It’s the inaugural collegiate football game at Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks face off against the California Golden Bears.

Here are some pregame notes for tonight’s game:

Update: Armstead, Tyner and Wogan didn’t make trip to play Cal

According to GoDucks.com’s Rob Moseley, Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead, running back Thomas Tyner and place kicker Matt Wogan did not make the trip with the team to Levi’s Stadium. Tyner left in the first half of last weekend’s victory over Washington. Armstead missed the win over UCLA two weeks ago with an ankle injury.

Broadcast information

Television: FOX Sports 1

Radio: Oregon IMG; Sports USA; Satellite Radio Sirius 91, XM 91

The matchup

Oregon has won five straight games against Cal by a combined score of 214-to-64.

Oregon (6-1, 3-1 in Pac-12) is coming off a 45-20 blowout victory against Washington last weekend. Freshman running back Royce Freeman ran for four touchdowns and 169 yards on 29 carries. It was the second week in a row that Freeman ran for over 100 yards. Freeman is leading the conference in rushing touchdowns with 11. Against the Huskies, the Oregon defense held the Washington running game in check. Starting running back Lavon Coleman carried the ball 12 times for 28 yards against the Ducks.

Cal (4-3, 2-3) is third in the nation in scoring averaging 41.6 points per game. Tonight’s game against Oregon marks the first time this season that Cal is facing a ranked opponent. Golden Bears starting quarterback Jared Goff is on pace to pass for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns while leading the No. 3 passing attack in the nation. Defensively, Cal is giving up 525 yards and 38.4 points per game.

For further insight into the matchup, check out the Emerald’s roundtable from earlier this week.

Fabulous Freshmen

Of Oregon’s 42 touchdowns scored this season, freshmen have accounted for 19. Royce Freeman leads the group with 11. Redshirt freshmen wide receiver Devon Allen is second on the list with six. Charles Nelson and redshirt freshman running back Kani Benoit both have one touchdown this season.

Mark Helfrich’s coaching start

With a win last weekend, Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich notched his 17th victory in his first 20 games. That ties Chip Kelly for the second best coaching start in Pac-12 history. Former Cal head coach Pappy Waldorf (1947-1956) holds the record for the best 20 game start in Pac-12 history with a 19-1 record. Stanford head coach David Shaw was 16-4 in his first 20 games at Stanford.

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Aside from the changes on the field, the California Golden Bears already have a better shot this year at beating the Oregon Ducks than they did last year. According to the Weather Channel, there is a 10 percent chance of precipitation at Levi’s Stadium on Friday night.

Quite the difference in comparison to last year’s torrential downpour as Oregon cruised to a 55-16 victory in Autzen Stadium. It will be Friday night lights at the home of the San Francisco 49ers between two offensive powers.

Here’s how Oregon and Cal stack up:

Offense:

Oregon

In the last two weeks, the Ducks have found their running game. With the return of left tackle Jake Fisher to the starting lineup and the increased role of freshman running back Royce Freeman, the Ducks offense has opened up. Oregon scored a combined 87 points in its last two games. Also, without senior receiver Keanon Lowe last week, weapons like Darren Carrington, Dwayne Stanford and Pharaoh Brown stepped into the spotlight and showcased their talents. The Oregon offense is humming and starting to feel like the balanced, fast-paced attack of its past time.

California

In last year’s matchup, Oregon only got to see a water-downed version of then freshman quarterback Jared Goff. The Golden Bears’ signal caller went 3-of-7 for 11 yards, a grand total adjusted QBR (quarterback rating) of 1.7. This season, Goff is on pace to pass for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns while leading the No. 3 passing attack in the nation. He has plenty of weapons at his disposal, too. Bryce Treggs, Chris Harper and Kenny Lawler are three playmaking receivers. The run-game isn’t a perfect complement to Cal’s passing attack as it’s ranked 108th in the country. Junior Daniel Lasco is leading the Golden Bears with 523 yards on 102 carries. Goff can sling it and Cal can put up points in a hurry.

Advantage: Oregon

Defense:

Oregon

The Ducks’ defense showed an improvement in its rush defense against the Washington last week. Lavon Coleman, who led the Huskies with 12 carries, finished with 28 yards against Oregon. Defensive line coach Ron Aiken said the improvement against the run is a testament to the Ducks focusing on the fundamentals. In the secondary, senior safety Erick Dargan has continued to show that he is an elite ball hawk. He snagged his fourth interception of the season and the 10th of his career last week against Washington. Though the Golden Bears aren’t classified as a run-heavy team, the goal of the Ducks is to force Goff into some pressured situations and make Cal a one-dimensional team.

