Oregon

Five Things to Know About Oregon Entering Rematch in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

Published

1 year ago

December 23, 2024

Five Things to Know About Oregon Entering Rematch in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

On Jan. 1, Ohio State gets a shot at something no other Buckeye team has gotten before – revenge against a squad that beat them earlier in the season.

13 – 0 (10-0)

Jan. 1, 2025 – 4 pm et

Rose Bowl

Pasadena, CA

No. 8 Ohio State faces No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl, riding hot off a dominant 42-17 win over Tennessee and eager for some getback after the Ducks dusted them 32-31 in Eugene earlier this year. Ohio State’s only other rematches since the start of the 20th century came in 2017 against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game and in the 1976 Rose Bowl against UCLA, but OSU won both meetings with the Badgers that year and the first meeting against the Bruins before losing to UCLA in Pasadena.

Ohio State’s second meeting with Oregon comes with much greater stakes. Both teams are battling to keep their seasons alive and advance through the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes re-engineered their defense after their defeat in Autzen Stadium and have born great fruits, allowing no more than 17 points in any game since that loss on Oct. 12.

Oregon’s been a juggernaut all year but isn’t without flaws. Its offense and defense have each limped through some victories, though the same arsenal of weapons that gave Ohio State’s secondary fits is still in place.

The Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff

The Last of the Unbeatens

Those with enough of an interest in Ohio State, Oregon or college football in general to be reading this sentence know that the Ducks were crowned Big Ten champions on Dec. 7. They beat Penn State, a fellow quarterfinalist in the CFP, by a 45-37 margin in the conference title game.

Five of Oregon’s seven wins since beating the Buckeyes have come by 21 points or more. That includes a 38-9 shelling of then-No. 20 Illinois and a 38-17 win at Michigan. The Ducks were No. 1 in every edition of the College Football Playoff rankings and earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the CFP.

It’s odd that their reward for such efforts is a meeting with the team that had arguably the best first-round showing in the CFP, Ohio State. Discussions about flaws in the playoff structure aside, this is a game that could easily produce this year’s national champion with two rounds of CFP action still to go afterward.

Not only is Oregon the only undefeated team remaining in the FBS, only two other teams have even survived with just one loss on their docket to this stage. Those schools are Notre Dame and Boise State, which will also play in the quarterfinals next week. The Broncos’ lone defeat came at the hands of Oregon, a 37-34 battle waged on Sept. 7.

A Couple of Clunkers

Two teams have come close to dethroning the Ducks since their one-point vanquishing of the Buckeyes, those being Penn State and a 5-7 Wisconsin team that closed its season on a five-game losing streak. Oregon’s defense struggled in the former and its offense in the latter.

The Nittany Lions racked up 516 yards of offense in the Big Ten Championship Game, mostly due to the efforts of their rushing attack, which got 100-yard performances from both Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. If not for two interceptions and a 20-of-39 mark passing from quarterback Drew Allar – who has had a good year otherwise – PSU could have thrown about 50 points on the scoreboard and knocked off Dan Lanning’s bunch.

A November night game in Madison froze Oregon’s attack to the point that the Ducks didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, one that tied the game at 13 before a 24-yard game-winning field goal, the third of the night settled for from the leg of Atticus Sappington. Such red zone trepidations are what kept the game close as Oregon still outgained Wisconsin 354 yards to 226.

Star quarterback Dillon Gabriel also had an off night, going 22-of-31 but for just 218 yards, a mark of seven yards per pass attempt well below his 8.8 for the year. He had no touchdowns and an interception, which came in a goal-to-go situation.

What can be learned from what otherwise appears like a non-replicable stymying of Oregon’s offense in a strange game in a raucous Camp Randall Stadium? Football games can be won and lost in the red zone. Lost amid the other failings of the Buckeyes’ defense against the Ducks in Week 7 is that it came up with a goal-line stand to give its offense a chance to win the game with a field goal had time not expired on Will Howard’s final scramble or Jeremiah Smith not been whistled for a controversial offensive pass interference.

