The Oregon Ducks start the 2024 season Saturday at home against Idaho. The Oregonian/OregonLive will count down the days with mini-profiles of prominent former and current Ducks whose jersey numbers correspond with the days remaining until the opening kickoff.
Today, No. 6 (part 2): Running back/wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, wide receivers Demetrius Williams and Charles Nelson.
Also, see No. 6 (Part 1): Defensive backs Steve Smith and Walter Thurmond III.
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Bio: Oregon recruited Thomas out of Crenshaw High School (California). He originally committed to USC as a defensive back before flipping to play at Oregon. He became one of the most electric performers in program history.
Key statistics: During his career, Thomas split time between running back and wide receiver, in addition to returning kickoffs and punts.
He had a strong freshman season, finishing with 2,235 all-purpose yards (second all-time) and 18 touchdowns, which set the school record for touchdowns by a freshman.
Against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, Thomas had 314 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, with one coming on a 91-yard run play, setting the record for the longest run from scrimmage in the event’s history.
He was the only player that season to reach 400 yards in rushing (595), receiving (605), and returns (1,035 with two touchdowns).
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Thomas received the 2011 CFPA Kickoff Returner Trophy, earned freshman All-America, and was named first-team All-Pac-12 by two publications.
In his second season, Thomas led the conference in rushing yards per attempt (7.6), gaining 711 on the ground with 11 touchdowns. He finished with 1,757 all-purpose yards (445 receiving) and 18 touchdowns.
The Maxwell Award semifinalist was part of an Oregon offense that helped lead the Ducks to a 12-1 record.
One of his most memorable plays came on a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Oregon Ducks running back De’Anthony Thomas (#6) on his way to an opening kickoff return for a touchdown to start the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between the Oregon and the Kansas State Wildcats at the University of Phoenix stadium in 2013. – Thomas Boyd / The OregonianLC- The Oregonian
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In 2013, Thomas was put on the watchlists for the Doak Walker Award and Heisman Trophy and was also a candidate for the Paul Hornung Award.
He suffered an ankle injury in September, causing him to miss game time. Yet, he still rushed for 594 yards and eight touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 246 yards. He also added another 513 yards on kick returns.
Thomas holds the program record for yards per carry in a season, 10.8 in 2011, and for a career, 7.8.
He rushed for 26 touchdowns (ninth all-time) and scored 278 points (seventh). His 5,345 all-purpose yards rank fourth.
NFL: Thomas was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft by Kansas City.
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He also played for the Baltimore Ravens and in the CFL.
In 2014, Thomas was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
He ended his career with 3,136 total yards and seven touchdowns.
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Oregon Ducks wide receiver Demetrius Williams scores against Washington at Autzen Stadium, in Eugene, Ore., on October 15, 2005. – Bruce Ely/The OregonianLC- The Oregonian
Bio: Oregon recruited Williams out of De La Salle High School (California).
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Key statistics: Williams began making a significant impact in 2003 when he caught 51 passes for 935 yards and eight touchdowns.
Williams struggled with injuries in 2004 but still led the team in receptions (47) and receiving yards (593) and had two touchdowns.
Williams’ 12 catches against Washington State in 2004 rank tied for third all-time.
His best season came in 2005 when he caught 59 passes for 1,059 yards (ninth all-time) and 10 touchdowns (tied for fourth). Williams was named second-team All-Pac-10.
He finished his career with 162 receptions (tied for fifth), 2,660 yards (fourth), and 20 touchdown receptions (tied for eighth).
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His 11 career 100-yard games ranks tied with Troy Franklin for the most in program history.
NFL: Williams was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Williams finished his career with 1,008 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
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Oregon Ducks wide receiver Charles Nelson (6) during a game against the UC Davis Aggies on Saturday, September 3 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Pete Christopher/Staff LC-LC-
Bio: Oregon recruited Nelson out of Seabreeze High School (Florida). He developed into one of the more versatile players in Oregon history.
Key statistics: Nelson did it all.
As a freshman, he returned two punts for touchdowns.
He led the Ducks in kick return yardage in both 2015 and 2016. His 876 yards in 2015 rank fourth all-time. His 879 yards in 2016 rank third.
Nelson’s 2,424 kick return yards are the most in Oregon history.
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Nelson led the Ducks in receptions (52) in 2016 and produced 554 yards and five touchdowns.
He finished his career with 124 receptions for 1,555 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He also rushed for 278 yards and three scores.
Nelson totaled 4,561 all-purpose yards.
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PRIOR COUNTDOWN POSTS
PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 24: Bill Musgrave #14 of the University of Oregon Ducks plays in a PAC-10 NCAA football game against the Stanford Cardinal on October 24, 1987 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Getty Images
No. 7: Running back CJ Verdell and safety Chad Cota
No. 8:Safeties Anthony Newman and Jevon Holland
No. 9: Running back/wide receiver Byron Marshall, running back Maurice Morris, and defensive lineman Arik Armstead
No. 10: Quarterbacks Bo Nix, Justin Herbert and Dennis Dixon
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No. 11: Quarterback Dan Fouts
No. 12: Quarterback Chris Miller
No. 13: Wide receiver Dillon Mitchell and Cornerback Cliff Harris
No. 14: Quarterback Bill Musgrave, defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and quarterback/defensive back George Shaw
No. 15: Defensive back Patrick Chung, wide receiver Keenan Howry, and quarterback Bob Berry.
