With all the excitement over joining the Big Ten this season, it’s important for the third-ranked Oregon Ducks to be ready for their non-conference opponents, too.
“You can’t come out sleepwalking. I think that happens from year to year, people just come out sleepwalking and if you fall into that you just dig yourself in a hole,” new Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “So, it’s all about starting fast, dominating the middle eight, and then finishing strong.”
The Ducks open the season Saturday against Idaho as one of the newest members of the Big Ten. There are lofty expectations for Oregon with Gabriel under center.
The sixth-year senior joins the Ducks after two seasons at Oklahoma. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.
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Idaho also has a new quarterback in Jack Layne — an Oregon native — after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.
The Vandals were picked to finish third in the conference in both the Big Sky coaches and medial polls. They’ll certainly be challenged by the Ducks, who are 44 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said it doesn’t matter the opponent, the Ducks’ focus is always on improving in all facets of the game.
Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is viewed during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Washington, Nov. 6, 2010, in Eugene, Ore. Credit: AP/Rick Bowmer
“We know that we want to set the bar for us: What’s our bar? What’s our standard? What do we want it to look like? And being self-aware enough that you can go attack the things that you have to improve,” Lanning said. “And regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re playing, we always talk about our biggest opponent is Oregon, right? We have to go play or do the best to be the best version of Oregon that we can be.”
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TV trouble
An apparent carriage dispute between Comcast and the FOX/Big Ten Network may mean that the games involving Big Ten’s four new West Coast teams won’t be available to Comcast viewers — at least for now.
According to a statement from a league spokesperson: “As the one distribution partner that declined to expand along with us, Comcast Xfinity viewers in many areas will not have access to live broadcasts of the highly anticipated inaugural B1G season games for Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.”
Comcast said in a statement that it is sensitive to the impact on Xfinity customers and hopes for a fair agreement with Fox and the Big Ten Network.
Then-Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) scrambles during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Kansas, Oct. 28, 2023 in Lawrence, Kan. Credit: AP/Colin E Braley
Starting center
Lanning wasn’t going to reveal Oregon’s starting center against Idaho. Among those in contention for the job during fall camp were Iapani Laloulu and Charlie Pickard.
The Ducks need to replace Jackson Powers-Johnson, last season’s Rimington Trophy winner who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of the NFL draft.
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Laloulu started for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl while Pickard is a former walk-on whose dad went to Oregon.
“We’ll send out the group that we think has done the best in fall camp to start the game. But I think for us to think long-term we have to be able to prepare and have multiple guys play at multiple positions,” Lanning said.
A look back
Oregon finished last season 12-2, with a loss to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game before capping the season with a 45-6 drubbing of Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon’s offense averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, second nationally in both categories.
Idaho, which plays in the Big Sky, went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before losing to Albany, 30-22.
In addition to losing McCoy to the Beavers, wide receivers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson both went to the NFL. Six other starters for the Vandals went to the transfer portal.
Police and sheriffs’ departments from across the state are joining the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) in a Labor Day Impaired Driving Mobilization. Expect to see more officers on the road now through September 2 to stop impaired drivers before they hurt themselves or someone else.
Labor Day also marks the end of the 100 Deadliest Days on Idaho Roads. It’s the time when Idaho sees a rise in impaired, distracted and aggressive driving that leads to more injuries and deaths on our roads.
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At the start of the summer there were a lot of deadly crashes. The number of fatalities was trending above the previous year, however the rate of deadly crashes slowed after the Fourth of July. Currently 70* people have been killed on Idaho roads this summer, that’s less than last summer at this time, when the total was 79. This year-to-date 145* people have been killed in traffic crashes, compared to 151 at this time in 2023. In 2023 there were 275 total traffic deaths, the deadliest year in over a decade.
“Every crash is a tragedy, and in the case of impaired driving crashes, they are always preventable,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton, “We partner with police to stop drunk drivers from hurting people, but everyone can have a positive impact by getting a sober ride home instead of driving impaired.”
In just two days the No. 3 Oregon Ducks will kick off the 2024 college football season at home against the Idaho Vandals. Idaho enters the season at No. 7 in the FCS coaches rankings.
To help fans get ready for Saturday’s game, I sat down with Andrew Quinn of KREM 2 Sports who covers the Vandals to take a look at some of the top players to know. You can watch the full episode of the Ducks Dish Podcast in the video link at the bottom of this story.
“Without a doubt talking to players, coaches, anyone involved with the Idaho program they just rave about this kid’s work ethic. They say he’s in the Kibbie Dome about 98% of the time. If you walk into the Kibbie Dome you will see Jack Layne every day after practices. He just seems like a workaholic. He’s spent the last two years learning and I think he’s ready for this opportunity.”
“If I was to give one guy that Oregon should spotlight with a big O on Saturday his name is Abraham Williams. He will be returning kicks and punts for Idaho and he is ultra dangerous. This is a dude you probably want to kick the ball away from, because why would you let one guy hurt you? When you could send your defense out there and try to get some stops against Jack Layne. Definitely spotlight Abraham Williams. This guy’s been easily the best kick returner in the Big Sky over the last two years. He transfered from Weber State this offseason to Idaho. He plays corner, he’s got good size. Obviously very fast, but don’t really know what his cover skills are like, so I’d really like to see him get in there and get stuck in there against some of these Duck receivers.”
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“Anybody you talk to right now says Idaho may have the best D-line in the entire Big Sky. These D-line guys are for real. They’ve got two edge rushers in Keyshawn James-Newby and Malakai Williams who’ve done a good job of getting to the quarterback over the last two years.”
“They’ve got a big 330-pound nose tackle in the middle named Jahkari Larmond, who is a big space eater. Definitely is great at trying to stop the run a little bit.”
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Falls police are on the scene of a crash on Fremont Avenue at the Highway 20 overpass.
One car was involved and the road is closed. Drivers are asked to use alternate routes.
It’s unknown if anyone was injured in the crash.
Fremont Avenue is expected to open after 8 a.m., according to the Idaho Falls Police Department.
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EastIdahoNews.com will update this story as we learn more.
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