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Utah aims to keep Washington game from being an Oregon repeat

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Utah aims to keep Washington game from being an Oregon repeat


The last time the Utah football team was ranked No. 13 in the country and facing a Pac-12 opponent in the top six … things did not go particularly well.

Now that those same set of circumstances have arisen again, the Utes can only hope that Saturday’s matchup with Washington turns out better than their game against Oregon did.

Additional similarities, however, paint a difficult picture for Utah.

“We’ve got a big challenge this week on the road against the No. 5 team in the country. And we’ve got to be at our best,” said Utes coach Kyle Whittingham. “We can’t just play good, we’ve got to play great. That’s what it’s going to take.”

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Utah’s players and coaches may claim that their 35-6 demolition at the hands of the Ducks is irrelevant to this weekend’s affair in Seattle, but the overlap in Oregon’s and Washington’s skillsets is impossible to ignore.

Going into this weekend, Oregon ranks second nationally in total yardage (538.7) while Washington is fourth (509.1). The Huskies are first in passing offense (383.1), while the Ducks are fourth (330.6). Oregon is first in scoring offense (47.4), while Washington is fourth (41.7).

Yes, the Utes enter this game ranked 10th nationally in total defense (282.3) and tied for ninth in scoring defense (15.89).

But Utah could not touch Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, could not tame the Ducks’ cadre of playmakers.

And Washington is just as loaded.

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“They’ve got excellent personnel — the thing that stands out, obviously, is the quarterback and the throw game,” said Whittingham. “… It’s statistically the best in the nation by a considerable margin, like 50 yards better than the next-closest passing game. And so that will be the biggest challenge.”

To his point, quarterback Michael Penix leads the nation in passing yards (3,201), and is third in passing touchdowns (26), while ranking seventh in passing efficiency and 13th in completion percentage. And wideouts Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk are fifth and 10th, respectively in receiving yards.

Asked what stood out about Penix’s play, Utah defensive end Van Fillinger didn’t mince words.

“He’s a very decisive decision-maker and he is very accurate with the ball,” Fillinger said. “He has very fast release time and he gets it out in time almost every play.”

Whittingham, meanwhile, brought up the quarterback’s pocket presence, noting that he is excellent at sensing oncoming pressure and being able to shift away from it, while still keeping his eyes downfield as he’s on the move.

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Several coaches also noted that Penix also benefits from what Whittingham called, “probably the best offensive line we’ve faced to this point.”

Utah defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss broke down the group that ranks third in the nation with just 0.67 sacks allowed per game.

“They are good and talented across the board. Very talented, very athletic, they can move well, got big guys inside [the Huskies’ guards are 6-foot-8 and 6-6, respectively], they control the middle, and then their tackles are very athletic,” Elliss said. “So they’re just a very athletic group that plays well together.”

He also credited Penix, though, saying a big component of Washington allowing just six sacks in nine games is the QB’s ability to detect danger and get the ball out.

“He’s a complete player,” Elliss added. “I mean, this conference this year has had probably the best three or four quarterbacks in the country. And he’s for sure — I’m not gonna say who’s the best, but he’s up there. He’s up there, he’s one of the best.”

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Utah’s coaches made it a point to note that slowing the Huskies’ vaunted passing attack can’t be all on the team’s ever-improving secondary, that the defensive line must be more effective than it was against Oregon.

That said, one of Utah’s cornerbacks said he and his group needed to do their jobs well in order to give the big guys up front a chance to get home.

“The matchups on the wide receivers, [we need to] lock up so our D-line can get to the ball, get to the quarterback,” said JaTravis Broughton. “[We need to] make it a long game for them.”

With the Huskies so exceptional in the passing game, running back Dillon Johnson can sometimes feel like a bit of an afterthought, as he is just 47th nationally in total rushing yards.

However, he clearly has the ability to dominate a game, as evidenced by his 256-yard performance last week vs. USC.

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“We know he’s a really good back and he’s capable of that pretty much any week that they want to feature that,” said Whittingham. “They make their money throwing the football — that’s what they want to do first and foremost — but if you thin out the front and overload the coverages, then you’re gonna get a good dose of him.”

