10/12/17 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

GAMEDAY

A WORK IN PROGRESS AFTER A QUICK 3-0 START, the Ducks are grappling with how to adjust to injuries and inconsistent play as they head into the heart of the Pac-12 season.

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GAMEDAY

PLAYERS TO WATCH BY: Kylee O’Connor @kyleethemightee

Stanford Running Back: Bryce Love The junior who replaced 2015 Heisman runnerup Christian McCaffrey hasn’t skipped a beat in his new role. He leads not only the Pac-12, but also the NCAA with 206.7 yards per game and already has nine touchdowns and a whopping 1,240 yards. Only Royce Freeman has more touchdowns, but Freeman only has a little over half the total rushing yards that Love has accumulated. At five feet ten inches tall and 196 pounds, Love is not similar in stature to 238-pound Freeman, but he makes up for it in his elusiveness.

Love might not have the receiving presence that McCaffrey had, but he is a definite threat in the Cardinal backfield. He has rushed for at least 150 yards and a touchdown during each of his games this year.

Safety: Justin Reid Reid has made an impact in the Stanford secondary, and Oregon head coach Willie Taggart knows it. “I know their Reid kid in the secondary is a good football player,” Taggart said. Reid was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Utah last week. He had a team-high seven tackles and made the game-winning interception, and he currently leads the Pac12 in interceptions with five. With Burmeister struggling to get the passing game going against Washington State and throwing two interceptions, Reid is likely to make some gamechanging plays.

Oregon

Linebacker: Troy Dye

Inside linebacker Troy Dye has been one of the best players on the Oregon defense since he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2016. Last year against Stanford, he recorded seven solo tackles and two tackles for loss in the 52-27 Cardinal win. He was also a bright spot in the Ducks’ struggling middle defense against Washington State last weekend, with a team-high 11 tackles and a forced fumble. It has been assumed that Dye will be the high-point among the off-and-on Oregon defense, but he will have to step up even more to help stop Love.

Someone else to keep an eye on is whoever plays in the other inside linebacker position. With A.J. Hotchkins and Kaulana Apelu both hurt, Blake Rugraff started against Washington State. Jimmie Swain — who had a good game against Stanford last year with nine total tackles — and Sampson Niu also rotated in. Dye can’t do everything, and it will be up to whoever fills that position to aid him in stopping the Stanford run game.

Tight End: Jacob Breeland Breeland didn’t play against California because of an injury, but he came back against Washington State to score the Ducks’ only touchdown. Stanford is ranked 101st in the NCAA for total defense, allowing an average of 433.8 yards per game and 6.01 yards per play.

The Cardinal are also tied for 106th in the NCAA in red zone defense, allowing the opposing team to score 90 percent of the time. So as long as the Ducks can get to the red zone, they are likely to score. Freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister struggled with passing against Washington State, but the Ducks didn’t have success running the ball either. For the Ducks to have a shot on Sunday, Breeland and Burmeister need to connect.

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GAMEDAY Oregon Ducks linebacker Troy Dye (35) celebrates after sacking Washington State Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4).

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Oregon football conducted its final media availability of the week on Wednesday before heading to California to face Stanford on Saturday night.

Head coach Willie Taggart didn’t commit to which quarterback will be starting on Saturday. Freshman Braxton Burmeister struggled through his first start last weekend against then-No. 11 Washington State, while Taylor Alie was unavailable due to an injury he suffered in the previous week against California.

However, against Stanford, Alie will be available.

“Both of those guys had a good practice yesterday and are looking forward to them having an even better practice today,” Taggart said prior to practice.

Additionally, Taggart announced that safety Nick Pickett and wide receivers Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell will all be ready to go on Saturday. Running back Royce Freeman returned to practice on Wednesday after missing Tuesday’s practice. He isn’t the only talented starting running back that will be on the field Saturday. All week Oregon has been preparing for the nation’s rushing yards leader, Bryce Love, who will be suiting up for the Cardinal.

How to stop him was the theme of the day discussed at practice on Wednesday.

“Bryce Love, man I would love to hate the guy, but he’s so good,” Taggart said. “You look at him, he’s so small, but he’s so strong and gifted. We’ve got to gang tackle, it’s not going to be one guy bringing that guy down.”

The Oregon defensive players have been preparing for a tough challenge on Saturday facing Love, but a quality running back at Stanford isn’t new for the Cardinal.

“It’s the same Stanford it’s been for the past 15 years or whatever it’s been,” linebacker Troy Dye said.

“They’re very physical up front and they love to run the ball, that’s how they want to impose their will — is just run it down your face and run it down your throat until you want to give up and quit.”

When they’re not running the ball, they’ll be throwing a lot through the play action, which means the secondary is going to be tested this week.

“They’re going to play big and play with the heavy guys,” Tyree Robinson said. “We just have to play physical, it’s going to be a big game for our d-line, just to see who can play all four quarters.”

GAMEDAY

NOW MORE THAN EVER, THE DUCKS’ DEFENSE NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE Oregon safety Tyree Robinson (2) defends Washington State wide receiver Kyle Sweet (17) during the game on Oct. 7.

BY: Cole Kundich @ckundich PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt

One play can change the outlook on the entire season.

When starting quarterback Justin Herbert barreled into the end zone for a touchdown versus Cal on Sept. 30, the sophomore ended up breaking his collarbone, an injury that is forecasted to have him out of action for 46 weeks.

It was a steep price to pay for seven points, and it shifted the leadership that Herbert had shouldered onto the rest of the team. It’s now up to the defensive side of the ball to step up even further for the Ducks — who sit at 4-2 halfway through the season — to stay competitive and add to the win column.

“We’re good at times, but we got to keep doing it,” safety Tyree Robinson said. “That’s what great defenses do. We’re surely getting there.”

It wasn’t all there in last Saturday’s 33-10 loss to then-No. 11 Washington State. Granted, it was true freshman Braxton Burmeister’s first start at quarterback, so the Cougars loaded the box against the run game and limited the Ducks’ offensive attack, putting additional stress on Oregon’s defense.

“Our quarterback situation is kind of shifty because of everything that happened with Herbert,” defensive lineman Jalen Jelks said. “[The defense] just has to push the offense to keep them going.”

Although last Saturday didn’t go their way, there’s reason to believe that the defense can do what Jelks conveyed. Under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, the defensive unit has drastically improved from last season, in which the Ducks ranked among the worst in the nation in multiple statistical categories.

“We were really awful,” cornerback Arrion Springs said. “I figured it was all there and we

were really hungry for it. We want to prove that we’re really good players.”

Oregon’s defense still has room for improvement but has already compiled a couple statement games under its belt.

Second half interceptions sealed a 42-35 win versus Nebraska, and Wyoming’s NFL-touted quarterback Josh Allen was helpless in a 49-13 loss on Sept. 16.

The numbers back up the defensive turnaround, too. The Ducks rank 10th in rushing yards allowed per game, fifth in third down conversions, and are first in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total sacks.

Oregon has shown signs of life on the defensive end over the first six games of

the season, however, all they’re able to do now is look ahead to the rest of the season. And that starts on Saturday at No. 23 Stanford in what is expected to be a physical contest between the Pac-12 north rivals. “[Stanford] loves to run the ball, and that’s how they’re going to impose their will: just run it down your throat until you give up or quit,” linebacker Troy Dye said. “It’s going to test our strength and our toughness.”

For many years, it has been the Oregon offense aiming to outscore the opponent.

But with Herbert out and the offense in flux, it’s up to the defense to set the tone for both sides of the ball.

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COVER

SIX DOWN, SIX TO GO BY: Gus Morris @JustGusMorris | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux (92) dives to try and block the kick of Washington State Cougars place kicker Erik Powell (46).

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Oregon’s 2017 season can easily be broken up into two very different parts: the first three games and the last three games.

If you looked at Oregon (4-2, 1-2) as a whole after its 49-13 thrashing of Wyoming back on Sept. 23, you’d probably be one of the many to claim that the Ducks were back.

Oregon had just embarrassed one of the top NFL prospects in Josh Allen a week after defeating what appeared to be a talented Nebraska team. And, of course, who could forget the historic 77-21 demolition of Southern Utah to open the Willie Taggart era?

Things looked great for the then-No. 24 Ducks as they jumped out to a 3-0 start, wielding one of the most potent offenses in the country, as well as a much-improved defense. By all accounts, the Ducks looked like they were back: back to the flashy and fun style of play that led Oregon to two national championship games over a five-year span. Oregon possessed a new swagger with Taggart at the helm, and it didn’t hurt that sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert and senior running back Royce Freeman were generating Heisman buzz.

Fast forward to three weeks later, and the Ducks are in a much different place.

The electric offense isn’t what it was even weeks ago, as multiple key players, including Herbert, have befallen costly injuries. Oregon’s defense remains staunch, but conference competition far exceeds that of the Ducks’ nonconference foes — Oregon has dropped two of three Pac-12 games so far with little reprieve in sight.

Overall, Oregon’s six-game-old season has been a mixed bag. We’ve seen a lot of good and plenty of bad, but with six regular season games remaining and bowl eligibility still on the line, Oregon appears determined to push through the injuries and setbacks.

“I thought we’ve made some improvements. We’ve played hard. We’ve done some good things. We’ve done some bad things,” Taggart said. “I think a lot of that comes with a new system, offensively and defensively. A lot of that comes with new personnel and a lot of young guys playing.

“But considering all that, I think our guys have done a good job for the most part with just trying to build the culture and

trying to build a winning football team.”

As we hit the halfway point of the season, we look back on what this Oregon team has showed us thus far.

Defense Even with a talented coach like Jim Leavitt, no one could have predicted a turnaround like this.

A fusion of experienced returners, talented freshmen, Leavitt’s schemes and energy made Oregon’s defense into a respectable group. At its best, Oregon is one of the better teams in the country at stopping the run, allowing fewer than 94 yards per game. The Ducks have also racked up a Football Bowl Subdivision leading 24 sacks in their six games, including a 7-sack performance against Cal. The Ducks force more turnovers than they did a year ago and have already intercepted seven passes through six games. Oregon had nine interceptions all last year.

But again, conference play has been a different beast, and Oregon’s defensive stats dipped significantly over the past three weeks. Oregon allowed 2,030 yards in its first six games — 1,121 in its last three — which ranks 61st in the nation.

Its passing defense has also suffered after beating up on quarterbacks Tanner Lee and Josh Allen in its nonconference schedule. Oregon surrendered 884 of its 1,468 passing yards (tied for 105th in the country) in its last three contests, an average of 294 per game.

While the Ducks’ defense has lapsed some in conference play, it’s a far cry from the porous unit that Oregon trotted out last year.

“Well, we weren’t very good. We were really awful [last year], so any kind of improvement would be better than last year or the last two years,” senior cornerback Arrion Springs said. “I’m impressed but I’m not like, ‘I didn’t know we could play this good.’ But I feel that it was all there and we were hungry for it and we wanted to prove that we are really good players.”

Springs is among those Duck players who are having a resurgent season under Leavitt. He’s one of the more heavily targeted corners in the nation, but he has risen to the challenge. His 10 pass breakups this year rank first on the team and in the conference.

Another major part of Oregon’s

Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt walks near Autzen Stadium before the start of the game agianst Washington State.

success on defense stems from the play of its defensive line and linebackers. Senior defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux and junior defensive lineman Jalen Jelks are in the midst of breakout seasons and the play of senior linebackers Justin Hollins and Jonah Moi have kept opponents wary of the Oregon pass-rush. The presence of freshmen defensive linemen Jordon Scott and Austin Faoliu has also given Oregon’s front seven much needed depth and talent.

Scott and Faoliu are not the only newcomers impacting Oregon’s on-field product. Freshman cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. burst onto the collegiate scene with a two-interception game against Nebraska. His four pass breakups are tied for third on the team.

Oregon’s defense is much-improved this year — that’s no secret. But with Herbert out for an undisclosed period of time, and Oregon’s offense struggling to find an identity without him, the Ducks’ defense will need to play even better if they want a chance at making a bowl game.

The key, coaches and players say, is to not be satisfied with the status quo.

“If our ‘good’ is attainable, then our ‘good’ isn’t good enough,” defensive line coach Joe Salave’a said.

When asked about what grade Springs would give the defense, he responded with “F.” “Coach Leavitt would like for us to say ‘F’ so we just keep going,” Springs said. “Don’t be satisfied with nothing. So yeah, F. I want to pat myself on the back, but we still got six more games — we still gotta do better.”

Offense Oregon entered conference play looking like world-beaters on offense.

The Ducks ranked at or near the top in almost every offensive category. Herbert looked like he had taken the next step as he passed for over 250 yards in each of Oregon’s first three games, racking up five touchdowns in the process. Suddenly his name began to pop up on Heisman watch lists. The same went for Freeman. He rushed for 460 yards with nine touchdowns in Oregon’s first three games and appeared to be back to his former, All-American self.

Freeman spearheaded Oregon’s rushing attack, which the offense revolves around.

The Ducks rushed for 18 touchdowns in their nonconference schedule alone. That was also thanks in part to Oregon’s deep and experienced offensive line that returned four starters.

Granted, not everything was ideal; question marks swirled at other positions.

The tight end, wide receiver and quarterback groups were strong at the top, but they lacked depth and experience behind the starters. Those skill positions are tough to fill if starters go

down with injuries, which became an issue in Oregon’s matchups against Arizona State and Cal. Oregon lost wide receiver Charles Nelson to an ankle sprain against the Sun Devils.

Neither he nor starting tight end Jacob Breeland suited up in the following week’s game against Cal, a game that saw even more Ducks succumb to injuries. Herbert, Freeman, wide receiver Dillon Mitchell, linebacker Kaulana Apelu and offensive lineman Jake Pisarcik all exited Oregon’s 4524 victory over the Bears with injuries. The win didn’t feel like something to celebrate.

The effect of those injuries showed in the following week’s game against No. 11 Washington State. With Herbert sidelined, freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister took the reins of Oregon’s offense against one of the better defensive teams in the conference. The Wildcats pounced all over the freshman and held Oregon to its lowest point total since 2009.

Injuries are simply a part of the physical nature of football, and Oregon treated its situation no differently.

“We’re not going to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves because guys are hurt.

Guys are banged up; it is what it is,” offensive line coach Mario Cristobal said. “We gotta press forward and get better, develop and find different ways to continue that type of offensive production we’ve had so far.”

When healthy, the Ducks can run up the score as well as any team in the country. Their muchimproved defense is easily the most impressive part of this year’s team. So far, the Taggart era is off to a good start. But with six games left on their schedule and a plethora of question marks surrounding the roster, the Ducks may be fighting for their postseason life.

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert (10) dives into the end zone on the play in which he broke his collarbone against Cal. T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 7

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GAMEDAY Oregon safety Brenden Schooler makes a tackle during the 2016 Stanford game in Eugene.

DEEP

DIVE:

Stanford BY: Jack Butler @Butler917 | PHOTO: Emerald Archives

The No. 23 Stanford Cardinal present a challenge the Ducks haven’t seen before. That’s not to say Stanford is better than any team Oregon has faced. Rather, they have yet to face an offense like Stanford’s.

The consistent multiple tight ends, multiple offensive lineman and power-run game is rare in the Pac-12. The Ducks saw it a little against Nebraska, a team not afraid to use multiple tight ends. But Nebraska doesn’t constantly run ‘power’ like Stanford.

