The Oregon volleyball season came to a close Friday night at the NCAA regional semifinals in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The No. 10 seed Ducks lost in four sets to No. 7 seed North Carolina 25-23,25-22, 23-25, 25-16.

Oregon opened the match on with a 14-9 run, but the Tar Heels closed out the first set by out scoring the Ducks 16-9 en route to a 25-23 set victory.

The second set, like the first, was a back and forth bout, but ultimately North Carolina won 25-22.

The Ducks won the third set 25-23. Oregon junior outside hitter Martenne Bettendorf had 13 kills through three sets to lead Oregon. She finished with a match-high 16 kills.

In the fourth and final set, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 19-10 lead and never looked back. North Carolina took the fourth set 25-16 to win the match and keep its season alive.

North Carolina senior Chaniel Nelson led the Tar Heels with a team-high 14 kills. Junior setter Jordy Schnabl had a match leading 27 assists and senior libero Taner Ece led the Tar Heels with 14 digs.

Oregon sophomore libero recorded a match-high 17 digs. Oregon’s Shellsy Ashen and freshman Maggie Scott combined for 49 assists.

With the loss, Oregon finishes 23-10. North Carolina improves to 29-2 and will face Texas in the regional final.

Here’s the final box score.

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After defeating No. 7 Arizona in the Pac-12 Championship last Friday, Oregon had pretty much solidified a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoffs. The only thing to be determined was who and where they would play.

Sunday morning, it was announced that Oregon, the No. 2 team in the nation, would face off against Florida State, the No. 3 team, in Pasadena, California for the Rose Bowl.

Later in the afternoon, Oregon seniors Hroniss Grasu, Keanon Lowe and Derrick Malone met with the media to discuss the matchup with Florida State – the reigning national champions.

With Florida State and the reigning Heisman trophy winner, could you just talk about the matchup itself?

Hroniss Grasu (HG): “Yeah, I’ll go first. It’s a blessing and we’re very thankful to be able to play in the Rose Bowl. We know it’s going to be a really good matchup against Florida State and we understand they’re undefeated…so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Keanon Lowe (KL): “Yeah, I think it’s just an awesome matchup. We get to play a team that doesn’t lose, that is undefeated in their last (29) games. That’s a great challenge. We’re excited to go back to California and get another opportunity to go play in the Rose Bowl.”

Derrick Malone (DM): “Like Keanon said, we’re going to play against a team that knows how to finish. It’s a great matchup and we’re really excited to get the chance to represent our conference in the Rose Bowl and it’s going to be a great one.”

You guys are seniors and you’ve played in big games. How does that experience help you guys now that you’re in the semifinal?

HG: “You got to try and treat it like a regular game. I know it’s hard to do, to not make it a bigger deal than it already is, but you got to not let it get to you too much, treat it like a regular game, do what your told and just trust the process.”

KL: “We’re just going to treat it like a business trip, like it is. At the beginning of the season we set a goal out to finish this season the way we wanted to finish it and we have a lot of time to prepare.”

DM: “Like Keanon said, it’s a business trip. The entire team, we have a great group of mature guys and we’re going to be focused and ready to prepare. We’ve been on a big stage before and we know how to handle ourselves.”

How much of a testament to Florida State is it to win 29 straight games?

HG: “It’s huge. Anyone who knows anything about football…it’s really hard to win those games they’ve won and it’s really hard to be undefeated two straight seasons. It shows they know how to finish.”

KL: “29-0, ya know, that speaks for itself. Clearly they have one of the best coaching staffs in the country to be able to (win) two years in a row.”

DM: “They’re a great team on all cylinders. They’re a complete team that knows how to finish and we have to make sure that each and every play we bring our ‘A’ game.”

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Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was honored with the Maxwell award on Thursday night. The Maxwell award is presented to college football’s player of the year.

“It’s a blessing,” Mariota said on ESPN.

Mariota won the award over Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon and Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.

Mariota, a redshirt junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, had a combined 53 touchdowns for the 12-1 Ducks this season. An integral part of Mariota’s award resume from this season is his lack of turnovers. The Oregon quarterback had two interceptions this season.