Oregon has been solid in the red zone this season, ranking 34th nationally in red zone scoring rate (88.5%) and 20th in touchdown rate (72.1%), but a stop or two inside the 20-yard line could be enough to swing this playoff game. There are certainly other lessons to learn from the Ducks’ four one-score wins this year, and it’ll be up to Ryan Day and company to discover whatever vulnerabilities they can.

Book of Gabriel

The final chapter of Gabriel’s storied college football career has been his best yet.

Starting for an unprecedented sixth season thanks to a COVID-19 waiver and a medical redshirt, Gabriel is second all-time in the NCAA for passing yards with 18,423 and in touchdowns with 153. He’s 794 yards and two touchdowns from equaling the career records in those categories, both held by former Houston quarterback Case Keenum.

Gabriel is third in the country for completion percentage in 2024 – one spot behind Will Howard – connecting on 73.2% of his throws. He’s racked up 3,558 passing yards, ninth-most in the FBS, with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Those numbers and Oregon’s unblemished record made him a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Heisman Trophy. The first two recognize college football’s best quarterback, the last its best player.

Gabriel’s efficiency meshes with the Ducks’ RPO, short-pass-heavy offense like peanut butter meshes with jelly. But it was downfield strikes that hurt Ohio State the first time the two teams met, with wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart burning cornerback Denzel Burke for big plays as Gabriel finished 23-of-34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns, adding 32 yards and a score on the ground.

Given that Tennessee’s best offense, what little it had, came on scrambles from Nico Iamaleava and scrambling quarterbacks have at times been a thorn in the side of Ohio State’s No. 1-ranked defense, Gabriel’s legs will also have to be accounted for. He’s collected seven rushing touchdowns this year with 192 yards on the ground. Those legs also become a factor in extending passing plays, as the Buckeyes failed to corral him for a sack back in October.

Barbershop Quartet

Wide receiver Tez Johnson headlines a vaunted Oregon pass catching corps. (Credit: Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The names of the four passing-game weapons Ohio State’s defense will need to contain haven’t changed, but they’ve further proven their lethality throughout Oregon’s season.

There is perhaps no better a trio at wide receiver in college football than the Ducks’, save for the Buckeyes’ own corps of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. Johnson is the headliner from the slot position, collecting 78 receptions for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns, all team-highs.

Stewart and Traeshon Holden provide ample support to Johnson’s flanks, each over 600 yards receiving in 2024. The final complement to the passing game is tight end Terrance Ferguson, one of the nation’s premier receiving threats at his position with 38 catches for 520 yards and three scores.

Johnson had seven receptions for 75 yards the first time Ohio State and Oregon played but it may have been the best game of Stewart’s career as he finished with seven catches, 149 yards and a touchdown. Their effort combined with Gabriel’s in Week 7 prompted a re-engineering of Jim Knowles’ defense that has, thus far, been successful.

But Ohio State also hasn’t played as complete a passing attack since it played Oregon. Holden was also ejected in the second quarter for spitting on Buckeye cornerback Davison Igbinosun.

Running back Jordan James is a threat in his own right if Ohio State puts too much focus on the passing game, as he has 1,253 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns at a clip of 5.5 yards per carry this season.

Strong Pass Defense

Ohio State currently possesses the best defense in college football statistically, but Oregon doesn’t lag that far behind.

The Ducks are No. 9 nationally in total defense, allowing just 301.8 yards per game. They excel against opposing passing attacks, rankingNo. 8 nationally with 175.7 yards per contest allowed through the air.

But Ohio State found success tossing the pigskin against Oregon once already this year, with Will Howard going 28-of-35 for 326 yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks in October. That said, Oregon did not have the services of star defensive end Jordan Burch that day due to a lower-body injury.

In just nine games this season, Burch has racked up 30 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. His running mate at defensive end, Matayo Uiagalelei, has 11.5 sacks in 2024.