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No. 16: Quarterback Danny O’Neil
No. 17: Defensive back Rashad Bauman and quarterback Jack Crabtree
No. 18: Tight end Spencer Webb and linebacker Wesly Mallard
No. 19: The 1919 and 2019 Oregon Ducks Rose Bowl teams
Defensive back Kenny Wheaton and defensive back/running back Mel Renfro
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No. 21: Running backs LaMike James and Royce Freeman
No. 22: Linebacker Derrick Malone Jr. and running back Reuben Droughns
No. 23: Running back/wide receiver Ahmad Rashad and wide receiver Jeff Maehl
No. 24: Running backs Kenjon Barner and Jeremiah Johnson
No. 25: Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin
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No. 26: Running back Travis Dye
No. 27: Defensive back Terrance Mitchell
No. 28: Running back Jonathan Stewart and safety J.D. Nelson
No. 29: Defensive back Mario Clark and running back Kani Benoit
No. 30: Jim Shanley, Woodley Lewis and Dave Grayson
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No. 31: Defensive backs Avery Patterson and Justin Phinisee
No. 32: Safety Jairus Byrd
No. 33: 1933 Webfoots and linebacker Tyson Coleman
No. 34: Defensive back Jim Smith and defensive tackle Jordon Scott
No. 35: Linebackers Troy Dye, Joe Walker and Spencer Paysinger
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No. 37: Defensive back Talmadge Jackson III.
No. 38: Safety Eddie Pleasant
No. 39: Linebacker Kevin Mitchell
No. 40: Linebacker Ernest Jones and punter Josh Bidwell.
No. 41: Kicker Aidan Schneider.
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No. 42: Tight end David Paulson and fullback Latin Berry.
No. 43: Center Brad Ecklund and lineman Ed Moshofsky.
No. 44: Defensive lineman DeForest Bucker, tight end Dante Rosario, and defensive back Jake Leicht.
No. 45: Defensive lineman Matt Toeaina.
No. 46: Linebacker Michael Clay
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No. 47: Linebacker Kiko Alonso
No. 48: DL Saul Patu and LB Rodney Hardrick
No. 49: Defensive end Nick Reed
No. 50: Defensive tackle Popo Aumavae
No. 51: Offensive lineman Jeff Kendall
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No. 52: Linebacker Tom Graham
No. 53: Defensive lineman Igor Olshansky
No. 54:Three champion linemen
No. 55: Centers Hroniss Grasu and Jake Hanson, plus linebacker Casey Matthews
No. 56: Offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman
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No. 57: OL George Dames and 1957 Rose Bowl team
No. 58: Defensive end Kenny Rowe and center Jackson Powers-Johnson
No. 59: Offensive lineman Ian Reynoso
No. 60: Center Max Unger
No. 61: Lineman Steve Barnett
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No. 62: Offensive lineman Matt Pierson
No. 63: Defensive lineman Vince Goldsmith
No. 64: Lineman Dave Wilcox
No. 65: Offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius
No. 66: Defensive lineman Taylor Hart
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No. 67: Offensive lineman Jack Patera
No. 68: Offensive lineman Shane Lemieux
No. 69: Offensive lineman Bo Thran
No. 70: Fullback Bob Sanders
No. 71: Offensive linemen Mark Lewis and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
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No. 72: Offensive lineman Adam Snyder
No. 73: Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby
No. 74: Offensive linemen Kyle Long and Tom Drougas
No. 75: Offensive tackle Jake Fisher
No. 76: Offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr
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No. 77: Offensive lineman Carson York
No. 78: Offensive linemen Alex Forsyth and Cameron Hunt
No. 79: Mark Asper, offensive line
No. 80: Wide receivers Lavasier Tuinei, Greg Moser and Ray Palm
No. 81: Wide receiver Bob Newland
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No. 82: Wide receiver Lew Barnes and tight end Blake Spence
No. 83: Tight end Ed Dickson and wide receiver Patrick Johnson
No. 84: Tight end Justin Peelle, linebacker Anthony Trucks, and Cam McCormick
The bodies of two dogs believed to have belonged to an Oregon woman who was found murdered after being missing for a week were recovered by officials over the weekend.
Susan “Phoenix” Lane-Fournier, 61, and her two large Malinois-mix dogs were reported missing on Nov. 22. Authorities charged her husband, Michel Fournier, 71, with second-degree murder after her body was found on the side of a highway last Friday.
The pups, Elrond and Elros, were nowhere in sight.
A missing poster for Susan “Phoenix” Lane-Fournier’s two dogs, who disappeared with her. Always Our Phoenix/Facebook
But on Saturday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office recovered two dead dogs at the Mount Hood National Forest, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
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The bodies have since been transferred over to the CCSO and investigators are working to determine the exact identities of the dogs.