California

It’s no secret that the Cal defense has struggled this season. The Golden Bears are ranked 120th in the nation giving up an average of 38.4 points per game. The Cal defense gives up points, but it’s an opportunistic and advantageous group. Against UCLA last weekend, the Golden Bears scored 20 points off of three Bruins turnovers. Sophomore linebacker Hardy Nickerson was responsible for two turnovers, forcing and recovering a fumble. The Oregon offense is one of the best in the nation at keeping a hold of the ball with only three turnovers on the season. Oregon needs to keep that consistent against the Golden Bears because they have shown they can force turnovers and generate points off them.

Advantage: Oregon 

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Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown realized he made a mistake immediately.

Seconds after a 66-yard reception in the beginning of the 2nd quarter that highlighted his speed as well as his power, Brown —  entrapped by the high emotion of a big play — spiked the ball to the ground. He tried to retrieve the ball before anyone noticed but he was too late. Brown was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Ducks offense was charged 15-yards.

That’s kind of been the way this season as gone for the junior tight end from Lyndhurst, Ohio. He’s had flashes of unparalleled talent followed by a hiccup in discipline. It happened last week against UCLA when Brown caught a 4-yard pass for an Oregon first down. He followed that with a face-to-face altercation with bruins linebacker Myles Jack that resulted in a personal foul.

“That kid is a talented guy, phenomenally talented player and when he gets it all together, it’s really good,” head coach Mark Helfrich said after No. 9 Oregon’s 45-20 win over Washington. “Do we want a 15-yard penalty? Absolutely not. But we like the 66-yard gain before that and we’ll coach both ends of it.”

Brown had a career-high 99 yards receiving on three catches against the Huskies.

It’s been gradual, but Brown has been growing up. Like any young person, he’s learned from his mistakes.

“When you get those you just have to learn from them,” Brown said. “We’re all young twenty year old kids—young adults I should say. You just have to learn from stuff like that.”

Since last December, Brown’s name has been sewed together with the visions of a retired Oregon professor being covered in snow. He was suspended for the Alamo Bowl. He learned from that experience and he’s impressed his teammates with his ability to bounce back from his mistakes.

“It’s coming along with Pharaoh,” quarterback Marcus Mariota said. “You know, he’s learning as he goes and obviously coach Helfrich and the rest of the coaches have done a great job of keeping him disciplined, helping him understand that everything he does, he has a responsibility for and he’s been learning from his mistakes and he’s going to be a big part of what we do this year. We have to count on him.”

Running back Byron Marshall noted that Brown’s spike was obviously a mistake, but it wasn’t intentional.

“It may have been an unsportsmanlike conduct but it’s nothing you go back and scratch your head like, ‘why is this kid doing this’?” Marshall said. “Everyone on this team is growing up and Pharaoh is definitely one of them.  He understands it, now it’s just a matter working hard and making plays and hopefully the side stuff can stay side stuff.”

Oregon wide receiver Dwayne Stanford added, “I don’t think it was anything intentional, where he—you know—was being a bonehead. I think that was just spur of the moment excitement. It’ll probably never happen again.”

So, the next time Brown catches the ball, he knows exactly what to do when the play concludes.

“(I’ll) pick the ball up and hand it to the referee.”

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The sky is blue, its homecoming weekend and the Washington Huskies are in town to face the Ducks. Recently, Oregon has dominated the rivalry winning the past ten matchups by an average of 25.4 points.

Here are some pregame notes for tonight’s game:

Broadcast information

Television: FOX Sports 1

Radio: Oregon IMG; Sports USA; Satellite Radio Sirius 139

The matchup

Oregon (5-1, 2-1 in Pac-12) is coming off a 42-30 against UCLA last weekend. Freshman running back Royce Freeman become the first Oregon running back to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark (18 carries, 121 yards and two touchdowns). Oregon’s lone loss came at home when the Ducks fell 31-24 to the Arizona Wildcats.

Washington (5-1, 1-1) is averaging 34.8 points per game this season despite putting up 13 in a loss to Stanford two weeks ago. Sophomore Cyler Miles has taken the reigns at the quarterback position this season. Miles has completed 85-of-129 passes this season for 896 yards and nine touchdowns. Miles has yet to throw an interception this season.

