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11/08/18 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

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GAMEDAY

OREGON’S IDENTITY AS A RUNNING TEAM WAS SLIPPING. Cristobal hopes refocusing on the ground game will right the Ducks’ season.

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Oregon Ducks Head Coach Mario Cristobal directs warm ups before the game against San Jose State at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 15, 2018. Photograph by Devin Roux T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 8

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GAMEDAY

HERE’S HOW OREGON AND UTAH

STACK UP

BY: Maverick Pallack @mavpallack

Utah Offense Utah starting quarterback Tyler Huntley will be out with injury, meaning redshirt freshman Jason Shelley will get his first start. Shelley was the 12th ranked dual-threat quarterback according to 247Sports, and has just 14 collegiate passing attempts, with zero touchdowns and one interception. In order to limit his mistakes, head coach Kyle Whittingham will feed running back Zack Moss (averaging 121.33 yards per game). e Utes are averaging 202 rushing yards a game, and if they want to win, that number will probably have to be at least 50 yards higher.

Oregon Defense Although they played against a weaker UCLA offense, the Ducks did not play that great defensively. e Bruins outgained the Ducks offensively with a very inaccurate freshman quarterback for the better half of that game. Shelley will probably be similar to UCLA’s Dorian ompson-Robinson due to their tendency to run. e Ducks have struggled against running quarterbacks this season, allowing Cal’s Brandon McIlwain to rush for 123 yards and Arizona’s Khalil Tate to run around and find open receivers. Oregon is also without middle linebacker Kaulana Apelu, meaning Sampson Niu and Adrian Jackson will see more playing time.

Verdict In this case, an experienced defensive coordinator (Jim Leavitt) will make the freshman quarterback suffer. Leavitt will probably throw plenty of hard looks at Shelley. If Shelley can’t handle the different rushes, and Oregon can limit Moss, the Ducks could have their best defensive performance in a long time.

Advantage: Oregon

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Oregon Offense After two disappointing weeks offensively against Washington State and Arizona, Oregon’s offense finally broke out against UCLA last week — or so it seemed. e Ducks’ 21 first-half points were scored on a punt return, a one-yard run set up by a fake field goal and a shortfield touchdown due to a fumble recovery on a punt. Although the Ducks should not be punished for manufacturing scoring drives in other ways, it is cause for some concern that the team has struggled to put together many scoring drives as of late. In order to put together some drives, the running game needs to return to the level of play it produced against Washington. If the Ducks can establish the run early — especially with true freshman Steven Jones starting in place of Jake Hanson, who will be suspended for the first half of the game — they should extend their win streak over the Utes to three.

Utah Defense Unlike the last three opponents Oregon has faced, Utah is dominant defensively. e Utes have allowed just 100 rushing yards a game this season and the second-fewest points per game in the Pac-12. Two reasons for that stout rushing defense are defensive end Bradlee Anae and linebacker Chase Hansen. Hansen is second in the Pac12 in tackles for a loss with 15.5. Anae’s 8.5 TFLs (six are sacks) are also cause for concern. If the Ducks choose to go through the air, cornerback Jaylon Johnson (three interceptions) will be the one to stay away from.

Verdict Whether Oregon decides to throw or pass, it will not be pretty given the strength and talent on the Utah defense. Oregon’s struggles on the road have been well-documented, and given the ability for Utah’s crowd to work its magic, an offensive output under 20 points is in the cards.

Advantage: Utah


GAMEDAY

PLAYERS TO WATCH BY: August Howell @howell_august

UTAH Running Back: Zack Moss

Linebacker: Chase Hansen

Because quarterback Tyler Huntley out with a broken collarbone, much of the offense will be in Moss’ hands. At 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, Moss is third in the Pac-12 in rushing yards with 1,092 yards, and just one of four running backs in the nation to surpass 1,000 yards this season. He’s also among the best scorers in the conference with 11 touchdowns. Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal watched him play in person while Moss was in high school. Cristobal said Moss is exceptionally hard to defend because he’s both physical and agile. With freshman quarterback Jason Shelley in place for Huntley, Moss will be getting plenty of touches this game.

Utah’s defense has been a key component in the team’s ascension into national rankings. He is one of the most versatile defenders in the Pac-12, able to rush the quarterback, wrap-up running backs and pick off passes. e Utes lead the Pac-12 in rushing defense, allowing just 100 yards per game. Hansen plays all over the field, leading the team with 75 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss.

OREGON Quarterback: Justin Herbert

Linebacker: Justin Hollins

For two consecutive weeks prior to UCLA, Herbert got knocked around by statistically poor defenses. Now, he’s facing a complete and battletested defense in Utah. Herbert currently has the longest streak in the nation of games with a passing touchdown: 24 straight. In his eight career road starts in Pac-12 play, Herbert has 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. e last time Herbert played in Salt Lake City was two seasons ago, when he found Darren Carrington for a game-clinching touchdown.

Utah’s offensive line has been vulnerable this season, allowing linebackers to get to runners in the backfield. Hollins is coming in after a solid performance against UCLA, including a strip-sack that almost led to a touchdown return. Hollins leads the team with 10 tackles for a loss. Shelley also possesses very little experience, meaning pressure from Hollins could cause plenty of mistakes. With fellow linebacker Kaulana Apelu out for the foreseeable future, there is even more focus on Hollins to create big plays on defense.

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GAMEDAY

JORDON SCOTT:

“A HUMBLE, HUNGRY COMPETITOR” BY: Maggie Vanoni @maggie_vanoni | PHOTO: Devin Roux Jordon Scott has been a defensive lineman since he was 6 years old, not counting one year he tried playing the O-line. He uses his 329-pound frame to his advantage, attacking offense opponents one tackle at a time. As an Oregon Duck, Scott has started in 20 of his 22 career games. Last season, he became a Freshman All-American, in addition to being ranked the No. 6 defensive lineman in the Pac-12. With his freshman year behind him, Scott has used his warm-hearted personality and physical talent to become one of Oregon’s defense leaders both on and off the field. “He’s a humble, hungry competitor,” co-defense coordinator Joe Salave’a said. “He’s always been a conscientious kid coming in. [He] has an attitude of wanting more and learning more, and he’s finding out more about himself.” Scott enrolled in Oregon two weeks after committing to the football program in December of 2016. At the time, the 6-foot-1 nose tackle weighed close to 370 pounds. Under the training of the Division I program, Scott dropped around 40 pounds and ended his freshman season with 34 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. His hard work was recognized by his teammates, as they voted him to receive the program’s Freshman of the Year Award. Now, as a sophomore, Scott is more familiar with Oregon’s playbook and sees the game at a different pace. is preseason, the defensive lineman is on both the Bronko Nagurski and Outland Trophy watch lists, along with being a Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team member. “ e game slowed down a little bit,” Scott said. “I know what to expect a little bit more now because I played last year, so I feel like I can see plays coming and know what type of block is coming.” After dropping about another 10 pounds, Scott has racked up 24 total tackles in the first nine

games of the season. But a lot of what Scott does for the team goes unnoticed by stats. As a nose tackle, it’s his responsibility to attract as much of the other team’s offensive linemen toward him as he can. at way his fellow defenders have more open room to follow the ball and attack the opposing quarterback. “He’s Jordon — he’ll take three people if you need to,” senior defensive end Jalen Jelks said. “He frees up a lot of people for me to make plays and Justin [Hollins] and everybody else. So, having somebody like that [to] clog up gaps and take care of everybody else, is tremendous.”

Off the field, Jelks describes Scott as a complete goofball, making fun of himself (his Twitter handle is @Fat_Mac34) and making others feel at ease. While he aspires to be a sports analyst after graduating, head coach Mario Cristobal said he could see Scott as the president of the United States — affirming that he would have his vote in the 2036 campaign. “He’s got that personality,” Cristobal said. “He’s a get-it-done guy and his personality is one that people gravitate to because he does the right thing. … Jordon is made of the right stuff.”

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Jordon Scott (34) prepares to take on the UCLA offensive line. Scott is currently ranked the No. 6 defensive lineman in the Pac-12.

