The week leading up to No. 13 Oregon’s home game against No. 18 Utah, neither team revealed its starting quarterback’s identity. Although Vernon Adams Jr. and Travis Wilson each sat out their previous game due to injury, both ended up getting the nod to start Saturday.

Backup quarterbacks Jeff Lockie and Kendal Thompson also managed to get in the game, but for very different reasons. Lockie entered the game midway through the second quarter to replace a struggling Adams, and Thompson took snaps during garbage time to protect the commanding 55-13 lead Wilson built – a lead that would result in a 62-20 win for the Utes.

“I got pulled because I wasn’t making the throws that I should be making,” Adams Jr. said after the game. His injury, he said, was not the reason why he was taken out of the game. “I would have pulled myself too.”

The Ducks were hard-pressed to move the ball against the stout Utah defense in the first half. Adams Jr. threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Royce Freeman to tie the score 6-6 late in the first quarter, but the offense was forced to punt on his other four drives. He managed just two completions for 26 yards and six carries for five yards.

Midway through the second quarter, Adams Jr. donned a hat and radio headset on the sidelines, while Jeff Lockie taped his ankle and warmed up his throwing arm.

“Jeff went in and did his thing right away,” Adams Jr. said. “I saw everything he saw, I just wasn’t making the throws. Jeff was making the throws.”

Lockie showed noticeably better vision, awareness and agility than Adams Jr. when he entered the game for Adams Jr. He completed his first two passes — a 26-yard lob to Charles Nelson down the sideline and a 16-yard strike to Johnny Mundt — for consecutive first downs, then lofted a screen pass to a sweeping Bralon Addison, who crossed the goal-line untouched. The crowd chanted, “Lockie, Lockie.”

The Ducks went into halftime with a two-touchdown deficit but also high hopes after the quarterback swap.

The Lockie magic, however, was short lived.

“We just slowed down a bit,” Lockie said. “We made some adjustments at halftime but we weren’t able to keep the ball moving.”

On his first drive of the second half, he heaved a pass deep downfield directly into the hands of free safety Marcus Williams, who returned it 52 yards to the Oregon 25-yard line. On the next play, running back Devontae Booker then tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Britain Covey for the wide receiver’s second touchdown reception.

Lockie moved the Ducks 53 yards to the Utah ten-yard line on their next possession, but tried to force a pass into the corner of the end zone and was intercepted again by Dominique Hatfield.

“We can’t turn the ball over like that,” Lockie said. “That starts with me. I’ve got to make better decisions.”

Meanwhile, Wilson shredded the Oregon defense. He completed 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards and four touchdowns, and added one on the ground. The secondary blew coverages on multiple scoring plays, including a trick play in which running back Devontae Booker lobbed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Britain Covey.

Down 41-13, the defense finally appeared to have stopped the Utes offense. Utah punter Tom Hackett punted away on fourth down, but in a bizarre turn of events, the ball hit the Skycam and the officials ruled to replay the down. On his next attempt, Hackett handled a high snap, tucked the ball and ran 33 yards for a demoralizing first down. Wilson converted another fourth down the same drive before he tossed a 16-yard touchdown to Caleb Repp.

“It started snowballing after the fake punt,” running back Royce Freeman said. “I started to figure out they were going up by a big number. I was really in shock.”

The Ducks finished with 400 yards of total offense, three touchdowns and three turnovers, while the Utes managed 530 yards, eight touchdowns and no turnovers.

“We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror tonight and move on,” Freeman said. “If you dwell on it, that’s when it continues to hurt you in the future. If we do some soul-searching, we should be all right.”

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No. 13 Oregon, one of the Pac-12’s premier programs over the last seven years, suffered a monumental loss to No. 18 Utah on Saturday night. Not much went the Ducks’ way as Oregon was ran threw and around en route to a 62-20 loss, the Ducks’ worst loss since 2003.

Vernon Adams Jr. got the start at quarterback for the Ducks but was removed early from the game in place of backup Jeff Lockie. Adams looked lost throughout much of his playing time, missing wide open receivers and failing to make that extra effort to sustain drives.

Lockie came in and immediately led Oregon on a long touchdown drive to cut the score to 20-13, but Utah answered back with a touchdown of its own for the 27-13 halftime lead and the romp was on.

The Lockie magic was short-lived. After providing a spark to the Oregon offense in the second quarter, Lockie threw interceptions on the first two drives of the third quarter.

