Oregon
Oregon football quarterbacks impress during first team scrimmage of 2024 spring season
Oregon football’s Dan Lanning on what he saw in first spring scrimmage
Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning talks about what he saw from the team during the Ducks’ first spring scrimmage on Saturday in Eugene.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning has said he wants his team ready to play in any and all types of weather conditions.
Saturday the Ducks got a chance to prep for the cold and rain when they went inside Autzen Stadium for the first scrimmage of the spring practice season.
The scrimmage was closed to the media and public but Lanning said the offense looked good early, the defense was better late, and yes, periodic bouts of heavy rain were challenging to play through.
“It certainly made things harder,” Lanning said. “We did a decent job protecting the ball but it certainly made things harder later in the scrimmage to be able to throw the ball effectively. That’s when your running game has to show up, that’s why you want to be a balanced team.”
The scrimmage came two weeks before the Ducks conclude their spring with the annual spring game.
“Overall a good operation and plenty of stuff for us to go attack and clean up,” he said. “I gotta watch the film to see where we’re at but I thought our guys played with some good energy.”
Oregon’s quarterbacks have good day
The scrimmage provided the first opportunity for Oregon’s quarterbacks to get some live reps as the competition to replace Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix as the starter under center continues.
Though a spring depth chart hasn’t been released, the presumptive QB1 and and QB2 are sixth-year senior Dillon Gabriel and former five-star sophomore Dante Moore, respectively.
Lanning had praise for both first-year transfers.
“The speed of play shows up even more and more on scrimmage days because it’s just a little bit faster pace and I thought both of those guys handled it well,” Lanning said. “Both of those guys were able to move around with their feet a little bit … which was a positive to see from them. I thought overall we made some pretty good decisions.”
Lanning wasn’t just pleased with the two veterans, however, as he also mentioned the play of freshmen Austin Novosad and Luke Moga.
“I saw some positives from all of our quarterbacks and I thought that some of our young guys really stuck out,” Lanning said. “(Moga and Novosad) did a really good job, had some real positives there.”
Ducks have a balanced scrimmage
Lanning said the offense was able to convert on a few big pass plays and an unnamed kicker converted on a 50-yard attempt as the defense struggled to keep up early.
“I’d say in the first half of the scrimmage they got their butts whooped some times,” Lanning said. “We had some sustained drives and were able to create some success and have some early scores.”
It eventually evened out as the Ducks wrapped up their eighth practice of the spring.
“Always going to be some highs and lows,” Lanning said. “The offense was able to move the ball early, the defense kind of buckled down in the second half of the scrimmage. … It was very balanced scrimmage from my point of view.”
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
Oregon
Oregon women’s basketball crushes Air Force
It was a one-sided affair Tuesday night as the Oregon Ducks routed Air Force 98-36 in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup in Eugene.
Phillipina Kyei scored 14 points in 18 minutes, and Nani Falatea and Sarah Rambus added 11 points each for the Ducks (8-3) as 4,551 watched at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon got contributions from up and down the roster, with 10 players scoring at least eight points and no one needing to play more than Deja Kelly’s 22 minutes. Kelly finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists. Elisa Mevius added eight points and eight assists.
The Ducks, who entered having lost three of their past four games, handed the Falcons (9-2) their second loss of the season and first since Air Force fell 57-51 to Army in overtime on Nov. 15.
Oregon raced to a 22-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and then matched that score in the second quarter for a 44-18 halftime lead. The Ducks continued to pull away in the second half, steadily increasing their lead the rest of the way. A 21-0 run in the fourth quarter extended Oregon’s lead to 65 before the Falcons trimmed it to a 62-point final margin.
The Ducks shot 58.9% from the field and held Air Force to 23.2% shooting. Oregon scored 68 points in the paint, 56 points on layups and 32 points off of turnovers. The Ducks also had a 23-0 advantage in fast-break points and racked up 31 assists compared with seven for the Falcons.
— Joel Odom
Oregon
Meteorologists warn heavy rain, snow, wind could impact Oregon Christmas week
Safe winter driving tips in Oregon
Here are some tips to keep you safe on the roads.
A long-range forecast says heavy rain, high-elevation snow and strong winds could impact Oregon and the Pacific Northwest during the busy Christmas travel period.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a “hazards risk” for the Dec. 24 to 28 period that includes potential impacts for anyone traveling.
“Travel conditions may be negatively impacted by unsettled weather,” NOAA said in a statement.
The concern is fueled by forecasts for a low pressure system that could develop into an atmospheric river or “bomb cyclone.”
Prepare for rainy, windy Christmas travel in Oregon
National Weather Service meteorologist Noah Alviz said the key message is to be prepared and watch the forecast before hitting the road around Christmas.
“Right now there is moderate confidence,” or about 40-60% chance of a major impact, Alviz said. “The key point to take home is that if you’re on the Oregon Coast or Coast Range, to prepare for possible flooding, and if you’re traveling over the Cascades, to prepare for winter weather.”
Bomb cyclone or atmospheric river could create flooding in Pacific Northwest
Days to watch for heavy precipitation in the Northwest — and possible mountain snow — include Dec. 24 and Dec. 25-28, NOAA said.
In Oregon, long-range forecasts are trending toward the weather being warmer than normal, which could indicate a greater threat for flooding than snow, Alviz said.
“We’re into a wet pattern, with rivers gradually rising, so if we end up with another low-pressure system, bomb cyclone or atmospheric river, that could lead to some flooding,” he said. “But people will just have to stay turned on that and make sure to keep an eye out.”
NOAA echoed that sentiment.
“Please stay tuned to shorter-term forecasts, as specific impacts remain unclear for any given location at this extended forecast range,” the alert said.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
Oregon
Oregon Ducks Cornerback Khamari Terrell Enters Transfer Portal
The Oregon Ducks have lost another player to the transfer portal as the team prepares for the College Football Playoff.
Per reports from On3’s Pete Nakos on Monday, Oregon defensive back Khamari Terrell has entered the portal after three seasons with the Ducks. It’s unclear if Terrell will remain with the team during the CFP as some players that have entered the portal for playoff teams are sticking around for the postseason.
Originally a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class from Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas, Terrell was a playmaker on both sides of the ball as well as a dynamic returner on special teams. He received offers from programs like Clemson, USC, Baylor, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida, Missouri and more. The Ducks offered him in Jan. 2022. He committed to Oregon during his official visit later that month before officially signing with the team in Feb. 2022. He also took official visits with Baylor and Mississippi State.
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Terrell was the No. 29 cornerback in the class and the No. 36 overall player in the state of Texas.
During his freshman year in 2022, Terrell appeared in 10 of 13 games, mostly as a contributor on special teams. He posted a career-high seven total tackles that season.
In 2023, he continued to primarily have a role on special teams before finishing the campaign with six total tackles.
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Oregon has now seen the portal departures of Terrell, safety Tyler Turner, offensive tackle JacQawn McRoy and edge rushers Emar’rion Winston, Jaedon Moore and Jaxson Jones. On the flip side, the Ducks have added two defensive backs in Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman and Northwestern transfer Theran Johnson. The new roster additions will of course continue to start rolling in once the Ducks officially begin their offseason.
But first, Oregon will face off against the winner of Ohio State and Tennessee at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. If the Ducks can win that game, they would advance to the Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to play the winner of Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson at AT&T Stadium.
The Ducks will be taking their 13-0 record and Big Ten Championship hardware into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. This marks Oregon’s second appearance in the CFP since debuting in the first season of the four-team playoff in 2014. The Ducks made it to the National Championship that season but fell short to the Ohio State Buckeyes, led by Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott.
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