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Takeaways: still positives for Penn State basketball despite the loss to Oregon

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Takeaways: still positives for Penn State basketball despite the loss to Oregon


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Penn State basketball lost a game it should have won. That is where this conversation starts.

The Nittany Lions (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) were up eight points on No. 15 Oregon with (15-2, 4-2) 5:41 left in the second half, but poor defensive execution allowed the Ducks to steal won on the road and win 82-81. Mike Rhoades didn’t mince words after the game either as he described the final stretch.

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“We choked down the stretch,” Rhoades said after the game, “We talked about being solid on defense and we weren’t – we gave up two 3-pointers. We talked about taking care of the basketball; we had two turnovers that led to baskets.

“Credit to Oregon. They did not falter down the stretch, and they’re really, really good. But that was a game we could have won but we didn’t.”

The optics also aren’t good seeing as Penn State has lost three conference games in a row after a promising start to the season.

Frustration is warranted and doubts are understandable. But there are some clear positives Penn State can take from the game against the Ducks and it can hopefully be the start of something better going forward.

No Ace up their sleeve: Nittany Lions make it work without Ace Baldwin

If any team had to go against a top-25 opponent without its best player, the odds would not be favorable, especially when that player is a ball-dominant facilitator like Baldwin, who missed the game while recovering from a back injury.

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But after struggling against Oregon’s defense in the first half, Penn State found its offensive rhythm in the second, outscoring the Ducks 47-41 over the final 20 minutes with more players being involved on a possession-by-possession basis. Don’t forget that Baldwin’s a near 14-point scorer in a game where his team lost by one. Even if he didn’t score like he usually does, the gravity would’ve helped immensely.

Also remember that Baldwin isn’t just an offensive hub, he’s also their best perimeter defender. Had he played Sunday afternoon, he likely draws the assignment on the red-hot Jackson Shelstad, who was Oregon’s leading scorer.

For his team to perform well without Baldwin, Rhoades has to feel confident about this group and how they’ll continue to grow with experience until they get Baldwin back.

Penn State’s 3-point shooting made a comeback

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If Penn State had shot the ball how it did the previous two games, there was no way the Nittany Lions would’ve managed to come back. But they shot 36% (7-for-19) on 3-pointers Sunday afternoon, the most since they made 11 against Coppin St. and the best percentage since they shot 39% against Rutgers in early December.

The team is best when it gets to the rim, but to continue doing that, they need spacing to open lanes for Nick Kern and Puff Johnson to drive, and for Yanic Konan Niederhauser to operate in the post. And it wasn’t as if Penn State was taking ill-advised shots; the open ones simply weren’t falling. Hopefully this is the game that gets the shooting back on track, because they need it.

Freddie Dilione V’s breakout game

Entering Sunday, Dilione averaged 11 points per game in Big Ten competition, and after he had a quiet six points against Illinois, it stood to reason that he would bounce back.

“He’s getting more mature,” Rhoades said about Dilione. “Freddie’s biggest thing is to just keep growing and maturing, understanding the game and being a student of the game. When you play and have coaches that are investing in you, what happens? You start having success.”

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It paid off in a big way as Dilione had a game-high 21 points on 4-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers. The sophomore guard downplayed his career-high because of the team result, but a performance like that has to give him confidence.

Moreover, he could possibly blossom into the secondary shooter Penn State needs opposite Zach Hicks. Does this mean Dilione will suddenly become a consistent 20-point scorer who shoots 66% from deep? Not at all, but another perimeter scoring threat who can realistically get into the mid-30s with his 3-point percentage would open up the offense for everyone.

The Nittany Lions need something positive to carry into their road game against Nationally-ranked Michigan State Wednesday night; they have that as they get deeper into conference play.



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Former Oregon Star Terrance Ferguson Makes NFL Mark in Rams Win

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Former Oregon Star Terrance Ferguson Makes NFL Mark in Rams Win


Former Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson got in the end zone for the first time in his young NFL career. The Los Angeles Rams rookie hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in their 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. 

Oregon Ducks Terrance Ferguson Los Angeles Rams Tight End NFL Draft Rookie Kenyon Sadiq Dan Lanning Jacksonville Jaguars

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson (18) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams selected tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ferguson has not been involved too much in the passing game so far this season, but had his biggest reception in the Rams win over the Jaguars. 

