Tag: dillon Gabriel

How Oregon used Wisconsin’s ‘Jump Around’ tradition as late-game motivation in narrow win

How Oregon used Wisconsin’s ‘Jump Around’ tradition as late-game motivation in narrow win

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning used an unorthodox approach in motivating his team for its game against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.

Throughout the Ducks’ week of preparation, Lanning routinely played House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’ to pump up his team. In Oregon’s team meeting to begin the week, Lanning bluntly opened with a message surrounding how his team should manage the moment.

“They think it will evoke a response from you, right,” Lanning asked his players. “In this game, and throughout this week, you’re going to hear this song, and it’s going to release dopamine in your mind. It’s gonna tell you that you are hungry to go eat. Whenever we hear this, I want our temperature to change. I want the temperature of the room to change. When you hear it at practice, I want you to say to yourselves, **** is about to get serious.”

That type of assessment is something Lanning has fully embraced while in Eugene, Oregon. The former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Georgia is one of the best motivators across the college football landscape.

That intensity also appears to be working with this version of the Ducks.

“I don’t want you to be relaxed in that moment,” Lanning said. “I want you to start jumping around. I want you guys to enjoy the moment. When it shows up, take advantage of it. Turn that switch in your mind.”

That’s exactly what Oregon’s entire squad did at Camp Randall. When the student section race ended and the House of Pain’s tune began, players could be seen jubilant on the sidelines.

Oregon faced a 4th-and-9 from Wisconsin’s 41-yard-line trailing 13-6 during the quarter break. The Ducks outscored the Badgers 10-0 from there on out, starting with a critical fourth-down conversion on the first play of the quarter.

In a tough atmosphere, the Ducks’ mentality and ability to capitalize late in the contest proved the difference.

Oregon now looks like they will enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed. The Badgers, meanwhile, are in dire need of a reboot after firing offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

The Badgers’ first chance for a forward step comes on Saturday at Nebraska.

Photo Gallery: Ducks sneak out of Camp Randall with a close win

Photo Gallery: Ducks weasel out of Camp Randall with a close win to keep their perfect season alive.

It certainly wasn’t drawn up this way, but no one can argue with the end result.

The Oregon Ducks football team strolled into Camp Randall Stadium and quickly found themselves in a dogfight with the Wisconsin Badgers. The game was tight throughout, but the Ducks made just enough plays to escape with a 16-13 victory, keeping their perfect season alive.

They’re now 11-0 on the year and are looking forward to a much-needed bye week after playing eight straight games without a break. Oregon doesn’t play until Nov. 30 when Washington comes calling to Autzen Stadium for the regular season finale.

Oregon can also heal up a bit before the playoffs as well. Tez Johnson, Jordan Burch and Marcus Harper II were all out for this Wisconsin matchup. No telling what the extra week of rest will do as there is no guarantee those injuries will heal up in time for Washington, but the bye week can only help those chances.

Here are the best photos from Oregon’s close victory at Wisconsin.

Photo gallery from Wisconsin football’s narrow loss to No. 1 Oregon

Best photos from Wisconsin’s narrow loss to No. 1 Oregon in Week 12

The Wisconsin Badgers lost to No. 1 Oregon 16-13 on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. The loss marked Wisconsin’s third in a row, as the team is now 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers looked markedly better on the defensive side of the ball versus the Ducks, limiting the No. 1 team in the country to a season-low 16 total points. That output came thanks to big plays in key moments, starting with Nyzier Fourqurean’s interception off Dillon Gabriel in the first quarter.

Wisconsin entered the halftime break up 10-6, in a strong position to pull the upset win.

The Badgers then got a stop to open the second half before embarking on a nearly nine-minute, 16-play drive that ended with a field goal. It expanded Wisconsin’s lead to 13-6, which remained the score to open the fourth quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gabriel was able to complete a 15-yard pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson to convert a fourth-and-nine. The Ducks finished off the drive with a touchdown on the ground by running back Jordan James, knotting the game up at 13-13.