For further insight into the matchup, check the Emerald’s roundtable from earlier this week.

“The Pick”

Twenty years ago, former Oregon defensive back launched himself forever into Ducks lore with an interception against the Huskies to seal a win and end a five year losing streak against Washington. Since his interception against Washington quarterback Damon Huard, Wheaton has been recognized as a hero amongst the Oregon faithful. He’s made the rounds around the Eugene area signing autographs and meeting fans. Tonight, the Ducks honor his interception, and its 20th anniversary, with a uniform tribute.

One play can change everything. Here is Saturday's uniform honoring "The Pick" #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/jkmgIzvZXI

— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) October 14, 2014

Wheaton talked with the Emerald earlier this week.

Arik Armstead to start for Oregon

Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead will play against Washington after missing last week’s game against UCLA with an ankle injury. Armstead hurt his ankle in the first half of Oregon’s loss to Arizona.

Jake Fisher’s impact

Oregon left tackle Jake Fisher made the return to the Oregon starting lineup last weekend against UCLA. The addition made a significant impact on the Ducks offense. Oregon hasn’t allowed a sack in three of the four games that Fisher has started, including in last week’s victory against the Bruins. With Fisher out of the lineup, Oregon has allowed 12 sacks.

Washington pass rush

The Huskies are third in the nation with 24 sacks. After three sacks against Cal, senior defensive end Hau’oli Kikaha now leads the nation with 10. Danny Shelton is fifth in the nation with seven.

Lack of turnovers

The Huskies have one turnover this season and lead the nation with a plus-14 turnover margin. Oregon is tied for second with three turnovers on the year.

Marcus Mariota milestone watch

Another game, another chance for quarterback Marcus Mariota to etch his name in the Oregon record book. Mariota is 37 passing yards away from reaching 8,000 for his career. Mariota is two passing touchdowns away from tying former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck for fifth all-time in the Pac-12.

The conversation on Twitter

Here are some pregame tweets from tonight’s game:

Underrated factor in today's game: Washington leads the nation with a plus-14 turnover margin. Only one turnover on the year. #UOvUW

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) October 18, 2014

Grasu's facemask for tonight's game vs. UW. Talk about throwback….#GoDucks #ducksFB #UWvsUO pic.twitter.com/xeBi4umPpL

— Kristin MacDougald (@KMacDougald) October 18, 2014

Today's uniform #GoDucks #UWvsUO pic.twitter.com/34e32qTKka

— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) October 18, 2014

Who is the best dressed? DC Don Pellum in green or RB coach Gary Campbell in blue? #goducks pic.twitter.com/VeYKnkwIjj

— CSNNW (@CSNNW) October 18, 2014

GRASU pic.twitter.com/44DoBbAZx3

— Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) October 18, 2014

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The place holding position with the Ducks is starting to become a tradition shared by Eugene natives. After former Oregon backup quarterback and South Eugene alumni, Dustin Haines carried the duties last season, former Sheldon High School quarterback Taylor Alie has since taken over. In his redshirt freshman season, Alie found the end zone twice on two-point conversions including a fake pitch and run in Oregon’s 42-30 victory over UCLA last weekend.

Alie caught up with the Emerald to discuss his relationship with Haines and his first season as the holder for the Ducks.

What goes into the decision to go for two after a touchdown?

Basically, anytime we score, we always have the opportunity to go for two. The defense at UCLA kind of slacked off since we just scored on them. It was an opportunity to give us a bigger lead and we executed.

Has the juke and fake pitch always been in your repertoire?

I don’t know. It’s just kind of something I pulled out. The defender was going straight for our kicker so it was a pretty easy move.

Did you ever have a second thought about not pitching the ball?

The only time I thought about it was when I was in the end zone. I thought ‘That was kind of cool’.

How nice is it whenever you get the chance to get into the end zone?

It’s awesome. It’s so demoralizing for a defense. We just scored and now we have two extra points. It’s fun to do what we do.

The consistent ability to score on a two-point conversion was something Chip Kelly used at Oregon. Do you think going for two is an added element to the up-tempo nature he brought to Oregon?

I think it’s very important to making a defense be ready for everything. They can’t take a play off and any time they do feel like they can, we respond.

When did it click with you that you were continuing the Eugene native holder tradition after Dustin Haines?

Kind of. It’s definitely pretty cool. It’s awesome to be able to follow in Dustin’s footsteps. But it’s a lot cooler to be able to help out my team and put points on the board.

How did you get the holder position?

It just kind of came to me. During spring ball we started practicing with different guys out there. I had never really done it before, but it’s not that hard of a job. I had good preparation with Matt (Wogan) and good chemistry.

Have you ever dropped a snap?

I dropped one in a game, the very first one. But besides that I haven’t really had any problems.

Did you put it in the back of your mind?

Yeah. It’s just like throwing an interception: You have to move on and move to the next one.

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Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum met with the media outside the Oregon Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on Wednesday. In preparation for Washington, Pellum answered questions surrounding Huskies Quarterback Cyler Miles’s growth, wide receiver Jaydon Micken’s play-making ability and the throwback jerseys the Ducks will be wearing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kenny Wheaton’s ‘The pick”.

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The Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team released its 2015 schedule on Wednesday afternoon.

“This year’s meet schedule will be the toughest competition yet,” new head coach Chelsea Shaw told the Oregon athletic department. “Each team in the NCATA is going to be a challenge. We have a strong schedule with three home meets and four on the road. Our athletes are ambitiously preparing for another successful season and striving for their fifth national championship.”

Seeking its fifth straight National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championship, the Ducks will open its season with a rematch of last year’s title meet. Oregon will head to Azusa Pacific, the only place it lost during the regular season last year, on Feb. 4.

Oregon will compete against former head coach Felecia Mulkey and the Baylor Bears twice this season. The first meet is at home on on March 12. The Ducks will head to Waco, Texas for the final regular season meet of the season on April 12.

The Ducks will have three home meets this season starting with the home opener against Concordia (Wisconsin) on Feb 21.

Fairmont State will host this year’s NCATA national championship meet.

Here’s the entire schedule.

February 4 – @ Azusa Pacific; Azusa, Calif., 6:30 p.m.
February 21 – Concordia (Wisconsin); Matthew Knight Arena, 6:30 p.m.
March 1 – @ Quinnipiac; Hamden, Conn., 9 a.m.
March 12 – Baylor; Matthew Knight Arena, 6:30 p.m.
March 16 – Azusa Pacific and Fairmont State (tri-meet); Matthew Knight Arena, 6:30 p.m.
March 27 – @ Hawaii Pacific; Honolulu, Hawaii, 9:30 p.m.
April 12 – @ Baylor; Waco, Texas, Noon
April 23-25 – National Championship (@ Fairmont State); Fairmont, W.V., TBD

all times are Pacific Time (PT)

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– Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman opened up to Register-Guard columnist Austin Meek today. About five months after the sexual assault allegations involving former players Damyean Dotson, Dominic Artis and Brandon Austin, the Oregon coach is dead-set on attacking the issue and image of the program. “We have had a bad year,” Altman told Meek, “and we do have to address that.” Altman also discussed the team’s inexperienced roster heading into this season. “We’re going to be very small,” Altman told Meek. “Inexperienced, small and not many guys is not a great combination.” Meek also noted that incoming junior college transfer Michael Chandler is the lone player on the Ducks roster taller than 6-foot-7.

– The Heisman Trophy race took a drastic turn yesterday when the University of Georgia announced that running back Todd Gurley would be suspended indefinitely during an investigation into team rules. Gurley, a front-runner for the award, had 773 yards and eight touchdowns on 94 carries this season.

– In preparation for No. 12 Oregon taking on No. 18 UCLA this Saturday, the Emerald released its weekly GameDay issue. Associate sports editor Hayden Kim profiled Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen. The matchup between Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota and UCLA’s Brett Hundley was highlighted, and Jordan Lee of the Daily Bruin wrote why the Bruins will beat Oregon. Check out all the articles here.

– Pac-12 Coordinator of Football Officiating Tony Corrente resigned on Wednesday. Here was the reaction on Twitter.

– It’s called the afterburner effect, and the Oregon cross-country team has figured it out.

– The Oregon men’s golf team is ready for the spotlight this year.

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The matchup between No. 12 Oregon and No. 18 UCLA isn’t quite living up to the pregame hoopla that many expected it would have coming into the season. Both teams are coming off losses in their first Pac-12 home games of the season and both teams’ Heisman hopeful quarterbacks hit a bump in the road on their path to the coveted trophy. Both the Ducks and the Bruins can’t afford to lose two conference games and watch their College Football Playoff dreams dwindle away. A win-or-go-home element is certainly in play at the Rose Bowl this Saturday.

