Tag: Traeshon Holden

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.

Traeshon Holden’s dependability earns him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden’s stellar performance makes him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.

Although the Oregon Ducks beat the Michigan Wolverines by 21 points in Week 10, this felt like one of Oregon’s grittiest wins of the season. And on the road in a hostile environment, when injuries were frequent, several depth players stepped up for the Ducks, propelling them to a win.

One of those players to step up was wide receiver Traeshon Holden. At the beginning of the season, I would’ve hesitated to call Holden a “depth player,” but since his ejection against Ohio State for spitting on an opponent, he has not had the same role in the offense. This weekend, Holden was the go-to guy, and it makes him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.

Holden finished the game with 6 catches (his highest total of the season) for 149 yards (his career high). Oregon’s top WR Tez Johnson was injured early in the first quarter and didn’t return, which is part of why Holden was so involved.

Holden didn’t get in the endzone for Oregon, but he still showed up in big moments. In the second quarter, Holden got open in the middle of the field and took Gabriel’s pass for 38 yards on 3rd and 1. Oregon went on to score on that drive, making the score 21-10. On the Ducks’ next drive, Holden caught another long pass, taking the Oregon to goalline where they’d score on the next play.

In the fourth quarter, with the Wolverines still in striking distance, Oregon needed to move the sticks to take back some momentum. On a 3rd and 5 situation, Gabriel hit Holden on a slant for a big first down. A few plays later, on another third down, Holden hauled in another long ball to ice the game for the Ducks.

That 47-yard catch and run was Holden’s final catch of the day. He finished with three third-down conversions and three 35+ yard receptions.

It’s unclear how severe Johnson’s injury is or how long he’ll be out. If he’s not back soon, Oregon will need Holden and the Ducks’ other WRs to step up, and Holden’s performance today should instill confidence in everyone.

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Oregon WR Traeshon Holden to face additional punishment for spitting on Ohio State player

Dan Lanning says the punishment for Traeshon Holden will be kept internal.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning revealed in his weekly press conference on Monday that senior wide receiver Traeshon Holden, who was ejected from Saturday’s game for spitting on an Ohio State player, would face additional punishment from the team.

Lanning would not reveal what that punishment would be, saying it would be handled internally.

“Extremely disappointed in his actions within the game,” Lanning said. “There’s absolutely zero place for that in our program, and zero place for that in football. I reached out to coach Day and expressed my frustration with the situation.”

With Oregon’s offense inside the red zone in the second quarter, Holden was flagged for a flagrant personal foul. The official said he had spit on Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun and would be ejected.

Holden was escorted to the locker room. He returned to the sideline wearing street clothes.

On Sunday, Holden released an apology on social media to his teammates, the fans and to the Ohio State player.

“Traeshon is extremely apologetic. He is embarrassed. He realizes how wrong he was in that moment,” Lanning continued. “We will handle some things internally. There is some discipline that exists there, but I’m gonna leave that for us internally to handle and communicate.”

The Ducks have a quick turnaround. They travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday night. Whether Holden will play remains to be seen.

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Traeshon Holden issues apology to Oregon teammates, Ohio State player after ejection

Traeshon Holden has officially issued an apology after getting ejected on Saturday night vs. Ohio State.

It was a great night for the No. 2 Oregon Ducks thanks to their 32-31 win against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. But it was a tough outing for veteran wide receiver Traeshon Holden.

In the second quarter of a close game, Holden was flagged for a flagrant personal foul and was ejected for spitting on Ohio State defensive back Davison Igbinosun. The action was caught on camera, and Igbinosun had to go to the sideline to wipe the spit off his visor with a towel.

Holden was escorted to the locker room and cameras caught him on video throwing his helmet in the tunnel.

He later returned to the sideline in street clothes.

After the Oregon win, Holden took to social media to apologize to his Duck teammates and to the Ohio State defender.

