currently in the top 25 of the AP poll.
» Make Oregon 8-0 to open the season for the first time since 2013 and fifth time in program history.
» Improve UO to 7-1 all-time when ranked No. 1 in the nation.
» Make the Ducks 5-0 at home to open the season for the second year in a row.
» Be Oregon's 36th in its last 37 home games, and would make UO 45-3 at home since 2017.
» Make UO 3-1 all-time against Illinois, and 2-0 in Eugene.
Shutout Moves Ducks to 7-0
There was no letdown for the Ducks after their historic win over No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 12, as they took care of business on a short week last Friday at Purdue in a dominant 35-0 victory. Oregon recorded a shutout for the first time since 2012, and did so on the road for the first time since 1992. Oregon's defense got three stops on fourth down, had an interception and recovered a fumble, and also got out of a red-zone situation when Purdue missed a field goal. The Ducks held Purdue to just 93 passing yards while racking up 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. Offensively, Dillon Gabriel completed 21-of-25 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns - to Tez Johnson and Noah Whittington - and Jordan James rushed for a pair of scores.
Ducks Ascend To No. 1
Oregon took over the No. 1 spot in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls this week, earning the top national ranking for the first time since 2012. UO earned 59 of 61 first-place votes in the AP poll, and 51 of 53 in the coaches poll. It is the 10th time in program history that Oregon has been No. 1 in the coaches poll, and ninth time in the AP poll. The Ducks were last ranked No. 1 in both polls on Nov. 11, 2012, and all of their previous No. 1 rankings came during the 2010 season. Oregon is 6-1 all-time as the No. 1 ranked team, and 3-1 in Autzen Stadium.
Building the Resume
The Ducks own two of the best wins in the nation this season, with Ohio State currently No. 4 in the AP poll and Boise State up to No. 17. Oregon and Georgia are the only teams in the country with multiple wins over teams currently in the top 20 of the AP poll, and the Ducks are one of 10 remaining unbeaten FBS teams.
Titanic Top-Five Tilt Goes To Oregon
The Ducks' win over No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 12 will go down as arguably the most significant regular-season win in program history. The Ducks secured their highest-ranked victory ever in Autzen Stadium, beating a top-five opponent in Autzen for the fourth time and first since Oct. 31, 2009. The win matched the highest-ranked victory in program history, joining the 2015 Rose Bowl over Florida State as the only times Oregon has defeated a team ranked No. 2 or better. It was Oregon's ninth win all-time against a top-five opponent, and second all-time in 11 meetings with Ohio State. The Ducks pulled out the victory in front of the largest crowd in Autzen Stadium (60,129), as a day that dawned with thousands of fans crowding the Memorial Quad on campus for ESPN's "College GameDay" ended with thousands more rushing the field.
All Three Phases
Oregon has proven to be a well-rounded team while getting out to a 7-0 start. The Ducks currently rank in the top 20 nationally for both total offense (16th, 461.1 YPG) and total defense (15th, 297.9), the top 30 for both scoring offense (26th, 34.6 PPG) and scoring defense (13th, 16.6 PPG), and the top 25 for both third-down offense (13th, 49.40%) and third-down defense (24th, 31.87%). UO has also been effective on special teams, as the Ducks are one of just five teams in the nation (BYU, Central Michigan, Tulsa, UNLV) with both a punt return and a kick return for a touchdown this season.
Home Cookin'
Oregon has been one of the most dominant teams in the nation at home over the last decade-plus, and the Ducks are off to a 4-0 start in Autzen Stadium this season after going a perfect 7-0 at home in 2023. It was Oregon's fourth undefeated season at home since 2019 and 11th in program history, and the Ducks were one of eight teams in the nation to go unbeaten at home while playing at least seven home games. Oregon is 35-1 (.972) at home since an overtime loss to Stanford on Sept. 22, 2018, a span that included 23 straight home wins to match the longest home win streak in program history. UO is 44-3 (.936) at home since the start of the 2017 season, boasting the nation's fifth-best win percentage at home during that time while tying for the fifth-most wins.
Completion Machine
Dillon Gabriel has been one of the nation's top quarterbacks while leading Oregon to a 7-0 start. He leads the country with a terrific 77.0 completion percentage while also ranking No. 8 nationally in passer rating (173.33), No. 9 in passing yards per game (299.7) and completions (174), and tied for No. 15 in passing touchdowns (15). Gabriel got his Oregon career started by going a staggering 41-of-49 for 380 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener vs. Idaho, and he has posted four of the top 11 completion-percentage performances in UO single-game history through his first seven games as a Duck.
» Also has four rushing touchdowns; tied for 15th nationally with 19 total touchdowns responsible for.