On a 4th down and 1 in the fourth quarter, Stafford went play-action and then reared back and delivered a perfect ball to a streaking Ferguson to bump the Rams lead up to 27-0. It was just second reception of the season for Ferguson, who now has two receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Check out the touchdown grab below.

It was a complete domination from the Rams, who stayed the whole week in Baltimore before flying across the pond to London the day before the game. The Rams were down star wide receiver Puka Nacua and that opened the door for other weapons to make plays, like Ferguson.

MORE: AP Top 25 Poll Chaos After Ranked Upsets For Miami, Ole Miss, Texas Tech

MORE: Biggest Winners, Losers From Oregon’s Resounding Win Against Rutgers

MORE: Oregon’s Dan Lanning Gives Positive Injury Update on Kenyon Sadiq After Rutgers Win

Oregon Ducks Terrance Ferguson Los Angeles Rams Tight End NFL Draft Rookie Kenyon Sadiq Dan Lanning Jacksonville Jaguars

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson (3) on a third quarter pass play at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Before being drafted by the Rams, Ferguson played his college football with the Oregon Ducks from 2021 through 2024. In his four years in Eugene, he totaled 1,537 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions. 

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Despite Oregon’s coach changing from Mario Cristobal to Dan Lanning after Ferguson’s freshman year, he stayed with the Ducks even when many players have decided to leave with a new coach coming in. 

Ferguson’s receiving yards went up each season with Oregon, boosting his draft stock and eventually landing him as a third round pick. Is he helping pave the way for success for future Oregon Ducks tight ends?

Oregon Ducks Terrance Ferguson Los Angeles Rams Tight End NFL Draft Rookie Kenyon Sadiq Dan Lanning Jacksonville Jaguars

Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) gains yards after catch during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Oregon’s top tight end in 2025 is Kenyon Sadiq. Sadiq is in his third season with Oregon and it has been his best year to this point. He has 21 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdown receptions. 

Sadiq was one of the players of the game for Oregon in their last outing against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Ducks went on the road and dominated from start to finish in their 56-10 win. Sadiq had a game high 80 receiving yards on four receptions and two touchdowns.

This was an important win for Oregon, who bounced back from their home defeat to the Indiana Hooisers. The Ducks are now ranked No. 6 in the country in the updated AP Top 25 poll. They are 6-1 this season. Up next is the Wisconsin Badgers at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25.

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Oregon moves up in polls after thrashing Rutgers

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Oregon moves up in polls after thrashing Rutgers


Rutgers wide receiver Kj Duff (8) makes a nice play to prevent Oregon Ducks defensive back Ify Obidegwu (7) from intercepting a Rutgers pass during the first quarter, Saturday, Oct, 18, 2025 in Piscataway, N.J.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

EUGENE — Oregon moved in the polls after it ravaged Rutgers.

The Ducks are No. 6 with 1,317 points in the AP poll and No. 6 with 1,302 points in the coaches poll following their 56-10 win over the Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium.

That’s up from No. 8 with 1,175 points and No. 9 with 1,154 points, respectively, last week.

Oregon (6-1, 3-1) hosts Wisconsin (2-5, 0-4) on Saturday (4 p.m., FS1).

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Latest ‘No Kings’ rally draws fresh ire in many Oregon communities

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Latest ‘No Kings’ rally draws fresh ire in many Oregon communities


As part of an estimated 2,600 other “No Kings” events held across the U.S., thousands of gathered in communities across Oregon on Saturday to denounce the Trump Administration.
 
Since the first “No Kings” rally back in June, President Trump has intensified crackdowns on immigrants, sent armed troops to largely Democratic cities, and has attempted to fire federal workers as the government shutdown nears its third week.

In Eugene, a crowed estimated by Eugene Police to number between 3,500 and 4,000 people gathered downtown.

Jacob Griffin of Trans Alliance of Lane County, spoke about the Trump Administration’s actions against transgender people and immigrants at the Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse in Eugene.

Jenny Jonak, a Eugene 4J school board member, wore an inflatable frog costume to show solidarity for the Portland demonstrators who’ve done regular protests outside that city’s ICE facility. She said she objects to Trump and some conservative media outlets that have characterized Portland as a lawless city that’s on fire and ruled by Antifa.