Oregon will play against Florida State in the inaugural College Football Playoff on New Years Day. The Ducks will take on the Seminoles in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

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Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman won the Jim Thorpe award on Thursday night. The Thorpe award is presented to the best defensive back in college football. Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Alabama safety Landon Collins were the other two finalists.

Holliman, a redshirt sophomore from Miami, Florida, recorded 14 interceptions this season for the Cardinals. Louisville finished 9-3 and will play against Georgia in the Belk Bowl.

Ekpre-Olomu, a senior defensive back from Chino Hills, California, had 63 tackles and recorded 2 interceptions for the 12-1 Ducks this season. He had 9 interceptions in his career.

Earlier in the day, Ekpre-Olomu was named a Walter Camp first team All-American along with both Collins and Holliman.

Oregon will play against Florida State in the inaugural College Football Playoff on New Years Day. The Ducks will take on the Seminoles in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

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Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Davey O’Brien award on Thursday night. The Davey O’Brien award is presented to the best quarterback in college football.

“I really just wanted to go out there and win games,” Mariota said on ESPN. “Everything else that’s happened is just a blessing.”

Mariota won the award over Texas Christian quarterback Trevone Boykin and Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.

Mariota threw for 3783 yards, 38 touchdowns and two interceptions for the 12-1 Ducks. He also ran for 669 yards and 14 touchdowns. In Oregon’s 31-24 loss to Arizona, Mariota also caught a 26-yard touchdown pass on a throw from Royce Freeman.

The last four winners of the Davey O’Brien award have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman trophy will be presented in New York City on Saturday.

Oregon will play against Florida State in the inaugural College Football Playoff on New Years Day. The Ducks will take on the Seminoles in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Here’s some reaction:

Congratulations to Marcus Mariota of @WintheDay @GoDucks, our 2014 Davey O’Brien Award winner! #CFBAwards

— Davey O'Brien (@daveyobrien) December 12, 2014

I would joke about Oregon needing to build a new wing for all of the trophies Marcus Mariota is going to win but I doubt that’s a problem.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) December 12, 2014

Super mariota… Goducks!

— LaMichael James (@LaMichaelJames) December 12, 2014

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Oregon wide receiver Keanon Lowe described Oregon’s Rose Bowl matchup with Florida State succinctly.

“It’s awesome,” Lowe said. “We get to play a team that doesn’t lose.”

In the last 29 games, no team has come out victorious against the Seminoles. The last team to beat Florida State, the reigning BCS National Champions, was Florida in the final game of the 2012 season. The Gators won that game 37-26.

There are two blatant common denominators in Florida State’s winning streak.

One of them is its often-talked-about, Heisman winning quarterback Jameis Winston. On the field, Winston has shown clutch capabilities while leading a Florida State offense that is ranked 29th in the country averaging 34.8 points per game. In every game of his first two seasons with the Seminoles, Winston has thrown at least one touchdown pass.

Oregon senior linebacker Derrick Malone compared Winston to UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.

“He’s a big guy, like (Hundley), and he’s hard to bring down,” Malone said. “We got to make sure that we’re firing on all cylinders. We got to make sure we can contain him and play our defense and make sure everyone does their job. We have to make sure we bring our ‘A’ game.”

The other commonality for the Seminoles is Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff. Fisher took over a 7-6 football team in 2009. Since then, the Seminoles are 58-10. Under Fisher, Florida State is undefeated in bowl games. The Seminoles won back-to-back BCS bowl games coming into this season, as well.

Lowe believes Florida State’s winning streak is a testament to the Seminoles’ coaching staff.

“29-0, you know, that speaks for itself,” Lowe said. “Clearly they have one of the best coaching staffs in the country to be able to (win) two years in a row.

Still, the undefeated ACC champions, appeared less dominant in its most recent wins than it did throughout the course of its winning streak. In their last four games, the Seminoles have won by a combined margin of 14 points.

Lowe, however, still sees an opportunity to do something no other team has done in the last two years.

“They’re the real deal,” he said. “I’m excited to get a chance to knock them off.”

