In the days leading up to the 2015 Rose Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Florida State, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 1 in Pasadena. Today, we’ll look at each team’s running backs.

Oregon

Freshman running back Royce Freeman has easily surpassed the glamorously high expectations set for him during the preseason. Freeman finished the regular season with 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, both freshman school records at Oregon. In the process, Freeman has certified himself as the clear No. 1 running back in an offense accustomed to multiple options in the backfield. Freeman has accounted for 40.6% of Oregon’s carries this season.

Behind Freeman is sophomore running back Thomas Tyner. Tyner has missed the last three games and hasn’t rushed for more than 64 yards in a game this season. Tyner has rushed for 387 yards and three touchdowns. He has been practicing with the team in preparation for the Rose Bowl.

Along with Tyner is senior Kenny Bassett who has ran for 134 yards on 27 carries this season.

Florida State

The two-back duo of freshman Dalvin Cook and senior Karlos Williams has helped fuel a successful Seminoles offense this season. Led by Cook, who rushed for 908 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season, the Florida State backfield has aided former Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston average 34.8 points per game in the regular year.

Williams has rushed for 609 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season. He missed the ACC Championship against Georgia Tech after suffering a concussion against the Florida Gators. Along with Williams and Cook, sophomore Mario Pender has shown that he can contirbute in the Seminoles backfield, as well. Pender has rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns this year.

Advantage – Oregon

Royce Freeman has shown to be, not just a top freshman in the country, but one of the better running backs in the nation. Freeman has averaged 5.6 yards per carry in his first year with the Ducks. Though Oregon doesn’t boast the same two-back potential that Florida State does in Cook and Williams, Freeman’s influence on the Oregon offense is vital. Also, when healthy, Tyner has proven that he has the skills to be a difference-maker.

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Los Angeles, Calif – On Sunday morning, members from the Florida State offense and Oregon defense met with the media to discuss the Rose Bowl game on New Years Day.

Here’s a short summary of what representatives from Florida State offense had to say about Oregon.

Florida State running back Karlos Williams on Oregon’s defensive line

They’re very, very athletic, very long guys, use their hands, play with their feet very, very well. Take on blocks very well. Be able to shed blocks and make plays, keeping containment on the edge. The nose guard is very active, very low centered guy, can play with his hands and stays low to the ground. They’re very fast and athletic, just like much of our defensive line. We have guys like Mario.

I believe No. 96, No. 91 on their defense. He’s very active, makes plays all the time. Every time we turn on the film, he’s going after the ball and chasing after the ball. He stays very, very active.

We’re going to have a challenge before us, but we’re going to step up to that challenge, and we’re preparing every day.

Jameis Winston on whether Florida State will play Oregon differently without Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

I said a lot of times, and I don’t mean to come off as arrogant, but we don’t discriminate. Even if he was on the field, we were going to be looking forward to playing him.

It’s going to be a football game. Things happen in football games. Things happen at football practice. Like I said, it’s a team thing. It’s not just attacking one player or picking on somebody. If we see some matchups – because I believe we’ve got the best receiver in the country in Rashad Greene and the best tight end in Nick O’Leary, and I believe our other guys are pretty good too.

We don’t fear nobody. Richard Sherman get out there and line up against us, we wouldn’t throw away from him neither.

Florida State co-offensive coordinator Randy Sanders on implications of Ekpre-Olomu injury

Personally, I’m glad we’re not playing Richard Sherman.

First of all, I hate it for the young man. He’s an outstanding football player. Injuries are part of the game. It’s an unfortunate part of the game. You hate to see it to happen to anyone, period, but especially someone of his stature, what he had achieved to get to this point in the season and have it happen in practice, it’s really heartbreaking.

But at the same time, him not being there, no question will diminish a little bit of their defense, but it’s not like the player they’re putting in behind him is not good. Oregon doesn’t get to – you don’t get to a position to play in a game like this without having good players, and they’ve got more than one. So we know whoever comes in will be a good player.

