In December 2014, weeks after the Ducks had secured their entry into the College Football Playoff, redshirt sophomore cornerback Chris Seisay’s role took a substantial leap.

Oregon senior Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, the anchor of the defense’s secondary, had torn his ACL. Seisay would now start in the Rose Bowl. He’d also start in the national championship, and his confidence, thanks to a supporting cast of what he called “brothers” in the secondary, continued to soar.

“They helped me grow up, one play at a time,” Seisay said at the national championship media day, two days before Oregon’s 42-20 loss to Ohio State. 

Nine months later, Seisay has shaped into a leader on a secondary now searching for a new identity. In those nine months, a lot has changed. For one, the individuals who helped him grow as a player – defensive backs Troy Hill, Dior Mathis, Ekpre-Olomu and Erick Dargan – have all departed.

In addition, the defensive backs he’s lining up alongside are not nearly as experienced as they were a year ago. It became painfully obvious in Oregon’s home opener against FCS opponent Eastern Washington, in which the defense surrendered 438 passing yards and 42 points.

With a date against then-No. 5 Michigan State and its stout quarterback Connor Cook looming, the defensive backs looked like potential fresh meat. But, Seisay wasn’t fazed.

“We need to be staying confident, knowing we’re great athletes,” Seisay said the Thursday before the Ducks’ game with the Spartans. “Just because you’re young, it doesn’t matter. It all depends on how you play.”

Which is why Saturday’s loss may have been one of the more encouraging ones for Oregon’s defense in years. Michigan State defeated Oregon last Saturday, 31-28. But the way the Ducks played – only allowing 192 passing yards from Cook, forcing a turnover on their own side of the field and holding the Spartans to a 25 percent third-down conversion rate – is why both the veterans and underclassmen are finding positives from its first loss in September since 2011.

**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Devone Slappy, a staff writer at The Signal.**

Georgia State is listed No. 2 in ESPN’s Bottom 10 list only because it beat the previous No. 2 team, New Mexico State. Yet Georgia State still has a great chance to knock off No. 12 Oregon because of injuries, experience, momentum and the edge of having nothing to lose.

Oregon confirmed Tuesday that its starting quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr., has a broken right index finger. Adams broke the finger in Oregon’s season opener and played through the injury in the game against Michigan State. Based on that game, Adams can’t perform at the same level at which the Ducks need him.

If Adams does play against the Panthers, Georgia State shouldn’t fear much, considering he is missing wide-open receivers in clutch moments as well as throwing costly interceptions. If Adams doesn’t play, Oregon will have to start redshirt junior Jeff Lockie.

This is where experience will come into play. If Lockie is to start against Georgia State, it will be his first since high school. Expect the Panthers’ defense to bring the pressure since Jeff Lockie isn’t a mobile quarterback and lacks college football experience.

Georgia State is coming off of the best offensive performance in school history – 582 yards of total offense and a conference win against New Mexico State. Georgia State’s freshman receiver, Penny Hart, seems to be fitting the system and building chemistry with starting quarterback Nick Arbuckle. The two connected 11 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns last week. Georgia State is coming in with momentum that they’ve never had before in a season, especially since they are now leading the Sun Belt Conference.

However, Oregon is coming into the game with no momentum at all. There is nothing Oregon can really feed from that would bring any type of momentum into this game against a team that is listed in the Bottom 10.

Georgia State has nothing to lose coming into this game. Nothing is scarier than a team coming into a football game with no restraints or fears. They are expected to lose this game to an elite program. 

Oregon, on the other hand, has a lot to lose in this game. They lose this game, and they can kiss their chances of getting into the College Football Playoff goodbye. 

Not knowing who the starting quarterback is, the consequences of losing this game, and coming into the game with no momentum smells like a recipe for disaster for the Oregon Ducks.

On a day the Ducks lost their first September game since 2011, Georgia State ended a streak of its own: A 12-game losing streak. The Panthers, thanks to 372 passing yards and two touchdowns from Nick Arbuckle, beat New Mexico St. 34-32 to improve to 1-1 on the season.

But, the celebration will likely be called short considering the opponent they have on Saturday. Georgia State head coach Trent Miles isn’t oblivious to the challenge, either. That’s not to say he’s preparing his team to be on the opposite end of a clinic, though.

“We are respectful of Oregon, but we will get on the plane and try to win a game,” Miles said during his weekly coaches teleconference, according to The Register Guard.  “We’re not just going to show up.”

And with a lethal passing attack on display in its win over New Mexico State, along with some speed and raw skill on the defensive end, there are plenty of potential tests that Georgia State could offer the Ducks.

Here’s a look at the match-ups/players to watch:

Georgia State wide receivers vs. Oregon secondary

Oregon’s secondary turned out to be one of the brighter spots in the team’s 31-28 loss to Michigan State. The Ducks limited Connor Cook to 192 passing yards and freshman Ugo Amadi intercepted the first pass of his career. It was a fierce contrast to the Ducks’ opener, in which Eastern Washington quarterbacks accounted for five touchdowns and 438 yards of passing. However, consistency is the issue with the Ducks’ inexperienced unit.  On the other hand, Georgia State wide receiver Penny Hart is coming off a dominant performance. Hart caught 11 passes for 150 yards last week and may be another formidable challenge for the Ducks’ cornerbacks.

Vernon Adams Jr. vs. Georgia State secondary 

We know how capable the Ducks’ rushing attack can be against lesser opponents. Look no further than the stat sheet of Oregon’s game versus Eastern Washington, in which the Ducks amounted 485 yards. Adams looked sharp through the air as well. And for the most part in East Lansing last Saturday, he looked like a capable quarterback. But turnovers proved to be the difference. In what should be a bounce back game for the graduate transfer, Adams will try and get his form back. On Monday, he did admit he felt anxious in last week’s game, and that he hopes to get that comfort back in the pocket Saturday.

Players to watch:

Oregon 

Devon Allen :

The redshirt sophomore made his season debut last week, but saw limited action and did not record a catch. If in the lineup Saturday, expect him to become another dangerous option for Adams in the Oregon offense.

Oregon running backs:

Oregon’s running backs amassed just 113 yards on the ground at Michigan State. Royce Freeman got the bulk of the carries and finished his night with 24 rushes for 92 yards. However, with this group, last week should serve as anomaly, and it could be a big day.

Georgia State

Penny Hart 

The freshman has recorded 12 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns this season.

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– Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota looked everything like the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner in his NFL Debut Sunday. Mariota, who was drafted with the second overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in May, threw for 209 yards and four touchdown passes in a 42-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He became the first quarterback since at least 933 to finish his first game with a perfect quarterback rating, according to Titans Online. In addition, he set a franchise record for amount of touchdown passes thrown in a pro debut. But, in typical Mariota fashion, he wasn’t interested in the record breaking performance.

“It means we’re 1-0…” Mariota told The Tennessean when asked about what the performance means. “It’s a good start for us, but it’s just the first game. We’ve got to continue to get better and not focus on stats.”

– Oregon’s 31-28 loss to Michigan State Saturday reminded Mark Helfrich of the Ducks’ 31-24 loss to Arizona in 2014. Speaking at his weekly Sunday teleconference, Helfrich said a combination of “many little things” contributed to his fifth loss as a head coach.

– Oregon dropped five spots in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll after its loss Saturday and sit at No. 12. Michigan State moved up to No. 4.

– It was just his second start of his FBS career, but Vernon Adams Jr. is putting Saturday’s loss squarely on his shoulders. Adams finished the game 22-of-39 for 309 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also missed wide receiver Byron Marshall for what would have been a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter – which is why he repeatedly took the blame when talking to the media Saturday.

“You know, I can’t stop thinking about it,” Adams said. “He was wide-open and you got to make that throw and the game is different.”

– UCLA and USC both improved to 2-0 Saturday. They are now the lone teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll from the Pac-12. UCLA is now ranked No. 10, after a 37-3 win over UNLV. USC moved to No. 6 after a 59-6 win against Idaho. Click here for a look at how the rest of the conference fared this weekend.

– Oregon soccer got its second win of the season over the weekend. The Ducks defeated Air Force 3-0, thanks to goals from Marisa Everett, Kelsey Foo Miranda Schulz.

“We worked hard for those goals,” head coach Kat Mertz said. “It was nice to see that pay off.”

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**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Matthew Argillander, a staff writer at The State News.**

Michigan State will beat Oregon if it limits mistakes and wins the turnover differential. The Spartans are a veteran group with 20 redshirt seniors that have been here before.

You have to lose before you win, at least that’s how the saying goes. Michael Jordan’s Bulls lost to the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons several times before Jordan went on to win six championships.

Senior quarterback Connor Cook and the rest of the Spartans have a bad taste in their mouth from last year. Cook came back to Michigan State because he had unfinished business.

“One of the main reasons I came back is to compete and have another opportunity to play against Oregon and Ohio State, teams that we lost to in the past,” Cook said. “Last year left a pretty bad taste in our mouth. It kind of stunk watching the national championship and seeing the two teams that you lost to play for a title. Throughout the whole offseason [we were] talking about the losses that we had, marking those on the calendar for next year so we can go out there and avenge our losses.”

“I just want to redeem myself. I think last year I left some chips on the table. We had a great first half as an offense and then came out in the second half and didn’t really do so hot. So, we’re really focusing this week to emphasize the finishing aspect of the football game and come out there and redeem ourselves.”

Michigan State has an offensive line that is one of, if not the best in the country. Junior tackle Jack Conklin is a future first round pick, All-American senior center Jack Allen is the anchor of the line and a likely second or third round pick and senior guard Donavon Clark could be a late round pick as well.

The unit kept Cook protected all night in week one, not allowing a sack in over 28 minutes of possession time.

The motto for Michigan State this year is to ‘reach higher’ and they know they have to beat Oregon to accomplish this goal.

“We’ve lost three games out of the last 30, and we know the teams we’ve lost to (Notre Dame in 2013, Oregon and Ohio State in 2014),” Dantonio said. “Our MO was to try to reach higher, and to do that, right now, it runs through Oregon.”

Another factor that will lead to a Spartan victory is the late arrival of Ducks transfer quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.

Adams is an amazing talent, but I don’t believe he developed a full understanding of the Oregon offense in less than a month.

Ultimately, I believe Michigan State wins in a high scoring affair. Michigan State 49 – Oregon 42

Oregon football kept its foot on the gas pedal in the 2015 season opener last Saturday, and much of that was thanks to the play of its new quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr. Adams accounted for 340 yards of total offense in a 61-42 win against Eastern Washington.

However, he also supplied a scare in the fourth quarter after Eastern Washington defender John Kreifels targeted Adams’ head while the latter was sliding. Adams contends that he is fine and spoke with the media Monday about his debut in a Ducks uniform. The graduate transfer also said he’s adapted to the offense smoothly and gave his initial impressions of Michigan State as the Ducks’ date with the fifth-ranked Spartans looms this Saturday.

So, after finally being able to look at the film, what’d you see out of your performance on Saturday?

Myself, I think I left a lot of things out there — a couple short throws. I thought I was playing maybe a little conservative but, as a team, we played great. Royce (Freeman), my gosh. Everybody as a whole did really good. I’m so happy I got this opportunity.

How much is Scott Frost able to throw at you now that you have that game under your belt before Michigan State? 

I kind of know most of the offense, so we’re going all in. I meet with them every morning, hour before everybody gets here, and we got to work hard and keep going. This is a huge game. They’re trying to get revenge for last year, they’re playing at home. So I can’t take any days off and got to keep going strong.

Mark Helfrich said the team didn’t react well to the win, that they took it pretty hard, how are you guys responding?

We’re practicing harder. Harder and faster, that was the biggest thing today.

How much do you like running? 

You know, I don’t really like it, but it’s part of the offense. It’s cool when there’s a big hole and we gash it like Royce did.

What was it like playing at Autzen for the home team? 

The fans here are great and everyone’s been telling me that we have the greatest fans here and we do. It was awesome and I appreciate all their support.

What are your initial impressions of Michigan State?

Their front four is huge. They’re fast and they’re really good. They got some young guys in the secondary, but they’re really good too. They like playing physical.

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As is the case every year, it’s difficult to formulate a list of the top races at the Prefontaine Classic, considering the loaded fields in every event. But, here’s a primer on the five events that have the most hype coming in.

1) Men’s 5,000 meters 

The 5,000 meter at the Prefontaine Classic is the only venue on U.S. soil that has produced sub-13:00 times. Five to be exact. And the runners competing in it every year have made this a staple event.

America’s top-ranked 5k runner, Galen Rupp, will compete in the race a year after setting the American record in the 10,000 meters at the Pre Classic. Joining him in the field is Bernard Lagat, who owns seven American 5k crowns.

Kenya’s Isiah Kiplangat Koech is the fastest runner in the field at 12:48.64. Trailing him in the rankings are Yenew Alamirew (12:48.77) of Ethiopia and Edwin Cheruiyot Soi of Kenya (12:51.34).

2) Men’s 10,000 meters

Mo Farah will be participating in this one. A little background: He won the 2012 Olympic gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and headlines a race in which Rupp created buzz around last year, after he broke the American record.

Farah, who trains with the Portland-based Nike Oregon Project, hasn’t lost a 10k in four years.

Joining him are a record seven runners with personal records under 27 minutes. Of that group, Geoffrey Kamworor, the reigning world cross country champion, will likely be Farah’s stiffest competition.

3) Women’s 400 meters

Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix are set to duel in the women’s 400 meters on May 30. Richards-Ross has won this event five times at the Pre Classic, the only athlete with more than two wins. Felix owns the distinction of being the only IAAF Diamond League winner in two events (400 in 2010, 200 in 2010 and 2014).

Elsewhere in the field, former Duck Phyllis Francis will make her Prefontaine Classic debut.

4) Men’s 800 meters

Here’s a stat for you: All but three runners in the event are current continental or national champions.

Nigel Amos of Botswana and Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia figure to contest for first. Amos won the IAAF Diamond Trophy last year and was also ranked first in Track and Field News’ world rankings. In addition, in his first U.S. appearance, he won last year’s Pre Classic in 1:43.63.

Aman won gold in the 2013 World Championships. He ranked first in Track and Field News’ world rankings in 2013. So, it goes without saying, both Amos and Botswana have decorated resumes and the two should give fans a tightly contested battle worth seeing.

Qatar’s Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla is the 2015 world indoor leader in the 800. He will be making his first U.S. appearance.

5) Women’s Javelin 

As the Prefontaine Classic official press release points out, there is a unique rivalry that exists between Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic) and Christina Obergfoll (Germany).

“Either one or the other has earned the No. 1 Track & Field News world ranking every year from 2007 on, and they are the only winners of the IAAF Diamond Trophy in this event.  And each missed one of the last two seasons while on maternity leave,” The Pre Classic press release says.

Spotakova is the reigning Olympic champion, and was ranked No. 1 in the T&F News world rankings last year. Obergfoll is the reigning World champion. She also owns the meet record at 222-1 (67.70).

Russia’s Mariya Abakumova is another major gold medalist in the field, and like her competitors, missed a portion of her career on maternity leave. She gave birth to twin daughters in May 2014.

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For a full schedule of events, visit the Pre Classic webpage.

Oregon’s Scott Heineman echoed what likely the entire team felt after its 5-4 win over No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.

“I feel like we’re easily one of the best 64 teams in the country,” Heineman said.

Regardless, it wasn’t clear if the Ducks would have a place in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

On Monday, though, Heineman’s statement was confirmed. The Ducks are heading to the postseason for the fourth consecutive year,this time as a No. 3 seed in the Springfield Regional hosted by No. 1-seed and No. 8-overall seed Missouri State.

Oregon (37-23, 16-14 Pac-12) will face No. 2 Iowa (39-16, 19-5 Big 10) Friday in Springfield, Missouri. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific time.

Also in the Ducks’ bracket is No. 4 seed Cansius.

Oregon won its final five Pac-12 series to make a case for the postseason. Its series win over No. 1 overall seed UCLA this past weekend was the final missing piece to its tournament resume.

Oregon players and coaches are scheduled to address the media at 2 p.m Monday.

Reaction on Twitter:

Last team in the tournament: Clemson Last four teams in the tournament: Maryland, South Florida, Oregon, and Clemson #RoadToOmaha

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) May 25, 2015

Who’d have guessed a month ago that Clemson, Oregon, Texas would be in regionals? 3 of the year’s biggest disappointments, turned it around.

— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) May 25, 2015

Good call on @OregonBaseball as your sleeper, @ChrisBurke02. That team is dangerous right now.

— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) May 25, 2015

On Iowa, who Oregon is set to play on Friday:

Iowa is 39-16 and hoped to host a regional before losing four of its last six games. Regional host Missouri State is No. 8 overall seed.

— Steve Mims (@SteveMims_RG) May 25, 2015

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– Oregon softball played its final game in Howe Field on Saturday, and it served as the perfect punctuation mark for the team’s home stadium since 1936. The Ducks beat North Carolina State 9-3 on May 23 to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the third time in program history.

– Oregon baseball’s strong surge at at the end of the season paid off. The Ducks were awarded the No. 3 seed in the Springfield Regional hosted by Missouri State, making it their fourth consecutive appearance in the postseason.

– Much of Oregon making it into the field of 64 had to do with their series win over No. 2 UCLA this weekend.  On Sunday, the Ducks rallied to beat UCLA 4-3 in 11 innings, and on Saturday won 5-4 in 11 innings. 

– Drea Toler is transferring from Oregon women’s basketball. Toler played in 29 of the Ducks’ games in 2014-2015. She started in 12 of the Ducks’ final 13 games, including the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle. She averaged 4.4 points and had 86 assists on the year while shooting 39.7 percent from the field.

– Here’s a look at Emerald photographer Ryan Kang’s photos from Oregon softball’s final game at Howe Field. 

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Hroniss Grasu is reuniting with former Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long in Chicago. Grasu was selected with the 71st overall pick in the 2015 draft by the Chicago Bears.

Grasu started all 52 games he played in a Ducks uniform. He was named second-team All-American, first- team All-Pac 12 and was a Rimington Award finalist for the nation’s best center during his time at Oregon.

In 2014, Grasu missed three games with a leg injury, but returned for the Ducks’ last two games in the College Football Playoff.

The bottom line, according to NFL.com:  “While Grasu isn’t a powerful center, he does display enough functional strength and movement skills to be able to assimilate into any offensive philosophy. Grasu can play bigger than his listed size and while he doesn’t possess any overwhelming qualities or traits, there aren’t any glaring holes in his game that should derail him.”

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise