10/26/17 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

GAMEDAY

BRAXTON BURMEISTER IS WINLESS in his three starts at QB, but those close to the true freshman know that his breakout performance is coming soon.

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GAMEDAY GAMEDAY, the Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.

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ON THE COVER

Braxton Burmeister (11) throws the ball during the game against Washington State.

Photograph by Adam Eberhardt

GAMEDAY

PLAYERS TO WATCH Oregon

BY: Jack Butler @Butler917

O-line: Calvin Throckmorton

If Braxton Burmeister is at quarterback, the Ducks will continue to run the football with few pass attempts in between. Throckmorton has been steady at right tackle for the Ducks all season, but because right guard Jake Pisarcik was out against UCLA, Throckmorton played at right guard during points of the game. Regardless of where he plays, the offensive line will be crucial if the Oregon’s run-heavy offense is going to be successful. Throckmorton’s ability to play multiple positions will help the Ducks if Pisarcik is out again.

Linebacker: La’Mar Winston Jr. Winston played the best game of his career last week against UCLA, recording 11 total tackles, nine solos, with one sack. He played in the absence of Jonah Moi and could even become a regular on the defense when Moi returns. Winston and every linebacker will be responsible for stopping Utah’s mobile quarterbacks. Tyler Huntley has the second-most rushing attempts on the team, and the Oregon linebackers need to be able to contain him if the Ducks are going to be successful.

Utah

Quarterback: Tyler Huntley

Again, Huntley’s mobility will be important and somewhat of a new challenge for the Ducks. They haven’t faced a mobile quarterback quite like Huntley yet. The Utah offense stalled against Arizona State, only scoring 10 points. Huntley is a big reason why the offense struggles. He threw four interceptions and zero touchdowns. The Oregon defense hasn’t had an interception in Pac-12 play and will be looking for one to help spark the struggling offense.

Linebacker: Sunia Tauteoli

Tauteoli is top 10 in the conference in tackles for loss, and he’ll be able to pin his ears back and attack an Oregon offense that almost only runs the ball. He was absent last week against Arizona State due to illness, but he is expected back, and he’s been an energy boost for the Utah defense all season. He’s tied for the team lead in tackles, and he had 11 total tackles against Stanford’s Bryce Love. He’ll play an important part in stopping Oregon and Royce Freeman.

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GAMEDAY

PASSING ATTACK FADES AWAY Oregon quarterback Braxton Burmeister (11) prepares to throw the ball in the game against Washington State.

BY: Shawn Medow @ShawnMedow | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt Oregon football’s passing game was lethal with sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert at the helm. But after he fractured his collarbone against Cal, the Ducks’ passing game plummeted.

Now, with true freshman Braxton Burmeister starting, the Ducks are relying moreso on the ground game.

“We don’t have the depth,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “We don’t have as much talent as we need to be able to make the mistakes that we’re doing. We can’t do that with limited playmakers.”

Oregon has been known for a dominant run game, especially this year with Royce Freeman, Tony Brooks-James and Kani Benoit in the backfield. Even with the run game as the main threat in Oregon’s offense, the Ducks still throw the ball with Burmeister, but it’s been a work in progress.

“It’s definitely a step when you go from 20 yards one game to 74,” wide receiver Charles Nelson said.

Burmeister went 15-of-27 against Washington

State in his first start for Oregon, throwing for 145 yards in the Ducks’ 33-10 loss to the Cougars. But when the Ducks flew south to take on Stanford, the freshman was a mere 3-of-8 for 23 yards.

After that, it seemed the offense would certainly be stuck with the run game as its only option. Though they faced a UCLA team with a vulnerable defense, Oregon struggled to score through the air.

Oregon has scored six touchdowns with Burmeister at quarterback, but only one has come from a pass. The other five have been on rushes by Burmeister.

He only threw the ball 15 times against the Bruins, and completed eight of those attempts for a total of 74 yards. After throwing just 20 yards the week before, there’s nowhere to go but up.

Oregon’s coaches say they’ve seen slight, yet steady, improvement over the past several weeks.

“There was some improved pocket development that you can see,” quarterbacks

coach and co-offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said.

A lot of the blame for the lackluster pass game could fall onto the wide receivers, too.

“We can’t just say because Braxton’s playing — that’s not it, we’re over that, move forward, let’s get onto the next deal,” Arroyo said. “We’ve got to find ways to create. Those guys have to make plays to help everybody.”

With limited touches, the receivers have to be prepared for the rare throws that come their way. But according to the coaches, it doesn’t upset the receivers that they have taken up different roles with Herbert still on the sidelines.

“If we’re having to baby guys because they’re not getting all the touches they want, then we’re not doing enough stuff culturally,” Arroyo said.

“They need to understand their role, and our role sometimes is to get somebody else open in a certain coverage.”

When Herbert returns, the passes will come.

For now, the receivers will have to be patient as Burmeister improves his arm and the Ducks try to get their season back on track.

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GAMEDAY

TWO TEAMS DESPERATE FOR A WIN BY: Gus Morris @JustGusMorris PHOTO: Emerald Archives For the past several season, Utah and Oregon have been very different teams. The Utes rely on a grind-it-out, physical style, while the Ducks use their flash and speed to leave teams in the dust.

But Saturday’s matchup between Utah and Oregon will feature two teams that have taken very similar paths this season. Most importantly, it will feature two teams that are in the midst of a devastating losing streak, desperate to change the course of its season.

Utah enters Autzen Stadium on Saturday as losers of three straight, all in conference play.

The Utes opened their conference schedule with a 30-24 win over Arizona, but lost starting quarterback Tyler Huntley in the process because of a shoulder injury. Up until that point, Huntley led a dominant Utah offense to the tune of 966 passing yards, completing over 76 percent passing with 6 touchdowns.

Granted, Utah played a relatively weak nonconference schedule, but those are the kind of numbers that a Pac-12 quarterback should put

Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James (20) tries to escape the tackle of Utah Utes defensive back Marcus Williams (20).

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GAMEDAY up against North Dakota, BYU and San Jose State.

Utah went onto to win its game against Arizona with backup quarterback Troy Williams, but it’s been all downhill for Utah ever since. The Utes dropped their next two games, in albeit close fashion. A 23-20 loss to Stanford was followed by a 28-27 loss to USC, and while there were many positives to draw from each game, losses are still losses.

Huntley returned to action last weekend against the suddenly resurgent Arizona State Sun Devils. His presence was supposed to give Utah that needed edge back to close out those narrow games. Instead, Huntley and the Utes struggled to find rhythm and the Sun Devils took advantage, intercepting Huntley four times.

“Nothing was good,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters after the game. “We are disjointed. There is not a lot of flow. We do not have an offensive rhythm.”

That’s where the Utes stand entering Saturday, with a “disjointed” offense and a quarterback who’s trying to get his feel for the game back.

Doesn’t all of that sound familiar?

Oregon enters Saturday’s game having experienced much of the same road and many of the same issues that Utah has. Injuries, specifically to its quarterback, derailed Oregon’s early season success. The Ducks have lost three straight games since Herbert went down and haven’t won since their conference opener against Cal. The difference in the two teams, though, is that Utah’s struggles boil down to the fact they lack an identity on offense. Oregon, on the other hand, runs the ball at a much higher rate than it throws. That was true even when Herbert played.

“We have an identity,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “We’ve just got to add onto that identity.”

Linebacker Troy Dye said that while Utah is struggling, Oregon can’t look overlook any team at this point in the season, given its own current struggles.

“Guys have bad games, so you can’t really hang your hat on the one bad game or two bad games that they’ve had,” Dye said.

“We’ve just got to go out there and treat them like they were at the beginning of the season.”

Oregon running back Royce Freeman (21) tries to escape the tackle of a Utah player during the 2016 game in Salt Lake City.

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COVER

SEARCHING TO REPLICATE

HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS

BY: Cole Kundich @ckundich | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt In the first game of his freshman year at La Jolla Country Day High School, Braxton Burmeister, who was starting on the varsity team, didn’t get off to a good start. He fumbled his first snap and threw an interception, resulting in a 420 loss.

Four years later at Oregon, he started the season as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.

Because of an injury to starting quarterback Justin Herbert, it wouldn’t take long before the true freshman was thrust back into action.

Burmeister is now the starting quarterback for one of the most recognized programs in the nation.

And while the Ducks have yet to win any of his three starts, those who have worked and currently work alongside Burmeister are confident that his best is yet to come.

“We need for him to continue to try to improve,” Taggart said.

“Considering he didn’t have a lot of reps and where he’s going right now, he’s getting better each week.”

In football, injuries happen. The Ducks’ Sept. 30 matchup versus Cal was no exception. The injury bug bit Oregon hard, knocking out Herbert and then-backup Taylor Alie. This suddenly forced Burmeister — who, at one point, appeared to be on the path toward redshirting this season – into action.

The Ducks held on to beat Cal 45-

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24, but the outcomes haven’t been the same since. In Burmeister’s three starts, the Ducks have averaged just 10.3 points per game.

It’s a difficult position for any player to be in, let alone a true freshman. Burmeister, however, has a strong support system with ties to the football community. His father, Danny, played college football at North Carolina and one season at safety for the Washington Redskins.

Additionally, former Oregon quarterback Akili Smith has trained Burmeister since Burmeister was in seventh grade.

“It takes time,” Smith said.

“People don’t understand; it doesn’t happen overnight. You got to understand where he came from, what he’s trying to do and where he’s going to be.”

So far, Burmeister’s passing has been sporadic. After attempting 27 passes in his first start versus Washington State, he has attempted a combined 23 passes in the two games since. Instead, his legs have been his strongest asset. He’s rushed for three touchdowns over the past two weeks.

Although Burmeister has experienced success on the ground, he’s far from being a pure running quarterback. In four varsity seasons at La Jolla Country Day High School, Burmeister set CIF San Diego Section career records in total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. His

T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 7

Oregon quarterback Braxton Burmeister (11) looks down field for a teammate to throw the ball to.

Oregon quarterback Braxton Burmeister (11) is tackled

by Washington State linebacker Frankie Luvu (51).

ability as a dual-threat quarterback is why Oregon recruited Burmeister hard and got him to decommit from Pac-12 rival Arizona.

While the Ducks maximize his ability to run the ball, they aren’t losing hope of what he can do throwing the ball.

“You got to keep building him up,” cooffensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “He has been great in far as understanding how we can improve on getting guys the ball in places where they need to be caught.”

Given his inexperience at the collegiate level and the stiff competition faced in conference play, it’s hard to place the blame for the Ducks’ three -game skid squarely on Burmeister’s shoulders. No matter how responsible he may be, though, Burmeister has always taken losing hard — very hard.

“He hates losing,” said Tyler Hales, Burmeister’s coach at La Jolla Country Day High School. “We had a tough loss to our rival last year. After the game, he said, ‘That was my bad. I tried to do too much. … The way he goes about his business has always set him apart.”

Burmeister’s start to his career with the

Ducks mirrors his playing days under Hales.

Just like at Oregon, Burmeister started at quarterback on the varsity team during his freshman season.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback completed an impressive high school career and became the 27th overall prospect in the state of California as a senior. Hales saw Burmeister improve throughout his four years starting at quarterback, and he believes Burmeister has the tools to do the same in Eugene for the Ducks.

“One thing he got so much better with was the easy throw, throwing that quick out, that quick slant, right away getting the ball out,” Hales said. “For him, it’s having his brain catch up to his ability.

“He’s got the head on his shoulders to really push through it, and we’re just waiting for that kind of breakout performance.”

As a freshman, Burmeister is unavailable to the media, but his Duck teammates have expressed their confidence in watching the first-year quarterback evolve his game at the next level.

“He has definitely done a better job of seeing things and knowing where to go with the ball,” senior wide receiver Charles Nelson said.

Having played quarterback for the Ducks in the 1997-98 seasons, Smith understands the sky-high expectations that come from playing the quarterback position. It’s what makes the former Oregon great all the more impressed with how Burmeister is shouldering the losses and looking ahead at such as a young age.

“The leadership qualities are there,” Smith said. “Braxton is not happy with the way that he’s playing right now. I guarantee he’s watching extra film, meeting with the coaches and trying all that he can to get the situation right.”

Now that he’s received this opportunity, those closest to him know that there’s a lot yet to be seen from the La Jolla native.

Burmeister’s journey continues on Saturday versus Utah.

“Trust me, you guys have seen nothing yet,” Smith said. “There’s going to be a lot of people eating their words here concerning Braxton Burmeister at the University of Oregon.”

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GAMEDAY

DEEP DIVE: UTAH BY: Zak Laster @zlast3445 | PHOTO: Emerald Archives

Oregon’s game against Utah this Saturday has gotten a lot of attention due to the return of former Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington II, who was dismissed in the offseason for his off-the-field troubles; however, this game has great significance on the field as well. Both teams will enter Saturday looking to end a losing streak and take one step closer to playing in a bowl game at the end of the season.

The Utah Utes started the season with a perfect 4-0 record; however, now only Arizona (5-2) has a winning record. Three of Utah’s wins were against teams — North Dakota, BYU and San Jose State — that now have a combined record of 4-20.

Since then, the Utes have lost three straight games. They lost to Stanford and USC by a combined four points with their backup quarterback after starter Tyler Huntley left the Arizona game with a shoulder injury.

Huntley made his return to the starting lineup last Saturday, which resulted in a 20-point home loss against the Arizona State Sun Devils; it was his

worst statistical game of the season. He completed 19-of-35 passes for 155 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions. In Huntley’s two-game absence, the Utes looked to Troy Williams, who threw for over 200 yards and a touchdown in each game. It’s possible that both could make an appearance in the game on Saturday.

“They’re similar and different,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “They’re both athletic and can run, and both throw the football. They can run their offense with either one of those guys in there.”

If Utah can get a halftime lead on the Ducks on Saturday, it will put them in good shape to win.

Oregon hasn’t had a second half touchdown in four of the eight games this season. During each of their last three games, the Ducks have been held scoreless for three quarters, resulting in a current losing streak.

“We’ve got to play a complete ball game. We can’t make mistakes like we do,” Taggart said. “We don’t have the depth. We don’t have as much talent as we need to be able to make the mistakes that we’re

doing. We can’t do that. With limited playmakers, you have to limit mistakes.”

Utah is known for their strong defensive play under head coach Kyle Whittingham, and this year’s unit ranks 32nd in the nation heading into Saturday.

The Utes are holding teams to 131.9 rushing yards per game. Through seven games, the Utah defense has 10 interceptions, including one that has been returned for a touchdown, so it’s another big test for Oregon true freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister.

“They’re very stout and very good on defense,” Taggart said. “They play well together, and they’re well-coached.”

The Utes opened the week as a field goal favorite in Las Vegas and as of Wednesday, the line has only moved to 3.5 points. This is a game where neither side has a clear advantage, as both teams seem stuck in the mud at this point in the season. Both could use a victory on Saturday to build momentum as the calendar turns to the final month of the regular season.

Oregon running back Royce Freeman (21) escapes a pair of Utah defenders during the 2016 game in Salt Lake City.

Former Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington (7) lines up against a Utah player during the 2016 game.

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GAMEDAY

TAGGART DOESN’T RULE OUT HERBERT AT WEDNESDAY’S PRACTICE BY: Shawn Medow and Jack Butler PHOTO: Aaron Nelson

Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) waits as a receiver motions across the field at practice.

It was the defense’s turn to speak to the media on Wednesday, but what head coach Willie Taggart had to say about quarterback Justin Herbert overshadowed everything about the defense. He answered the question Ducks fans have been asking since the end of the first quarter in the game against Cal: When will Justin Herbert be back?

“Justin’s throwing passes; he’s doing whatever Justin likes to do right now,” Taggart said. “It’s pretty cool to watch. I told him don’t tease me. It’s good to have him out there. You could see his teammates [were] excited to see him out throwing the football, and [he] brought some more energy to our football team.”

Herbert practiced in pads this week, so naturally, questions arose about whether the sophomore would feature in the game against the Utes.

“There’s always an option; there’s always a chance,” Taggart said. “How much? I can’t tell you, but there’s always a chance.”

To help him heal, Taggart emphasized that the Ducks will “not even breathe on him” during practice.

According to Taggart, Herbert has looked good in practice as he tries to get healthy.

“He’s throwing seeds out there and that’s good to see,” Taggart said. “But we just come along and keep improving. Hopefully sooner rather than later he’ll be out

TURN

there to help this football team.”

Taggart stated after the Stanford game that Burmeister wouldn’t be starting if he practiced the way he played in games. The coaching staff is trying to simulate games as much as possible to develop the young quarterback.

“We talked about doing some things in practice that kind of, you do in, maybe, a spring development,” Arroyo said. “One thing we can do is build some things that are more gamemode. I think making 7-on-7 a team pass, and putting some guy in front of him for a rush, is just something that we’ve all done in the past and feel like that’s one thing that we can do.”

Burmeister did run the ball well against UCLA. He scored two touchdowns on 16 rushing attempts, and the Ducks made it clear they are going to utilize his talent.

“One of the things he does well is he’s pretty dynamic with his feet at times; he can create some second chances and create some good stuff in the run game,” Arroyo said.

Ultimately, despite the three straight losses, the Ducks are trying to cultivate hope.

“You really have to continue to teach and exhibit positivity, right? That’s your role as a coach,” offensive line coach Mario Cristobal said. “And the thing is, you can’t base it on something that’s not really there. It can’t be a false hope. When you watch our game … there are so many opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of.”

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GAMEDAY

DARREN CARRINGTON RETURNS TO AUTZEN BY: Kylee O’Connor @kyleethemightee PHOTO: Emerald Archives Last year, Darren Carrington was the Ducks’ leading receiver. This year, he is still the leading receiver on a Pac-12 team, but that team is the University of Utah.

Head coach Willie Taggart dismissed Carrington from the football team early this summer after he was charged with a DUI. “You have to abide by the rules, and when you break the rules, there are consequences,” Taggart said.

Carrington quickly found a new home in Salt Lake City with the Utes; however, he still considers Eugene home too.

“Oregon, that was my school growing up, most definitely,” Carrington told reporters this week. “That was my home for the last four years. I still consider it a home,” Now, Taggart and the Ducks will face off against a Utah team that is led offensively by Carrington. Despite the hype surrounding the reunion, Taggart says that isn’t the team’s focus.

“I don’t think we’re going in and saying, ‘We’ve got to stop Darren Carrington,’” Taggart said. “We’ve got to go and play better than what we’ve played no matter who is on that other side of the ball. Our mindset as a team right now is that we’ve got to get ourselves right. It’s not about who we’re playing. It’s about us.”

Carrington not only leads the Utes in total receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, but he also leads the Pac-12 in average receiving yards per game with 92.7 yards. He has scored more than half of the Utes’ receiving touchdowns this season.

The Oregon defense has made tremendous improvements this year, but the Ducks’ secondary defense will face a big challenge defending

Former Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington (7) shakes hands with The Duck.

Carrington’s versatility.

Lamar Winston Jr., who had a careerhigh 11 tackles against UCLA last week, isn’t sure what defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt’s plan is to stop Carrington, but he said that whatever it is, the Ducks are going to execute it.

“We’ve got to do something,” Winston Jr. said. “We’ll figure it out.

Coach Leavitt is a genius, so we’ll figure it out.”

Carrington told reporters this week that he is expecting boos upon his return to Autzen, but he welcomes the “us against the world” mentality.

“It’s just another day of football, honestly,” Carrington told reporters. “I played so many times in that stadium.

It’s just, let’s go again.”

Carrington’s return to Autzen will also give Oregon players a chance to reconnect with their former teammate.

The receptions he’ll get, though, may be mixed.

“I probably won’t talk to him much,” said cornerback Arrion Springs, who added that he doesn’t talk much during games in the first place. “Probably after the game.”

Carrington and safety Tyree Robinson grew up playing in the same area down in Southern California. The two continued their friendship during their time at Oregon. But Robinson considers himself a competitor, and said he won’t take it easy on his former teammate.

“I’m going to be on him, I’m going to be talking a lot of trash,” Robinson said.

“But at the end of the day, we’re going to be brothers still.”

Don’t be surprised if Ducks’ players key in on Carrington with a little more intensity.

“It’ll be fun,” Spring said. “I’d be lying if I said it was just a normal game.”

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The Fifth Street Public Market is the area’s premier shopping destination. Here you’l find a colorful collection of unique and enchanting stores, restaurants, and cafés, as well as a boutique hotel.

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