“And featuring it as war torn when those of us who live in Oregon know that that’s clearly not the case,” said Jonak. “Whether it affects Eugene or not, we’re always concerned when we see our neighbors having encroachments like that and also just seeing something that deviates so much from the truth is disturbing.”
 
Dean Schlichting and his wife, Clara Lanyi, came to the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse dressed in inflatable costumes, as a squirrel and bald eagle respectively.

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Woman with sign and historical photo.
Bonnie Pettit of Eugene says if her father were alive today, he’d be “turning in his grave” because the U.S. has become like the fascist regimes he fought against in World War II.

Schlichting says as a federal worker himself, he’s very concerned for his peers.
 
“And I’m sympathetic to everything else that’s going on,” he said. “I mean there’s so many issues, it’s hard to pick a single one. Because it just seems like it’s a full court press to pull our attention in every direction. And make us feel weak and powerless, and that’s not the case as you can see here.”
 
“We are regular Americans, we are not terrorists,” said Lanyi. “We believe in the Constitution. We are patriots. And we don’t like to see what’s happening with our country today.”
 
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pre-emptively criticized the “No Kings” rallies as anti-American. 
 
That didn’t sit well with Bonnie Pettit, 66, whose father served in World War II. She held a sign of her father in uniform, which read “My father fought fascism in World War II. Now I will.” She sees Trump’s crackdown on the press, immigrants, and dissent as too similar to the fascist leaders of the 1930s and 40s, and wondered how her dad would react.
 
“Probably turning in his grave as most of the ‘Greatest Generation’ would be if they saw what was happening to America right now,” Pettit told KLCC. “I don’t think we were ever a true democracy. But we’re still trying.  And I think basically our experiment is over.”

In that same vein was Kendra Northam of Eugene, who held a sign that read, “FREEDOM NOT FASCISM.” She said she was concerned over the rise in sexism, racism, and xenophobia with this administration.

“I think it’s always been there to a certain degree,” she said. “But when you have people in quote-unquote leadership, that promote and make it okay, it brings the worst out of some people and it makes it normalized which is really, really scary. And that’s what I’m saying, history is repeating itself.”

Northam said as a Korean American, she’s aware of discrimination and recalled how Japanese Americans were put into internment camps during World War II, and wonders if similar plans lie ahead for immigrants, people of color, and more.

The scene in Roseburg

The protests also stretched into more rural and politically conservative areas of Oregon.

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In Roseburg, more than 1,000 people lined Stewart Parkway, attracting a stream of supportive honking and occasional jeers from passersby.

Wearing a frog hat in solidarity with Portland, protestor Lynn Bethan said she was there because she loves America, and wants to preserve its liberties for future generations.

“We’re known as a red city in a red county in a blue state,” said Bethan. “And by me being present here, I’m showing that there are progressive people here in this town.”

Roseburg is in Douglas County, where around two-thirds of voters supported Trump in last year’s election.

But Melissa Sherwood with Indivisible Douglas County said the new administration’s deportation policies are harming immigrants in the local community, while Trump’s promises of lower grocery bills haven’t come to pass.

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“Billionaires are doing quite well. Millionaires are doing very well. The average working class American family is suffering,” said Sherwood. “I think that’s really waking people up, and I hope that it wakes up my neighbors.”

Dave Esper, a U.S. army veteran and Sutherland resident, brought a “don’t tread on me” flag to Saturday’s event. He said he was taking the symbol away from those who have taken the American flag from him.

“I’m representing myself as someone that says you’re not going to tread on me or my rights,” said Esper. “You’re not going to tread on my neighbor’s rights. You’re not going to tread on the immigrants that feed us, and feed this nation. You’re not going to tread on them.”

Saturday’s event drew a handful of religious and pro-Charlie Kirk counter-protesters.

Prior to the event, organizers told KLCC they’d learned of a credible threat of gun violence against the No Kings Day event, but they were able to identify and report the individual.

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The Roseburg Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information about the alleged threat.

“ I’m taking it from them like they took my flag from me.”

Some of Trump’s allies have characterized the “No Kings” rallies as potentially violent “hate America” events, but the first ones held in June were peaceful. No violence has been reported so far from Oregon’s rallies.

Brian Bull reported from Eugene and Nathan Wilk reported from Roseburg.

Copyright 2025, KLCC.

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