Last season, Oregon outscored the Bruins 28-0 in the second half to beat UCLA 42-14. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was efficient, completing 21-of-28 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. Running back Byron Marshall rushed for 133 yards against the Bruins —  no Oregon running back has eclipsed the century mark this season.

The field is filled with players and matchups that can make or break a team’s chances in this game.

Matchups to Watch:

LB Eric Kendricks vs. QB Marcus Mariota

Last year, Marcus Mariota unveiled a wardrobe change against the Bruins: a brace on his left knee. That didn’t stop the UCLA linebacker from attempting to take a couple shots at the hobbled quarterback. Kendricks had a couple of questionable hits against Mariota that teetered the line between fair and foul. Kendricks even went as far as to commend Mariota for not complaining about the possibility of a late hit. Kendricks, who currently leads the Bruins with 58 tackles, will again be on the hunt for Mariota.

Oregon pass rush vs. UCLA offensive line

After only one sack against a quick-throwing Connor Halliday in week four, the Oregon pass rush showed signs of improvement and picked up four sacks against the Arizona Wildcats last weekend. The Ducks will have another chance to generate some pass rush this weekend against an inexperienced Bruins offensive line. UCLA allowed 10 sacks to Utah last weekend. Hundley, a redshirt junior, has been sacked a total of 107 times in his career.

Players to Watch:

Oregon

Royce Freeman

It’s crazy to think that Oregon hasn’t had a player rush for over 100 yards in a game this season. Freeman, the freshman running back out of Imperial, California, is leading the Ducks with 346 yards and five touchdowns. If Marcus Mariota is indeed not 100 percent healthy, like offensive coordinator Scott Frost indicated after the loss to Arizona, then Oregon needs someone to take the load and stress off of his shoulders. The Bruins are giving up 167.8 rushing yards per game to opponents. Getting Freeman, or any running back in the Ducks backfield, over the 100 yard mark is essential this weekend.

UCLA

Jordan Payton

UCLA has a crop of players with big play potential in its receiving corps, but Payton has shined above the rest so far this year. The 6-foot-1 receiver has caught 31 passes for 491 yards and three touchdowns. Payton expects to match up with Oregon All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. “I’ve been waiting for this one,” Payton told the UCLA media earlier this week. “He’s one of the best corners in the country so it’s a huge task for me.”

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The stage was set for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota to notch another Heisman moment under his belt. With Oregon starting on its own nine-yard line, down by a touchdown, Autzen Stadium still had plenty of believers filling the stands.

However, when the clock struck 2:11, any hope of Oregon clinging to an undefeated season was washed away by a Scooby Wright strip, sack and fumble recovery.

It’s a position Mariota should’ve never been in as the Ducks fell to Arizona for the second year in a row, 31-24.

“We just didn’t need to be in that situation,” Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. “When we’re behind the eight ball like that, we put ourselves in that position.”

Throughout the game, Oregon got in a habit of shooting itself in the foot. That trend started early.

On fourth down and three from the Arizona 31-yard line, Mariota dropped back and fired a pass to a wide open Byron Marshall. The ball bounced off of Marshall’s hands and Oregon walked away with zero points on the first possession. The Ducks would be held scoreless for the opening quarter.

“In this league…you can’t make mistakes and beat yourself,” Frost said. “I think across the board we did that.”

Penalties were also a major factor in the seven-point loss. Oregon finished with 10 penalties for 79-yards. The most painful one came on Arizona’s game-winning possession. In a tie game, Oregon outside linebacker Tony Washington sacked Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon on third and goal for a nine-yard loss that looked like it would lead to a field goal attempt. After the play Washington was called for unsportsmanlike conduct — A nine-yard penalty that resulted in an automatic first down. Terris Jones-Grigsby scored from one-yard out three plays later to give the Wildcats a seven-point lead.

“I think more than anything we beat ourselves, in some ways, with stupid penalties,” linebacker Derrick Malone said.

After every game, a film session and a review usually acts as a turning of the page for a football team. However, losing to the Wildcats for the second year in a row will make the transition a lot more difficult.

“It’s going to hurt,” Malone said. “I know how much effort we put into this week and we had a really good Arizona team come in here and beat us.”

The turnaround has to be quick for the Ducks with a trip to No. 8 UCLA on the horizon. Last season, the Ducks bounced back after their first loss with a 44-21 victory over Utah.

“Not every team in college football is going to go undefeated,” Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said. “So, everyone has to learn from their losses and get better. That’s the whole point. You don’t want to have a loss and not learn anything from it and be the same team next week.”

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