Instead of wearing his No. 7 jersey in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl, Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington donned No. 22 to pay tribute to his late best friend Markel Byrd, who died suddenly on Dec. 22 and wore No. 22 as a safety for the New Mexico Lobos.
Although the Ducks squandered a 31-0 halftime lead and ultimately fell 47-41 to TCU in triple-overtime, Carrington individually put on a show in Byrd’s honor, catching four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter alone.
“We were inseparable,” Carrington told reporters in San Antonio about a week before the game. “We were like the same person.”
They used to play against each other in Pop Warner football and first became teammates on a club basketball team in the summer after sixth grade. They became best friends as seventh graders, and eventually attended high school together at Horizon Christian Academy in San Diego, where Byrd was the quarterback of the football team and Carrington the star receiver.
Carrington’s youngest sister DiJonai Carrington, a guard for Stanford women’s basketball, said the two were “basically brothers.”
“Even if they didn’t have the same classes, somehow you would always see them finding their way to each other,” DiJonai Carrington said. “They talked every single day, even after high school. They would FaceTime multiple times a day.”
Q&A: Mark Helfrich, Gary Patterson discuss plans for Alamo Bowl
Posted on 01 January 2016.
SAN ANTONIO —Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and TCU head coach Gary Patterson met with media on Friday in the final press conference before tomorrow’s Alamo Bowl.
Helfrich announced wide receivers coach Matt Lubick will be Oregon’s new offensive coordinator going forward and will call the plays on Saturday.
Patterson discussed his disappointment in regards to the attention quarterback Trevone Boykin has received since his felony arrest for assaulting a police officer early Thursday morning.
Helfrich:
When did you come to the decision to name Lubick the offensive coordinator?
I don’t know if there was an exact moment. I think Matt is an outstanding football coach. He’s extremely detail-oriented. He’s a very good recruiter. The players really take to him. Just tireless.
How comfortable are you having Coach Lubick call plays? It’s a difficult game to do that for your first time.
We’ve drilled it. It’s always funny communicating with guys on the headsets. This isn’t the first time we’ve ever communicated that way. We’ve done a lot more called situational work throughout the bowl prep than we would normally do. That’s good for the offense and the defense and for our players to kind of try to improvise more than just script it.
Will Matt continue to coach receivers or do you expect to hire a quarterback coach and a receiver coach?
That is kind of to be determined. We have a great pool, got a plan that I’m very excited about that is probably going to happen. But he’s very versatile, and the people we’re talking to on the outside are very versatile. After the game, we’ll address that.
How comfortable are you with the way Don Pellum has coordinated the defense? Will he be the defensive coordinator going forward?
Everybody has to get better. Somebody asked me a similar question the other day. I could get fired tomorrow. My boss might fire me after this press conference. I don’t know. But we all have to get better, starting with me.
TCU head coach Gary Patterson instructs his team during an NCAA college football game against SMU Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Patterson
Can you talk to us about what Trevone said to you about his arrest, the explanation he gave to you?
I didn’t talk to him, but let me say this to you: I was a little disappointed yesterday that everything that was basically talked to my kids about was Trevone Boykin. We’re here to play Oregon. If we’re going to make this a press conference about him, then I think we’re ruining San Antonio and the bowl game and we’re saying everybody else that plays at TCU is not important.
Here is the thing that I don’t think many people realize: It wasn’t just Trevone that had to go home, but nobody asked about the other guy. That’s the thing that disappoints me. Nobody asked about the other guy. There was two that had to go home.
You’re not just teaching him, you’re teaching the other 120 guys that are on your team. They understand all your actions have a reaction, and you have to learn from it.
Yesterday when we talked to (co-offensive coordinators) Doug (Meacham) and Sonny (Cumbie), they said they were unsure who was going to be your starter tomorrow. Speak to the confidence you have in both the back-up quarterbacks.
I mean, we were able to win at Kansas. We played both of them in Oklahoma. Probably if they were asking me, Bram (Kohlhausen), for the simple reason of the last game both of them played in.
If you guys were asking me, ‘Would you rather have a new coordinator or new quarterback?’, I’d probably say new coordinator, because the guy on the field makes everything happen.
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Alamo Bowl position previews: Running backs
Posted on 01 January 2016.