Conversely, Oregon’s been weaker defending the run this season, as evidenced by Penn State’s two 100-yard rushers two weeks ago. The Ducks are just 35th in rushing yards allowed per game (126.1) and tied for 55th in yards allowed per carry (four). In Week 7, Ohio State rushed for 122 yards in the first half in Eugene, but only gained 19 yards on 12 carries in the second half after anchor left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter.

It’s been a series of ups and downs for Ohio State’s ground game and offensive line since. The Buckeyes struggled against Nebraska but got a season-defining game from their offensive line at Penn State, smothering the Nittany Lions late with their rushing attack. Season-defining, at least, until Rimington Trophy-winning center Seth McLaughlin suffered his own season-ending setback, a torn Achilles.

The ground game showed signs of being ineffective the following game against Indiana, then bottomed out against Michigan. But after coming out aggressive passing the ball against Tennessee, the Buckeyes quietly outrushed the Volunteers 156 to 152, averaging a respectable 4.7 yards per carry.

Ohio State’s patchwork offensive line – and team at-large – will hope to carry that momentum forward against the Ducks. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. Eastern Time and 2 p.m. local time in Pasadena on Jan. 1.

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Oregon

How did a small Oregon town become a hub for industrial development?

Published

8 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

How did a small Oregon town become a hub for industrial development?

Several large companies are investing over $500 million to build new industrial facilities in Millersburg.
The city has become a mecca for new or expanded industrial growth due to its low property taxes, available industrial land and pro-development attitude.
The city of 3,000 people has become an attraction to businesses due to its proximity to Interstate 5 and railroads.

Ball Corporation, Timberlab, ATI and Gordon Truck Centers are pouring a combined $500 million, at least, to build manufacturing plants and other businesses in Millersburg.

That’s the kind of economic development any city would love. Large employers bring jobs and an expanded tax base, among other benefits.

In a city of 3,000 like Millersburg, just south of Salem, those numbers make a major impact.

While some governments get “caught up in red tape and rule books” that make development difficult, Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist said, Millersburg city leaders welcome businesses.

“How can we get to yes for you on this?” Nyquist said.

When Millersburg uses the slogan “We Are Open for Business” on its website, it’s not just a line.

Millersburg’s low taxes, large tracts of developable land and easy access to Interstate 5 and rail service have made it popular for businesses. Few cities along Oregon’s predominant north-south arterial highway have experienced the city’s level of industrial growth, and certainly none of its size.

“What the difference is that attitude is from our council,” former City Manager Kevin Krietman said. “I will tell you that historically Millersburg has always had a council that understands the value of the industrial base and protecting that industrial base and growing that base for the benefit of the community.”

Millersburg was incorporated in 1974 to keep taxes low

The town was established as Millers Station in 1871 when a rail station was built for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It became a large shipping point for cattle in the 1880s and renamed Millersburg around 1900.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines established a facility to produce zirconium there in the 1940s. That plant was sold to Wah Chang and the company produced metals including hafnium, tantalum and niobium. The company was later renamed Teledyne Wah Chang and it became a Superfund site.

The environmental clean-up took 20 years.

The Willamette Kraft Corporation built a paper mill along one of the two rail lines that cut through it in 1952 to process wood chips into kraft paper. When it was owned by Weyerhaeuser, the plant was known for a smell reminiscent of rotting cabbage that greeted people driving by it on I-5.

“That was the smell of money, man,” Nyquist said.

Millersburg incorporated as a city in 1974, partially so businesses and residents could avoid being annexed into Albany and pay that city’s higher property taxes.

About a third of the city’s land was designated for residential development, which left lots of room for industrial and commercial growth.

International Paper created new urgency in attracting industry

The paper mill closed for good in 2009 and cost 270 workers their jobs. It was then owned by International Paper and torn down by 2012.

At the time of its closure, the mill was paying about $2.6 million per year in property taxes, the most in Linn County.

“We lost a lot of jobs,” Millersburg Mayor Scott Cowan said. “And so that was a big impact, and then of course as that sort of was the immediate situation once that news got out was of course the financial impact to the city was by the franchise fees and taxes from the IP property, we felt that.”