Sooooo … Washington’s pretty much unstoppable then? Is that it?

No, of course not.

The Huskies are 9-0, but have shown some weak spots.

While everyone has fixated on the similarities between Washington and Oregon offensively, not enough people have paid attention to the big differences between them on the other side of the ball.

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The Ducks rank 18th in total defense (301.7 yards allowed per game), while the Huskies are 99th (413.0). And in scoring defense, Oregon is 11th (16.0 ppg), and Washington is tied for 44th (23.0).

That means Utah’s up-and-down offense should have a good shot of putting up far more than the six points they managed against the Ducks at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

And it can’t be overlooked that the Huskies had a nearly disastrous game against an Arizona State team that Utah just annihilated by a 55-3 margin. Washington needed to score 12 fourth-quarter points to rally for a 15-7 win.

So, what lessons can the Utes take from that contest?

“Four turnovers,” said Whittingham. “The big deal in that game, which kept things very tight, was the four turnovers by the Huskies.”

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Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon under a high wind watch Monday and Tuesday

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Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon under a high wind watch Monday and Tuesday


The National Weather Service issued a high wind watch at 9:29 p.m. on Sunday valid from Monday 4 p.m. until Tuesday 10 a.m. for Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon.

The weather service states, “Southeast winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts of 45 to 65 mph possible for the base of the northern Blue Mountains of Oregon.”

“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” describes the weather service. “Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates.”

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

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Rewalking Oregon’s path to College Football Playoff

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Rewalking Oregon’s path to College Football Playoff


No. 1 Oregon will face No. 8 Ohio State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

With the rematch officially set, we’re taking a look back at the path the Ducks (13-0) took to reach the CFP as the top seed.

The season began with a clunky 24-14 win over Idaho. The right side of the offensive line was responsible for multiple penalties and three sacks to an FCS opponent that made for an unnecessarily difficult opener, even as Dillon Gabriel threw for 380 yards with two touchdowns to Tez Johnson.

Special teams rescued the Ducks in a 37-34 comeback over Boise State. Ashton Jeanty had 192 yards and three touchdowns to legitimize his Heisman candidacy. An 85-yard punt return touchdown by Johnson and a 100-yard kickoff return by Noah Whittington and recovery in the end zone by Jayden Limar erased a fourth quarter deficit. The offensive line made constant changes while allowing four sacks and committing five penalties in the unit’s most disjointed performance in years.

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The early issues up front were gone as Iapani Laloulu took over at center in a 49-14 plastering of Oregon State. Gabriel threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as the offense gained 546 yards with 10 plays of 20-plus. The defense shutdown the Beavers ground game in the second half and UO secured its first win in Corvallis since 2018.

Following its first bye week of the season, Oregon officially opened Big Ten play at UCLA with a 34-13 rout at the Rose Bowl. A 28-3 lead was more than enough for the Ducks to coast and they held the Bruins to just 47 rushing yards.

Jordan James and Jordan Burch took center stage in a 31-10 Friday night drubbing of Michigan State at Autzen Stadium. James had 166 yards and a touchdown and Burch had 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. Two red zone interceptions by Gabriel made things briefly more competitive but the Ducks pulled away to setup a clash of undefeated titans.

The Oct. 12 game with Ohio State lived up to the billing as the top game of the season. There were seven lead changes in the 32-31 Ducks win over the Buckeyes, who were driving in the closing seconds and Will Howard slid at the UO 26 with time expiring. A deliberate 12 men on the field penalty by Oregon led to an in-season rules interpretation by the NCAA and provided further evidence of Dan Lanning’s preparation relative to Ryan Day. Even without Burch, who suffered a knee injury two days before the game, the Ducks were able to generate some pressure on Howard.

A Friday night trip to West Lafayette, Ind. will be remembered as Oregon’s first shutout since 2012. Purdue was hapless, throwing for less than 100 yards. Even with Traeshon Holden suspended and Terrance Ferguson out following an appendectomy, the Ducks were vastly better in every facet.

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A 38-9 blowout of Illinois was filled with physicality in all phases. The defense had seven tackles for loss with three sacks, two interceptions and eight pass breakups to help build a 35-3 halftime lead.