Oregon later added a field goal with less than three minutes left in the game and the Badgers weren’t able to answer, falling 16-13.

Wisconsin will now travel to face Nebraska at Lincoln Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. In the meantime, here some of the best photos from Wisconsin’s almost historic upset against the Ducks:

WATCH: The play that decided Oregon’s win over Wisconsin

WATCH: The play that decided Oregon’s win over Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers nearly clinched an upset win over No. 1 Oregon on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Ducks executed when it mattered most.

The Badgers, who had lost two straight games to Big Ten opponents, were on the precipice of their first signature win of the 2024 campaign.

The team led 13-6 at the start of the fourth quarter. Oregon faced a fourth-and-nine at the Badgers’ 41-yard line, where a defensive stop could become the game’s defining moment.

Instead, Oregon registered that defining moment.

Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel scrambled to the left, fired off his left foot and hit tight end Terrance Ferguson through heavy traffic. With the catch, the Ducks completed the first down and generated momentum for a touchdown drive.

From that point on, UW was outmatched. The Badgers failed to score for the remainder of the contest, and Oregon left with a 16-13 win.

A win for Luke Fickell’s program could have shifted the Badgers’ momentum for the rest of the 2024 season. Now, the team sits at 5-5 entering a road test against Nebraska next weekend.

RECAP: Wisconsin’s upset bid falls short as Badgers fall to No. 1 Oregon 16-13

RECAP: Wisconsin’s upset bid falls short as Badgers fall to No. 1 Oregon 16-13

Wisconsin came within a fourth-quarter drive of a program-defining upset on Saturday night. The team’s upset bid fell just short, as the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks held on for a 16-13 win.

The Badgers tested the Ducks from the opening kick. Oregon started the game slow with a field goal and red-zone interception in its first two drives. Wisconsin struggled to find much offense through that time and entered the second quarter trailing just 6-0. The stat sheet showed a lopsided first frame, though the Badgers were still hanging tough on the scoreboard.

Wisconsin then found its form in the second frame. A strong defensive effort kept that margin at 6-0 as the Badgers finally found space for RB Tawee Walker. Braedyn Locke found WR Will Pauling for a one-yard touchdown in the quarter’s closing minutes, building a surprising 10-6 halftime lead.

Luke Fickell’s team has played strong first halves against top teams all season. Those results have flipped after the break, leading to final margins of 42-10 vs Alabama, 38-21 vs USC and 28-13 vs Penn State.

Saturday’s contest was different. Wisconsin built its margin to 13-6 during a strong third quarter. The team found more and more running room as the game continued, putting the top-ranked Ducks squarely on the ropes.

Oregon faced a 4th-and-9 deep in Wisconsin territory entering the final frame, a defensive stop that could’ve defined Wisconsin’s upset victory.

Instead, Oregon’s playmakers decided the game down the stretch.

QB Dillon Gabriel found top tight end Terrance Ferguson on a tight-window throw on that 4th-and-9. Oregon RB Jordan James scored a few plays later, notching the score at 13 apiece.

Wisconsin then had several opportunities to regain control on offense and capitalize on the terrific opportunity. Those final drives were punt, punt, turnover on downs and a game-clinching interception. Oregon’s defense took over with the game in the balance.

Oregon escapes Wisconsin with a 16-13 victory, improving to 11-0 on the season and 8-0 in Big Ten play. The Ducks clinch a Big Ten title game appearance with the win.

Wisconsin drops to 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten play with the loss. The Badgers must win one of their two closing games at Nebraska and vs. Minnesota to clinch bowl eligibility.

The Badgers put forth an encouraging effort after their disastrous loss at Iowa in Week 10. The sentiment will still reflect a missed opportunity after having the No. 1 team in the sport on the doorstep of defeat.

