Oregon
‘There’s disappointment’: Dan Lanning, Oregon react to Rose Bowl, CFP loss to Ohio State
PASADENA, Calif. — As scarlet and gray confetti fell on the storied grass at the Rose Bowl, Oregon football coach Dan Lanning didn’t leave the field until he had hugged every player as they exited the field into the tunnel following the Ducks’ 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Lanning rarely spoke more than a few words and offered just a couple of pats to each player before taking one last look at the scene in front of him and departing the field himself.
Tez Johnson, visibly emotional following the game, took the time to approach fans after the game and thank them for their support and shake hands of fans in the front rows.
“I feel like I failed,” Johnson said in the locker room following the game. “I just love the fans, man. To play here, I got my dream to be able to come true. I can’t ask for nothing more.”
Celebrate Oregon’s first Big Ten season with our new book
The Ducks played their worst game of the season at the worst time, trailing 34-0 in the blink of an eye before a too-little, too-late comeback attempt in the second half. Oregon was outgained in yardage 500-276, had minus-23 rushing yards and gave 8.8 yards per play to a Buckeye offense that did anything it wanted all evening long.
In the locker room following the game, you could hear a pin drop as some players itched to leave as quickly as possible while others made the rounds and hugged everyone they could.
After earning the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff following an undefeated regular season, and the first Big Ten title in its history in its first season in the conference, Oregon was blasted by an Ohio State team that looked better prepared, more motivated and more sound.
“I came back to win something worth winning,” tight end Terrance Ferguson said. “God let me back to Eugene again, and we didn’t do that. Obviously that is disappointing because that’s the goal, and everyone came in with that goal and we set that goal early in the season. We chased it and played it all the way through.”
But Ferguson was quick to reflect that he didn’t regret returning for his senior season to chase a championship, citing his new relationship with quarterback Dillon Gabriel and that he and others are now lifelong friends.
“It’s not a disappointing season,” Ferguson said. “I played a lot with these guys and became a better football player. I met a lot of guys that I never would have met if I didn’t come back. Those relationships are what make it special.”
Bryce Boettcher, who has never been afraid to speak his mind throughout the season and has been the emotional heartbeat of Oregon’s defense all season long, said that Wednesday’s loss will “piss me off for awhile.”
“I don’t want to discredit what we had this season as a team and a brotherhood,” Boettcher said. “I was telling some people that what you have in the locker room, 20 years down the road that’s going to pay off dividends. You aren’t going to remember the games, You’re going to remember some plays maybe, but for the most part it’s the relationships.”
Lanning, who took responsibility for the loss along with his staff, kept it simple at the podium following the disappointing loss for the one-time national title-contending Ducks.
“There’s disappointment,” Lanning said. “But I talked to the team about life in that locker room and how grateful I am for the opportunity to coach this team. I love these guys. And they put it all out on the field for us, blood, sweat and tears.
“It’s not about getting knocked down, it’s about getting back up and what you do next.”
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
Video: What Oregon’s Dan Lanning said on Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning praised Ohio State and his team after the Ducks’ remarkable run and loss in the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal game.
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.
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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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Oregon
Longtime Oregon lawmaker repeatedly broke ethics laws to secure hefty raise, commission finds
Longtime Republican lawmaker Greg Smith broke Oregon ethics laws when he used his office to try to secure a $109,000 raise for his work as executive director of an eastern Oregon economic development agency, then maneuvered to get a $66,000 pay hike and make it retroactive, the Oregon ethics commission concluded Friday.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners endorsed an investigator’s finding that Smith, the longtime executive director of the federally funded Columbia Development Authority, repeatedly failed to declare a conflict of interest and used the power of his office for personal financial gain.
Smith got his salary raised from $129,000 to $195,000 without his bosses’ authorization and directed the employee in charge of his agency’s finances that the pay hike be made retroactive to April 2024, the investigator found. When the development authority board learned of Smith’s misrepresentations, it voted in September of that year to rescind the raise, records show. But he has not repaid it, ethics commission investigator Casey Fenstermacher wrote in her report dated Thursday.
Smith now has the option to request a hearing on his case before an administrative law judge or to work with the ethics agency to reach a settlement, including any fine or other punishment. He did not take part in Friday’s hearing nor did he respond to a request for comment left with his legislative chief of staff Friday afternoon.
Staffers at the Oregon Government Ethics Commission will formally propose a settlement with Smith, including financial penalties, by early January, commission director Susan Myers told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. The maximum fine her agency can propose is $10,000, she said, but the nine-member state ethics commission could vote to authorize a higher penalty.
The ethics commission did just that in 2018 when it rejected an agency proposal to fine former Gov. John Kitzhaber $1,000 for ethics violations that allowed his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, to secure lucrative consulting contracts during her time as first lady. Commissioners instead proposed a $50,000 fine and ultimately struck a deal with the four-term governor to pay $25,000.
Smith, who holds a key role on the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee, was elected in 2024 to a 13th term in the House, making him its longest serving member.
The ethics commission dinged him earlier this year for failing to disclose a key client of his consulting business on his required annual financial disclosure form. That client, Harney County, had paid him $7,000 a month to represent its interests at the Legislature.
In that case, Smith acknowledged the omission in his filing and later amended it. The commission closed that case, as it has other cases or incomplete financial filings, by issuing Smith a formal letter of education, Myers said.
According to the Salem Reporter, Smith is also under investigation in two other state ethics proceedings. Investigators are examining whether Smith broke the law when he claimed pay for working for the development authority at the same time he was performing private consulting work or working as a state legislator, the Salem newsroom reported.
The Columbia Development Authority, based in Boardman, is made up of several eastern Oregon governmental entities including the Port of Morrow and is in charge of redeveloping a former military base.
Once the ethics commission formally notifies Smith of its proposed settlement and his right to request a hearing, he will have 21 days to decide which option to pursue, Myers said. Nearly 99% of officials presented with that option choose to pursue a settlement, she said.
The commission normally takes into account both aggravating factors, such as the size of the financial windfall and whether the official repeatedly broke the law, and mitigating factors, such as whether an official acted on the advice of a government lawyer or quickly paid restitution, Myers said.
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