Lane-Fournier was found dead on the side of a highway. Always Our Phoenix/Facebook
Lane-Fournier initially vanished while she was thought to be out hiking with her dogs at the Mount Hood National Forest. When she didn’t show up to work the following day, her friends reported her disappearance. A friend also spotted her truck near the forest on Nov. 23.
Her death has since been ruled a homicide. Lane-Fournier had filed for divorce on Oct. 31, citing “irreconcilable differences between the parties have caused an irremediable breakdown of their marriage.”
The couple was still legally married at the time of her death, but their neighbors weren’t surprised to hear about their marital troubles.
Michel Fournier was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife. Clackamas County Sheriffâs Office
“They were expecting it; a lot of people talked about domestic violence,” neighbor Betty Swan-DeLong told KGW8.
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Authorities originally called off the search for the dogs on Nov. 26.
Ohio State, Miami (Fla.) and Clemson plunged in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday following their losses during a wild weekend; eight of the top 10 teams moved up one spot and Oregon was No. 1 for the seventh straight week.
The shakeup creates two top-five matchups in conference championship games coming up on Saturday, a day before the College Football Playoff bracket is announced. Oregon, the nation’s only unbeaten team, will face No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten game in Indianapolis. No. 2 Texas will play No. 5 Georgia in the SEC title game in Atlanta, a rematch of their top-five meeting in October won by the Bulldogs.
No. 4 Notre Dame, 11-1 and a winner of 10 straight, won’t play again until the CFP.
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Ohio State, which lost for the fourth straight time to Michigan and was knocked out of the Big Ten title game, dropped five spots to No. 7, behind Tennessee.
SMU is No. 8 and followed by Indiana and Boise State. The Broncos are in the top 10 for the first time since 2011 and the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, two spots ahead of No. 12 Arizona State, the highest-ranked Big 12 team.
If the Broncos win the Mountain West title and are one of the top four-seeded conference champions in the final CFP rankings, they would receive a bye to the quarterfinals.
Miami’s loss at Syracuse cost the Hurricanes a spot in the ACC title game — and possibly the CFP — and dropped them six spots to No. 14. Clemson, which plays SMU in the ACC game, lost to South Carolina and fell six places to No. 18. South Carolina has won six straight — four against ranked opponents — and earned a promotion to No. 13.
Ole Miss remained No. 15 and was followed by Iowa State and BYU.
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Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Highlights | FOX CFB
Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan marked the fifth time this season a top-five team lost to an unranked opponent, the most since it happened five times in 2017.
Miami’s 42-38 loss to Syracuse was the 12th by a top-10 team against an unranked opponent, the most since there were 12 such losses in 2021.
It’s been 10 years since South Carolina was ranked higher than in-state rival Clemson. In 2014, the Gamecocks were No. 13 following a 3-1 start and finished 7-6 and unranked in Steve Spurrier’s last full season as coach.
Notre Dame has its highest ranking since it was No. 4 on Dec. 22, 2020.
No. 23 Syracuse enters the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 30, 2022, after winning nine games for the first time since 2018 under first-year coach Fran Brown. The win over Miami was its first over a top-10 opponent since 2017.
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No. 25 Memphis, which was last ranked in October 2020, knocked off Tulane as a double-digit road underdog and has 10 wins for the second straight year. Tulane, which plays at No. 24 Army in the American Athletic Conference title game, went from No. 18 to out of the rankings.
Texas A&M, No. 20 last week, was bounced after losing at home to Texas and dropping its last three SEC games.
SEC: 7 (Nos. 2, 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 22).
Big Ten: 5 (Nos. 1, 3, 7, 8, 21).
ACC: 4 (Nos. 8, 14, 18, 23).
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Big 12: 4 (Nos. 12, 16, 17, 20).
AAC: 2 (Nos. 24, 25).
Mountain West: 2 (Nos. 10, 19).
Independent: 1 (No. 4).
Here’s the full top 25:
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1. Oregon 2. Texas 3. Penn State 4. Notre Dame 5. Georgia 6. Tennessee 7. Ohio State 8. SMU 9. Indiana 10. Boise State 11. Alabama 12. Arizona State 13. South Carolina 14. Miami (Fla.) 15. Ole Miss 16. Iowa State 17. BYU 18. Clemson 19. UNLV 20. Colorado 21. Illinois 22. Missouri 23. Syracuse 24. Army 25. Memphis
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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I’m not sure that Bryce Boettcher will have many days in his life that top this one.
At one point on Saturday night, the kid from South Eugene was prancing around the sideline with his team during ‘Shout’, holding a 49-14 lead over his most hated rival. During the celebration, Boettcher showed off his athleticism with an impressive backflip during potentially his last-ever fourth-quarter celebration inside Autzen Stadium.
I asked Boettcher after the game if, in terms of peak life moments, anything would ever top that.
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“That was definitely up there,” Boettcher said. “Maybe next week, or maybe down the road. I don’t know, having kids or something like that might be pretty cool.”
Maybe.
Boettcher ended with a game-high 11 tackles, including one sack, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Statistically, it was one of the best games he’s had in his Oregon career. Emotionally, it will probably stack up as one of the days he will ever have in his life.
“It’s something I’m going to remember for a long time.”
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