The loss of that revenue was significant to the taxing districts — officials had to find ways to replace the revenue to pay for city services and road repair, for example.

Millersburg didn’t levy a property tax for its first 40 years because the city earned enough money from franchise fees to pay for basic city services. It now charges the maximum $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. Most of that goes to contracted fire and sheriff’s services.

The city long tried to attract businesses to fill the gap left by International Paper.

In 2008, Peak Sun Silicon broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot building where it would employ 500 people to product an ingredient in solar cells.

The state foreclosed on the property when Peak Sun defaulted on a $14 million loan in 2012.

In 2019, the state gave $25 million to Linn County to build an intermodal facility on a portion of the former International Paper property.

That project cost $35 million, but has never operated.

Why companies are building in Millersburg now

When Timberlab was looking to build a new facility to manufacture mass timber, the company considered locations around the Willamette Valley including Independence and Corvallis, President Chris Evans said.

Then Timberlab found a 33.5-acre site in Millersburg. The location had challenges. It had a fish bearing stream, needed an entry road and the main connecting road to Old Salem Highway was under construction.

Still, Timberlab purchased the land from the city and expects to complete its first building this year. That project will bring an estimated 100 jobs to Millersburg.

Gov. Tina Kotek, who attended the March 2025 groundbreaking, said Oregon is “leading the way” in mass timber and pointed to the new roof at the Portland International Airport terminal.

“The city really facilitated taking a lot of the issues out of the sites here, so they could invite somebody into the community and have a quicker turnaround to have something rezoned from agricultural to industrial,” Evans said at the facility’s groundbreaking.

That will include a 185,000 square foot manufacturing facility and it has plans for 85,000 and 126,000 square foot buildings in the future.

Companies that build in Millersburg reap the same tax rewards as its citizens.

Property owners in Millersburg pay a combined tax rate of $15.61 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, one of the lowest rates in the state for a city that offers the services that Millersburg does.

A company building a $100 million facility can save over $1 million per year on property taxes compared to other cities if it builds in Millersburg.

The money brought in from taxes and fees also means residents don’t have to worry about being barraged with bonds and levies from the city.

“But don’t worry, our residents still complain about our taxes,” city manager Janelle Booth said.

Companies like Timberlab also get a tax break by building in enterprise zones, areas designated for large-scale industrial development by the state.

Enterprise zone projects have to meet requirements including a minimum investment cost, employee count and must pay workers between 130% and 150% of the county’s average wage.

Businesses are also exempt from paying property taxes on capital improvements for three to five years. In a rural enterprise zone, such as the one in Millersburg, businesses could be exempt from paying taxes on those improvements for up to 15 years.

In the meantime, the city will still benefit from the Timberlab development as it collects franchise fees from the company. Millersburg received nearly $1.2 million per year from Pacific Power last year, and that will go up with more power being used by Timberlab and Ball Corporation.

That money pays for basic city services like roads, parks and city administration.

“We’re looking at it for that long-term benefit, too,” Booth said.

Infrastructure investments make economic development possible

Millersburg has invested heavily in infrastructure that benefits residents and businesses. The city shares water filtration and wastewater treatment facilities with Albany.

Pacific Power owns and runs a regional operations center in the southern part of the city.

Millersburg city leaders convinced Pacific Power to build a new substation on Conser Road across the street from the Jefferson Fire Department station in 2024. That provides large industrial users with plenty of electricity for whatever they plan to build.

Several large parcels inside the city limits were zoned industrial and never developed. Over the years, Millersburg acquired several of those parcels for free or close to it.

To spur economic development, the city took an active approach in marketing the industrial properties.

The city updated its comprehensive plan in 2020, which essentially served as a sales brochure for prospective development.

“That’s an incentive that we can have with the industries to encourage them to come in,” Kreitman said. “We went through and we put together a presentation and the state asked us to come and talk about it for other communities to look at. It’s really helped us.”

The city council opted to be selective which companies it would sell properties to. For example, they chose not to sell land for warehouses that employ few people.

“As the property owner, the price of the property is one of our tools to get what we want in here,” Booth said.