That being said, we also believe, if we do what we do well, then we’ll be fine because the guys we go against in practice each day are pretty good too. I’m not saying they’re as good as him or better or anything else, I don’t mean that, but it’s more about us taking care of our business, our process than it is necessarily who’s on the other side.

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Los Angeles, Calif – Oregon safety Erick Dargan couldn’t help but reflect on the situation and think it was strange. Dargan, along with a group of his teammates, were hanging out with defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu as he broke the news. He told them that his career at Oregon was finished.

At first, Dargan said his heart dropped. But as time went on, Ekpre-Olomu showed no signs of a player that wouldn’t be playing in the College Football Playoffs. According to Dargan, the players laughed and just hung out, like they usually do – an uplifting sign for a concerned teammate.

“When stuff like that happens, you know his mind is in the right place,” Dargan said.

When reports of Ekpre-Olomu’s devastating knee injury surfaced, the common thought process for many was to ponder the ramifications on the Ducks upcoming Rose Bowl matchup with Florida State. For outside linebacker Tony Washington, his concern was directed at Ekpre-Olomu the person, not Ekpre-Olomu the player.

“Football is not everything,” Washington said. “It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to finish his career here at Oregon, but I think me, and the rest of my teammates, were more concerned about his health.”

Still, the loss of Ekpre-Olomu appears to be a hurdle the Oregon defense will have to clear against the Seminoles on New Years Day. Without the senior corner in the lineup, defensive coordinator Don Pellum said that he’ll count on Dargan and fellow senior Troy hill to help keep the on-the-field communication between the defensive backs intact.

“Not having Ifo, we lose a very talented player,” Pellum said, “but we lose kind of a spiritual leader there, a guy with a lot of experience, a guy that’s been in the battle, the heat of the battle. So, we all have to pick up the slack.”

Redshirt freshman Chris Seisay presumably will be first in line to attempt to fill Ekpre-Olomu’s cleats. Seisay, a 6-foot-1 defensive back, has seen plenty of experience in his first year on the field for the Ducks. Seisay has played in 11 games, recording 20 tackles and three passes defended.

“Right now, Chris (Seisay) and some other guys’ numbers are being called and we expect them to perform,” Dargan said. “It’s not Chris’ first rodeo. He’s been playing a majority of the season in some key moments. It’s just time for him to step up.

“I think Chris is going to have the best game of his life.”

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Anaheim, Calif – Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene sat back in a director’s chair with the sunny Disneyland skyline behind him. He was answering a floury of questions with a smile on his face. However, when he was asked about Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Greene, a fellow senior, turned somber for a moment.

“I don’t know him as a person, but as a senior you don’t want anything like that to happen to anyone,” Greene said in solidarity. “I hope everything works out for him for the best and may God continue to bless him.”

Greene is one of the Seminoles’ main weapons, catching 93 passes on the year for 1306 yards and seven touchdowns.

Here’s the rest of Greene’s Saturday afternoon conversation with the Emerald.

Does your game plan change with Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s injury?

As far as us, our progression didn’t change. We were ready to play against the best and we’re still going to take every player [Oregon] puts out there seriously. We don’t take our opponents lightly. For them, it may have been an impact but I’m sure that they have guys in their program that can do as much as he did.

For us, our game plan doesn’t change. We were ready to play the best and I was ready to compete against the best, but things happen and that’s the nature of this game.

Is there a defense that you’ve played against in your time at Florida State that compares to Oregon’s?

Being here at Florida State, I don’t recall many teams dropping eight guys and rushing three, so that’s definitely going to be different for us. But at the same time, we’ve done a great job preparing for these guys.

What are your impressions of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota?

He makes plays and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. He does a great job at extending plays and creating plays with his legs. He’s a leader as well and you can see that from his play and from the sidelines that his teammates gravitate to him— the whole team, not just the offense. They follow him and that’s a great guy to follow.

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ANAHEIM – Richard Chinen, the President of the Rose Bowl executive committee, stood at the podium on Saturday afternoon and presented the theme for the 101st Rose Bowl. Sticking out with his bright red blazer, Chinen told all those on hand at Disneyland California Adventure that this game, and the week leading up to the game, would be all about “inspiring stories.”

Since it was announced on Dec. 6. that Oregon and Florida State would face each other in Pasadena, California, the Rose Bowl inspired story was fixated on the quarterback duel between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota – the last two players to hoist the Heisman trophy.

On the flip side, the bigger story that could be written is how the two team’s defenses fair against the Heisman duo.

For Florida State, stopping Mariota is a task the team has prepared for – a task that’s shown on film to be a difficult one.

When asked if he’s played an opposing player similar to Mariota, Seminoles defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. reflected on playing against Auburn and quarterback Nick Marshall in last year’s BCS National Championship. He said both players have the ability to escape the pocket, extend plays all while keeping their eyes down field.

Against Florida State, Marshall recorded three total touchdowns and 262 total yards.

“What makes him so dangerous is that you just can’t think you have him down,” Edwards Jr. said. “For him to keep his eyes down field and make great throws is definitely a good thing for (Oregon) to have.”

Fellow defensive end Eddie Goldman added, “You can have a fast defensive end, but if you have a quarterback with elite speed, it’s hard to contain him. We just have to be disciplined and stay in our rushing lanes, keep our eyes up and don’t let him escape the pocket.”

Seminoles wide receiver Rashad Greene has also taken notice to more than Mariota’s 53 total touchdowns.

“He’s a leader,” Greene said. “You can see that from his play and from the sidelines that his teammates gravitate to him— the whole team, not just the offense. They follow him and that’s a great guy to follow.”

Whether or not Florida State can stop Mariota and the Ducks offense will be left for when the two teams meet on New Years Day. It’s one of many potential inspired stories Chinen and the Rose Bowl committee look forward to seeing.

“It’ll be a tough job,” Goldman said, “but we’re going to try and get it done.”

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In the days leading up to the 2015 Rose Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Florida State, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 1 in Pasadena. Today, we’ll look at each team’s defensive secondary, with thoughts on Florida State from Perry Kostidikas of the Florida State View. 

Oregon

The Ducks secondary had been one of the lone position groups that hadn’t been hampered by injury this season. That is until starting senior corner back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his final season at Oregon.

Now, the Oregon secondary has to adjust. Redshirt freshman Chris Seisay looks to be the likely replacement for Ekpre-Olomu on the outside. Seisay has seen his fair share of playing time this season, recording 20 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Along with Seisay, senior defensive back Dior Mathis will likely be asked to step up. Mathis hasn’t seen much playing time since Oregon’s win over Washington State on Sept. 21. Mathis has three interceptions in his Oregon tenure and 54 total tackles.

Seniors Troy Hill, Erick Dargan and sophomore safety Reggie Daniels round out the rest of the Ducks secondary. Dargan is tied with Walter Thurmond III for second all-time on Oregon’s career interceptions list with 12. He trails former Duck Jairus Byrd who finished his career with 17 total picks.

Florida State

The key to the Seminoles secondary might be the play of their nickel back. Former Florida State defensive back LaMarcus Joyner, now a member of the St. Louis Rams, made a living from the position. This year, sophomore Jalen Ramsey has successfully made the transition to the nickel spot. Ramsey is fourth on the team in tackles (75), tied for second on the team in sacks (three) and tied for first on the team with two interceptions. Ramsey also leads the Seminoles in passes defended with 13.

On the outside, junior corners PJ Williams and Ronald Darby run the show. Florida State View football beat reporter Perry Kostidikas believes the Florida State secondary, along with Michigan State, could be the toughest Oregon has faced all year.

“Michigan State is a team that comes to mind in terms of defensive prowess, and [Marcus] Mariota played well against them, so it’s hard to say what really will test him but FSU has talent in their secondary that is hard to match,” Kostidikas said. “Junior corner backs P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby could both be drafted in the first round, and in regards to safeties, Tyler Hunter is a redshirt junior and sophomore Jalen Ramsey is a human highlight reel.”

Advantage – Florida State

The big tipping point in this comparison is the loss of Ekpre-Olomu. With Ekpre-Olomu in the lineup, Oregon showcased a senior driven secondary that harped on its communication as being one of its greatest assets. Without Ekpre-Olomu, the Ducks will have to adjust to different players, like Seisay and Mathis, taking on bigger roles.

Talent-wise, the Seminoles are loaded in the secondary. PJ Williams and Ronald Darby both project to be considered highly in next year’s draft if they choose to enter. They’ll have their hands full with a deep Oregon receiving corps, but for now, they have the pregame edge.

12/24: Offensive lines

12/25 : Tight ends 

12/26: Defensive lines

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In the days leading up to the 2015 Rose Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Florida State, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 1 in Pasadena. Today, we’ll look at each team’s tight ends.

Oregon

Let’s face it. The Ducks tight end situation hasn’t been the same since junior Pharaoh Brown’s devastating, season-ending knee injury against Utah on Nov. 8. Brown, who finished his junior season with 25 receptions for 420 yards and 6 touchdowns, was a consistent, go-to-threat for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota all season.

Since Oregon lost Brown, tight end production, in regard to receiving, has dipped. Sophomore Evan Baylis has been the lone pass catcher from the tight ends, accumulating three receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown since Brown’s injury. Aside from Baylis, Oregon has sophomore Johnny Mundt and junior tight end Koa Ka’ai at its disposal, as well.

Opposing teams have used the tight end position as a feature in their offensive game plan against Florida State. The Seminoles have allowed opposing tight ends to grab 27 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns this year.

Florida State

The Seminoles tight end production has been solely contributed from senior tight end Nick O’Leary. Florida State’s other tight ends, Kevin Haplea and Ryan Izzo, have combined for three receptions and 26 yards. O’Leary, who was honored with the John Mackey Award for being the nation’s best tight end, finished his senior season with 47 receptions, 614 yards and 6 touchdowns — all ranked second on the team behind senior wide receiver Rashad Greene (93 receptions, 1306 yards and 7 touchdowns).

O’Leary has been a focal point of the offense and a main player in quarterback Jameis Winston’s arsenal of targets. However, he’s also proven this year that he’s an extensions of the offensive line in the blocking scheme. His coaches have taken notice to his improvement.

We knew he had the skills to do it,” wide receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey told Dan Greenspan of NFL.com. “Becoming a better blocker, that made our whole offense better. The year before we used him for passing, but now we can keep him in and run and pass.”

Advantage – Florida State

Both Oregon and Florida State’s tight end production this year has been ruled by one player. The difference? Florida State’s tight end leader will be on the field for the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Till now, no player on Oregon has proven that they could step in and fill the absence left by Brown’s season-ending knee injury. However, Oregon has enough talent elsewhere to not rely on the tight end position.

12/24: Offensive lines

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The Oregon women’s basketball team saw its four game winning streak come to a close with a 68-59 loss to Fresno State on Sunday. The Ducks tied the game up at 55 in the second half after trailing by as much as 15 points. However, Fresno State finished the game on a 13-4 run to end Oregon’s bid at a comeback victory.

“I think that we can definitely use this game as a lesson that we need to come out and start better and play better from the jump,” junior guard Lexi Petersen told GoDucks.com. “We can’t keep digging ourselves holes and expecting to come back. We learned a lot from this game.”

Fresno State (8-3) senior guard Alex Sheedy led the Bulldogs with 25 points.

Oregon forced the Bulldogs into 17 turnovers, but struggled to take advantage of them.

“We forced 17 turnovers but only got 3 points off of them, we weren’t very aggressive,” head coach Kelly Graves told GoDucks.com. “We only shot 26% from the field in the second half, I thought we had some pretty good looks by in large, not great but good enough. Forty six percent from the free throw line jumps out at you, we have to make baskets.”

Not going unnoticed in the loss, Oregon (6-4) junior Jillian Alleyne set the Pac-12 record for consecutive games with a double-double at 19. She finished with a game-high of 26 points and 16 rebounds against Fresno State. Alleyne tied the record with Cheryl Miller last season when she recorded 18 straight double-doubles.

“To have the record now just shows me that I can be this player that everyone believes that I can be,” Alleyne told GoDucks.com. “Now I just have to believe in myself.”

Here’s the full box score.

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Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s playing days for the Ducks are finished, but that didn’t stop the senior All-American from saying a final goodbye to Oregon fans.

On Friday night, two days after reports indicated Ekpre-Olomu would be out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, the Oregon athletic department released a video of Ekpre-Olomu confirming his injury status and thanking fans for his experience at Oregon.

Ekpre-Olomu, a senior out of Chino Hills, California, was a unanimous Associated Press All-American selection at corner back and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football. Ekpre-Olomu had two interceptions and 43 tackles for the 12-1 Ducks this season. In his four years with Oregon, Ekpre-Olomu has accumulated nine interceptions and 161 total tackles.

Ekpre-Olomu reiterated in the video that, despite the injury, he doesn’t plan on leaving his teammate’s side.

“It doesn’t stop here,” he said. “We’re just going to keep on moving forward and I’ll be with you guys in spirit.”

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich confirmed Thursday that Ekpre-Olomu would not participate in the College Football Playoff.

“He’s already been Ifo in terms of leadership and already made a difference in kind of how he handled getting dinged up, but just a tough, tough dude and I expect our team to respond exactly how they’ve responded to everything else,” Helfrich said.

Oregon will play Florida State in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day.

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The remainder of Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s senior season appears to be over.

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ NFL insider Rand Getlin, Ekpre-Olomu suffered an injury in practice on Tuesday and there is concern it’s a torn ACL in his knee.

Sources: #Oregon CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu suffered what is believed to be a serious knee injury in practice yesterday. Concern it's a torn ACL.

— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) December 17, 2014

Comcast Northwest’s Aaron Fentress is reporting that Ekpre-Olomu’s season is over.

Ekpre-Olomu, a 5-foot-10 195 pound corner from Chino Hills, California, has two interceptions and 43 tackles for the 12-1 Ducks this season. In his four years with Oregon, Ekpre-Olomu has accumulated nine interceptions and 161 total tackles.

Ekpre-Olomu finished as a finalist this season for the Jim Thorpe award — an award given to the top defensive back in the nation. Ekpre-Olomu was also named a first and second team All-American for numerous organizations.

According to CBSSports, Ekpre-Olomu is considered a top NFL Draft prospect. He’s ranked as the second best cornerback and the 28th best player overall in the 2015 NFL draft class.

Ekpre-Olomu elected to return to Oregon for his senior season instead of entering last year’s draft.

“I was pretty close,” Ekpre-Olomu told reporters after his decision to return to school, “it really went down to what i wanted to do.

Oregon will face Florida State in the Rose Bowl on New Years day.

Here’s the reaction on social media

“Next man in,” is a tough sell when we’re talking about Ifo Ekpre Olomu. #GetWellIfo

— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) December 17, 2014

School hasn't said anything yet about Ekpre-Olomu, but should he be out, CBs probably goes Hill, Seisay to start and Mathis next up.

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) December 17, 2014

Hoping the best for #Ducks Ekpre-Olomu.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 17, 2014

I really, really hope those sources are wrong. Ifo such an awesome guy, would hate to see him end his college career like that.

— Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRaeSI) December 17, 2014

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