Most importantly, Oregon has not seen a running back as good as Bryce Love, and they won’t all season.

Many wondered how Stanford would fill the void left by Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey, so Love answered. He’s averaging 10.5 yards per carry and has a streak of eight games with a touchdown run of over 50 yards. He’s entrenched himself in the Heisman conversation.

Love is faster than McCaffrey. His ability to find a small hole and fly by defenders for a

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touchdown is uncanny; however, he’s more onedimensional than McCaffery, making Stanford’s offense slightly easier to predict.

Who Stanford will use at quarterback can be unpredictable. Keller Chryst began the season at quarterback but suffered an undisclosed injury against UCLA. KJ Costello replaced him and the Stanford offense exploded, but Chryst returned against Utah to start, and the two split reps throughout the game.

Some believe Costello should be the guy, but head coach David Shaw is sticking with Chryst, who he says will play the majority of the game versus Oregon.

Defensively, Stanford is not the impenetrable force it has been in years past. Stanford is allowing 433.8 yards per game, which ranks eighth in the Pac-12. They are thin along the defensive line, but the linebackers and secondary are deep and talented units.

The defensive line is Stanford’s weakness. In its two losses against USC and San Diego State,

both teams were able to methodically drive down the field and control the game with its offensive lines.

Oregon can do the same, and they need to — Stanford’s best defensive lineman Harrison Phillips is out for the first half after getting flagged for a targeting penalty at the end of the Utah game. Peter Kalambayi, Stanford’s most experienced outside linebacker, is also out for the first half with the same scenario.

If Oregon can’t establish its running game in the first half, then it is hard to believe they’ll be able to after Stanford gets its reinforcements.

The Stanford defense, although allowing yards, ranks better in terms of points allowed at sixth in the Pac-12. They have the ability to force turnovers, especially interceptions. Safety Justin Reid is tied for first in the Football Bowl Subdivision with six interceptions this season.

Stanford’s defense is tied for first in the Pac-12 with nine interceptions, so they’re hoping to take advantage of Oregon’s new quarterback.

GAMEDAY

TAGGART’S COMPETITIVE

HOMECOMING

BY: Shawn Medow @ShawnMedow | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt

When Oregon travels to Stanford this weekend, it will be more than just another Pac-12 matchup for Ducks head coach Willie Taggart, who will go head-to-head with one of his old colleagues and best friends.

While in the process of being interviewed at Oregon, Stanford head coach David Shaw spoke to Taggart about the Pac-12 and gave him some advice.

“Be yourself,” Taggart said at Pac-12 media days in July, recalling his discussions with Shaw. “We talked about Pac-12 and I wanted to know what he thought of Oregon — get his perception. That was important to me.”

The perception of Oregon that Shaw had, according to Taggart?

“A program that could win but for whatever reason, just doesn’t.”

Taggart, who was the Stanford running backs coach from 2007-09, returns to The Farm to take on a program that gave him his first experience in Pac-

12. His three seasons at Stanford taught him a lot, but he won’t be doing any favors for his old team.

Shaw was the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach while Taggart coached in Palo Alto.

There, the two forged a strong relationship and have remained close ever since.

“I’ve been so excited for him this entire process, and so proud of him and so happy for him as a friend,” Shaw said at Pac-12 media days in July. “To see what he was able to do at Western Kentucky and down in Florida, to be able to have this opportunity for he and his wife Taneshia — I’m just ecstatic for him. I’ll just root against him for one game a year.”

Taggart said that he learned a lot from Shaw while at Stanford and praised Shaw’s coaching ability.

“He followed the blueprint, but he put his own spin on it and it’s worked for him,” Taggart said. “Did I think he could be a head coach? Of course. David’s really intelligent [and] really understands the game.

He has tremendous experience on the pro level

and on the college level. … And even then you could sense then that he was on his way in. He’s done a great job ever since.”

While coaching the running backs at Stanford, Taggart had a special talent under his guidance: Toby Gerhart.

Taggart said that he still believes Gerhart deserved the Heisman Trophy, which Gerhart was a runner-up for in 2009.

“I don’t know who was voting, but that was so wrong,” Taggart said. “So wrong.”

Taggart’s success with the Cardinal run game during his tenure at Stanford is something he’s trying to replicate at Oregon with a running back unit led by senior Royce Freeman, who Taggart compared to Gerhart.

Though it will have a slight feeling of a homecoming for Taggart, it won’t last long as his focus is on leaving the Bay with the Ducks’ fifth win of the season.

The Oregon Ducks host the California Golden Bears for the Pac-12 home opener at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.

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GAMEDAY

TANNER CAREW:

OREGON’S MOST CONSISTENT ATHLETE

Oregon long snapper Tanner Carew (58) stretches on the field before warming up with his teammates.

BY: Kylee O’Connor @kyleethemightee | PHOTO: Amanda Shigeoka

In a position that requires nothing but consistency, Tanner Carew has been just that.

Quarterbacks and coaches around him may change, but Carew has remained a steady part of the Oregon football team throughout his four years, even after an ACL tear.

Carew, a graduate of Chino Hills High School in California, has started 45 games for the Ducks. The one game that he didn’t start in against Colorado late in the 2014 season was because he tore his ACL during practice in the week leading up to the game.

For most positions, that would mean that the player is out for the season. For Carew, he was out one game because of swelling and came back the next week. The Ducks went on to play Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs that year, so his surgery was delayed until after the game in January. Carew says that “maybe a punter” could play on a torn ACL, but even then it’s not for certain. “[Long snapper is] an interesting position,” Carew said. “I could play on a torn ACL, but I couldn’t play on a broken finger.”

Carew did have to wear a knee brace, which

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he said took some getting used to. He had to change “a little bit of form, a little bit of follow through,” but overall, the ACL tear did not affect him.

“I just taped it and braced it up and played,” Carew said. “But it feels great now, so that’s all that matters.”

Long snapping is a position unlike any other on a football team. And when a long snapper is in the news, it’s usually is a bad thing.

“You want to go unnoticed,” Carew said. “... Normally, you don’t want to have any reporters coming up to you. Be consistent, be quiet about it and do your thing.”

Despite not receiving much adulation from the fans, Carew plays an integral role on the team.

“Tanner is very important,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “[Long snappers] don’t get a lot of credit, but for him … to do it consistently and to get the punter the ball where he needs it in order to kick the ball — he’s big and he knows how important he is to our team.”

Although the long snapping position is

unique, Carew trains like any other football player. He works on speed and agility, and especially enjoys lifting; however, Carew has to work on his position-specific exercises as well.

As a long snapper, he must stay flexible, so he does a lot of stretching, in addition to stability training and core exercises.

To perfect his craft, Carew long snaps — a lot.

“In the offseason, I come in on my own and I snap nonstop,” Carew said. “Five days a week, at least, of snapping in the offseason.

Here, in the season, every practice day. So, that’s countless. Millions and millions of reps of snapping.”

Coming out of high school, Carew was the No. 1 long snapper in the country. He’s done his part on the Oregon football team without any flaw or falter. Like many players throughout college football, Carew hopes that the next step for him is the National Football League.

“I would love to snap in the NFL,” Carew said. “That’s what I’m working towards, what I’ve always been working towards. It’s a dream of mine. I believe I have all the ability to do it and I think I’ve got a really good shot at it.”

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Help organize internal and external events.

Help inform the UO community

Graphic Design Interns

Copy Editors

Collaborate on brand and layout projects.

Help make the news read well.

Graphic Designers

Writing & Photography Interns

Help make the news look good.

Help produce content for our Special Sections.

Arts & Culture Reporters Connect students to art and events.

Bicycle Delivery

Ride cargo bikes and deliver the Emerald Newspaper.

Positions Available Now!

PA G E 1 2

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E M E R A L D G A M E D AY

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T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 7

dailyemerald.com/apply