» The only FBS QB completing 75.0 percent or better of his passes.
» At least 200 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes in all seven games so far in 2024.
» Career-high 41 completions vs. Idaho matched the Oregon single-game record (Danny O'Neil, 1995).
» 41 completions are tied for the most by any FBS QB this season; one of just three FBS QBs to complete 40-plus.
Top Target
Coming off a stellar debut season with the Ducks in 2023, Tez Johnson has been one of the nation's top receivers through seven games in 2024. Johnson is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 57 receptions, already only 29 away from the UO single-season receptions record of 86 he set in 2023. Johnson also leads the Ducks with 536 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and he has caught double-digit passes three times in seven games with a pair of 100-yard performances. Johnson has caught at least seven passes six times in seven games, including each of his last five entering Saturday, and he has at least one touchdown reception in four consecutive contests. Johnson got his senior season off to a hot start in the 2024 opener vs. Idaho, matching his career high with 12 receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
» Tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for eighth nationally with seven receiving touchdowns.
» No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the nation with 8.1 receptions per game.
» One of just three FBS receivers with three double-digit reception games, along with Nick Nash (San Jose State) and Tre Harris (Ole Miss).
JJ Leading The Way
Jordan James has established himself as Oregon's workhorse in the backfield this season while emerging as one of the top backs in the nation. James has led the Ducks in carries and rushing yards in all seven games, and he ranks third in the Big Ten and tied for 17th nationally with 102.43 rushing yards per game. The junior ran for 100-plus yards in three straight games against UCLA (103), Michigan State (166) and Ohio State (115), and he added 50 yards and two touchdowns last week at Purdue while playing only in the first half. James has rushed for at least 85 yards in six of seven games, and he put together his first of four 100-yard games this season in Week 2 vs. Boise State with 102 yards on 17 carries.
» One of 19 running backs in the nation and one of three in the Big Ten averaging at least 100.0 rushing yards per game.
» Four 100-yard rushing games in his last six contests, giving him five career 100-yard rushing performances.
» Career-high 166 rushing yards vs. Michigan State were the most by a Duck since Nov. 6, 2021 (Travis Day, 211 at Washington).
Show Up, Shut Out
After the Ducks beat Ohio State for one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history, Oregon traveled to Purdue for its first road test against a traditional Big Ten opponent. Though the Boilermakers have a history of taking down highly-ranked teams on their home turf, the Oregon defense made sure that would not happen on Friday night. The Ducks lived in the backfield in West Lafayette, tallying three sacks and a season-high 10 TFLs as UO held the Boilermakers to 301 yards of total offense for its first shutout since Sept. 22, 2012, against Arizona and first road shutout since Nov. 21, 1992, at Oregon State. The win was also Oregon's largest shutout victory on the road since beating West Virginia, 35-0, on Oct. 5, 1963.
» Limited Purdue to just 9-of-19 passing for 93 yards a week after the Boilermakers threw for 297 yards and 3 TDs vs. Illinois.
» The Ducks forced multiple turnovers for the fourth time this season and third time in the last four games.
» Held Purdue to 3-of-12 on third down and stopped them on all three fourth-down tries.
» Forced a pair of fumbles, recovering one, before Kam Alexander intercepted his first pass as a Duck in the end zone on Purdue's final possession to secure the shutout.
Consistent Intensity
Defense has been the driving force for the Ducks throughout the 2024 season, as Oregon is tied for the 13th-best scoring defense among FBS teams (16.6 PPG) and boasts the 21st-ranked passing defense (175.6 YPG) nationally. UO started the season by holding nonconference opponents to 287.8 yards per game, the 16th-lowest total in the nation and fourth-lowest in the Big Ten. That momentum has carried over into conference play, where the Ducks held UCLA to 172 yards of total offense - its fewest in a game since 2010 - in their Big Ten debut before pitching a shutout first half against Michigan State, limiting the Spartans to just 102 yards of offense in the opening 30 minutes. In a battle between top-three teams, the Ducks kept Ohio State, which ranked 16th nationally entering the contest at 222.2 rushing yards per game, to 141 yards yards on the ground, 66 of which came in the first quarter.
#1 Oregon vs. #20 Illinois
Saturday, October 26, 2024
12:30 p.m. PT | CBS
Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Ore.