Ferguson and Burch returned in a 38-17 beat down of Michigan at the Big House. The Ducks also suffered injuries to Johnson and Marcus Harper II but still managed to gain 470 yards and did not allow a sack against one of the best defensive lines in college football.

Gabriel broke the NCAA career touchdown record in a 39-18 win over Maryland. A season-high 12 penalties, particularly a couple of pass interference calls in the end zone, made the game more competitive than it truly was and Burch sprained his ankle.

Another fourth quarter comeback was required to escape Wisconsin with a 16-13 win. Gabriel found Ferguson on fourth and nine to open the fourth quarter and the defense closed it out with back-to-back three-and-outs, a fourth down stop and interception by Matayo Uiagalelei to cap an eighth straight conference win in as many weeks.

The second bye week allowed for Johnson to return for a 49-21 rout of Washington to cap a 12-0 regular season with Dan Lanning’s first win in the rivalry. Burch had 2.5 of Oregon’s 10 sacks and Uiagalelei had two. The Huskies ran for just 43 yards and could not stretch the field vertically.

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A battle of top 10 defenses instead was a shootout in the Big Ten championship game, which Oregon won over Penn State 45-37 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Gabriel threw four touchdowns, with three going to tight ends, and the defense had two interceptions to help secure the conference title, No. 1 seed in the CFP and Rose Bowl berth.

CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

  • Who: No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (11-2)
  • When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
  • Time: 2 p.m. PT
  • Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Stream: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or by signing up for Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on Watch ESPN with your cable or satellite provider login information.
  • Oregon Ducks football 2024 season schedule, scores
  • Sign up for The Ducks Beat newsletter

James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.



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Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Betting Odds: Rose Bowl, College Football Playoff

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Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Betting Odds: Rose Bowl, College Football Playoff


The Oregon Ducks will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The Buckeyes handled business in the first round of the College Football Playoff and will now face the Ducks in the quarterfinals. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT on New Year’s Day.

What do the Vegas oddsmakers say about the upcoming matchup between Oregon and Ohio State?

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel carries the ball as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturda

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel carries the ball as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes will play in the Rose Bowl for a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Buckeyes are coming off a 42-17 dismantling of the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the CFP. That performance was enough for Ohio State to now be a slight favorite over the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks. 

It’s nearly a pick ‘em, but Ohio State is a one-point favorite as of now. The over/under is set at 53.5 points. 

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The odds makers have loved the Buckeyes all season, and they still do. Not only is Ohio State a slight favorite over Oregon, they also have better odds to win the national championship.

Texas is the overall favorite to win the national championship with odds of +340. Ohio State has the second best odds of +380. Oregon is third with odds of +400. 

MORE: Oregon Ducks Land Transfer Defensive Lineman Bear Alexander From USC

MORE: Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert Closing In On Peyton Manning’s NFL Record

MORE: How Oregon Ducks Landed Transfer Portal Star Isaiah World Over Texas A&M Aggies

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Oregon and Ohio State treated the country to one of the best games of the 2024 regular season when they played in October. The Ducks outlasted the Buckeyes in a 32-31 thriller at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. 

The Ducks were underdogs in that game too, but prevailed and won outright. Now, the two will play against each other in the “Granddaddy of Them All” in the Rose Bowl. The winner will play the winner of the Texas-Arizona State game in the semi-finals.

What are the other games in the quarterfinal slate?

Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) and linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) tackle Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back

Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) and linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) tackle Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) during the second half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The quarterfinals in the College Football Playoff will kick off when No. 3 Boise State plays No. 6 Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl at 4:30 p.m. PT on Dec. 31. 

The New Year will start off with No. 5 Texas and No. 4 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl at 10 a.m. PT on Jan. 1.

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Following the Rose Bowl between Oregon and Ohio State to finish off the quarterfinals is No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl at 5:45 p.m. PT on New Year’s Day.

MORE: Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert Injured, Breaks NFL Record In Win Over Denver

MORE: Why Oregon Ducks Five-Star Receiver Dallas Wilson To Flip To Florida Gators?

MORE: San Francisco 49ers To Draft Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel? Brock Purdy Contract

MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear In Rose Bowl Vs. Ohio State Or Tennessee in Pasadena

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