Oregon

‘A phenomenal team’: Oregon’s Dan Lanning, players give Michigan respect at Big Ten Media Days

Published

1 month ago

July 26, 2024

‘A phenomenal team’: Oregon’s Dan Lanning, players give Michigan respect at Big Ten Media Days

The expanded Big Ten will provide several matchups between powerhouse programs in college football this season, and one of the most highly anticipated will be Oregon at Michigan on Nov. 2 in the Big House.

As the reigning national champions, the Wolverines drew a lot of respect from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks’ three player representatives at Big Ten Media Days this week.

“Yeah, obviously, a phenomenal team,” Lanning said of Michigan. “There’s a reason they were able to win so many games last year, and they’ve done a great job building a program there. It’s got a storied history. It should be one that we’re really pumped to be a part of.”

Oregon quarteback Dillon Gabriel, who’s entering his sixth season of eligibility after previous stops at UCF and Oklahoma, has played in a lot of big game and big environments during his college career, including at the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Shootout against Texas last year. Gabriel says “it’s been a bunch of fun” playing in games like that, and he’s looking forward to another bigtime matchup against Michigan.

“Great program, historic,” Gabriel said of the Wolverines. “Obviously, what they did last year was extremely impressive. Just the way they’ve played and consistently doing it. As a guy who’s in college football, you respect it and realize how hard it is to do.”

Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa respects the attitude and mentality that Michigan plays with, and looks forward to the challenge of facing the reigning national champions in Ann Arbor.

“Making that trip is going to be eye-opening, it’s going to be great,” Bassa said. “And I know we play them late in the season, it might be a little bit cold, so we better be — I know we’re going to be ready to buckle up.

“I think [Jim] Harbaugh did a great job last year and Coach [Sherrone] Moore this year is doing a great job coaching that team and leading that team. I know they’re a team that’s built on steak and potatoes. Like, they’re going to tell you that they’re going to run the ball, and their going to run the ball on offense. They might throw the ball here and there, but their mentality is going to be mano a mano, we’re better than you, we want to run the ball, right? So, we’ve just got to buckle up and be ready for that. I know they’re a team built on grit and toughness, so I’m ready to face them.”

Finally, Oregon tight end Terrence Ferguson wants to play against the best players and best teams in the country, and that’s what excites him about matching up with the Wolverines. He’s also looking forward to his first game at Michigan Stadium.

“It has a lot of history,” Ferguson said. “The Big House is, obviously, huge. It holds a lot of people, it holds a lot of history. Obviously, they’re the reigning champs and that puts a target on their back for everyone. But, I’m just excited to play against them. They have a lot of talented players on defense and offense. So, really just being able to go compete against the best players is what I look forward to. And it’s a cool place to play, so I’m excited.”

While they won’t be on the field at the same time, Ferguson is also looking forward to competing against Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, not only in that game but throughout the season.

“He’s a great player,” Ferguson said of Loveland. “I love his game. He’s a super athletic guy. I think he tracks the ball well, he plays fast. I like him and he’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for that guy.”

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

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For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

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Oregon

#3 Oregon vs. Idaho FREE STREAM: How to watch today

Published

2 hours ago

August 31, 2024

Press Room

#3 Oregon vs. Idaho FREE STREAM: How to watch today

EUGENE, Oregon — Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten will begin today, as the Ducks play host to Idaho to kick off the 2024 NCAA football season.

New quarterback Dillon Gabriel will look to put the Ducks on the right track to start the year, and they have genuine national title hopes in Eugene. This Aug. 31 game will air on Big Ten Network and is available on multiple streaming services for free.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. (4:30 p.m. Pacific). Fans without cable can catch the game for free on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials. Another option is SlingTV, which has promotional offers for new customers.

Oregon enters the new-look Big Ten as one of the favorites to not just win the conference, but win the national title.

Coach Dan Lanning, now in his third year at Oregon, is looking to turn the corner after a 2023 season that was filled with close losses in major games against Washington. If he does that, he’ll have the Ducks competing amongst the best in college football.

Oregon’s start to the season is favorable, as it will play Idaho, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA and Michigan State before a massive clash with Ohio State on Oct. 12. Should the Ducks take care of what they need to, they’ll enter that game unbeaten.

Here’s more information on how to watch this game on TV and streaming services:

What: Oregon vs. Idaho

When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. Mountain)

Where: Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Oregon

Channel: Big Ten Network

Best streaming options: FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling TV (half off first month)

Cable Channel Finder: AT&T U-Verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios

Here is more background on Oregon from the Associated Press:

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel likens taking over the offense at No. 3 Oregon to driving a new car.

“I knew what the difficult part of it was going to be, as time is of the essence and learning an offense and having command and control of it. It’s like getting a new car, there’s new buttons and accessories, but you’ve got to go out and race it,” Gabriel said. “And as you find more about it, you can do more fun tricks and kind of show off while doing it.”

There’s a lot of newness around Oregon this season and it starts with the move to the Big Ten. Then there’s Gabriel, a first-team Associated Press All-Big 12 quarterback last season, when he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns for Oklahoma.

He replaces Bo Nix, who threw for a national-best 45 touchdowns last season as the Ducks’ steady leader. Nix was the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos this spring.

With Gabriel, Oregon expects to maintain an offense that averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game — ranked second nationally in both categories — last season. The Ducks finished 12-2, getting close to the playoff before losing to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game. Oregon capped the season by beating Liberty 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Gabriel, in a nod to the Ducks’ past, will wear No. 8, the same number worn at Oregon by Marcus Mariota, who also hailed from Hawaii.

Gabriel is eager to show what he can do at Oregon.

“It’s not managing expectations or letting the hype get around us. Shoot, we have a lot of talented players on this team. That’s why there’s a lot of noise,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, talking does nothing for you and you’re going to have to strap up your chin strap and let it go fly.”

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Oregon

Oregon ranks second-worst for drivers, poll says

Published

13 hours ago

August 31, 2024

Press Room

Oregon ranks second-worst for drivers, poll says

EUGENE, Ore. — It’s official: Oregon drivers are, on average, some of the worst in the nation.

But only the second-worst.

This comes from a poll conducted by Forbes, asking about people’s worst driving habits.

The top three worst driving habits in Oregon are speeding less than ten miles an hour, eating while driving, and speeding to catch a yellow light before it turns red.

Oregon also ranks sixth in the nation for texting while driving, and fifth in the nation for driving under the influence.

The least of the worst driving habits? Passing in a No Passing zone and causing an accident.

The state with the worst drivers is Hawaii, according to the poll.

And the best drivers? Tennessee.

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Oregon

Two former Oregon State Beavers stars re-sign with the Detroit Lions

Published

24 hours ago

August 30, 2024

Press Room

Two former Oregon State Beavers stars re-sign with the Detroit Lions

Jermar Jefferson’s solid performances during training camp and preseason earned him a spot on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.

A day after being cut as the Lions’ reduced their roster to 53 players, the Lions signed the former Oregon State Beavers’ star running back to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday. The Lions also signed former Beavers’ defensive tackle Kyle Peko to their practice squad.

Jefferson, who scored two touchdowns during the Lions’ 24-17 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, ran 14 times for 38 yards during the preseason. The Lions’ seventh-round pick (No. 257) in the 2021 NFL draft has also shown vision and explosiveness on the field, but what may have helped him this year was improvement in pass protection.

Jefferson, who hasn’t played in a regular season game since his rookie season, gets another opportunity to receive a promotion to the active roster during the regular season.

Peko, 31, signed a free agent deal with the Lions in May, but didn’t appear in any preseason games. He started in 10 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and has appeared in 42 games (12 starts) since he signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

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