There’s a reason that Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has been making such a push to get some of the top recruits in the nation to Eugene for the spring game in April. He wants them to see what the competitive environment can be like, and feel the energy of a gameday in Eugene.
Because when Autzen Stadium is rocking, there are few places in the college football world that can match it.
[lawrence-related id=20828]
That’s not just the opinion of a lifelong Duck and Oregon alumni, but one shared by 247Sports as well. They recently went through to ranks and projected the top 10 “most terrifying places to play” in 2022, and made sure to make mention of Eugene, saying in particular that when the Utah Utes come to town on November 19, there is going to be some vitriol in the stands as fans are searching for some vengeance.
It’s difficult to simulate the rowdiest environment in the Pac-12. Opposing teams can pump in crowd noise all they want at practice, but Autzen Stadium is one of those venues you have to experience up close to really feel the sound traveling from over top of you down to the field level. Because of the stadium’s strange design, the volume seems to be turned up a notch and rarely escapes. You’re not going to find a bigger game out West this season than the Ducks’ matchup with defending league champ Utah at home on Nov. 19. That’s a potential College GameDay setting and Oregon’s fan base will be ready.
After losing to the Utes both in the regular season and Pac-12 championship game last season, the Ducks will certainly be looking to make amends for their past shortcomings. The fact that they get Utah at home this year will help, and the stakes are likely to be high, with both teams potentially in the running for another meeting in the Pac-12 title game.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=20843]