In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s running backs.
Oregon
Oregon is consistently a force in the running game. It has featured the Pac-12’s best rushing offense each of the last 10 seasons. Those around Oregon football are extremely high on running back Royce Freeman and feel he should have been in the Heisman conversation. Freeman has run for 1,706 yards — fourth-most in the FBS — and 14 touchdowns with a 6.6-yard average — 142.2 yards per game.
Backing up Freeman is change-of-pace back Taj Griffin, who was the nation’s highest rated all-purpose back out of high school. Taj, whose twin brother Ty Griffin plays defensive back for Oregon, runs a 4.34 40-yard dash and makes cuts at full-speed. Mark Helfrich has said Griffin is “electric fast.” He has 529 yards and three touchdowns on 73 attempts, good for 7.2 yards per carry.
Kani Benoit has also rushed for a 7.2-yard average although more quietly than Griffin. He broke out for 83 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in Oregon’s season-opener against Eastern Washington, but hasn’t gotten double-digit carries since. He has 359 yards and three touchdowns on 50 attempts.
At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, redshirt freshman Tony Brooks-James has posted an 8.2-yard average, with 238 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Brooks-James is the only running back of the four who doesn’t have a rush of at least 60 yards this season.
TCU
Helfrich said TCU’s offense has elements of Washington State’s air raid as well as the Ducks’ explosive ground attack. With Bram Kohlhausen most likely to line up behind center instead of the arrested athlete Trevone Boykin, the Horned Frogs will probably lean more on their running game.
Running back Aaron Green is TCU’s best playmaker now that Boykin and injured Josh Doctson both won’t play. Green shined as the lead back when B.J. Catalon went down last year, averaging 7.1 yards per carry on 129 attempts. In 2015, he’s rushed for 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns, including an 86-yard score. At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, he’s fast and a good pass catcher out of the backfield. A San Antonio native and senior, Green will need to shoulder a large workload.
Behind Green on the depth chart are sophomores Trevorris Johnson and Kyle Hicks. Johnson has rushed for 262 yards and no touchdowns on 43 carries and Hicks has rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns on 49. Both figure to see more snaps than usual with Boykin, who had 612 yards and nine touchdowns on 123 carries, off the field.
Advantage: Oregon
It’s hard to argue Oregon is not the better rushing team here. Oregon has one of the best running backs in the country in Freeman and is ranked fifth in the FBS in rushing offense, compared to 30th for TCU.
Dec. 26: Offensive line preview
Dec. 27: Tight ends preview
Dec. 28: Linebackers preview
Dec. 29: Defensive line preview
Dec. 30: Secondary preview
Dec. 31: Wide receivers preview
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Oregon discusses how game plan will be affected by Boykin’s absence
Posted on 31 December 2015.
SAN ANTONIO —Oregon safety Charles Nelson was walking into a special teams meeting on Thursday morning and browsing Twitter when he first caught wind of TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin’s felony arrest and subsequent suspension from the Alamo Bowl for assaulting a police officer after a bar fight late last night.
“I saw it and I said, ‘Ah, this isn’t real,’” Nelson said. “Then I saw more and more people tweeting about it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really serious.’
“It’s kind of hurtful for him because that was his last game. On the better side, for us, he’s not playing.”
Defensive coordinator Don Pellum was equally surprised.
“At first I thought it was a joke,” Pellum said, after a player reported the news to him.
Pellum said there was no “jump for joy” however, and he’s expecting “an even more fiery” TCU team to show up on Saturday.
He said the team’s preparation for the next-in-line quarterback won’t change.
“They lose some dynamics at the quarterback position, but there’s a lot of playmakers all over the place,” Pellum said. “We’re expecting the same offensive attack — maybe a wildcat quarterback — but we’re preparing for anything.”
Nelson echoed that the Ducks’ gameplan won’t be any different.
“They’ve played without (Boykin) before, so they know what they want to do, what they’re going to do, and they have a game plan for us.”
Still, the Ducks haven’t seen much of back-up quarterbacks Bram Kohlhausen and Foster Sawyer, given the small sample size, so they don’t know quite what to expect. On the season, Kohlhausen, a senior, has completed 27 of 43 attempts for 369 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in seven appearances. Sawyer is 10-of-26 for 155 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.
“I wouldn’t say you take much time (watching tape of a backup quarterback), just because (Boykin) has been mostly their starter,” Nelson said. “But you’re not really preparing to face Boykin, you’re preparing to face a team.”
TCU offensive coordinator Doug Meachem said he is “leaning towards” Kohlhausen as the starting quarterback, but it’s “up for discussion.”
Kohlhausen nearly dug TCU out of a 30-13 deficit against No. 4 Oklahoma on Nov. 21. He replaced freshman quarterback Foster Sawyer in the third quarter after Sawyer had thrown three interceptions, and went on to complete 5 of 11 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. The comeback was spoiled, though, as the Horned Frogs lost 30-29 after Kohlhausen’s two-point conversion attempt was batted down with 51 seconds remaining.
“They have a chip on their shoulder right now with their starting receiver (Josh Doctson) gone and their starting quarterback gone,” Nelson said. I feel like they’re going to come out and make a statement.”
Defensive end DeForest Buckner said the Ducks “aren’t taking them lightly.”
The Ducks endured a similar setback a year ago when wide receiver Darren Carrington was suspended from the national championship game for failing a drug test. Nelson compared that situation to TCU’s current one.
“It’s different when it’s a quarterback being suspended and a receiver being suspended,” Nelson said. “You have other guys who have played in games as receivers, so it changes a little because (Carrington) was a starter, but it doesn’t change the other weapons that are out there.
“When it’s a quarterback, that’s a guy who’s been running the offense and running the line of scrimmage. Once he’s gone, you have somebody else come in and try to take his job. I feel like that’s gonna be a challenge.”
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Social media reacts to Trevone Boykin’s arrest and suspension
Posted on 31 December 2015.
SAN ANTONIO — TCU star quarterback was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony late last night for getting into a bar fight and subsequently striking a police officer, less than 72 hours prior to the Alamo Bowl between Oregon and TCU. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach released the police report.
Preliminary details from San Antonio police dept. regarding #TCU QB Trevone Boykin. Has not been formally charged pic.twitter.com/69wEPLBaF7
— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) December 31, 2015
Boykin, an NFL Draft prospect and Heisman contender prior to his mid-season injury, reportedly had a pristine image, which is now tainted. Boykin was released from jail Thursday morning and was filmed with a coat over his head during his perp walk.
#TCU quarterback is released from custody after arrest. #TrevoneBoykin pic.twitter.com/r8MzrZhCFz
— darlene dorsey (@darlenedorseyTV) December 31, 2015
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus discussed Boykin’s arrest with reporters Thursday morning.
“He was being heckled and he responded to it, unfortunately,” McManus said (Video takes a moment to load).
Boykin and wide receiver Preston Miller have been suspended for the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. The Twitterverse was shocked to learn the news.
Absolutely shocked that TCU QB Trevone Boykin was arrested late last night. Talked to him many times. Humble young man. Stunned.
— Ian Fitzsimmons (@Ianfitzespn) December 31, 2015
No matter the excuse, he never should have been out that late anyways. Period. #Boykin
— Trey Fallon (@TreyFallon) December 31, 2015
Character is revealed not declared. #Boykin #Manziel etc, etc….
— Paul Thompson (@pklar5) December 31, 2015
TCU fans wake up to news that Trevone Boykin was arrested for punching a bicycle cop after a bar fight pic.twitter.com/R4PK97zEmM
— Jude S. (@andrewwinn) December 31, 2015
Every time I see a player suspended before a big bowl, I wish they realized what a privilege it is to play in these games. #Boykin #Clemson
— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) December 31, 2015
Um, to everyone saying #TCU is heinous for letting #Boykin sit in jail….it’s called natural consequences.
— Trisha Leigh (@trishaleighKC) December 31, 2015
You take 80 kids age 18-23 on a week long field trip someone is getting in some trouble. You just don’t expect it to be team leader #Boykin
— Chris Law (@ChrisLaw) December 31, 2015
Seriously though, with police in this day and age, I’d give #Boykin the benefit of the doubt. #TCU
— Awaited Return (@AwaitedReturn) December 31, 2015
My heart hurts for #Boykin. Yes, it was his own fault but I hate for such a great career to end this way. #TCU
— Kaitlin M. McCann (@KaitlinMorrison) December 31, 2015
Seriously Gary Patt – Get your damn players under control. #Boykin
— Lisa (@LisaFTexas) December 31, 2015
Dang it! Sad to see #trevoneboykin go from that to this: https://t.co/hzTy6O7GVw #TCUFootball pic.twitter.com/pnvVVyFjZ7
— David Kent (@DavidKentFWST) December 31, 2015
Well the ducks just won the Alamo bowl… #TrevoneBoykin
— Jobin Reed (@JR15for6) December 31, 2015
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Alamo Bowl position previews: Wide receivers
Posted on 31 December 2015.
In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s wide receivers.
Oregon
Oregon boasts a seemingly endless supply of athletic playmakers at the wide receiver position. Five receivers have at least 15 receptions, led by Bralon Addison with 58 for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Darren Carrington has been Oregon’s best deep threat since his return, hauling in 25 catches for 502 yards and five touchdowns.
6-foot-5 Dwayne Stanford has also emerged as a reliable target for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Stanford came up huge for Oregon in its triple-overtime win against Arizona State, when he caught a miraculous touchdown on fourth-and-goal to tie the game with 12 seconds remaining in regulation.
Charles Nelson has spent the majority of the year at safety and returning kicks, but he’s so versatile that the offense and defense fought over him during preseason. He frequently plays offense, defense and special teams in the same game, and has managed to catch 15 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
Hurdler Devon Allen hasn’t seen as much action as he did last year, which could be due to the ACL he tore in the playoffs last year. Still, Allen remains a weapon with his lightning quickness.
Highly touted freshmen Jalen Brown and Kirk Merritt could see their roles increase in the Alamo Bowl, the same way Carrington broke out in last year’s Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl.
TCU
The Horned Frogs will play the Alamo Bowl without their star pass-catcher, Josh Doctson. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound playmaker’s Biletnikoff Award-winning season was cut short due to a wrist injury he suffered Nov. 7 against Oklahoma State, when he used his hand to brace himself on the turf and a defender crashed into his planted arm. He finished the season with 79 catches for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. His injury requires surgery.
“He’s definitely a huge weapon for them,” Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner said. “It’ll ease up the pressure on the secondary and the whole defense in general, so it’s a benefit for us and we just have to take advantage of something like that.”
Still, TCU has a a rising level of talent at receiver.
Redshirt freshman Shaun Nixon was TCU’s most targeted receiver in November and December. A converted running back and versatile playmaker, Nixon caught 38 passes for 430 yards and a touchdown in 2015, including 23 catches for 253 yards in Doctson’s absence.
Another former rusher, freshman KaVontae Turpin hauled in 40 balls for 584 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2015. The 5-foot-10, 152-pound speedster also has 15 carries for 100 yards.
Sophomore Emanuel porter has been an asset when healthy. He had 10 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns in seven games this season.
True freshman Jarrison Stewart saw more time with Doctson out, as well. He’s caught 19 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown in 11 games.
Advantage: Oregon
Oregon has the clear-cut advantage in this category. With TCU’s Josh Doctson out with a wrist injury and now its quarterback Trevone Boykin having been arrested and charged with a third-degree felony for striking a police last night, it’s almost no contest.
Dec. 26: Offensive line preview
Dec. 27: Tight ends preview
Dec. 28: Linebackers preview
Dec. 29: Defensive line preview
Dec. 30: Secondary preview
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Tyler Johnstone reflects on Oregon career leading up to Alamo Bowl
Posted on 30 December 2015.
SAN ANTONIO —When the Ducks played Texas in the Valero Alamo Bowl two years ago, starting left tackle Tyler Johnstone fell to the turf in the second quarter after awkwardly planting his right foot as he shoved an opposing pass rusher. Johnstone missed the remainder of the game and later returned to the sideline on crutches, wearing street clothes.
“He’s like a brother to me and in that moment I’ve never seen him cry the way he did,” former Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff told the Oregonian. “We knew it was something serious.”
The injury Johnstone suffered was a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, which typically requires six to nine months of recovery time. With an ice pack on his knee, Johnstone told former offensive coordinator Scott Frost he would be back in time for the first game of the 2014 season.
“It was the biggest point of adversity for me since I’ve been here,” Johnstone said.
Johnstone never got that chance. With less than three weeks until the season-opener against South Dakota, Johnstone, who had started 26 consecutive games, re-tore his ACL. He missed the entirety of the 2014 season, and said once again he would be back for the start of the 2015 season.
This time, he was right. He survived a minor scare on the first day of camp, when he left the practice on a cart due to back spasms, but has remained healthy since. In his return to the football field for the 2015 season, Johnstone has started every game protecting the the quarterback’s blind side.
Now, in the final game of his five-year career at Oregon, Johnstone will return to the Alamodome, where his injury initially occurred.
“It’s kind of a fitting story — it’s where I first went down and where I’m coming back,” Johnstone said. “It being my last game, there’s a lot of mixed emotions and a lot of excitement.”
TCU presents an interesting match-up for Johnstone and the offensive line. He compared the Horned Frogs to Cal, in that they have an undersized, albeit fast and shifty, defense.
“They’re very mobile,” Johnstone said. “The defensive ends get up the field faster than a lot of the guys we’ve seen this year — a lot of slanting, a lot of twisting. We have to keep our eyes outside on the boundary blitzes.
“That’s really the biggest challenge. They’re athletic and they’re fast. I think we’re up to it.”
At 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, the redshirt senior is projected to be a third-to-fifth round NFL draft pick in 2016 by Walter Football. Despite his injuries, scouts and teammates alike remember him well for the way he punished defenders in protection of quarterback Marcus Mariota.
“You watch him in that Nicholls State game from two years ago and he’s blocking guys 20 yards up field and just dumping them,” Oregon tight end Johnny Mundt said of Johnstone. “He’s not just a good football player; he finishes plays. If he’s got his guy, he’s going to make an example out of that guy.”
The Ducks have led the Pac-12 in rushing each of the last 10 seasons and Johnstone has been a major part of their success, having been with the team since 2011. The Oregon culture, he said, is the one thing he’ll miss the most once the game is over.
“It’s definitely going to be a little bit melancholy out there,” Johnstone said. “It was a long road, playing at Oregon. The bond you create on this team — it’s something that you’ll never have again.”
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Alamo Bowl position previews: Defensive line
Posted on 29 December 2015.
In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s defensive lines.
Oregon
Ducks defensive coaches instilled a larger emphasis on pressuring the quarterback over the offseason, and in return Oregon has averaged 3.0 sacks per game in 2015.
AP Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year DeForest Buckner has averaged 6.3 tackles per game and recorded 9.5 sacks — second in Pac-12 — and 16.0 tackles for loss — fourth in Pac-12. Buckner, a Ted Hendricks Award finalist, is one of the most dominant players in college football at the defensive end position and is projected as a top-10 NFL draft pick.
“He’s the No. 1 interior pass-rusher in the country, and ranks second at his position in run-stop percentage. Just ask Colorado’s offensive line how much fun he is to block,” Pro Football Focus wrote.
Nose tackle Alex Balducci has proven himself a quality complement to Buckner, who regularly takes on two or more offensive linemen per play. Below Balducci on the depth chart, Rex Manu and Austin Maloata have played larger roles as the season has progressed, most notably in a 38-36 win over No. 7 Stanford.
Opposite Buckner, defensive ends Tui Talia and Henry Mondeaux have contributed 6.0 sacks, 52.0 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. 6-foot-7, 295-pound true freshman Canton Kaumatule hasn’t seen much playing time but could also get more involved in the pass rush against TCU.
TCU
The Horned Frogs use four down lineman as opposed to Oregon’s three. AP second-team all-Big-12 selection Josh Carraway leads the group with eight sacks and quarterback hits to go with 43 tackles. Davion Pierson has 32 tackles, including six for loss, and Nebraska transfer Aaron Curry has 40.
Defensive end Mike Tuaua missed three games after the season-opener, when he and a teammate were accused robbery and assault after stealing a case of beer. The charges were ultimately dropped and Tuaua finished the regular season with 24 tackles.
TCU started the season with a deep and physically huge defensive line, but dropped off after their best pass rusher, James McFarland, stepped on a sprinkler head and went on to miss the rest of the year.
TCU ranks 80th in rushing defense per game and 66th in yards per rush (4.3). It has struggled to defend the run as of late, having allowed 333 yards on the ground against Oklahoma and 273 against Baylor.
Advantage
Oregon’s defensive line, led by Buckner, has the advantage here. TCU will face a tall task in defending running back Royce Freeman and company, the fourth-best rushing team in the country and Pac-12 rushing leader of the last 10 seasons.
Dec. 26: Offensive line preview
Dec. 27: Tight ends preview
Dec. 28: Linebackers preview
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Alamo Bowl position previews: Tight ends
Posted on 27 December 2015.
In the days leading up to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and TCU, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s tight ends.
Oregon
Evan Baylis, who’s pulled in 15 catches for 199 yards this season, as well as a 52-yard touchdown against USC, will start at tight end for the Ducks. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Baylis hasn’t caught more than two passes in a game this season, but has consistently drawn attention from opposing secondaries.
Johnny Mundt will back up Baylis, although he hasn’t caught a pass since Oct. 3 at Colorado. Mundt fell short of his expectations this season with just five catches for 39 yards and an 11-yard touchdown against Georgia State. He flashed his potential two years ago with a 121-yard, two-touchdown performance against Tennessee as a freshman.
Mundt’s blocking has improved tremendously from previous seasons and helped Oregon rush for a 6.06-yard average and the fifth-most yards in the FBS.
“We’ve just got to move the guys off the ball and open holes for the running backs, because if we can run the ball we can throw ball,” Mundt said.
TCU
TCU has a young group of unproven tight ends. Entering the season, the four tight ends on its roster — Buck Jones, Dominic Merka, Bryson Burtnett, and Cole Novak — hadn’t recorded a single reception, and they hardly emerged in the Frogs’ passing game over the course of the season. Merka was the only one to log a reception; he totaled four for 54 yards and one touchdown.
The real weapon in TCU’s aerial attack is wide receiver Josh Doctson, who was declared out for the Alamo Bowl due to a wrist injury he suffered on Nov. 7 at Oklahoma State. In his 10 games this season, Doctson caught 79 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Head coach Gary Patterson said Doctson’s injury “means everybody gets playing time.” In his absence, quarterback Trevone Boykin will lean on wide receivers Kolby Listenbee, KaVontae Turpin and Shaun Nixon, who combined for 107 catches for 1,612 yards and 14 touchdowns. Listenbee is a senior and Turpin and Nixon are freshmen.
Advantage: Oregon
Oregon’s tight end corps has more experience and a more proven track record, blocking for the fifth-best rushing offense in the country. TCU’s tight ends have not emerged as threats through the air but could see increased targets given Docton’s injury.
Dec. 26: Offensive line preview
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Schneider awarded scholarship, men’s basketball dominates Long Beach State
Posted on 21 December 2015.
– Oregon awarded kicker Aidan Schneider a scholarship after he converted all 62 PAT attempts and 20 of 22 field goals in 2016. Schneider also won the Vlade Award, given to the nation’s most accurate kicker, and was named third-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
– 2016 will be a make-or-break season for Mark Helfrich, wrote Bleacher Report’s Bryan Fischer. Although Prukop, an FCS transfer like Vernon Adams, will join the Ducks for his one-and-done senior year, Fischer said “expecting lightning to strike twice is probably unwise,” and the key to Oregon’s success will be developing a high school recruit into a starting quarterback.
– Oregon recruit Dakota Prukop didn’t think about playing quarterback in college until his senior year in high school, and now he’s in line to take over the position for Oregon in 2016. It’s been a long, developmental journey for the Montana State transfer, wrote the Emerald’s Joseph Hoyt, but Prukop “would do it over again.”
– Senior running back/wide receiver hybrid Byron Marshall said “it’s time to move on to the next chapter in [his] life,” when asked whether he would return to the Ducks in 2016. After suffering an injury in Oregon’s blowout loss to Utah, Marshall missed the remainder of the season. He had the opportunity to pursue a medical redshirt, but instead said it was “just [his] time” to go.
– Despite an early lapse in focus, men’s basketball fended off Long Beach State for a 94-73 win on Friday. With the return of forward Jordan Bell from injury, the Ducks (9-2) are starting to look more like themselves. Oregon will take on Alabama (7-2), who has beaten two ranked teams already, on Monday.
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