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Previewing the Badger defense ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Oregon

Oregon is going to go up against one of the better secondaries in the conference with All-American corner Ricardo Hallman leading the way.

Some teams have problems defending the pass, while some have trouble with the opposing run game. And then some defenses have trouble defending either.

Wisconsin’s defense is having its share of problems with the run game, but the secondary is one of the best in the Big Ten. The lack of success on the offensive side of the ball doesn’t help the cause though.

Oregon will spend this week trying to figure out the best way to exploit that with their two-headed monster at tailback of Jordan James and Noah Whittington. Expect quarterback Dillon Gabriel to have a few more runs than he normally would.

The Badgers are giving up 165 yards on the ground, but they are only allowing 159 yards through the air. A major reason the secondary is so good is cornerback Ricardo Hallman. He locks down his side of the field to the point where quarterbacks aren’t even attempting to throw his way and for good reason.

Hallman was a Third-Team All-American last season with his seven interceptions. He doesn’t have any this year, but it’s difficult to pick off a pass when the ball is consistently on the other side of the field.

“It’s smart as a coach to not to throw at a gut who is going to make a lot of plays on the ball,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “But it’s more challenging for a defense when you can work the entire field, but there’s a reason people aren’t testing him because he’s a talented player.”

Wisconsin has just three interceptions as a team this season and fellow defensive back Preston Zachman has two of them to go with his 41 tackles. Linebacker Jaheim Thomas is the team’s leading tackler with 52 of them and safety Hunter Wohler is right on his heels with 51 tackles.

“They’re good tacklers and they do a great job is disguising coverage,” Lanning said. “They have some mix-ups there. This is one of the more talented secondaries we’ve seen.”

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Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell previews Badgers’ big game vs. No. 1 Oregon

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell previews Badgers’ big game vs. No. 1 Oregon

The Wisconsin Badgers will welcome another top-ranked program to Camp Randall Stadium this weekend when they square off against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks.

Ahead of the marquee matchup, Badgers head coach Luke Fickell spoke with reporters during his weekly media availability on Monday.

When asked what his players should anticipate on Saturday, Fickell alluded to the general degree of difficulty when suiting up against one of college football’s best.

“They are going to be challenged in different ways,” Fickell said. “You can be challenged each and every week in a lot of different ways. This one will be one we maybe haven’t seen the entire year. The ability for them to throw the ball down the field, the dynamic of the wide receivers they have and the quarterback’s ability… to make plays both with his feet and through the air.”

Wisconsin enters the matchup after dropping its previous two games to Penn State and Iowa by a combined 47 points. Still, the opportunity for a signature upset lies right in front of Wisconsin. That’s what Fickell plans to convey to his players this week.

“You continue to remind them that this is what we signed up for,” Fickell said. “We recognize that this league, and college football in general, is evolving. This is what you play for. You have every opportunity to go out there and earn the respect that you want.”

Kickoff time is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT at Camp Randall, and the game will air on NBC.

Oklahoma’s next opponent moves into top 10 of US LBM Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners have a tough couple of games to finish the season. Where do their opponents rank in latest US LBM Coaches Poll?

The Oklahoma Sooners have a bye week to lick their wounds from a disappointing finish in their loss to the Missouri Tigers. But that’s the only reprieve they’ll get over the final three weeks of the regular season.

Coming after the bye, the Sooners will host a red-hot Alabama Crimson Tide team that has absolutely dominated their last two opponents. In their last two games, Alabama beat Missouri and LSU, a pair of top 25 opponents, with a combined score of 76-13.

That’s not an encouraging sign for an offense that’s struggled in SEC play and a defense that’s struggled in the second half of their last two games against Ole Miss and Mizzou.

After the Tide blew out LSU, Alabama moved up to No. 9 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. They’re back in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.

LSU, who suffered their third loss of the season, and Oklahoma’s opponent in the regular season finale fell to No. 22 in the nation.

