The Oregon Ducks are 6-0 in Friday night games in Autzen Stadium – An impressive statistic that Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) has a chance to extend this week.

The No. 6 Ducks will host a their first home Big Ten conference game on Friday night at 6 p.m. PT against Michigan State (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten). Oregon is welcoming a familiar foe in Michigan State coach coach Jonathan Smith, who led rival Oregon State for the past six years prior to taking over with the Spartans.

“Generally, I would always say success points back to preparation, right?” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said of Oregon’s Friday night winning streak. “They’re obviously on a short week. We’re on a short week as well. But, you know, our guys came out there again to work today, did a really good job, and it’s about stacking the next few days as well, continuing to improve.”

“Obviously, our fans’ support in Autzen is unbelievable, right? When you have the fans that we have, they make a huge impact on that game,” Lanning continued.

Another interesting streak for Oregon… The Ducks will aim to continue their recent success in night games as they prepare for Friday’s 6 p.m. start. The Ducks are 6-0 under coach Lanning in games that begin at 6 p.m. PT or later. Another testament to the preparation coach Lanning referenced.

Coach Lanning noted some similarities between this Smith-led Michigan State team and Smith’s former Oregon State teams.

“There’s definitely some similar pieces,” said coach Lanning. “I think they always do a good job of challenging you in the run game, creating different pictures than maybe what you see. Across college football, they always do a great job of that. Defensively a little bit different than what they were last year at Oregon State, but still really, really sound and do some things that challenge you as well.”

Coach Lanning and Coach Smith battled the last two seasons, splitting with a 1-1 record between Oregon and Oregon State.

In order for the 4-0 Ducks to extend their streak and stay undefeated in for the 2024 college football season, look for quarterback Dillon Gabriel to stay efficient. Gabriel currently leads the nation with an 81.5 completion percentage and is the only FBS quarterback above 80 percent.

On the flip side, Michigan State dual-threat quarterback Aidan Chiles (who played at Oregon State for Smith) has a 56.3 completion percentage with five touchdowns but eight interceptions. Chiles is averaging almost 212 passing yards per game and the Ducks are allowing 154.8 passing yards per game. Oregon must force Chiles into turnovers.

Friday night will also be an emotional game for coach Lanning and his family. The Oregon football team will be wearing a bright yellow “Heroes” uniform combination is designed by coac Lanning and his family. The uniforms are designed to represent triumph and to show support for those who have battled cancer. Oregon and coach Lanning want to “stomp out cancer” and raise awareness in the fight for the cure.

Coach Lanning’s wife, Sauphia, completed treatment for bone cancer in 2017.

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EUGENE- Oregon Ducks Starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel is climbing the ranks in college football. The Heisman-hopeful quarterback, after a solid performance in Week Five, surpassed former Oregon quarterback and current Denver Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix to move into second for most career total yards (17,168) in NCAA history. 

Former Houston Cougars quarterback Case Keenum (2007-2011) has the most career total yards with 20,114 yards.

In Oregon’s Big Ten opener against the UCLA Bruins, Gabriel played a good game with the exception of his first interception of the season. Gabriel completed 31-of-41 passes for 280 yards. 

“I think Dillon had a really positive performance, excluding one play,” said Oregon coach Dan Lanning following Oregon’s 34-13 win over the Bruins. “I think he’s continued to prove to be a really savvy quarterback. He did a really good job. One of the things I was impressed with was Dylan and the way he utilized his feet when the first answer wasn’t there. You know, he did a really good job of that. And moving on to the next play.” 

Gabriel is in his first season with the Ducks and is off to a successful start. Gabriel has thrown for 1,192 yards on the season, including nine touchdowns. Gabriel has also proven to be efficient on his feet, rushing for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon’s quarterback is also still in the competition for the most prestigious award in college football: the Heisman Trophy. 

Gabriel is currently ranked fifth in the Heisman Trophy race (+1400) behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (+1000), Colorado’s Travis Hunter (+700), Miami’s Cam Ward (+500), and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (+200). 

Although Gabriel’s chances of securing a Heisman are still relatively high, his interception in Oregon’s most recent game against UCLA did slightly hurt his odds. In a Heisman race this tight, just one mistake could cost you your chance. However, with a stat line as impressive as Gabriel’s, his interception is to be noted but not something to be dramatically worried about. Alabama quarterback and current Heisman favorite Milroe also has one interception on the season. 

Gabriel has been an instrumental piece in Oregon’s success so far this season, leading the Ducks to a 4-0 record. Gabriel and the Ducks will look to secure another win under the bright lights of Autzen Stadium on Friday, October 4th when the Ducks face the Michigan Spartans in their first home game in the Big Ten conference. 

The Oregon Ducks own a 4-3 all-time record against the Spartans and are 3-0 against Michigan State in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are also undefeated when playing at home in Autzen Stadium on Friday nights (6-0). 

A win against Michigan State will be crucial for the Ducks as they look to build momentum for the road that lies ahead. The Ducks are set to face the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, October 12th at 4:30 p.m. PT in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year. 

As Oregon prepares to face the Michigan State Spartans, Gabriel is continuing to look to continue his successful performance and lead the Ducks to another win as they continue on the road to a championship. 

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In advance of the Central Oregon Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, Oct. 13, Central Oregon Community College is “planting” a temporary Promise Garden of the flower-like pinwheels that walkers carry to signify their connection to the brain disease.

COCC will have up to 100 pinwheels installed at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, in front of the college’s Health Careers Center on the Bend campus. Members of the public are invited to view the garden.

“This is meant to raise awareness of the disease and create a tangible connection to Alzheimer’s for our staff, faculty, students and the broader community,” explained Jennifer Chance, COCC enrollment specialist and community engagement chair for the walk’s planning committee. “It symbolizes a promise to work toward a cure with advocacy, support and remembrance.”

A team of COCC faculty and staff, currently comprised of 13 members, is walking to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s research event, Chance added.

The Promise Garden will be relocated to Bend’s Riverbend Park on Oct. 13 for the one-mile walking event, with free registration starting at 11 a.m.

The event uses four color-coded pinwheels: Purple representing someone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s; yellow representing someone caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s; blue representing someone living with Alzheimer’s; and orange denoting participants who may not have a direct connection to the disease but who support the movement.

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

For more information, contact Jen Chance at 541-504-2911 or jchance2@cocc.edu.