“My actions were not only disrespectful but also a betrayal of the values of sportsmanship, integrity, and respect that I strive to embody as a student-athlete,” Holden wrote.

Holden went on to say he is dedicated to being a better teammate and role model in the community that has welcomed him in Eugene.

Holden has been playing some of the best football of his career, hauling in 20 catches for 306 yards and three touchdowns. It is unclear if additional punishment will be meted out to the veteran receiver. The Ducks next play Friday night at Purdue.

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Oregon’s Traeshon Holden got ejected for spitting on an Ohio State defender

Sheesh.

Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden committed one of the most unforced errors of the college football season so far.

After going against Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun during Saturday night’s game between the two ranked opponents, Holden decided to spit on the defender and was promptly ejected right after doing it.

The NBC Sports broadcast team of Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge were both shocked as to what happened, as we’re sure the fans in Oregon and viewers at home were too after such a ridiculous decision.

Holden plays a huge role in the Ducks’ offense, and not having him on the field did not help Oregon one bit playing against a juggernaut like Ohio State. What a silly mistake for Holden.

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Dan Lanning plays into history with Ducks looking for first win over Boise State

The Ducks need a dominant win, and a win over Boise State, in the worst way.

There aren’t many teams in the college football world that the Oregon Ducks have a negative history with.

When you look at some of the storied rivalries from the Pac-12 era, it’s understandable to see that the Ducks have a losing record against the likes of USC, Washington, and UCLA, because, before the turn of the century, Oregon struggled mightily on the gridiron.

But over the last 25 years or so, the Ducks have been able to get the best of a majority of teams that they’ve faced regularly.

Except for Boise State.

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Oregon has an 0-3 career record against the Broncos, losing 37-32 in 2008, 19-8 in 2009, and 38-28 in 2017. While it’s not an extensive history, it has given us a lot of memories, none bigger than the punch heard around the college football world, with LeGarrette Blount notoriously taking out Boise State’s Byron Hout following the loss in 2009.

Going into this Week 2 matchup in Autzen Stadium, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has ensured that his team knows the history between these two schools.

“Our players are aware of the history of this game, for sure,” Lanning said. “We’re excited to get an opportunity to step on the field.”

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Other players, like wide receiver Traeshon Holden, know that while the Broncos may have the overall record advantage in the series, none of those previous games have anything to do with this matchup in 2024.

“They ain’t beat me,” Holden said on Wednesday with a laugh. “Coach Lanning wasn’t here when they won, so they ain’t beat none of us. We’ve just got to go out there and make a new streak.”

It will be an important game for more than just historical bragging rights. The Ducks had a lackluster 24-14 win over the Idaho Vandals in Week 1, and they are in need of a dominant offensive showing in order to get back on the right track and ensure the college football world that they are still to be taken seriously as national championship contenders this season.

On top of that, a win for Oregon would go a long way to show that historic records are just that — something to signify what happened in the past.

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Leadership is key for Oregon WR Traeshon Holden as he anticipates a breakout in 2024

Oregon Ducks senior wide receiver has been working hard to improve his leadership in the hopes that it will lead to a breakout final season.

The University of Oregon has not been synonymous with elite wide receiver play over the past several decades.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been incredibly talented pass-catchers to come through Eugene — Tony Hartley, Sammie Parker, Demetrius Williams, Jeff Maehl, and Dillon Mitchell, to name a few — but nobody was going to start calling the Ducks ‘WR U’ any time soon.

Until Troy Franklin came along.

No. 11 changed things in Eugene and put Oregon on the map for highly-rated WR recruits looking for a place to flourish. Now, going into the 2024 season, many fans and analysts are considering the Ducks as one of, if not the top receiver group in the nation.

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With leading Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel under center, and Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart out wide, big things are expected in Eugene.

But what about Traeshon Holden?

“Shoot, don’t worry about me then,” Holden told me on Tuesday when asked about his running mates getting most of the attention. “I’m glad they’re getting that attention, they work hard to get it. I ain’t no hater.”

It’s not hard to understand why Johnson and Stewart act as the two main focal points in the WR room. Their style of play — Tez’s quick and agile burst from the slot, and Evan’s go-up-and-get-it big-play ability — is endearing to fans, and has produced endless highlights over the past couple of years.

But don’t forget about Traeshon. He can dazzle when you’re least expecting.

Like late in the fourth quarter of the 2023 Pac-12 Championship Game? Oregon was down by 10 with just over two minutes on the clock. Bo Nix found Holden over the middle on a short crossing pattern, and No. 5 took it 63 yards for a critical touchdown.

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Holden’s 452 yards and 6 TDs in 2023 may not stack up next to Johnson’s 1,182 yards and 10 TDs, but don’t let that lead you to believe he isn’t a massive part of this WR corp.

For Holden, though, the biggest asset he brings to the room may come off the field in the form of leadership. That’s something that’s taken time to develop, with constant provoking from head coach Dan Lanning.

“I feel like the biggest thing I’ve grown is probably my mental,” Holden said. “Lanning would come to me every day and he’d be like, ‘On a scale of 1-10, how are you leading today?’ I feel like that helps me every day for sure with maturity.”

Maturity can’t be rushed, but it can be fostered. That’s something that Lanning has worked hard at over the last year since Holden landed in Eugene as a transfer from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As is the case with us all, there are good days and bad days. But on those good days, the differences are palpable.

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“His best leadership role for us is when he goes out there and puts it on the field every single day,” Lanning said. “And then how he affects the people around him. And those days that he does that, it makes our team really tough to stop.”

One thing that Lanning has preached to his team in Eugene is the concept of consistency, calling it the rarest human trait. For Holden, it’s the consistency in leadership and effort that he wants to see continue to develop the most.

“The biggest piece that we’re talking with Trae on every single play is, ‘What’s the next play?'” Lanning said. “‘Great last play, what’s the next play? Bad last play, what’s the next play?’ He’s done a really good job of that.”

As long as Holden can keep stacking those days, and building on that leadership, the sky is the limit. He is a clear-cut starter in this offense, and projects to have a major role in the passing game.

If he follows through, it won’t just be Tez and Evan who are getting the attention in Eugene. Trae makes three.

“They’re gonna see,” Holden said. “Everyone’s gonna see. Watch.”

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Traeshon Holden relishing opportunity to step up as Oregon Ducks’ WR1

Oregon needs a new WR1 after Troy Franklin’s departure. Traeshon Holden is throwing his hat in the ring.

A year ago, the Oregon Ducks saw one of the best years in school history when it came to production from the wide receiver position. Numerous records fell throughout the year, and it now leaves the two most responsible parties — Bo Nix and Troy Franklin — with positive outlooks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

With those departures comes a production void, where Dan Lanning and the Ducks now have to find which players are going to step up and provide the success that has become the standard in Eugene.

Traeshon Holden would like to throw his name in the ring as a top candidate.

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“With Troy being gone, it’s just the next person. I feel like I’m the next person,” Holden said on Saturday after practice. “So I just got to show everybody what I can do.”

During his first season at Oregon after transferring from Alabama, Holden was a solid option in the passing game, hauling in 37 catches for 452 yards and six touchdowns. Holden really came on late in the season, combining for six catches, 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Pac-12 title game and the Fiesta Bowl.

Going into his second year with the Ducks, Holden feels much more comfortable and confident in the system, and it’s allowed him to take a step forward in his development on the field.

“It’s just route details,” wide receiver coach Junior Adams said of Holden. “He’s worked on that a lot this offseason, even over spring break. He’s worked on it. He’s playing good ball. He’s catching a lot of balls with his hands now and not body-catching it. He’s coming out with a good attitude every day.”

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After watching Franklin have a career year in Oregon’s offense, and now be projected as a first or second-round pick in the NFL draft, there is an added sense of motivation for pass-catchers on Oregon’s roster. Holden said on Saturday that he obviously aspires to be in a similar spot that Franklin is in a year from now, but in the meantime, he’s just focusing on controlling what he can and improving each day.