Florida State

Offense – 34.8 points per game (29th)

Passing

Jameis Winston – 3,559 yards, 65.4 completion percentage, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Rushing 

Dalvin Cook – 905 yards and eight touchdowns

Karlos Williams – 609 yards and 10 touchdowns

Receiving

Rashad Greene – 93 receptions, 1,306 yards and seven touchdowns

Nick O’Leary – 47 receptions, 614 yards and six touchdowns

Travis Rudolph – 32 receptions, 459 yards and three touchdowns

Defense – 23.0 points allowed per game (30th)

Reggie Northrup – 113 tackles, one sack and one interception

Terrance Smith – 85 tackles, one sack and two interceptions

Jalen Ramsey – 75 tackles (9.5 tackles for loss), three sacks and two interceptions

Mario Edwards Jr. – 44 tackles (11 tackles for loss) and three sacks

Oregon

Offense –46.3 points per game (3rd)

Passing

Marcus Mariota – 3,783 yards, 38 touchdowns and two interceptions

Rushing

Royce Freeman – 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns

Marcus Mariota – 669 yards and 14 touchdowns

Receiving

Byron Marshall – 61 receptions, 814 yards and five touchdowns

Devon Allen – 41 receptions, 684 yards and seven touchdowns

Dwayne Stanford – 37 receptions, 557 yards and six touchdowns

Defense –22.5 points against per game (29th)

Erick Dargan – 82 tackles and six interceptions

Derrick Malone – 76 tackles and 0.5 sacks

Joe Walker – 74 tackles (eight tackles for loss) and one sack

DeForest Buckner – 69 tackles (12 tackles for loss) and four sacks

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Florida State picked up a huge victory over Oregon Wednesday morning.

Josh Sweat (Oscar Smith High School – Chesapeake, Virginia), the No. 1 defensive end recruit, and the No. 6 player overall (247Sports) in the nation, announced a verbal commitment to Florida State. He chose the Seminoles over the Ducks, Ohio State, Georgia and Virginia Tech.

Sweat visited Oregon this past weekend. He announced a day later that he would be making his college decision on Wednesday.

Eugene was LIT! #WTD

— Josh Sweat (@JoshSweat9) December 7, 2014

Sweat tore his ACL and early on in his senior season. However, the injury didn’t detract any interest from college teams. In 247Sports rankings, he dropped from the No. 1 player in the country, to the No. 6 ranked recruit.

At The Opening, a summer combine for starred high school recruits, Sweat wowed people with his performance.

Why coaches want Josh Sweat? He dominated at The Opening w/ a 4.46-second time in the 40-yard dash, a 4.2 shuttle & 39-inch vertical leap.

— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) December 10, 2014

According to SBNation, Sweat is set to enroll at Florida State in January.

Here are Sweat’s junior season highlights.

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Oregon is heading to the College Football Playoff.

The College Football Playoff committee announced that the No. 2 Ducks will play against No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The Seminoles were the only team in the top-four that finished undefeated. Florida State finished 29th in points (34.8) and 30th in points scored against them (23.0).

It will be the first ever meeting between Oregon and Florida State.

Last year, Florida State won the BCS National Championship and Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston won the Heisman trophy award.

After defeating No. 7 Arizona 51-13 in the Pac-12 Championship, the Ducks solidified a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

The other semifinal, the Sugar Bowl, will be a matchup of No.1 Alabama and No. 4 Ohio State. The Buckeyes launched themselves into the playoff after a 59-0 win over No. 17 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game.

“It was decisive for Ohio State to move into that fourth spot,” selection committee chair Jeff Long said.

Both games will take place on Jan. 1.

The winner of each semifinal will meet in the Cotton Bowl for the College Football National Championship on Jan. 12.

No. 5 Baylor and No. 6 TCU, the Big 12 co-conference champions, were the first two teams left out of the College Football Playoff.

“We were faced with co-champions…and we weighed that. It was really about Ohio State’s performance,” Long said.

Here’s some reaction:

Gotta go with Oregon all the way. Bring it home to the pac12 #Pac12 #HoldItDown

— Shaq Thompson (@ShaqThompson_7) December 7, 2014

Early Lines: Alabama -9.5 vs. Ohio St. Oregon -8.5 vs. Florida St (via @LVSuperBook)

— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) December 7, 2014

I like that lineup.