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COVER

DUCKS RECOMMIT TO RUN GAME BY: Jack Butler @Butler917 | PHOTOS: Devin Roux

When Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal gave his opening statements in the introductory press conference 10 months ago, he thanked administration, his family, players and the people of Eugene. When he started talking football, his message about how he wanted Oregon to play was clear: be as physical as possible. “Make no mistake about it, when talking about the program and the brand of football we want to play, we do want to be that program,” he said. “ at’s physical at the line of scrimmage — a tremendous amount of investment in the offensive and defensive lines.” In the early part of the season, the commitment to the running game was clear. But the Ducks lost their identity. eir mid-life, or mid-season, crisis came in the form of relying too much on the passing attack. e offensive line struggled, and Oregon strayed too far away from the physical running Cristobal wants. Against Washington State and Arizona, the team paid for it. Cristobal, offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo

After criticism that Ducks football had lost its identity, head coach Mario Cristobal stated, “We’re going to put our feet in the ground and recommit to being the physical team that we started the season as.” PA G E 8

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and the Ducks recommitted to the run against UCLA, and they won. “It all starts with the run game,” Cristobal said. “ e way that we’re built. e lack of depth that we have at certain skill positions, we’re built to do it a certain way. When we don’t do it … we [are] in scramble mode.” But the rushing game was far from perfect against UCLA, which has the third-worst rushing defense in the Pac-12. Utah, Oregon’s next opponent, is the Pac-12’s best. Even with star quarterback Justin Herbert, Oregon is a run-first team. Oregon ran 17 more times than it threw in the statement win over Washington. e Ducks ran 10 more times against Cal in their only Pac-12 road win with Herbert at quarterback. “ at’s where our offense starts,” Herbert said. “It starts with the offensive line and running backs.” It’s where it finishes, too. Oregon shifted away from the run in the loss against Washington State. e Ducks ran for three yards in the first half. By the time the second half came, Oregon was down

27-0 and had to throw the ball. e Ducks made the same mistake against Arizona, but for the whole game. e offense failed to muster any successful running game as one of the worst Pac-12 rushing defenses dominated. “Yeah, we weren’t very good that first half over at Washington State, and obviously [against Arizona] we were really, really poor,” Cristobal said. So the Ducks buckled down and said “enough is enough.” It was time to get back to the running game against UCLA. Oregon won 42-21, rushing for 200 yards. “I think we’ve heard all week that today was about establishing our identity, and that was being able to physically run the football,” offensive lineman Calvin rockmorton said. “I was proud of how we all came out and were committed to that, and the offensive staff was committed to that. It just gives us that much more confidence in our abilities.” Oregon ran on its first five first downs. So the commitment was there, but the impact wasn’t dominant against a bad rushing defense. e Ducks

Ducks running back CJ Verdell ran against UCLA in Oregon’s victory and return of a threatening run offense on Nov. 3, 2018.


Inconsistencies with the Ducks’ overall performance come out in regards to the team’s offensive line. e players are talented – individually. As a unit, the line is met with rushing struggles and frequent player turnovers. (Emerald Archives)

only had two runs over 10 yards, one of which was Tony Brooks-James’ 54-yard touchdown run. e Ducks are good on third-and-short situations, though. ey converted 6-of-8 attempts when rushing, a number they were happy with. Oregon’s rushing struggles are puzzling. Individually, the offensive line is talented, but they’ve been inconsistent. ey ran well early in the season but rank seventh in rushing yards in the conference in Pac-12 play only. Some of the inconsistency is because of injury. Oregon lost its freshman starting left tackle Penei Sewell for the season in the game against Washington, so the Ducks moved rockmorton from right tackle to left tackle. But Oregon’s overall offensive inconsistencies can’t be causated only to injuries. After three easy nonconference games, the first symptoms showed in the second half of the Stanford loss. Oregon rushed for 6.3 yards per rush in the first half, but only 2.5 in the second as its lead crumbled away. Now the Ducks must go on the road and face the Pac-12’s second-best overall defense. Utah is allowing only 100 rushing yards per game, and Oregon has trouble winning on the road. It is not the time for offensive line turnover,