The city still owns about 70 acres of flat, undeveloped land that is zoned industrial.

Ball Corporation development leads to interest from others

Cowan said Ball Corporation’s plans to build a plant helped spur much of the new economic development in the city.

“We heard about another company that was interested, but it was a lot of this loose interest and no one really serious until Ball came along,” Cowan said. “That really was a big one.”

Ball Corporation’s facility could be larger than 500,000 square feet when it’s finished, according to city planning documents, but will be smaller to start, Kreitman said.

It is unclear how many jobs the Ball facility will provide once it’s finished. The company did not respond to requests for comment from the Statesman Journal.

Center Market is planning a new 5,200 square foot building for its store and offices. Pure Energy is build a 7,480 square foot building.

Several businesses have announced plans for the former International Paper property.

Aymium, formerly known as National Carbon Technologies, signed a 16-year lease on 22 acres in 2022 to build a plant that uses carbon products to produce things like filters. Linn County approved a pause in that lease in 2025.

“And if they don’t go forward, we’ve got, guess what, flat land available at a reasonable price in close proximity to I-5 and rail,” Nyquist said.

In 2024, Omni Energy agreed to lease the site to transfer biodiesel from train to trucks. That still hasn’t happened.

“It’s going to take some infrastructure investment,” Nyquist said. “The operators want to work out a longer-term lease to justify that investment, and so that’s what we’re working on today.”

Corvallis-based Samaritan hospitals owns a 2.3-acre plot of land in the north part of the city at the intersection of Old Salem Highway and the I-5 interchange.

The hospital system planned to build a regional medical center when it purchased the property for $1 million, according to city documents.

“While we do not have definitive plans for that property at this time, we do consider it a very important asset that can help us meet community health needs as Millersburg and surrounding areas continue to grow,” Larissa Balzer, vice president of strategy and planning at Samaritan Health Services, said in a statement.

Millersburg still lacking in commercial, residential development

While Millersburg has a lot of industrial development, it lacks commercial businesses.

Humpty’s Dump Bar & Grill and Oregon Barbecue Company are among the few commercial properties in town.

The Love’s Travel Stop just off the North Millersburg exit, which opened in 2018, is the city’s most recent commercial development.

The city owns about 8 acres along Old Salem Highway between the new fire station, which the city built for $5 million in 2023, and Center Market. It has designated that for commercial development.

Unlike many small Oregon cities, Millersburg doesn’t have a downtown.

“We’re hoping to create one,” Booth said.

The city also lacks affordable housing. The only houses for sale in Millersburg are advertised for over $500,000. There are no apartments or multi-family housing.

“That is the constant feedback we hear from our community and our council and our planning commission, 10,000 square foot lots is the hill to die on for our folks,” Booth said.

There are a couple large parcels of undeveloped property zoned for residential development in the city limits. The city had significant housing growth until 2023, when the last parcel of developable land in the city limits was built on.

City leaders say they can’t expand the urban growth boundary to the north or west because of the prime farmland in those areas.

The city is looking to expand to the east side of I-5 at a long-hoped-for new interchange for more commercial and high-density residential growth.

Millersburg also owns land it intends to use for a YMCA building and a school, something the city hasn’t had since the last one closed in 1983.

“Last we knew, they are very interested in getting something in here,” Booth said.

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

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Oregon

PHOTOS: No Kings protests begin in Portland

Published

20 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: No Kings protests begin in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — No Kings protests are underway in Portland, with crowds already gathering in opposition to the Trump administration.

Event organizers said they are expecting tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets today.

See photos from the March 28 No Kings protests below:

Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN)
A protester in a frog costume is seen during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN)2
Protest banners are erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Crowds march along Potland’s South Watefront during a No Kings Rally on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A No Kings Rally stage is set up during a march in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A fire truck with a Veterans for Peace banner is seen at a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 4 results for March 27

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 27 drawing

13-27-28-41-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 27 drawing

1PM: 5-5-9-1

4PM: 0-1-7-6

7PM: 6-6-7-3

10PM: 9-3-0-9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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