The Oregon secondary, which started freshmen Ugo Amadi and Glen Ihenacho at cornerback, looked downright incompetent. Travis Wilson and Devontae Booker each completed touchdown passes to wide-open receivers on blown coverages. Ty Griffin entered the game at cornerback and freshman Khalil Oliver got reps in place of Juwaan Williams at safety.

Byron Marshall was carted into the locker room after he injured his right leg during a kickoff.

Kendal Thompson replaced Wilson during garbage time and extended the Utes’ commanding lead, making the score 62-13.

Eugene-native Taylor Alie scored his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks when he ran 14 yards for the Ducks’ final touchdown of the game.

• Wilson capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown to open the second half. Utah extended its lead to 34-13.
• Byron Marshall injured his right leg on a kickoff return, and was carted off the field into the locker room.
• Jeff Lockie threw the ball deep downfield directly to free safety Marcus Williams, who picked it off and returned it 52 yards to the Oregon 25-yard line.
• The first play of the ensuing drive, Devontae Booker threw a 25-yard touchdown to a wide-open Covey, who torched the Oregon secondary. The running back’s first career passing touchdown gave the Utes a 41-13 lead.
• Lockie drove the Ducks down to the Utah ten-yard line, but forced a pass into the end zone and was intercepted by Dominique Hatfield for a touchback.
• Utah punter Tom Hackett punted the ball into the sky-camera, so the Utes repeated their fourth-and-13 play. The second time around, Hackett received a high snap, took off and ran 33 yards for a first down.
• Wilson converted a fourth-and-five, then tossed his fourth passing touchdown to Caleb Repp, whom the Oregon secondary left unmanned.
• Oregon punter Ian Wheeler punted the ball to the right and every Oregon defender ran to the left. Boobie Hobbs caught the kick and went untouched as he ran it back 69 yards for a touchdown. Utah increased its lead to 55-13.
• Kendal Thompson rushes for a one-yard touchdown during garbage time to extend the Utes’ lead to 62-13.
• Taylor Alie ran a bootleg for a 14-yard touchdown, his second of the year.

Game Stats

Oregon Passing

Jeff Lockie: 10-for-20 for 139 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions

Vernon Adams Jr: 2-for-7 for 26 yards and one touchdown

Utah Passing

Travis Wilson: 18-for-30 for 277 yards and four touchdowns.

Oregon Rushing

Royce Freeman: 14 carries for 77 yards

Taj Griffin: Two carries for 56 yards

Jeff Lockie: 10 carries for 37 yards

Utah Rushing

Travis Wilson: Six carries for 100 yards and one touchdown

Devontae Booker: 22 carries for 98 yards

Oregon Receiving

Royce Freeman: Two catches for 46 yards and one touchdown

Bralon Addison: Three catches for 31 yards and one tochdown

Utah Receiving

Kenneth Scott: Six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown

Britain Covey: Three catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns

Caleb Repp: Two catches for 25 yards and two touchdowns

Total Yards

Oregon: 400

Utah: 530

Turnovers

Oregon: Three

Utah: None

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In his preparation for No. 13 Oregon’s bout with No. 18 Utah Saturday, head coach Mark Helfrich said the first thing that comes to mind is Joe Walker’s miraculous 100-yard fumble return touchdown in their game last year.

“It’s the first thing that comes to [the Utes’] minds too, and they’re looking for retribution.”

Utah quarterback Travis Wilson connected with wide receiver Kaelin Clay for a 79-yard reception that would have put the Utes ahead 14-0. Clay, however, dropped the ball to celebrate the touchdown a moment before he crossed the goal line. As Utah fans rejoiced, Walker scooped up the ball and ran it back for a defensive touchdown, which tied the game after the extra point.

The Ducks translated the momentum from the 14-point turnaround to pound Utah 51-27. Their takeaway:

“If you have the ball, finish the play,” Helfrich said. “If you don’t have the ball, finish the play and something might happen.”

The Ducks still aren’t sure whether they’ll be tasked with defending Wilson or back-up Kendal Thompson at quarterback this time around. Wilson injured his left shoulder when he was hit low while scrambling down the sideline against Utah State two weeks ago. Thompson, starting in his place, led the Utes to a 45-24 win over Fresno State last week.

Despite the uncertainty, the players didn’t spend their week of preparation catering their game plan toward the strengths of either quarterback.

“You can only do what your players can handle,” Helfrich said. “From a preparation standpoint, there’s a little more on the coaches to prioritize differently in practice.”

Both teams’ quarterbacks will be “game time decisions.” Last week against Georgia State, Jeff Lockie started in place of Vernon Adams Jr., who broke his finger in the season-opener against Eastern Washington. Lockie completed 23 of 31 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.

“That happens all the time,” Helfrich said in regards to each team’s quarterback situation. “There are guys all over at a lot of positions, not just quarterbacks, who are nicked and dinged. It’s one of those weird and unfortunate things, but you have to make the best of it and compete your tail off.”

The Utes are well known for their physicality and big-bodied players at just about every position. Their defense is often compared to that of the Michigan State Spartans, who bottled up Oregon’s running game in their 31-28 win.

“We have a fairly good idea of what [the defense] is going to do from a schematic standpoint,” Helfrich said. “You have to compete and be physical, and match their physicality.”

On the other hand, Oregon’s defense is looking to rebound from poor tackling and pass defense in consecutive games, especially at the safety position. Glen Ihenacho and Juwaan Williams played bigger roles in the secondary last week, and may see them expand this week.

“Those guys are improving,” Helfrich said. “Glen, in particular, has improved a ton over the past couple weeks. We need to create more competition at that position, have some success and feed off of that as a team.”

The Ducks and the Utes square off Saturday, 5:00 p.m. at Autzen Stadium.

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Three years before they reunited on the Oregon football team, Ty Griffin quarterbacked one of the most prolific high school teams in Georgia, and handed the ball off to his little brother Taj, the starting running back.

Just like the Ducks, McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, ran the zone read, a spread-option offense in which the running back crosses paths with the quarterback after the snap. The quarterback then chooses either to hand the ball off to the running back or hang on to it, depending on his reading of the defense.

The brothers only ran into one problem: sharing.

“We could never get Ty to hand Taj the ball,” their father Herb Griffin said. “He would leave Taj standing in the backfield jumping up and down, like, ‘Give me the ball!’”

Off the field, Taj, Ty and their eldest brother, Tre, a defensive end for Georgia Southern, argued over which TV channel to watch, who would shower first or eat the bigger piece of chicken.

Ty Griffin (10) played quarterback during Oregon’s spring game on May 2, but eventually switched to cornerback. (Emerald Archives)

Their fraternal competition was also pronounced on the virtual field; bragging rights were won and lost over games of Madden on Xbox. Taj played the most so, like any brother would, Ty composed a song about his brother’s passion for video games and submitted it for a school-wide project. His song, entitled “I Wonder Why Taj Loves Xbox,” won second place in the music category.

Sibling rivalry challenged Taj at times, but their mother Tamiko Griffin said it “elevated Taj as a person.” One year, when they were young, the brothers got new bikes, but Taj’s was a kiddie bike.

“He didn’t want that,” Tamiko said, because it wasn’t equipped to keep up with the other boys’ bikes. Nevertheless, Taj pedaled in overdrive to maintain pace.

“He’s had to go extra hard his whole life to keep up with his brothers,” Tamiko said.

Taj’s motivation paid off. He was immediately noticeable the day he started playing football. While he was in high school, 247Sports rated him the No. 1 all-purpose back in the country. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds and recorded a 45-inch vertical leap.

For as long as Tamiko can remember, Taj showed great interest in the Ducks. So when Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich recruited him, Taj jumped on the opportunity.

“Taj has shown a ton of flashes,” Helfrich said. “He’s got great natural physicality for a really fast guy. That’s not always the case.”

When Taj tore his ACL during his senior year of high school, Helfrich called him to assure he was still a high-priority recruit for Oregon and he would not lose his scholarship.

The injury happened during the season opener of Taj’s senior year. As part of the punt coverage team, Griffin tried planting his foot to make a tackle, but he heard his knee pop and immediately knew the severity of the injury. He had already rushed for three touchdowns in the first quarter alone.

“I felt the pain and I’d never felt anything like it before,” Taj said. “It definitely changed things for me.”

Out for his high school’s 2014 season, Taj started rehabilitating his knee right away.

He graduated high school early to facilitate his enrollment at Oregon in January, where he would once again team up with his brother. He started running routes and participating in 7-on-7 drills last spring. Originally worried that he would lose his speed, Taj said he’s recovered 100 percent.

The Oregon freshman doesn’t appear to have lost a step. Taj made his collegiate debut in Oregon’s season opener against Eastern Washington and broke off for a 61-yard gain on one of his three carries.

Before Taj received national recognition on the gridiron, Ty was redshirting as a quarterback during his freshman season at Georgia Tech in 2013. The Yellow Jackets ran the triple-option, an offense Ty was not fond of.

“I was open-minded about it at first, but when I tried it out I didn’t really like it,” Ty said. “I just felt it was in my best interest to try to get into something different.”

While being recruited, Taj told the coaching staff at Oregon to check out his brother’s film. The coaches were impressed, but weren’t allowed to talk to him until he was released from his scholarship at Georgia Tech. Ty asked for his release – which Georgia Tech granted. Oregon quickly signed him.

Ty spent the 2014 season commanding the scout team at quarterback and grasping the offense. One of his most pivotal roles during the season came when he played as a surrogate for Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston during pre-Rose Bowl practices for Oregon’s game against the Seminoles.

Ty, now a redshirt sophomore, made his debut for the Ducks this season at cornerback, a position he’d never played before.

In 2015, the competition to replace Marcus Mariota at quarterback thickened when Vernon Adams Jr. transferred to Oregon. Essentially two seasons removed from football, Ty made the switch to cornerback.

“It was initially my decision,” Ty said. “Vernon came in and everyone’s reps were getting cut down. It’s my third year, so I was really just trying to get on the field and help out the team this year in that capacity.”

“I think it’s a great move for him,” Helfrich said. “He’s electric fast. That would be his fastest path to the field.”

Ty recorded his first tackle, pass break-up and deflection in Oregon’s win over Georgia State on Sept. 19. In the same game, Taj scored his first career touchdown on a pitch from Bralon Addison in the third quarter.

The Griffin family watched the Oregon game from Buffalo Wild Wings in Georgia, after they attended Tre’s game live at Georgia Southern. When Taj scored, his grandfather ran around the restaurant grabbing people and telling them that his grandson scored his first collegiate touchdown.

“It was pretty embarrassing, but it was a proud moment for the family,” Tamiko said.

Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter: @KennyJacoby

**Editor’s note: This story will appear in the Emerald’s “Back to the Books” edition, available Monday in locations throughout Eugene.**

Even the most casual observer of college sports knows that the Oregon football program is thriving.

Oregon football has played in 10 straight bowl games, including a record four consecutive BCS bowls from 2009 to 2012. With their flashy uniforms and fast-tempo, high-octane attack, the Ducks are the most recognizable college football team of the past decade.

While the football team continues its quest for its first national title, other Oregon programs have dominated in their own rights.

The Oregon men’s and women’s outdoor track and field programs won national championships last year.

The men clinched their second consecutive national title when eight-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, three-time All-American Eric Jenkins and Will Geoghegan finished 1-2-4 in the 3,000-meter final. The women won their first national championship in 30 years behind Jenna Prandini, who ran the 100-meter dash in 10.96 seconds and finished second in the long jump. But Prandini, an eight-time All-American, elected to forgo her senior season to sign with Puma.

The men’s indoor track and field team also defended its national championship last year.

Led by Cheserek and Jenkins, Oregon became the first school to win four distance events at the indoor meet. While the men won by 24 points, the women’s indoor team finished second to Arkansas by 16.5 points. Although Cheserek and Jenkins became the first pair of teammates from any program to finish 1-2 in 25 years, the men’s cross country team placed sixth. The women also finished sixth, just over three minutes behind first-place Michigan State.

Oregon softball has also enjoyed a streak of success in recent seasons.

Two-time Pac-12 pitcher of the year Cheridan Hawkins and Pac-12 freshman of the year Jenna Lilley led the Ducks to the Women’s College World Series last year but the team was eliminated after consecutive losses.

The Oregon volleyball team has made the NCAA tournament in eight of head coach Jim Moore’s 10 years at the helm. Since he took over in 2005, the Ducks have gone 209-108.

The Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team’s streak of four consecutive national championships ended last year with a second-place finish to Baylor.

Oregon’s basketball programs have yet to find the same success but are improving under their respective head coaches. Two-time Pac-12 coach of the year Dana Altman has led the men to five consecutive postseason appearances and 20-win seasons. They’ve qualified for three straight NCAA tournaments and won at least one game in each. The women went 13-17 during Kelly Graves’ first season at the helm, but held their opponents under 70 points 14 times after allowing an NCAA-worst 89.1 points per game the year prior.

Oregon baseball has emerged as a national title contender in its six seasons since the program’s reinstatement in 2009, but has yet to find postseason success. Head coach George Horton has led the Ducks to four postseason appearances, including each of the last three seasons. The team, however, has not advanced past the Super Regional round.

Women’s soccer is another Oregon program on the rise. In her second season, head coach Kat Mertz transformed the team into one of the top defensive units in the Pac-12. In 2014, the Ducks finished with a 1.04 goals against average, their third-lowest mark in school history.

National Rankings (Poll)

Football: 13 (AP)
Volleyball: 19 (AVCA Coaches)
Women’s Soccer: Unranked (NSCAA Coaches)
Men’s Cross Country: 7 (USTFCCCA)
Women’s Cross Country: 7 (USTFCCCA)
Women’s Golf: 23 (Golfweek)
Men’s Golf: 12 (GCAA)
Women’s Tennis: 65 (ITA)
Men’s Tennis: 49 (ITA)
Men’s Basketball: 27 (RPI)
Women’s Basketball: 171 (RPI)
Men’s Indoor Track & Field: 7 (USTFCCCA)
Women’s Indoor Track & Field: 7 (USTFCCCA)
Acrobatics & Tumbling: 2 (finished 2nd of 10 teams in 2015)
Women’s Lacrosse: 45 (RPI)
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: 2 (USTFCCCA)
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: 1 (USTFCCCA)
Baseball: 66 (RPI)
Softball: 5 (RPI)
Beach Volleyball: Unranked (2-6 in program’s second season)

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Oregon football fell from No. 12 to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 Poll following their 61-28 win over Georgia State.

With Jeff Lockie running the offense instead of injured Vernon Adams Jr., the Ducks moved the ball on offense with relative ease. On defense, however, the secondary struggled to contain quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who completed 25 passes for 318 yards, three touchdowns and two picks.

Two Big Ten teams rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the poll for the first time since 2006. Ohio State lost a few first-place votes following its lackluster victory over Northern Illinois, but remained on top with 42 votes. Second-ranked Michigan State received seven first place votes after a win over Air Force and a win against then No. 7 Oregon the week before.

Ole Miss jumped from No. 15 to No. 3 following its shocking defeat over No. 2 Alabama. The Rebels received 11 first-place votes. The Tide, the highest ranked team with a loss, fell to No. 12.

1. Ohio State (42)
2. Michigan State (7)
3. Ole Miss (11)
4. TCU (tied for third)
5. Baylor
6. Notre Dame
7. Georgia
8. LSU
9. UCLA
10. Florida State
11. Clemson
12. Alabama
13. Oregon
14. Texas A&M
15. Oklahoma
16. Arizona
17. Northwestern
18. Utah
19. USC
20. Georgia Tech
21. Stanford
22. Wisconsin
23. Brigham Young
24. Oklahoma State
25. Missouri

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The week leading up to Oregon’s season opener, the nation wondered whether transfer Vernon Adams Jr. would replace career back-up Jeff Lockie as the Ducks’ starting quarterback. Two weeks later, we’re back to square one.

Adams Jr. reportedly broke his index finger against Eastern Washington, opening the door for Lockie to reclaim the job he briefly owned.

Adams Jr. played the duration of Oregon’s 31-28 loss to Michigan State despite the injury. He fared adequately: he completed 56 percent of his passes for 309 yards, a touchdown and two picks, and ran for another score. He also overthrew a wide open Byron Marshall in front of the goal line on what would have been the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute to play.

Adams Jr. wore a splint on his finger during his press conference Saturday. Doctor of Physical Therapy Colin Hoobler wrote a “simple” fracture involves splinting for three to four weeks, and an unstable fractures requires more time.

With his health in peril, head coach Mark Helfrich is considering whether to let Adams Jr. rest for part or all of Saturday’s contest against Georgia State, one of the worst FBS teams, and hand the reins to Lockie.

Mum’s the word, though, for Helfrich, who gave no hints as to which quarterback he had in mind.

Do you know who’s starting at quarterback on Saturday, or when you say “game-time decision,” is it truly a game-time decision?

Maybe, maybe not. We’ll find out. Both guys have done really good things. Taylor Alie, too. We’ll figure it out.

On Sunday you talked about the tempo of the team struggling. How has the tempo ramped up in the past week?

This has been our best week of practice so far in a lot of ways. Today was our best Thursday. The tempo was a bit of an overreaction to that. The things you’re going to do against Michigan State are a little bit different from those against some other teams. Part of that is our gameplan and part of that is what they do when there’s not a tremendous advantage.

Does practicing indoors change the flow or approach of practice at all?

A little bit. I wanted to get in there yesterday just because we hadn’t had to do that at all. We’d been outside every day. Once we go to school there will obviously be times when we’ll have to. There’s a little bit different flow. It’s a faster flow, only because they don’t have to move so far when transitioning from drill to drill. The kicking game is a little different—things hit the ceiling, all that kind of stuff.

What’s the talent level of Georgia State?

The talent level is really good. They have a ton of guys who can run, and speed on their special teams. They have skill guys on both offense and defense, and a really productive quarterback. There’s a ton of great football in the Atlanta area.

Coming off a loss, do you notice this team or teams you’ve had in the past approach the next game a little more antsy or excited to erase what happened the week before?

I’m sure, to a certain extent, that exists. The big part about it is they were excited to prepare. People always talk about the pregame speech. Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday — that’s when you need to have your pregame speech. Those guys need to be motivated to prepare. I think that started Saturday night in the locker room.

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– Bralon Addison earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on special teams for his 81-yard punt return touchdown Saturday, which tied the score with Michigan State. The return was the third of Addison’s career. Cliff Harris and Keenan Howry possess the current school record of four career kick returns for touchdowns.

– Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. suffered a broken index finger on his throwing hand during Oregon’s 61-42 win over Eastern Washington Saturday, Sept. 5. The index finger is responsible for guiding the football out of the throwing hand upon release. Adams Jr. wore a glove over his injured finger in Oregon’s 31-28 loss to Michigan State, and now it is wrapped in a splint.

– The Ducks refuse to divulge the severity of Adams Jr.’s finger injury, but his level of participation in their upcoming home game will provide the best clue about the severity of his injury. Doctor of Physical Therapy Colin Hoobler reported full recovery will likely take several weeks, meaning back-up Jeff Lockie could line up behind center against low-tier opponent Georgia State.

– Class of 2016 three-star recruit Cam McCormick will forego his senior high school football and basketball seasons after he tore his ACL during practice last week. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end planned to enroll at Oregon early in January, but now hopes to enroll in March.

– Malcolm Askew, he No. 4 athlete in the country according to Rivals, received his 43rd offer from the University of Oregon Tuesday. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound prospect from McCalla, Alabama included Oregon in a list of ten schools from which he hoped to garner offers last week.

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Don’t anticipate a tight contest when the Oregon Ducks (1-1) take on the Georgia State Panthers (1-1) in Autzen Stadium at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Georgia State has compiled a 2-24 record since it hired head coach Trent Miles to take over the ailing program following a one-win 2012 season. The program itself is only five years old, but the Panthers have never finished with a winning record. They beat New Mexico State 34-32 last weekend, their first-ever victory over an FBS team or as a member of the Sun Belt conference.

The Ducks have never played the Panthers, but they shared a common opponent in 2014: Washington. The Huskies lost 45-20 to Oregon but defeated Georgia State 45-14.

Here’s how the teams stack up for Saturday:

Oregon offense vs. Georgia State defense

Look for Oregon to test the Georgia State defensive backs with its aerial attack during the game’s early stages. New Mexico State quarterback Tyler Rogers shredded the Panthers’ secondary last week, completing 33 of 55 passes for 445 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Tyrian Taylor, Rogers’s top target, torched Georgia State with 10 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns. So, expect Oregon wide receivers Bralon Addison and Charles Nelson to challenge the Georgia State secondary through the air with speed and crisp route running. The game will also serve as an opportunity for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to establish a comfortable pocket presence and build rapport with Oregon’s receivers.

As for the Ducks’ ground attack, Georgia State faces a formidable test. The Panthers held New Mexico State to 3.7 yards per rushing attempt and Charlotte to 3.6 in their season opener. They’ve never defended a rushing attack like Oregon’s, though. The Ducks have rushed on 61 percent of their offensive snaps in 2015, and running back Royce Freeman has amassed four touchdowns and averaged six yards per carry. He ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against Michigan State Spartans last week. Freeman’s performance should only improve from here on out.

Georgia State offense vs. Oregon defense

The Panthers have rushed on 46 percent of their offensive plays in 2015, compared to 47 percent in 2014 and 46 percent in 2013. The Panthers are unlikely to run the ball down the Ducks’ throats. Chances are they they will be playing from behind for much or all of the game, so Georgia State will press on without running back Taz Bateman, who suffered an arm injury against New Mexico State. Bateman rushed 14 times for 97 yards—a 6.9-yard average—this season. Georgia State’s six other running backs have rushed 58 times for 206 yards—a 3.6-yard average. Kyler Neal will handle the bulk of the rushing duties against Oregon. The 5-foot-11, 218-pound sophomore from Dallas rushed 17 times for a respectable 79 yards and two touchdowns against New Mexico State. He’ll go up against an Oregon front seven that Michigan State bulldozed for 197 yards, two touchdowns and a 5.3 yards-per-carry average last week.

The Panthers gained a school record 582 yards on offense in their win over New Mexico State. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle passed for 372 yards and two touchdowns, both of which went to 5-foot-9, 170-pound freshman wide receiver Penny Hart, who finished with 11 catches and 150 yards. Donovan Harden, Georgia State’s top receiver in 2014, is unlikely to play against Oregon due to a foot injury he suffered during preseason. Nevertheless, don’t be surprised if Arbuckle, who ranks ninth nationally with 335.5 passing yards per game, throws 50 or more pass attempts against Oregon.

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The Oregon Ducks came within a few feet of scoring the game-winning touchdown on the final drive of their 31-28 loss to Michigan State Saturday. During his weekly press conference Sunday, head coach Mark Helfrich cited a combination of “many little things,” from gap errors to dropped interceptions, that contributed to the Ducks falling short.

“The difficult part of playing that team on the road in that environment is every excruciating detail can make the difference in a game,” Helfrich said. “There are so many things that when you sit there and watch film, you go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ That’s what makes it that much more frustrating.”

Helfrich said quarterback Vernon Adams had trouble seeing around the linemen, which led to a few broken plays. Adams missed a wide open Byron Marshall on what would have been the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute to play. After the game, he repeatedly said the loss was “on me,” which Helfrich said would resonate with his teammates.

“I think that’s the natural reaction of a quarterback,” Helfrich said. “The biggest thing for Vernon, for me, and for everyone in this program is to individually look at yourself, and how you can solve the problem. As he takes the initiative to step up and admit fault in all those things, then hopefully he’ll motivate everyone else to improve.”

Adams was reportedly dealing with an injury to the index finger on his throwing hand he suffered during last week’s 61-42 win over Eastern Washington. Last night he completed 22-of-39 passes for 302 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Helfrich said injury was not a factor in his quarterback’s performance.

“Anything we could say of that nature is an excuse, and we don’t get into that realm.”

One of Adams’s primary weapons, wide receiver Dwayne Stanford, was held without a reception Saturday. Helfrich said Stanford was “covered exceptionally well.” He also said Michigan State’s modus operandi is to press players on the outside, thus eliminating them from the game plan while creating more off coverage on number two receivers.

“Our outside guys weren’t as involved, and that’s just how they defend you.”

The Spartans’ shutdown of Stanford enabled wide receivers Bralon Addison and Charles Nelson to catch seven balls each, for 138 and 79 yards, respectively. Addison added an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown that tied the game early in the third quarter.

Helfrich compared Oregon’s defeat to last year’s loss to Arizona, its fifth game and first loss of the 2014 season. He talked to his players about the similarities between the two losses, and how the Arizona game galvanized the team moving forward. The Ducks went on to win the remainder of their regular season games and qualify for the College Football Playoff as the second-ranked team.

“There’s absolutely zero reason why that can’t happen again.”

The Ducks look to rebound in their next home game against Georgia State, Saturday, Sept. 19. The Panthers lost their week one home match-up with Charlotte 23-30 but won on the road yesterday against New Mexico State.

Helfrich also commented on reigning Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota’s first regular season NFL game, in which he posted a 158.3 quarterback rating and threw four touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans. Helfrich said Mariota’s record-setting first game was “par for the course.”

“I’m obviously very happy for him,” Helfrich said. “At the same time, I’d like to say I’m not surprised.”

Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @KennyJacoby