Oregon
Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers, game preview: Can the Beavers pull the upset?
A unique backdrop awaits as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks face the rival Oregon State Beavers on Saturday afternoon at Reser Stadium.
The Ducks, steeped in national expectations in their first season in the Big Ten, have disappointed in the first two weeks with narrow victories over Idaho and Boise State. The Beavers, meanwhile, are 2-0 with wins over Idaho State and San Diego State, taking a victory lap after helping revive the Pac-12 that Oregon left behind.
No. 9 Oregon (2-0) at Oregon State (2-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 14
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis
Coaches: Dan Lanning, third year (24-5) vs. Trent Bray, first year (2-0)
Latest line: Oregon by 16.5 (Odds via FanDuel)
TV channel: FOX (KPTV 12 in Portland)
On air: Radio on 1080 “The Fan” in Portland, KUJZ 95.3 in Eugene
Stream: Fubo (free trial) or DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have a provider, you can also watch this game live on FOX Sports Live with your cable or satellite provider login information.
Oregon uniform combination: Green helmet, white jerseys, green pants.
Oregon State uniform combination: Black helmet, black jersey, black pants
What’s at stake: Bragging rights with unprecedented underpinnings. The Ducks have national championship aspirations and want to stomp their rivals to prove a point, while the Beavers seek a bit of revenge on one of the teams that left the Pac-12 and their athletic program in a precarious position. Oregon will be highly motivated, too, as several players on this roster were part of the 2022 team that lost in Corvallis. And the Ducks seek a lop-sided win to quiet outside critics and regain some confidence after a shaky start.
Oregon offense vs. Oregon State defense
The Ducks’ productivity on offensive centers around their ability to run block, and to protect quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Oregon admits its offensive line play in the first two weeks hasn’t been up to the standard, and it rotated a cast of characters through the interior against Boise State. But when this Oregon offense is on, and Gabriel has time to throw, its big play ability is undeniable. The weapons are everywhere on the field. It’s about creating the space to utilize them, and first establishing the run with Jordan James and Noah Whittington.
Oregon State has a rush defense that has allowed just 77 yards per game, good enough for 26th in the country. So, if the Beavers fill the gaps and contains James and company on the ground, it will fall on Gabriel to find his talented receivers. The question is, will he have time?
Oregon defense vs. Oregon State offense
Oregon was gashed for 192 yards and three touchdowns by Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty last week. A big part of that was Jeanty’s individual greatness, but the Ducks remain dissatisfied with giving up big plays on the ground. For much of the game outside of those big runs, though, Oregon was stout in the middle. Easy to say.
The Ducks defended the pass well against Boise State, too, save for a few soft spots in the intermediate areas. They lead FBS in passes defended. Transfer defensive backs Brandon Johnson and Jabbar Muhammad shined, and the Broncos leaned hard on Jeanty as a result. Not a bad guy to lean on in any event.
Oregon State loves to run the ball. It is woven into this team’s identity. The Beavers rank fifth nationally, averaging nearly 300 rush yards per game. They lead FBS in time of possession, too. Running backs Jam Griffin and Anthony Hankerson are a tough out for any defense.
If Oregon is to avoid the upset, physicality in the trenches from players like Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell is a must. Linebackers including Jeff Bassa and Bryce Boettcher need to close on the ball quickly and punch the Beavers in the mouth. And both Johnson and Muhammad will need to tackle well in space.
Matchup to watch: Oregon State’s run game vs. the Oregon front seven.
What Dan Lanning said: “Obviously, very excited to play Oregon State. They’ve had some success these first couple weeks, done a really good job running the ball. I think they’re really well coached team. Guy playing quarterback has done an unbelievable job. We actually watched a lot of his film before because he was at Idaho. Super athletic. Their run game’s really good. Defensively, like they’ve always been, since I’ve been here, really sound and create some tough looks. So it’s going to be a fun challenge for us.”
What Trent Bray said: “They just got a tremendous amount of athletes, obviously, very talented quarterback, there’s athletes everywhere on the field, up front, tight end, so they’re just extremely talented. And so that’s what you got to be able to make sure that you’re sound, you’re in the right spots. Likewise, with their defense.”
Key stat: Oregon has won 14 of the last 20 matchups with Oregon State, including 13 of the last 16. The teams have traded victories for the past five seasons.
Prediction: Oregon 45, Oregon State 20
- Oregon football 2024 season schedule, scores
- Oregon State football 2024 season schedule, scores
–Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.
March Madness is underway and college basketball’s big dance continues with No. 8 seed Oregon taking on No. 9 seed Virginia Tech in a First Round matchup on Friday, March 20. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the clash between the Hokies and Ducks.
USA TODAY Sports has a team of journalists covering women’s March Madness to keep you up to date with every point scored, rebound grabbed and game won in the 68-team tournament.
USA TODAY Studio IX: Check out our women’s sports hub for in-depth analysis, commentary and more
Join the USA TODAY $1 million Bracket Challenge
What time is Virginia Tech vs Oregon First Round game?
No. 8 Oregon vs No. 9 Virginia Tech tips off at 1:30 PM (EST) on Friday, March 20 from Moody Center (Austin, Texas).
What channel is Virginia Tech vs Oregon First Round game?
No. 8 Oregon vs No. 9 Virginia Tech is airing live on ESPN2.
How to stream Virginia Tech vs Oregon First Round game
No. 8 Oregon vs No. 9 Virginia Tech is available to stream on Fubo.
Watch the NCAA Tournament all March long with Fubo
Women’s March Madness schedule today
See the schedule, live scores and resultsfor all of Friday’s NCAA Tournament action here.
2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule
- March 18-19: First Four
- March 20-21: First Round
- March 22-23: Second Round
- March 27-28: Sweet 16
- March 29-30: Elite 8
- April 3: Final Four
- April 5: National Championship
Join the USA TODAY Survivor Pool to win cash prizes
Players to watch in the 2026 Women’s NCAA March Madness Tournament
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg and Meghan Hall give a few of their favorite players they will be keeping an eye on in the women’s March Madness tournament.
Sports Seriously
AUSTIN — Save your gripes about NCAA referees. Oregon women’s basketball guard Katie Fiso contended with much more hostile officiating conditions in her driveway.
Fiso grew up playing one-on-one against her twin brother in games so competitive that punches were sometimes thrown. As referee, their dad swallowed his whistle.
The family motto? “You don’t see no blood, there’s no foul,” Fiso said with a grin.
As Fiso stood outside Oregon’s locker room on Thursday and reminisced on those driveway battles, she admitted she never thought she’d be here: Putting together a breakout sophomore season and leading the No. 8 seed Ducks into a first-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 9 seed Virginia Tech on Friday.
It’s a bittersweet moment for Fiso, whose eyes fill with tears when she thinks of two people who aren’t here to witness it. Last winter, in the middle of Fiso’s freshman season at Oregon, her dad and her grandfather died within two weeks of each other.
Their memories will inspire Fiso when she takes the court for the Ducks this week.
“Basketball has always been an outlet for me, kind of like (to) get away from all this reality. When I step off the court, it’s like I step into the reality and realize he’s not here no more,” Fiso said. “I have a lot of passion for this game because I love it so much, so that’s where I get my love from. I do it for my dad, I do it for my grandpa, I do it for all these people, I do it for my family. So it’s very intentional when I’m on the court. I don’t take any moment for granted.”
Her father, Joseph Fiso was the one who taught Katie and her five siblings the value of hard work and grittiness on the basketball court. He woke them up at 6 a.m. every Saturday to go to the YMCA, where Katie played against boys much older than her and learned to stand her ground.