After a record-setting day for former Sooner quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon Ducks are now the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, earning every first-place vote from the coaches. That’s adding insult to injury as Dillon Gabriel and a coach rumored to be connected to the team after the departure of Lincoln Riley, Dan Lanning, look like the best team in the country after 11 weeks.

Ohio State moved back into the No. 2 spot this week. Their only loss on the season came by one point to the Ducks in Eugene. The Texas Longhorns are at No. 3 after their rout of Florida, followed by Tennessee at No. 4, and Penn State at No. 5.

In addition to Oregon, there are three other undefeated teams in the poll. Indiana moved up to No. 6, BYU to No. 8, and Army’s incredible season continues as they moved up to No. 17 in the nation.

More: SEC Power Rankings updated after week 11

Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after week 11

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 10-0 1,375 (55)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 8-1 1,314
3 Texas Longhorns 8-1 1,262
4 Tennessee Volunteers 8-1 1,138
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 8-1 1,113
6 Indiana Hoosiers 10-0 1,057
7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 8-1 1,038
8 BYU Cougars 9-0 994
9 Alabama Crimson Tide 7-2 899
10 Georgia Bulldogs 7-2 887
11 Ole Miss Rebels 8-2 877
12 Miami Hurricanes 9-1 820
13 SMU Mustangs 8-1 691
13 Boise State Broncos 8-1 691
15 Texas A&M Aggies 7-2 597
16 Clemson Tigers 7-2 536
17 Army Black Knights 9-0 466
18 Washington State Cougars 8-1 385
19 Kansas State Wildcats 7-2 332
20 Colorado Buffaloes 7-2 329
21 Missouri Tigers 7-2 277
22 LSU Tigers 6-3 257
23 South Carolina Gamecocks 6-3 118
24 Louisville Cardinals 6-3 109
25 Iowa State Cyclones 7-2 92

Schools Dropped Out

No. 23 Pittsburgh; No. 25 Vanderbilt;

Others Receiving Votes

Tulane 85; Louisiana 42; Arizona State 30; Pittsburgh 28; UNLV 17; Memphis 11; Navy 3; James Madison 2; Illinois 2; Duke 1;

List Of Voters

The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.

Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

2025 NFL Draft prospects from Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

Oregon traveled to Michigan to face the Wolverines as a member of the Big Ten for the first time. The top-ranked Ducks proved worthy of the lofty ranking, sending the partisan crowd to the exits early in a 38-17 road win.

I was among those in the stands at the Big House, though I stayed until the end of this one. Unlike most games where I’m holed up in the press box, I watched this one from the fan section, behind the Oregon sideline on a sunny late afternoon that quickly faded into a chilly final evening of Daylight Saving Time.

Here’s what I took away from some of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects in the game.

Derrick Harmon

Harmon stood out from the very first Oregon defensive snap. The Ducks DT artfully dodged a (poorly executed) block and crashed into the backfield for an emphatic TFL. It was the first of several impressively disruptive plays the Michigan State transfer made on the day.

Harmon’s ability to strafe laterally and stay disengaged from blocking was devastating to the Michigan run offense. Harmon has quick eyes and quicker feet for his size, but he also flashed some real power and finishing acumen. His ability to find consistent success while lining up on either shoulder of the guards showed some positional versatility along the defensive interior that sure looks like it will translate to the next level quite well.

It was also impressive to watch him on the sidelines. Even though he’s new to the program, Harmon was quite enthusiastic in exhorting his Ducks teammates to not let up once the game started to get out of hand in their favor in the second half.

Mason Graham

Graham had a quiet day as a pass rusher, but at least some of that is attributable to how quickly Oregon throws the ball. The interior defensive line doesn’t have enough time to really impact all the quick swings and screens, and that was true of Graham in this game. He did, however, show some very nice stack-and-steer work at DT on inside runs.