which Oregon will have. Junior center Jake Hanson was called for targeting in the second half against UCLA. He was ejected and will miss the first half against Utah. When Hanson was ejected, rockmorton moved to center and freshman Steven Jones was put in as left tackle. At times, starting center Dallas Warmack was out and backup Jacob Capra was in. Warmack has been fighting nagging injuries all season. “We do it in practice,” Cristobal said. “We move these guys around a bunch. At some point in time, you’re going to have to perform in that situation. Yesterday in practice, we mixed them around even more. ey expect it now. It’s like musical chairs at practice now.” So the Ducks are piecing together the offensive line — not a great week for that, given the opponent. “It’s the best defensive front in the Pac-12, arguably the nation,” junior left guard Shane Lemieux said. “ ey have a really stout defensive line that they rely on, and they have two really veteran linebackers that are not scared to come down and get you. “We got a really big test. It’s our kind of football.”

“THAT’S WHERE OUR OFFENSE STARTS. IT STARTS WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINE AND RUNNING BACKS.” JUSTIN HERBERT

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GAMEDAY

OREGON DEFENSE BRACES FOR PHYSICAL RUN GAME AGAINST UTAH e Oregon Ducks defense tackles UCLA running back Joshua Kelley (27) during the game at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 3, 2018.

BY: Maggie Vanoni @maggie_vanoni | PHOTO: Devin Roux In Saturday’s game against Utah, the Ducks will be will be looking for their first road win in over a month. But in order to do so, the Oregon defense must overcome the Utes’ physical run game led by running back Zack Moss. “[Utah] has big boys, they’re fluid,” codefense coordinator Joe Salave’a said. “Coach Kyle [Whittingham], over the years, has made it a staple of big, physical guys. It’s a great opportunity and a great challenge for us.” Oregon’s last, and only, win on the road this season came from a 42-24 victory in Berkeley against Cal. e team’s last two outings outside of Eugene, have resulted in ugly losses to both Washington State (34-20) and, most recently, to Arizona (44-15). “ is program, we have a lot to prove to ourselves,” Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said. “We felt that we had that formal win to Cal and then we didn’t do so good after that. Now we got to go play a good football team in a really hostile environment, a really tough place to play, against a team that really prides itself on physicality. To me, it’s what every program needs

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to re-establish itself.” On the opposing side, the Utes has successfully defended their home field (posting a 3-1 home record) with heavy physicality powered by 13 offensive linemen weighing over 300 pounds on their roster. While for some the roughness may be intimidating, Oregon nose tackle Jordon Scott said he’s liked what he’s seen the from Utah’s offense. “ ey just bully guys and that’s what I like to see out of an O-line coming in,” Scott said. “I think the best part about that is that you know you are going against guys that believe in themselves and think they’re good.” Leading the Utes’ offense will be Moss, a junior out of Hialeah Gardens, Florida. In his three seasons with Utah, he has posted 11 100-yard rushing games and one 200-yard game, for a total of 2,647 career rushing yards. He leads the team with 11 touchdowns this season. “He runs, runs hard with low shoulders and balance,” Salave’a said. “Somethings that these players have you can’t coach and they’re doing a

hell of a job getting him going in practice.” Oregon is also preparing to face Texas highschool football standout, Jason Shelley. Shelley, Utah’s freshman quarterback, has been averaging 36.5 total offensive yards through the four games he’s played so far this season. “He can throw it all over the place,” Cristobal said. “He’s very accurate. He can throw the deep ball, he can do the intermediate stuff, he gets the ball off quick to the perimeter and he can run. … ey’re so diverse on what they do offensively. ey make it hard to find the football. e eyewatch, the motions, the snug-sets or whatnot, so I’m sure he’s very comfortable.” With senior inside linebacker Kaulana Apelu out for the remainder of the regular season, Oregon will bring in sophomore Sampson Niu to start in his place. “He really is a good tackle and instinctive,” Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s certainly got some valuable game reps, where I think you’ll even see a better player this week.” Saturday’s game will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. PT in Salt Lake City, Utah.


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GAMEDAY

EMERALD FOOTBALL

This week on the Emerald Football Podcast, sports editors Jack Butler, Shawn Medow and Maverick Pallack review Oregon football’s 42-21 win over UCLA and preview the Ducks’ road trip to Utah as Oregon looks to get a win streak going with three games left in the season.

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OREGON

UTAH UTAH OFFENSE

OREGON OFFENSE PLAYER Steven Jones Calvin Throckmorton Shane Lemieux Johnny Johnson III Dallas Warmack Brady Aiello Jacob Breeland Jaylon Redd Dillon Mitchell CJ Verdell Justin Herbert

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No. 68 No. 3 No. 75 No. 66 No. 27 No. 30 No. 13 No. 34 No. 10

LG WR RG RT TE WR WR RB QB

RS-Jr. Soph. Jr. RS-Jr. RS-Jr. Soph. Jr. RS-Fr. Jr.

PLAYER Demari Simpkins Jaylen Dixon Jake Jackson Cole Fotheringham Jackson Barton Nick Ford Orlando Umana Jordan Agasiva Darrin Paulo Zack Moss Jason Shelley

# No. 97 No. 34 No. 51 No. 32 No. 35 No. 55 No. 11 No. 4 No. 7 No. 8 No. 15

POS DE NT DE OLB MLB MLB OLB CB S S CB

YR RS-Sr. Soph. Jr. Jr. Jr. Soph. RS-Sr. Soph. Sr. Fr. Soph.

# No. 63 No. 42 No. 96

POS LS P K

PLAYER Bradlee Anae John Pensini Leki Fotu Maxs Tupai Cody Barton Chase Hansen Jaylon Johnson Javelin Guidry Corrion Ballard Terrell Burgess Julian Blackmon

# No. 6 No. 52 No. 99 No. 92 No. 30 No. 22 No. 1 No. 28 No. 15 No. 26 No. 23

YR Fr. Jr. Soph.

PLAYER # Noah No. 48 Rodrigues-Trammell Matt Gay No. 97 Mitch Wishnowsky No. 33

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OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER Karsten Battles Blake Maimone Adam Stack

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OREGON DEFENSE PLAYER Jalen Jelks Jordon Scott Gary Baker La’Mar Winston Troy Dye Sampson Niu Justin Hollins Thomas Graham Ugochukwu Amadi Jevon Holland Deommodore Lenoir

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GAMEDAY

OFFENSIVE LINE SHIFTS, PREPARING FOR UTAH’S DEFENSE BY: August Howell @howell_august PHOTO: Maddie Knight Going to the game in Utah on Saturday, both teams will look to capitalize on their strengths, one being defense, the other being offense. Utah boasts one of the most physical rushing defenses in the country, and Oregon prides itself on establishing a running game. ose identities will come to a head on Oregon’s offensive line, which has shifted around due to injuries during the course of the season. With center Jake Hanson suspended for the first half of play after a targeting call against UCLA, Calvin rockmorton’s versatility on the offensive line will be called upon again. Steven Jones, a freshman who played on intermittent snaps against UCLA, will start at left tackle on Saturday. rockmorton will start at center, as he did when Hanson left in the second half against UCLA. “ e first couple plays you could tell he was a little bit nervous, but there’e no excuse to be nervous on your first play in front of 60,000 people right?” Cristobal said laughing. “But once he settled in, he did what we Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws the ball during the game against UCLA on Nov. 3, 2018. Herbert and wide receiver Dillon Mitchell showed great teamwork in last week’s game against UCLA and they will need to do the same this week in order to contribute to a successful offense.

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thought he could do. He played with power, with poise, and with balance.” Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo emphasized the need to be physical against Utah’s defense after practice on Tuesday. “You see a true freshman starting at left tackle, just like when Penei [Sewell] was there, that’s just an understated role, I think a lot of people don’t understand how hard that is,” Arroyo said. “Steven did an awesome job.” Oregon will need a balanced attack against a team that relies heavily on its defense. Prior to UCLA, the Ducks offense struggled against defenses that statistically were not good. Oregon needs the keep the connection going between quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Dillon Mitchell, which is gaining national attention. “I just try to get it to the open receivers, but fortunately Dillon is always open,” Herbert said. “He’s able to identify the coverage and adjust, and do things to get him open.”


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EMERALD SPORTS on a W St as at h vs in e . C gt ol on or S ad tat o e Or eg on St at e vs .S ta nf or Ca d lv s. US C

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