“I would always get pushed around, I would always get crowded so hard and my dad was like, ‘Hey, go harder at her!’” Fiso recalled. “Like, I would be in here getting D’d up by these old men. But I didn’t realize that it actually was helping me over time, in the long run.”
On Dec. 4, 2025, Joseph was in Eugene to attend Katie’s game. The morning of Oregon’s matchup against Washington State, Joseph Fiso died in his sleep at the hotel.
Grief threatened to swallow Katie whole. Basketball was a reminder of everything she and her dad shared.
Almost immediately after she found out about his death, Fiso got back in the gym to shoot hoops and clear her mind. She bawled her eyes out. Being on the court was at once painful and a relief, but Fiso learned to use the sport to tap into her emotions instead of to escape from them.
“I was definitely second-guessing myself and my worth,” Fiso said. “My mind was all over the place. Trying to be in the game and also dealing with life stuff was definitely difficult. So I took it upon myself over the summer to work on myself and not keep all those feelings inside, actually feel them. So that’s when I tapped in a lot to my faith and it gave me that confidence, that my worth is not in this basketball because it’s so fleeting and up and down, but it’s in someone who is always gonna love me and say ‘It’s OK, you’re always perfect in my eyes.’”
After playing 9.7 minutes per game and averaging 3.1 points off the bench for Oregon as a freshman, Fiso is now a full-time starter who leads Oregon in average minutes (32), points (15.3) and assists (6.3).
She’s playing with new confidence that accentuates the Ducks’ depth and allows her to feel free on the court. When she makes a mistake, she brushes it off and realizes that it doesn’t determine who she is as a basketball player.
“It’s a blessing to be here in this spot,” Fiso said. “Not a lot of people get this opportunity to be at this stage and play at this high level, so I’m thankful. I feel like all those days I was playing with my brothers and playing with my siblings, it helped me prepare for moments like this.”
Oregon coach Kelly Graves has known Fiso since her older brother was a practice player for Graves’ Gonzaga team. Graves followed Fiso’s career at Garfield High School in Seattle, where she won three state championships – a fourth was in reach before the pandemic prematurely ended the season – and was voted Washington state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
Graves already knew Fiso’s potential when she arrived in Eugene, but he didn’t fully see it emerge until a breakout game at the end of her freshman season. In the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Fiso shot 4-of-6 from the field and scored eight points in 19 minutes in Oregon’s first-round win against Vanderbilt.
From there, Fiso only continued to build.
“I think once she realized, ‘Hey, this is kind of my team,’ you saw how she embraced that role,” Graves said. “Even though she’s just a sophomore, she’s the one that’s leading the group. She’s leading the huddles, leading practice, and that’ s not easy for someone her age, but she’s got it in her.”
Fiso is one of several Oregon players who adjusted to new roles this season. Sophomore forward Ehis Etute, the nation’s No. 2 offensive rebounder, and junior guard Ari Long both stepped into the starting lineup after coming off the bench last season. So did junior guard Sofia Bell, who spent last season getting her rhythm back after an injury curtailed her freshman season. Senior forward Mia Long, a transfer from Fresno State, is new to the program but provides a veteran presence.
“Our players have done a pretty good job of not just accepting their roles necessarily, because they can evolve and change, but executing them,” Graves said. “These are homegrown kids that again, didn’t play much. You look at Katie and Ehis, they had very small roles last year. Ari, a supportive role. Sofia Bell to some degree. And that’s four of our five starters so I’m proud of that. They have developed, they have gotten better, they figured out what they need to do to get playing time and they’re making the most of it.”
Fiso deftly balances her scoring responsibilities with slinging dart passes to her teammates. She ranked second nationally with seven points-assists double-doubles this season, the most by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu in 2019-20.
“I would say I’m more of a finesse, get downhill type of girl, but I’m also a playmaker,” Fiso said. “I got a little swag in my game.”
Graves said Fiso shares intangibles with two of the prolific point guards he’s coached, Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot.