The ability to get off a block with his powerful shoulders and then contribute to the tackle proved why he’s a legit NFL talent, though this was the second Michigan game I’ve been to this year (USC the other) where I was underwhelmed with his initial burst; he can do power or quick, but they don’t marry as well as other recent top DT prospects–or like Harmon on the Oregon side of the ball showed in this game.

Evan Stewart

Stewart’s best play of the game didn’t even count. The Oregon wideout made a spectacular one-handed stab in the end zone at full vertical extension and managed to contort himself so that he landed with one foot down for a would-be touchdown. Alas, it was wiped out by a penalty on Oregon. It was every bit as awesome as the Odell Beckham Jr. snag a few years back.

Even though that one didn’t count, seeing how dynamic Stewart was able to slice and dice the Michigan secondary over the middle and up the seams was impressive. He’s got a very good pacing to his route-running, and Stewart proved he’s got great hands, too. The Texas A&M transfer got a few looks in the slot, and that’s where I think his NFL future lies–even though he’s got the field-stretching speed on the outside. He played with more physicality than I expected for a 175-pound receiver, though it wasn’t always effective physicality.

Colston Loveland

Loveland was the best Michigan player on the field and basically the only effective offensive player for nearly the entire game. The polish on his receiving traits–routes, releases, hands, strength in traffic, transition from receiver to runner–was fantastic in this one. Oregon’s defense knew he was getting the ball and they still couldn’t stop him.

This game reaffirmed that Loveland is not an NFL-caliber inline blocker and it will take considerable work to get him to be even a passable blocking presence. But for teams looking for a multi-level receiving threat at tight end, Loveland proved in this one he’s best-in-class. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder even showed ability aligning as the wide receiver in this one. Very impressive game from Loveland.

Dillon Gabriel

The well-traveled Ducks quarterback stood out for three primary things:

  • He’s visibly smaller in person; both the 6-0 and especially the 200 pounds he’s listed at seem quite generous.
  • The lefty has a lightning-quick release and the ball comes out with impressive exit velocity,
  • Gabriel is very good at mistake avoidance, making the best decision with the ball almost every time.

Gabriel has decent pocket mobility and proved on his touchdown scamper he can chew up yards quickly with his legs, too. His downfield arm strength was visibly lacking, however; he had two deeper throws that hung up in the air too long. Even in the warmups on the sideline, it was clear the zip doesn’t last long on his throws.

Kalel Mullings

Michigan’s sledgehammer of a running back had a very rough afternoon against the quickness of Oregon’s defense. Mullings lacks great vision and there is almost no lateral agility to his game. He’s still learning how to play running back, so there is upside for a 233-pound rolling sack of hammers, but he’s still quite green at the nuances of playing running back. Oregon was very effective at not letting him get north-south right away and negating his power. The first Duck to hit him got him down almost every time.

Will Johnson

The standout Michigan cornerback did not play. He’s still recovering from a foot injury suffered early in Michigan’s loss to Illinois on October 19th. Johnson has also missed time in 2024 with a shoulder injury suffered in the Wolverines’ win over USC.

 

 

Oregon vs. Michigan: Top photos from Ducks’ dominant win in The Big House

Some of the top photos from the Oregon Ducks 38-17 win over the Michigan Wolverines in Week 10.

It was said this would be the Oregon Ducks toughest road test of the season. A trip to The Big House in Michigan can be a house of horrors for some teams.

Oregon turned it into a fun house as the Ducks cruised past the defending champions 38-17 in front of over 110,000 fans, the largest crowd Oregon has ever played in front of.

As usual, the Ducks blasted the opponent in the first half and then cruised to an easy victory in the second half. It was 28-10 at halftime in Ann Arbor and Oregon had the game completely under control.

Even after the Wolverines scored on their first possession of the third quarter, the Ducks didn’t panic. They just buckled down on defense and held Michigan off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.

Here are the best pictures from Oregon’s win at Michigan where the Ducks moved to 9-0 overall and control their own destiny towards the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis.