Oregon
Takeaways from Michigan’s loss to Oregon
The Michigan Wolverines fell to 5-4 on the season after losing 38-17 to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on Saturday afternoon.
Here are takeaways from the game.
Kirk Campbell should not call plays moving forward
Offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell had mismanaged the game and got cute far too often. Campbell inserted Alex Orji repeatedly, even when Davis Warren did nice things throughout the game. Nothing was worse from Campbell than a sequence in the red zone with Michigan trailing 31-17 where Campbell dialed up a Kalel Mullings run on 3rd and 7 followed by a trick play with Orji at QB with the ball being handed to Semaj Morgan who went on to throw a horrendous pass out of bounce to Orji. Coaching can win and lose games, and Campbell failed mightily — he did not put his players in the best position to win. Head coach Sherrone Moore proved to be a solid offensive coordinator and play caller under Jim Harbaugh, and Moore should start calling the plays once more. Campbell did a lot of things that simply made no sense and were counterintuitive.
Campbell consistently took the ball out of Davis Warren’s hands against Oregon, opting to run into brick walls instead with the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter. Warren faced plenty of third and longs because of run plays that put Michigan behind the sticks, yet Warren was still a respectful 13-of-23 for 165 yards with two touchdowns. In crunch time Campbell didn’t trust his quarterback, he put the ball into the hands of Semaj Morgan on a pass, a play call that was inexcusable in retrospect and is just one of many poor decisions Campbell’s made this season.
Wink Martindale is a step behind
Michigan’s defense was expected to be one of the best in college football this season, and they’ve been average at best. Yes, they were down two starting cornerbacks today in Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill, but every level of the defense struggled in the first half, leading to 28 Oregon points. Oregon had 304 yards on offense in the first half, quarterback Dillon Gabriel consistently found soft spots in Michigan’s zone coverage, and when Martindale dialed up blitzes Oregon exploited the aggressiveness via screens, even on 2nd and 15. Michigan’s defense lacks fundamentals and a cohesive scheme. Martindale does not come out of the gate with good game plans. Michigan gave up 24 first-half points to Texas before allowing just seven in the second half. Against Oregon, there were 28 first-half points compared to 10 in the second half. However, in both games, the damage was already done by the time the second half rolled around and the opposing offenses knew to just play turnover-free football with substantial leads.
Martdinale’s scheme looks a lot different than that of former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has the No. 1 scoring defense with the Los Angeles Chargers. Martindale’s tenure with the Ravens ended poorly, his performance as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants was even worse, and now he’s the DC of Michigan and his performance has been just as uninspiring. Opposing offenses seem to have the data points on how to attack Martindale’s tendencies and the deficiencies within Michigan’s defense.
Outlook moving forward
Michigan’s now 5-4 on the year and the players and coaching staff haven’t collectively improved as the season has unfolded. Michigan’s remaining schedule included No. 13 Indiana (9-0), Northwestern (4-5), and No. 4 Ohio State (7-1). Michigan will be big underdogs against Indiana and Ohio State and there’s a strong chance that the tilt against Northwestern will decide if this team is even bowl-eligible.
Tough questions are going to need to be answered, starting right now. Big strides are being made via NIL (name, image, likeness) to land top-tier recruits and these recruits will want to be coached by the best staff possible. Sherrone Moore will have some tough decisions to make this offseason, including changes on the coaching staff. No coaching staff remains the same year-to-year whether a team has a successful season or not, but this is a point of emphasis all the more when a team like Michigan is hovering around .500. Turning this thing around in 2025 starts right now. Time to come up with a winning formula from top to bottom.
Oregon
Oregon factory jobs fall to lowest point in a dozen years
Oregon’s manufacturing sector continues its rapid decline with employment down more than 5% in the past year. Newly released state data shows factory employment has fallen below the depths it hit in the dark days of the pandemic recession.
The state had about 177,000 manufacturing jobs in September, the Oregon Employment Department reported last week. That’s the fewest number since December 2013.
Manufacturing is a big deal in Oregon. The state has a higher concentration of blue-collar jobs than most other states, a function of its roots in forest products, food processing and electronics manufacturing.
The state’s tax code also favors heavy industry. Oregon has no sales tax and offers lucrative property tax exemptions to large manufacturers. It exempts companies from income and revenue taxes on products they make here and sell in other states or countries, though the state’s new corporate activity tax is adding to the cost of some equipment and materials that manufacturers use.
Oregon factories began shedding jobs three years ago but as recently as last spring state economists were hopeful the worst was over. It wasn’t. The decline accelerated as the year went on and Oregon has now lost nearly 10,000 factory jobs in the past 12 months.
Much of the trouble corresponds to severe issues in Oregon’s semiconductor industry, the state’s largest economic sector in dollar terms.
Intel remains the state’s largest corporate employer but it has laid off more than 6,000 workers since the summer of 2024. The chipmaker’s Oregon workforce is at its lowest point in more than a dozen years, at a little more than 16,000 local employees.
Intel is struggling to overcome years of setbacks in its production technology, playing catchup to industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. CEO Lip-Bu Tan says a smaller workforce will make Intel more agile.
It’s not just Intel cutting jobs. Microchip Technology, Onsemi and others have laid off an unspecified number of Oregon workers in response to setbacks in their own businesses. Altogether, Oregon chipmakers have shed about a fifth of their jobs in the past 18 months.
President Donald Trump’s trade war may also be playing a role in Oregon’s manufacturing woes. The president says his tariffs are designed to bring factory jobs back to the U.S. but they have also triggered retaliatory tariffs from other countries.
That stings in Oregon, which is among the most trade-dependent states in the nation. The state’s exports were down 19% through the first nine months of the year, according to the latest federal data collected by WiserTrade. It’s not clear how much of that decline was triggered by the trade war, though, and to what degree fewer exports translated into fewer jobs.
In their quarterly revenue forecast last month, state economists told a legislative committee that Oregon factory workers are also spending less time on the job in recent months — a worrisome sign that suggests manufacturers are continuing to scale back.
“The current direction of manufacturing hours worked per week in Oregon, coupled with ongoing job losses, raises concerns for the sector,” the economists wrote.
This is Oregon Insight, The Oregonian’s weekly look at the numbers behind the state’s economy. View past installments here.
Oregon
Lake scores 16, Oregon State knocks off Montana State 67-57
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Josiah Lake’s 16 points helped Oregon State defeat Montana State 67-57 on Saturday.
Lake had eight rebounds and six assists for the Beavers (6-5). Dez White added 12 points while shooting 4 for 11, including 2 for 7 from beyond the arc while he also had five rebounds. Isaiah Sy shot 4 for 8, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points.
The Bobcats (4-7) were led in scoring by Patrick McMahon, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jeremiah Davis added nine points for Montana State.
Oregon State used a 10-2 run in the second half to build a 10-point lead at 63-53 with 2:02 left in the half before finishing off the win.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Oregon
How Oregon’s Defense Ranks Compared To James Madison
While the No. 5 Oregon Ducks offense has been the glue of the team’s success this season, their defense has also played a pivotal role in helping them earn a spot in the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year.
Entering their first-round home playoff matchup against the No. 12 James Madison Dukes, Oregon aims to capitalize on defense, which is crucial in their goal of making a run at its first National Championship in program history. Oregon enters the playoff as one of the highest-ranked at-large teams behind the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Where Does Oregon’s Defense Stack Up Against James Madison, CFP Field?
Despite the Ducks being an overwhelming 21.5-point favorite over James Madison, according to ESPN BET Sportsbook, the first-round playoff matchup in Eugene will be a battle between two dominant defenses.
James Madison is second in the country in total defense behind Ohio State, allowing 247.6 yards per game. The Ducks’ defense is ranked No. 4 in total defense, allowing 251.6 yards per game.
Oregon’s defense has several contributors who have led the team under defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi this season, including Matayo Uiagalelei and A’Mauri Washington up front on the defensive line. Bryce Boettcher and Teitum Tuioti have also been dominant players at linebacker this season for the Ducks.
Boettcher leads the Ducks with 103 total tackles, one interception, and one sack this season. Dillon Thieneman, Brandon Finney Jr., and Aaron Flowers have been key contributors in the secondary with four interceptions combined.
MORE: Weather Concerns Begin For Oregon’s Playoff Game vs. James Madison
MORE: Three Reasons Why Oregon Could Be The Most Dangerous Playoff Team
MORE: Oregon Ducks Projected to Make Program History In 2026 NFL Draft
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When it comes to scoring defense, the Ducks are ranked No. 6 among the other 12 playoff teams, allowing 14.8 points per game.
The five playoff teams that rank above the Ducks in scoring defense include No. 2 Ohio State (8.2), No. 1 Indiana (10.8), No. 4 Texas Tech (10.9), No. 10 Miami (13.8), and No. 8 Oklahoma (13.9). Oregon’s first round opponent, James Madison, is ranked one spot below the Ducks at No. 7 in scoring defense, allowing 15.9 points per game.
Oregon’s Defense Strengths and Weaknesses
If the Ducks beat James Madison in the first round of the playoff, they’ll face the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the CFP Quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. A potential matchup between the Red Raiders and the Ducks in the Orange Bowl could come down to whichever defense performs better. While Oregon’s pass defense has been dominant throughout the season, its rush defense could jeopardize the Ducks’ quest for a championship.
The Ducks rank No. 8 among playoff teams in rushing defense, allowing 107.3 yards per game. Texas Tech ranks No. 1, allowing 68.5 yards per game. The Red Raiders’ rush defense’s ability to shut down Oregon’s dominant running back trio of Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison, and Dierre Hill Jr. will be one of the biggest keys in a potential Orange Bowl matchup.
It’ll be interesting to see how Oregon’s defense holds up against a talented James Madison offense that will have a chip on its shoulder as a massive underdog. The Dukes’ offense, led by quarterback Alonza Barnett III and star running back Wayne Knight, will challenge Oregon’s defense early on, but expect the Ducks to win convincingly.
Oregon will host James Madison at Autzen Stadium to open up the CFP on Dec. 20, with the kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT. The game broadcast will be on TNT, HBO Max, and truTV.
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