#1 Oregon Ducks (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: 1/1
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 29-5 (3rd Season)
Career Record: Same
#20 Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: 20/21
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (Iowa, 1992)
Record at Illinois: 24-20 (4th Season)
Career Record: 121-78 (16th Season)
TV: CBS
Play-By-Play: Brad Nessler
Analyst: Gary Danielson
Sideline: Jenny Dell
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: Dusty Harrah
Pre-Game Show: Joey McMurry
Another Top-20 Matchup In Autzen
No. 1 Oregon will play at home for the third time this month on Saturday, hosting No. 20 Illinois in another top-20 showdown at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are one of 10 remaining undefeated teams in the nation after a 35-0 win at Purdue last week, improving to 7-0 to open the season for the first time since 2013 and sixth time in program history. Saturday will be the fourth all-time meeting between Oregon and Illinois and first since 1995, when the Ducks pulled out a 34-31 win in Eugene. The Ducks hold a 2-1 lead in the all-time series with the Fighting Illini.
A Win Would...
» Be the Ducks' third this season over a team currently in the top 25 of the AP poll.
» Make Oregon 8-0 to open the season for the first time since 2013 and fifth time in program history.
» Improve UO to 7-1 all-time when ranked No. 1 in the nation.
» Make the Ducks 5-0 at home to open the season for the second year in a row.
» Be Oregon's 36th in its last 37 home games, and would make UO 45-3 at home since 2017.
» Make UO 3-1 all-time against Illinois, and 2-0 in Eugene.
Shutout Moves Ducks to 7-0
There was no letdown for the Ducks after their historic win over No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 12, as they took care of business on a short week last Friday at Purdue in a dominant 35-0 victory. Oregon recorded a shutout for the first time since 2012, and did so on the road for the first time since 1992. Oregon's defense got three stops on fourth down, had an interception and recovered a fumble, and also got out of a red-zone situation when Purdue missed a field goal. The Ducks held Purdue to just 93 passing yards while racking up 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. Offensively, Dillon Gabriel completed 21-of-25 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns - to Tez Johnson and Noah Whittington - and Jordan James rushed for a pair of scores.
Ducks Ascend To No. 1
Oregon took over the No. 1 spot in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls this week, earning the top national ranking for the first time since 2012. UO earned 59 of 61 first-place votes in the AP poll, and 51 of 53 in the coaches poll. It is the 10th time in program history that Oregon has been No. 1 in the coaches poll, and ninth time in the AP poll. The Ducks were last ranked No. 1 in both polls on Nov. 11, 2012, and all of their previous No. 1 rankings came during the 2010 season. Oregon is 6-1 all-time as the No. 1 ranked team, and 3-1 in Autzen Stadium.
Building the Resume
The Ducks own two of the best wins in the nation this season, with Ohio State currently No. 4 in the AP poll and Boise State up to No. 17. Oregon and Georgia are the only teams in the country with multiple wins over teams currently in the top 20 of the AP poll, and the Ducks are one of 10 remaining unbeaten FBS teams.
Titanic Top-Five Tilt Goes To Oregon
The Ducks' win over No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 12 will go down as arguably the most significant regular-season win in program history. The Ducks secured their highest-ranked victory ever in Autzen Stadium, beating a top-five opponent in Autzen for the fourth time and first since Oct. 31, 2009. The win matched the highest-ranked victory in program history, joining the 2015 Rose Bowl over Florida State as the only times Oregon has defeated a team ranked No. 2 or better. It was Oregon's ninth win all-time against a top-five opponent, and second all-time in 11 meetings with Ohio State. The Ducks pulled out the victory in front of the largest crowd in Autzen Stadium (60,129), as a day that dawned with thousands of fans crowding the Memorial Quad on campus for ESPN's "College GameDay" ended with thousands more rushing the field.
All Three Phases
Oregon has proven to be a well-rounded team while getting out to a 7-0 start. The Ducks currently rank in the top 20 nationally for both total offense (16th, 461.1 YPG) and total defense (15th, 297.9), the top 30 for both scoring offense (26th, 34.6 PPG) and scoring defense (13th, 16.6 PPG), and the top 25 for both third-down offense (13th, 49.40%) and third-down defense (24th, 31.87%). UO has also been effective on special teams, as the Ducks are one of just five teams in the nation (BYU, Central Michigan, Tulsa, UNLV) with both a punt return and a kick return for a touchdown this season.
Home Cookin'
Oregon has been one of the most dominant teams in the nation at home over the last decade-plus, and the Ducks are off to a 4-0 start in Autzen Stadium this season after going a perfect 7-0 at home in 2023. It was Oregon's fourth undefeated season at home since 2019 and 11th in program history, and the Ducks were one of eight teams in the nation to go unbeaten at home while playing at least seven home games. Oregon is 35-1 (.972) at home since an overtime loss to Stanford on Sept. 22, 2018, a span that included 23 straight home wins to match the longest home win streak in program history. UO is 44-3 (.936) at home since the start of the 2017 season, boasting the nation's fifth-best win percentage at home during that time while tying for the fifth-most wins.