“My personal goal is just to continue to be the best I can be and obviously show the whole world what I know I can do,” Holden said. “Each week, each day, just coming out going to work like this. My goal is just to show the world who I am.”

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Kyler Kasper making ‘big strides,’ per Oregon WR coach Junior Adams

Kyler Kasper is ready for a breakout season after developing in the Ducks’ system for two years.

In Dan Lanning’s time at Oregon, the Oregon Ducks have quickly become a hot spot for wide receiver talent. Troy Franklin has been the most notable of those wideouts, but other WRs — like Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, and Evan Stewart — have brought a lot of skill to the position group.

Another talented WR on the Ducks roster is Kyler Kasper. Headed into his third season as a Duck, Kasper hasn’t seen the field much in his first two years, but his stock could be on the rise. After the Ducks’ fifth spring practice on Saturday, Holden and WRs coach Junior Adams had praise for the junior WR’s growth.

“I’m glad you asked about that because Kyler’s made big strides this offseason,” Adams said. “Where you see that he’s grown is in two areas for me. One has been just the playbook, right? And understanding what we’re doing and where we’re going.”

“And two, you can see the weight room is paying off. You can see his strength; he’s run a little bit better, he’s run a little bit stronger, a little bit more grounded on the catch, stronger at the point of contact in the run game. And he’s taken the next step as far as what he’s doing in the classroom or what he’s doing when we’re not on the field and outside of this building.”

Kasper redshirted after his first year at Oregon, and in 2023, he played in 12 games, registering 117 offensive snaps but only recording two receptions — although he nearly had a spectacular TD against Portland State. As a recruit, Kasper was a 4-star player and the 29th-best WR in his class according to 247 Sports.

What jumps out first with Kasper is his size at 6 feet, 6 inches, which allows to him bring down almost any jump ball. He also brings decent speed for his size. If the mental aspects of his game have taken strides as Adams suggested, Kasper could be a scary player.

Like Adams, Holden highlighted the mental side of Kasper’s game as one of his biggest improvements.

“Kyler’s growing mentally for sure,” Holden said. “That was probably just the biggest thing for him last year. But like now, you just see in the meeting rooms. like before, Kyler would shut down if somebody would say something to him, but now it’s like he’s more eager to listen. So you can definitely see him growing.”

Oregon’s 2024 receiver room already feels infinitely deep, and there won’t be enough room on the field to showcase the abundance of talent at the position. But, if Kasper keeps taking steps forward, his name might start getting thrown into the mix, and we could see him take on an elevated role in the offense.

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Troy Franklin’s success acts as motivating factor for Ducks’ WR room

Oregon’s current generation of young receivers have a good legacy to look up to in Troy Franklin.

Troy Franklin was arguably the best wide receiver to ever play for the Oregon Ducks. For the current receivers on the roster, those who watched Franklin work up close and personal, the next step is trying to follow in his footsteps and continue his legacy.

The Ducks don’t have a long history of receivers getting selected early in the NFL draft, but that is something that Franklin will likey change this year, with some mocks projecting that he will be selected in the first or second rounds later this month. Being able to see that ultimate success bear out for someone who put in the work in Eugene is what wide receiver coach Junior Adams says is one of the biggest motivating factors for his current WR group.

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“A lot of those guys have been in the room with him and they saw him, they see now that the process works,” Adams said on Saturday. “They’ve seen someone in the same seat that they sit in that lived it on a day-to-day basis here in this organization and now have the opportunity that he has. Obviously, that’s going to be a really good example for those guys in the room.”

Besides Traeshon Holden, Tez Johnson, and Gary Bryant, the Oregon receiving corps is a fairly young group, but the talent is oozing out everywhere. The young Ducks saw what talent coupled with work ethic can do to opponents and set up a nice professional career, something Franklin is preparing for currently.

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