— Torrodney Prevot (@TorrodneyPrevot) December 7, 2014

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Everybody was thinking it.

With the second half of Oregon’s season opening game against South Dakota trudging on 41-13, true freshman Charles Nelson gave reason for those watching the game to double-take. No. 6 for the Ducks took a South Dakota punt 49-yards to the end zone, going nearly untouched in the process. His 5-foot-9 physique, his flashy No. 6 uniform and the speed shown on the play prompted me to ask a question to three-year Oregon starting quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Did he remind you of anyone?

“I was waiting for that question,” Mariota said with a laugh. “Yeah, he’s a special talent. De’Anthony (Thomas) was the same way. Hopefully he can be half the guy De’Anthony was because De’Anthony was very special. But for a guy like him, he’s come a long way already and he’s a true freshman.”

Since his dazzling debut, Nelson has forced himself on the field. The speed showcased on punt returns, kickoff coverage and punt coverage proved to the Oregon coaching staff that Nelson was too special of a talent to be isolated. In a 59-41 victory against Cal at Levi’s Stadium earlier this year, the Ducks used Nelson in a myriad of different positions and formations on offense. Even though he was held without a catch, Nelson carried the ball three times for 35 yards. The urge to get the ball in Nelson’s grasp was evident.

“This guy is too good not to have the ball in his hands,” Helfrich said after the game. “People can kick away from him. (Ducks offensive coordinator) Scott Frost did a great job incorporating him with the rest of the staff to feed him. He’s just too good, you can see that with the ball in his hands.”

Since then, Nelson has proved his coaches right. He’s lined up outside, in the backfield and at the slot receiver position. He has motioned across formations with the goal being to find a way to get the ball in his hands in open space. When he has, he has shown that he is capable of making plays.

On the year, Nelson, a former three-star athlete recruit out of Daytona, Florida (according to Rivals), has caught 10 passes for 162 yards and five touchdowns. Nelson has found paydirt on four of his last five receptions. Last week against Oregon State, his stat line was similar to his standard rate of production: two catches, 56 yards and two touchdowns.

His ability to turn receptions into touchdowns has given the Ducks a dangerous threat this offense has been accustomed to having. Last year, the Ducks had both De’ Anthony Thomas and wide receiver Bralon Addison in their offensive arsenal. Addison hasn’t played in a game after tearing an ACL in his knee during the spring and Thomas is now playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In games where Nelson has had a catch, Oregon is undefeated and the offense is averaging 49.5 points per game.

In Oregon’s only loss of the season against Arizona, Nelson was a non-factor. This time around, Nelson is expected to be an integral part of the Oregon attack — no matter where he lines up on offense.

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Oregon will get another crack at the Arizona Wildcats in 2014.

After the Ducks were beat at home by Arizona 31-24 on Oct. 2., Oregon will face off against the Wildcats in the Pac-12 Championship at Levi’s Stadium next Friday. No. 11 Arizona beat No. 13 Arizona State 42-35 in the Territorial Cup.

At the beginning of the day, No. 8 UCLA had the lead in the Pac-12 South and controlled it’s own Pac-12 Championship destiny. However, the Bruins fell at home to Stanford (7-5, 5-4 in Pac-12) 31-10. The loss opened up the door for the winner of the Arizona vs. Arizona State game to punch its ticket to the Championship game.

On 4th and 12, down 42-35, Arizona State backup quarterback Mike Bercovici overthrew a pass intended for Jaelen Strong to seal the win for the Wildcats.

This will be the third time in the last two seasons Oregon and Arizona will play. The Wildcats won the first two games by a combined score of 73-40.

When the two teams met at Autzen Stadium on Oct 2., the running combination of freshman Nick Wilson and senior Terris Jones-Grigsby was the difference. The two Arizona running backs combined for 207 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while accumulating 5 catches, 129 yards and a touchdown through the air.

The Pac-12 Championship will take place on Friday Dec. 5., at Levi’s Stadium. Oregon beat Cal 59-41 at Levi’s Stadium earlier this year.

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