NFL preseason games rarely provide a great deal of information as the starters barely play, if at all, and rookies and backup players take the field.
One rookie that made the most of his opportunity is former Oregon Duck star, Bucky Irving. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles decided to sit most of his starters, including starter Rachaad White, giving Irving a chance to show what he can do and he did not disappoint.
“I mean (Irving) had no jitters, he wasn’t nervous,” Bowles said. “He hit the holes, he caught the ball well, he pass blocked well. I will check the tape for everything else, but I thought he had a good first outing.”
In the Bucs’ second series of the game, they mixed the pass and run during a 77-yard drive that resulted in a five-yard touchdown run for Irving.
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“I knew we had an inside-zone call,” Irving said after the game. “I pretty much let my blocks set up and then cut back off my blocks, and then I had to break a tackle to get in.”
Tampa Bay came into the offseason with a stated intention of improving their running game while at the same time relieving the load on starter White. This focus was behind the decision to draft Irving in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) celebrates a touchdown carry in the first quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 1 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
The scouting report on Irving highlighted his ability to evade tackles, his vision, power, and the ability to bring a change of pace to the Bucs’ offense. Consider that this is exactly what Irving did in scoring his first NFL touchdown, albeit in a preseason game. While still early, Bowles is confident that Irving has the ability to add another dimension to the Bucs running game.
“I think the biggest thing is (the running backs) are getting downhill,” Bowles said. “Nobody is dancing back there like they were in the past.
“They understand where the holes are a little better, and they’ve gotten a year to mature — at least Sean does; Bucky is a natural runner like that. They’re recognizing the holes, and they’re doing a good job in practice of seeing where (the hole) has to be and they’re exploding through it.”
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As this was the first preseason game, Irving shared carries with several other running backs. He ended the night with six carries for 28 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. The only back with more carries was second-year back Sean Tucker, who had 10 carries for 68 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and no touchdowns.
Despite limited playing time, Irving had a successful debut. However, Irving acknowledges that there is still much work to be done.
“Just keep my head down, keep working,” Irving said. “I’ve still got a lot of things I need to keep working on to get better at, but I’m not satisfied. I’m just trying to improve and get better.”
One game into the preseason schedule hardly projects a successful year ahead. Yet, coming off of a year in which the Bucs were one of the worst rushing teams in the league (439 rushes for 1509 yards, an average of 3.4 yards per carry and a paltry eight touchdowns), the performance turned in by Irving is a step in the right direction. Oregon Ducks’ fans know what Irving is capable of doing on the football field and Tampa Bay fans are soon to find out.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