Completion Machine
Dillon Gabriel has been one of the nation's top quarterbacks while leading Oregon to a 7-0 start. He leads the country with a terrific 77.0 completion percentage while also ranking No. 8 nationally in passer rating (173.33), No. 9 in passing yards per game (299.7) and completions (174), and tied for No. 15 in passing touchdowns (15). Gabriel got his Oregon career started by going a staggering 41-of-49 for 380 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener vs. Idaho, and he has posted four of the top 11 completion-percentage performances in UO single-game history through his first seven games as a Duck.
» Also has four rushing touchdowns; tied for 15th nationally with 19 total touchdowns responsible for.
» The only FBS QB completing 75.0 percent or better of his passes.
» At least 200 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes in all seven games so far in 2024.
» Career-high 41 completions vs. Idaho matched the Oregon single-game record (Danny O'Neil, 1995).
» 41 completions are tied for the most by any FBS QB this season; one of just three FBS QBs to complete 40-plus.
Top Target
Coming off a stellar debut season with the Ducks in 2023, Tez Johnson has been one of the nation's top receivers through seven games in 2024. Johnson is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 57 receptions, already only 29 away from the UO single-season receptions record of 86 he set in 2023. Johnson also leads the Ducks with 536 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and he has caught double-digit passes three times in seven games with a pair of 100-yard performances. Johnson has caught at least seven passes six times in seven games, including each of his last five entering Saturday, and he has at least one touchdown reception in four consecutive contests. Johnson got his senior season off to a hot start in the 2024 opener vs. Idaho, matching his career high with 12 receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
» Tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for eighth nationally with seven receiving touchdowns.
» No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the nation with 8.1 receptions per game.
» One of just three FBS receivers with three double-digit reception games, along with Nick Nash (San Jose State) and Tre Harris (Ole Miss).
JJ Leading The Way
Jordan James has established himself as Oregon's workhorse in the backfield this season while emerging as one of the top backs in the nation. James has led the Ducks in carries and rushing yards in all seven games, and he ranks third in the Big Ten and tied for 17th nationally with 102.43 rushing yards per game. The junior ran for 100-plus yards in three straight games against UCLA (103), Michigan State (166) and Ohio State (115), and he added 50 yards and two touchdowns last week at Purdue while playing only in the first half. James has rushed for at least 85 yards in six of seven games, and he put together his first of four 100-yard games this season in Week 2 vs. Boise State with 102 yards on 17 carries.
» One of 19 running backs in the nation and one of three in the Big Ten averaging at least 100.0 rushing yards per game.
» Four 100-yard rushing games in his last six contests, giving him five career 100-yard rushing performances.
» Career-high 166 rushing yards vs. Michigan State were the most by a Duck since Nov. 6, 2021 (Travis Day, 211 at Washington).
Show Up, Shut Out
After the Ducks beat Ohio State for one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history, Oregon traveled to Purdue for its first road test against a traditional Big Ten opponent. Though the Boilermakers have a history of taking down highly-ranked teams on their home turf, the Oregon defense made sure that would not happen on Friday night. The Ducks lived in the backfield in West Lafayette, tallying three sacks and a season-high 10 TFLs as UO held the Boilermakers to 301 yards of total offense for its first shutout since Sept. 22, 2012, against Arizona and first road shutout since Nov. 21, 1992, at Oregon State. The win was also Oregon's largest shutout victory on the road since beating West Virginia, 35-0, on Oct. 5, 1963.
» Limited Purdue to just 9-of-19 passing for 93 yards a week after the Boilermakers threw for 297 yards and 3 TDs vs. Illinois.
» The Ducks forced multiple turnovers for the fourth time this season and third time in the last four games.
» Held Purdue to 3-of-12 on third down and stopped them on all three fourth-down tries.
» Forced a pair of fumbles, recovering one, before Kam Alexander intercepted his first pass as a Duck in the end zone on Purdue's final possession to secure the shutout.
Consistent Intensity
Defense has been the driving force for the Ducks throughout the 2024 season, as Oregon is tied for the 13th-best scoring defense among FBS teams (16.6 PPG) and boasts the 21st-ranked passing defense (175.6 YPG) nationally. UO started the season by holding nonconference opponents to 287.8 yards per game, the 16th-lowest total in the nation and fourth-lowest in the Big Ten. That momentum has carried over into conference play, where the Ducks held UCLA to 172 yards of total offense - its fewest in a game since 2010 - in their Big Ten debut before pitching a shutout first half against Michigan State, limiting the Spartans to just 102 yards of offense in the opening 30 minutes. In a battle between top-three teams, the Ducks kept Ohio State, which ranked 16th nationally entering the contest at 222.2 rushing yards per game, to 141 yards yards on the ground, 66 of which came in the first quarter.
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