“She’s got that same mentality and I think that’s why you’re seeing her succeed now,” Graves said. “But she’s still a work in progress. She’s got a long ways to go and she’s going to continue to get better and better, but she’s going to have a great pro future, I think.”
ESTACADA Ore. (KPTV) – According to Governor Tina Kotek, 100% of Oregon school districts have adopted a cell phone ban. On Wednesday, Kotek visited Estacada High School (EHS) to see her policy in action.
“Research tells us that constant cell phone use distracts from learning and can create mental health issues,” Kotek said. “For our students to thrive, we have to make every hour of class time as high-value as possible. Getting rid of distractions like cell phones is one way we can prioritize student success and transform our education system to get better results.”
Last summer, Kotek issued Executive Order 2509, which bans Oregon public school students from using their cell phones at school. The policy officially went into effect on Jan. 1.
According to Superintendent Ryan Carpenter, the Estacada School District has approximately 2,100 students, with 51% under the poverty line and 18% qualify for special education services. Carpenter said the majority of school districts in Oregon have these same statistics, making EHS a great spot for Kotek to see her policy in action.
Kotek visited two classrooms at EHS and received feedback from students about the cell phone ban. While some students said the ban has made it harder to research certain assignments in class or to coordinate after-school plans, overall, students said they’ve noticed positive impacts.
“At first, I wasn’t the biggest fan, but as the semester has gone on, I’ve found a lot more positivity in it,” said Sophia Morales-Meraz, a sophomore at EHS. “I find myself reaching less for my phone, having stronger connections and talking more to my classmates, and spending more time just really enjoying the moment.”
“I’m definitely more engaged in lessons with my teachers because I’m able to focus on what they’re saying…” said Cooper Skroch, a junior at EHS. “My attention span has gotten a lot better now that I don’t have to use my phone during the day.”
EHS teachers said they have noticed improvements, too. In addition to seeing more engagement from their students, language arts teacher Jeff Mellema said the policy has brought joy back to his career.
“I got into this profession because I like the one-on-one with kids, I like interacting with students,” Mellema said. “I like helping them along the process of their learning and this policy’s made that part easier.”
Without cell phones in schools, Carpenter said parents raised concerns about contacting their child in case of an emergency. But Kotek said school staff are prepared to bridge that communication gap and connect students with their parents, if needed.
Carpenter said the cell phone ban has not only resulted in higher attendance and graduation rates, but it’s also established a stronger sense of community at EHS.
“A lot of great things are happening,” Carpenter said. “We’re experiencing barriers in every child’s life and to remove cell phones is just one barrier to help us continue to get kids to be successful.”
After receiving feedback from students, Kotek told FOX 12 that she does not plan to make any changes to the policy moving forward.
Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
Where Oil and Gas Sites Have Been Attacked During Iran War
Why is the ‘Bachelorette’ canceled? A guide to the Taylor Frankie Paul controversy
Microsoft is ending the Windows Update nightmare — and letting you pause them indefinitely
Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report
Pritzker pushes prosecutions of Trump officials as part of Dem ‘Project 2029’ agenda
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Pritzker pushes prosecutions of Trump officials as part of Dem ‘Project 2029’ agenda
Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz message
Gold Trump coin moves forward after Treasury invokes rare authority
Meet the longtime biz partner of Ilhan Omar’s husband as questions swirl over her skyrocketing net worth
‘Nobody can blackmail us’: Leaders excoriate Orbán’s veto
-
Detroit, MI2 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Oklahoma6 days agoFamily rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash
-
Nebraska1 week agoWildfire forces immediate evacuation order for Farnam residents
-
Georgia4 days agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMassachusetts community colleges to launch apprenticeship degree programs – The Boston Globe
-
Alaska5 days agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Colorado1 week ago‘It’s Not a Penalty’: Bednar Rips Officials For MacKinnon Ejection | Colorado Hockey Now
-
Southwest1 week agoTalarico reportedly knew Colbert interview wouldn’t air on TV before he left to film it