Oregon entered the game with a 16-game winning streak, a 22-1 home-field record and as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky, the No. 16 seed, was the upcoming underdog. A team that swept the Lexington Regional last weekend with three consecutive run-rule games to earn a spot in this week’s Super Regionals. A team that lost in back-to-back games, seeing its Tournament run end, last season against the Ducks during this time last season.

And in Thursday’s Eugene Super Regional opener, the underdog earned redemption.

“They came out really aggressive, and I think today we came out a little compliant, expecting to win,” Oregon right-fielder Haley Cruse said.

The Wildcats (35-19) defeated the Ducks 9-6 Thursday night at Jane Sanders Stadium, giving Oregon (50-8) its first upset loss in the Super Regionals since 2016.

“It was nice to see us continue with the momentum that we competed with at Regionals,” Kentucky head coach Rachel Lawson said. “We are always the underdog. We like the underdog role. So, that’s not something that surprises us.”

Kentucky’s momentum was found in its hitting.

In the first inning, they showed the 2,522-person crowd they were not to be doubted. After an 11-pitch walk for third baseman Abbey Cheek, Alex Martens unleased a three-run home run to get on the board first and give Kentucky a 3-0 lead.

The team earned all but one run, off home runs; hitting two three-run and one two-run home runs. Cheek led the Wildcats with five RBI, with Martens following her with three.

The Oregon defense deflated. Making four errors, ground balls were missed and throws were left uncaught and incomplete.

“Our defense didn’t have our backs at the end of the day,” Oregon senior catcher Gwen Svekis said. “That’s how you lose a ball game right there.”

Yet, one of Oregon’s best plays of the night was a perfectly timed dive-and-slide catch from Haley Cruse in centerfield during the top of the seventh.

It wasn't our best defensive game, but don't tell that to Haley Cruse, who made this spectacular diving grab in the seventh. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/BS3FmXoPWF

— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 25, 2018

In the circle, things were just as cloudy.

Oregon started with Megan Kleist for 4.2 innings, before switching to Maggie Balint, after Kleist allowed seven runs on seven hits. Balint was solid for a couple innings, allowing just two runs on three hits, before Oregon head coach Mike White brought Kleist out to finish the game.

Kleist was handed the loss, now 21-6, allowing the second-most runs in a game throughout her past three seasons at Oregon.

“We made pitches down the middle, that was really the bottom line,” White said. “We put ourselves in this situation.”

Kentucky also had trouble finding consistency in the circle, as they went through three pitching changes. The win was ultimately given to starter Erin Rethlake (12-4).

But Oregon is far from giving up. Game one may be over, but if the Ducks want another ticket to the Women’s College World Series they will have to come out tomorrow acting like the No. 1 seed they are.

“How are we going to bounce back?” White said. “Sure we had a bad game, But if we want to be National Champions, be the No. 1 team in the country, we need to be able to come back from this.”

The Ducks will be set on finding their own redemption in tomorrow’s rematch against Kentucky at 8 p.m. back at the Jane.

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Eugene native and Oregon utility player Lauren Burke is a freshman. A freshman who has only played in 28 of Oregon’s 54 games this season — starting in a mere 10.

But a freshman who only needed two pitches in an NCAA first-round Regional to unleash a monster two-run, pinch-hit home run.

It was the only home run of the game and the only hit of the game that got the 2,522-person crowd, including her parents, sisters, niece and grandma, on its feet.

“It made me super proud. It made tears come down my eyes,” Burke’s mother, Cheryl, said after the game. “She’s worked hard, and to be in Regionals and to get to perform like that, [it’s] just a proud mama moment.”

Burke’s two-run home run in the fifth inning secured the No.1 ranked Oregon Ducks(48-7) a 4-0 win over No. 4-seed University of Albany(32-15) to open the Eugene Regional Thursday evening at Jane Sanders Stadium.

“I thought Miranda [Elish] came out and pitched a very good game,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “We had a couple runners on and couldn’t quite bring them in and then, fortunately, we were able to get a hit there. Of course, Lauren maybe looked pretty good with that home run, so that certainly helped.”

In the bottom of the fifth, White brought up Burke to pinch-hit for Shannon Rhodes claiming that her swing had looked “crisp” all week in practice.

After Albany pitcher Celeste Verdolivo’s first pitch went by, Burke channeled in her impressive batting history to lock in for a home run on pitch number two — a riseball Verdolivo claims wasn’t high enough.

“The first pitch I let go was a really good pitch to hit and so I was just looking to attack anything that was close to the zone and that’s what I did,” Burke said.

The Eugene crowd’s support is a familiar comfort to Burke. From being a part of the crowd during games at Howe Field as a kid to now playing on a national stage for her dream team in front of family, friends and fans; the home run — her first postseason at-bat — made a lasting impression.

“Having the experience with all my family surrounding me is extra special,” Burke said.

Senior Jenna Lilley also scored in the fifth inning during DJ Sanders’ walk to first, giving the Ducks their second run of the day. Alexis Mack scored the Duck’s first run during the bottom of the third inning off an RBI single from Sanders.

But aside the runs on the board and Burke’s home run, it was a pitchers duel.

Both Verdolivo and Elish hold resumes highlighted with perfect games. Yet, Elish outshines the comparison with her a 0.96 ERA over Verdolivo’s 1.87.

On the circle, Elish made quick work of the Great Danes, recording 14 strikeouts on her 77 total pitches. The win improved her to a 21-1 overall record. Verdolivo only threw two strikeouts over the course of her 104 pitches.

“Celeste pitched a great game against a really good hitting team, and I’m proud of the way that we competed,” Albany head coach Chris Cannata said.

Oregon will switch to pitcher Megan Kleist for their second-round game against the Drake Bulldogs Friday afternoon at Jane Sanders Stadium.

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For the second year in a row, the Oregon Ducks (18-10) ended their season with a 4-0 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament — their third straight second-round loss in the tournament.

After winning their third straight NCAA Tournament opener on Saturday against No. 23 Tulsa, the Ducks fell to regional hosts and No. 8 Texas Christian University (20-4, 5-0) Sunday afternoon and lost their chance a spot in the Sweet 16.

The Horned Frogs put quick pressure on the Ducks, earning the doubles point with wins in courts No. 1 and No. 2.

Oregon’s duo of Thomas Laurent and Cormac Clissold were the first to fall, losing 1-6 to the TCU partnership of Guillermo Nuñez and Alex Rybakov. A 6-2 win in court No. 2 against Ducks Simon Stevens and Ty Gentry earned TCU the leading-point advantage into singles play.

In the singles competition, TCU took over the match early and created leads in five of the six courts, before winning in three courts to win the match 4-0.

Laurent once again was the first to fall, ending his five-match winning streak to TCU’s No. 21-ranked Rybakov in two sets, 1-6, 0-6, in court the No.1 position. Akihiro Tanaka was the next Duck to be defeated. In court No. 3, Tanaka fell 4-6, 2-6 to TCU.

The Horned Frog’s winning point came at the No. 4 court over Gentry in 4-6, 3-6.

The only Ducks that were able to win a set in the singles play were Clissold and Riki Oshima within the first sets of courts five and six respectively.

While Oregon ended its season, Laurent will prepare for the NCAA Singles Tournament, which begins May 23.

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The Ducks wanted revenge against the Huskies. Washington had cost them a College World Series opener and took a two-game regular series win last season, ending Oregon’s four-year series winning streak.

On the other side, Washington wanted to prove it still had power, especially after getting swept by UCLA the week prior.

In Friday’s highly anticipated matchup between the two, it wasn’t until the top of the ninth inning that a team took charge.

With a runner on first and second base, a Jenna Lilley bunt brought home Lauren Lindvall and ignited Oregon’s offense. Another bunt from Alexis Mack loaded the bases and set up DJ Sanders, who blasted a grand slam to give Oregon a five-run lead.

Scoring five runs in the ninth inning, No. 2 Oregon (39-7, Pac-12 13-3) clinched a 7-2 win against the No. 4 Huskies (41-6, 12-6) to open a three-game series Friday night in Seattle. It was Washington’s first home loss of the season.

Oregon’s seven runs scored against Washington is the most the Huskies have allowed an opponent this season. The loss marks the first extra-inning defeat to the Huskies since their 2016 season.

Oregon scored two runs in the top of the fifth to briefly take a 2-1 lead before the Huskies evened the score off a wild pitch in the second half of the inning. 

Sanders led the Ducks with five RBIs. Gwen Svekis earned one RBI and Shannon Rhodes and Haley Cruse each hit a double.

Facing off for the first time since the World Series match, Oregon pitcher Megan Kleist competed against Washington’s Taran Alvelo in the circle. But this time, it was Kleist who earned the win.

In nine innings, Kleist struck out 14 batters and allowed eight hits and one walk. She improved to a 16-5 season record. The loss was Alvelo’s fourth this season.

The Ducks and Huskies will meet for game two of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. back at the Husky Softball Stadium.

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For their final performance of the season, the Oregon Ducks made their way to Stanford, California, in hopes of earning their first ever win in the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship.

But Oregon’s time in the championship would end just like its previous two seasons: winless.

The Ducks (2-10, 0-3) capped their 2018 season in the Pac-12 Championship by falling to Utah, 1-4, in the first round and then to Arizona State, 0-5, in the contenders bracket.

This is the second straight year Oregon ended the season on a six-game losing streak. It’s the fourth consecutive season the team only recorded two wins.

The Pac-12 Championship opened with an early match of Oregon, the No. 9 seed, against Utah (5-11, 0-1), the No. 8 seed.

The Ducks put up a strong fight against the Utes, as three of the five courts went into third sets.

On court No. 5 Oregon duo Marine Hall-Poirer and Kyra Hanawahine began the match by winning their first set, 21-14 over Utah’s Brianna Doehrmann and Lauren Sproule.

Oregon’s Ronika Stone and Maggie Scott rode the high energy and rallied back from a 4-10 deficit to win their first set, 21-18 on court No. 4 against Utes Berkeley Oblad and Lauga Gauta.

Utah quickly snapped Oregon’s momentum, taking the second set victories on both courts No. 5 and No. 4 and forced them into third sets.

Hanawahine and Hall-Poirer came out on top, clinching the win on court No. 5 in the third set, 21-14, 15-21 and 15-10, to give the Ducks their first, and only, win of the day.

Oregon’s lead was short-lived.

Utah claimed the win on court No. 4 to tie the match 1-1 with a third set victory of 18-16.

Utah took the upper hand of the tie with a two-set win, 21-15, 23-21, on court No. 2 over Oregon’s Taylor Agost and Josie Cole.

Duck duo August Raskie and Lindsey Vander Weide tried to redeem the match for Oregon by forcing court No. 1 into a third set but ultimately fell to Utah 19-21, 21-12, 15-3. Utah secured the 4-1 match win with a final victory in court No. 3 over Lauren Page and Willow Johnson.

The loss sent Oregon into the contenders bracket where the Ducks faced the No. 7 seed, the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Arizona State (11-19, 0-6) made quick work of the Ducks with a 5-0 sweep. Oregon got the closest to the Sun Devils in a set two loss of 17-21 on court No. 4 with Stone and Scott facing Sun Devil duo Katie Cross and Cierra Flood. Contrary to their performance in the earlier match of the day, Hanawahine and Hall-Poirer fell in Oregon’s biggest deficit to Arizona State, 10-21, in the second set on court No. 5.

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With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and Oregon clinging to a 2-1 lead, Shannon Rhodes stepped to the plate with a runner on second.

It was her second game in a row not starting and head coach Mike White had benched for the first three innings in Sunday’s game. Yet, in the bottom of the fourth, he decided to give her a chance.

Her first pitch was a ball. The next three pitches were labeled as another ball, a foul and a strike. The fifth pitch looked to hit her left elbow and she dropped her bat and began to head to first until the umpire officially called it a ball and made her return to the batter’s box.

“Sometimes calls don’t go your way,” Rhodes said. “You just got to keep your head in the game and keep swinging.”

And kept swinging she did. She sent the very next pitch over the center field fence for a two-run home run to give Oregon 4-1 a lead.

“It was relieving,” Rhodes said.

White’s decision to bring-in Rhodes paid off as No. 4 Oregon (38-7, Pac-12 12-3) defeated Stanford 4-1 Sunday afternoon, sweeping the three-game series over the Cardinal for the sixth consecutive time.

The victory is the Ducks’ 19th straight win over Stanford (22-23, 2-13), increasing Oregon to a current four-game win streak and Stanford to a seven-game losing streak.

“It was a crisper game today for sure,” White said.

With Rhodes’ success in the fourth, White added her into centerfield to start the fifth.

“You can sit her to maybe get her attention a little bit and then you put her in to see if it worked,” White said. “I used the bench theory and maybe it worked her up a little bit … When you get your chance, that’s what you got to do. When you get your chance, take it. And Shannon did.”

Once again White’s decision worked. It the top of the sixth, Rhodes jumped into the cushioned-wall in the back centerfield to perfectly catch a hit from Stanford’s Whitney Burks.

“[It was] kinda startling,” Rhodes said. “It kinda slowly rose and I thought it might go over, but I just had to stick with it and save my pitcher a little.”

Along with Rhodes’ home run, a two-out RBI from Haley Cruse allowed the Ducks to score three of their four runs in the fourth inning. Their first run of the game came in the bottom of the first thanks to a Gwen Svekis two-out RBI.

The Cardinal scored their only run of the game in the top of the fourth, with a solo home run from shortstop Whitney Burks.

In the circle, Oregon pitcher Miranda Elish started for the second time this series. She earned the win, now holding a 16-1 season record, and pitched a complete game allowing two hits, one walk and striking out 10 batters (her ninth double-digit strikeout count this season).

The Ducks will take the series sweep and prepare to face off for the Pac-12 title during next weekend’s road trip to Seattle. Starting on Friday, April 27, at 5 p.m., Oregon will match up against the No. 1-ranked Washington Huskies for a three-game series.

“They beat us down here last year and we want to get that revenge back,” White said.

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Not only does Oregon’s annual spring game give the team a chance to regroup from the fall, it helps foreshadow for the upcoming season. It’s the first chance the coaches, the team and the fans get to see the new and recently developed underclassmen talent.

And in today’s spring game, those underclassmen not only stole the show — they headlined it.

“It was a good day, a productive day,” Head coach Mario Cristobal said. “I thought that what we wanted to see, was what we got to see. … We got a chance to see who can actually do it, who can actually help us win football games.”

At the end of the 44-minute game, two redshirt freshmen were at the top of Oregon’s scoring list. C.J. Verdell and Daewood Davis led the game with two touchdowns each.

Verdell made the first scoring play of the day, a five-yard run touchdown for the Thunder, Oregon’s offensive team, less than halfway into the first quarter.

To end the quarter, Davis took a 36-yard pass from true freshman quarterback Tyler Shough and scored a touchdown of his own.

“It feels great,” Davis said. “I waited a whole offseason to show the world what I got, and that was what I did today.”

Three minutes into the second quarter, Verdell mirrored his first quarter play, giving the Thunder a 21-7 lead over the Lightning, Oregon’s defensive team.

And once again to bookend the quarter, and the half, Davis secured a 28-yard pass this time from junior quarterback Justin Herbert.

“We always knew he had that track speed, and he showed it today,” Cristobal said.

Davis notched a total of 75 yards, while Verdell ended with 44.

“C.J. Verdell continues to show why he was such a highly recruited football player,” Cristobal said. “He gets down to it in a hurry, and he’s got a low-center of gravity and his vision is excellent. He was very productive today.”

In the competition for the backup quarterback spot, sophomore Braxton Burmeister and Tyler Shough also demonstrated Oregon’s young talent.

Burmeister was 7-of-12 for 64 yards, while Shough went 5-of-8 with 103 yards. Both added a touchdown pass to their game as well.

“They not only know how to manage the offense, they know how to run the offense,” Cristobal said. “They got the right mentality. They are competing, and they know that it cannot be handed to them.”

For Shough’s true Autzen debut, he threw a 36-yard pass touchdown to Davis on his first throw of the game. In the fourth quarter, he threw a 29-yard pass to redshirt freshman running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who scored Oregon’s final touchdown and broke a 16-minute scoring drought for the Thunder.

Burmeister earned his touchdown with a 25-yard pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jack Vecchi at the five minute, 14-second mark in the second quarter.

“It’s going to be an interesting competition because they both showed that they both can be real good football players for us here,” Cristobal said.

Sophomore Jaylon Redd finished on top of the offensive player pack, leading the team with 110 all-purpose yards including 56 yards on kick returns. Notable underclassmen running backs also included: freshman Jamal Elliott (third on the team with 31 rushing yards) and sophomore Darrian Felix (fifth with 23).

On the defensive side, redshirt freshman Isaac Slade-Matautia found a starting position at linebacker and tied for third on the team with four total tackles, three of which were solo.

“Isaac Slade, I mean that guy is a really good football player,” Cristobal said. “He’s gonna help us win a lot of football games around here.”

Slade was just one of four underclassmen that saw time on the starting lineup. For the Thunder, redshirt sophomore Cam McCormick started at tight end, and sophomores Thomas Graham Jr., Deommodore Lenior and Jordon Scott started as cornerbacks and nose tackle for the Lightning.

“The youngsters in my unit performed very well actually,” Redshirt senior Tony Brooks-James said. “From C.J., Felix, to Jamal, Travis [Due], Cyrus, you know they all put down what coach needed to see and displayed their talents, which we all wanted to see. I was very proud and very happy and excited for them. I just hope that they keep it up and carry it into the season.”

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Oregon won in the top of the seventh inning when pitcher Miranda Elish struck out the final Stanford batter.

But it should have been a shorter game, and it probably would have been if the Cardinal hadn’t cut into a six-run Oregon lead from the second inning.

“Our challenge was, after Oklahoma how we do come back the next day,” Oregon shortstop DJ Sanders said. “And after that [second] inning, it felt good, but then we kinda went to sleep for the rest of the game.”

Scoring six runs off of six hits in the second inning, No. 4 Oregon (36-7, 10-3) fought to stay focused and clinch a three-game series opening win, 8-4, over the Cardinal Friday night at Jane Sanders Stadium. The game marked the Ducks’ 17th straight win against Stanford (22-21, 2-11), a streak dating back to the 2012 season.

But, the win fell short of Oregon’s 5-0 victory last night over two-time defending national champions the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners.

“I think we got those six runs and I think we maybe thought it was over,” Oregon head coach Mike White said.

Oregon had batters on the corners when Mia Camuso stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Shannon Rhodes stole second base after Camuso’s first strike, but she wasn’t there for long. Camuso’s two-RBI hit got her home, along with Mary Iakopo — who was on third — giving Oregon a quick 2-0 lead.

After an RBI from Haley Cruse, Sanders blasted one out toward the centerfield wall for a three-RBI double to give Oregon a 6-0 lead.

“I think that hurt us a bit,” Sanders said. “Because we did feel so confident after those six, we kinda lost focus for a little bit. But it is really nice to know that we are able to have that kind of offense in an inning.”

Oregon’s lack of focus became evident half an inning later, when the Cardinal scored their first runs off of back-to-back RBIs to cut the Ducks’ lead to 6-2.

The Ducks scored two more runs,  on a two-out double RBI from Jenna Lilley and a two-out RBI from Lauren Lindvall, but couldn’t find that same second-inning momentum.

In the top of the top of the sixth, Stanford pushed the run gap down again with back-to-back RBIs again to get within 8-4 of the Ducks.

It came down to Oregon’s defense and pitcher Miranda Elish to protect their lead.

“She was giving the ball up a little bit,” White said. “I think she was having some frustration with the umpire’s zone. It was hard to figure out where it was at the time. And that was frustrating for her, but that’s a part of growing. She’s got to figure that out.”

White kept Elish in the circle to complete the game, earning her 15th win of the season (now 15-1). Over her 114 pitches, she allowed two walks, six hits and struck out 12 batters.

“Sometimes you just want to see them work through it,” White said. “See what they can do. See if they can battle from behind. And she did … It gives me more confidence to let her battle through it.”

Oregon will look to keep a stronger, more focused mentality in tomorrow’s second game of the series back at the Jane at 5 p.m.

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A little over seven minutes into his first Civil War as an Oregon Duck, freshman wide receiver Jaylon Redd snagged a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert. His Oregon teammates knocked down the Oregon State defenders in his path. Redd ran 19 yards straight to the end zone, scoring his first collegiate touchdown.

Less than 10 seconds later, Oregon freshman cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. intercepted a pass from the Beavers’ quarterback Darell Garretson and ran for a 20-yard return.

But last season wasn’t the first experience these two had playing football together.

Graham Jr. and Redd have a connection through two sports and two stellar careers at Rancho Cucamonga High School and through their time at Oregon thus far.

Graham Jr. ended the season third on the Ducks with 62 total tackles, and as one of two players to lead the team with three interceptions. Redd ended the season totaling 122 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

“Watching those guys succeed as true freshman was awesome,” their former Rancho Cucamonga High School head football coach, Nick Baiz, said.

Instead of playing on the same team, the two Rancho Cucamonga natives first met competing against each other in club track and field when they were kids.

“It was just something normal,” Graham Jr. said. “We were always competing against each other, and we finally ended up teaming up.”

Their “teaming up” wouldn’t happen until almost 10 years later in their junior year at Rancho Cucamonga High School. Redd attended the school for all four years, while Graham Jr. transferred in as an upperclassman.

“Our relationship in high school made us stronger,” Redd said. “And as we come up here, I know every time I see him push, even though he’s on the other side of the ball, I see him do better. Can’t break that bond.”

Baiz recalls being impressed by Redd’s speed and mentality at his first couple practices with the Cougars. It only took a single day of practice before Baiz called him up to varsity.

Jaylon Redd (30) catches a pass mid-air in the 121st Civil War at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. (Phillip Quinn/Emerald)

“When he was a freshman, we could tell he was something special,” Baiz said. “I remember seeing Jaylon. He was practicing with the freshmen team, and I was watching the freshmen practice, and then about a day later we called him up to varsity because it was like a man with boys.”

Graham Jr. joined the team two years later, and his knowledge of the sport immediately helped him stand out.

“I think the best thing about [Graham Jr.] was his athletic ability and his football intelligence,” Baiz said. “He would ask great questions, where it really makes you know that he understands the game.”

As seniors, they helped the Cougars go undefeated in the regular season for the first time in school history. Redd topped the season totaling 1,693 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, and Graham Jr. had four interceptions, eight touchdowns and 212 total tackles.

“They were leaders; they led by example,” Baiz said. “Just the competitiveness they would bring to practice was huge. They kind of brought everyone up a level, which was helpful for our whole team.”

Both were labeled as 4-star recruits and earned Under Armour All-American honors. Receiving numerous offers from multiple top-tier college programs, they each decided Oregon was the best fit.

“It was good because coming to college, you might not know all your teammates, and you really don’t know them on a personal level,” Graham Jr. said. “Since I knew him on a personal level, it kind of helped because I knew I had somebody to rely back on.”

Now, as Oregon sophomores, it’s clear the two have adjusted to the collegiate level of play.

“They kind of knew what to do last year,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “Now they know how to do it and why we are doing it that way, so they are more efficient in everything they do.”

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Like many American families on Thanksgiving, the Dye family gathered outside their house in Norco, California, for a game of touch football. It was the annual Dye family Turkey Bowl.

All the siblings joined: Anthony (Tony), Jordan, Troy, Travis and little sister Jamie. Even Grandma grabbed a whistle and played referee.

But unlike most families, the Dye family used their Turkey Bowl talents to propel themselves into standout high school and collegiate football careers.

From playing in the neighborhood streets to the field at Norco High School, Travis will join Troy in his first game as a Duck at Autzen Stadium in this weekend’s spring game.

For the first time since high school, Troy, a junior linebacker, and Travis, a freshman running back, are playing on the same field together. Their careers at Oregon will give them the opportunity to grow as football players and as brothers.

“It’s cool to be back together with him,” Troy said. “At this level, I mean, I understand it’s a business and you gotta go out there and play against him and play hard, but at the end of the day that’s my brother, so it’s really fun.”

This upcoming season will mark Troy’s third with the Ducks after graduating Norco a semester early to enroll at Oregon in the winter of 2016. During his first year, he became the first true freshman to start as linebacker in 38 years, while also becoming the first freshman to earn double-digit tackles in a first appearance as a Duck since the 1996 season. He had a stellar sophomore season, where he started in all 13 games and led the team with 107 total tackles.

Travis followed in Troy’s footsteps, enrolling early this winter to become a Duck and play with his brother.

“It’s something that I have been dreaming of for a long time,” Travis said. “It’s a big thing to come out here in the D1 level and play with your older brother.

“It feels just like how it was in high school. It’s just, you got Troy on your side, always. … I’m ready to get back to work with him.”

But it’s not just Troy and Travis who have played collegiate football.

Their father, Mark, played at San Jose State. Tony, the oldest Dye brother, followed by playing for the UCLA Bruins, and he had a short-lived career in the NFL, playing a season for Cincinnati — scoring a touchdown in his lone game for the Bengals — and briefly played with the Oakland Raiders. Jordan currently plays for Sterling College as a wide receiver for the NAIA team in Kansas.

“Football is just our life, and I don’t really know anything different from it,” Jamie, the youngest Dye and the only sister, said.

Running back Travis Dye runs after a catch during spring practice. (Ben Green/Emerald)

One of the last games that Troy and Travis played together before Oregon was a family affair. Jamie was on the sideline cheerleading for Norco. Tony was Norco’s defensive coordinator and Mark was a coach on the team. Their mother, Danna, was a trainer for the rival school, the Centennial Huskies.

Whether at Norco or in Eugene, Mark and Danna have supported the family’s passion for football by attending every home game.

With Travis now at Oregon, traveling to the different schools will be a lot more convenient for the parents — yet having a Dye on the field at all times will force Mark to plan his spectatorship accordingly.

“I got to figure out how to get my popcorn,” Mark said. “I used to go get my popcorn and go to the bathroom when the offense was on the field. So, it’s gonna be a little harder now.”

Their family’s commitment to supporting them has only intensified both Travis and Troy’s passion for the game. According to Troy, it’s this strong drive to learn and improve that makes Travis stand out on the team.

“He loves the game,” Troy said. “He has a lot of passion for the game, a lot of energy, a lot of juice that he brings in at every practice. He’s out there having fun, jumping around, energetic, trying to get the running backs going. He really enjoys the game, and so, I mean, I enjoy playing with him.”

Travis was the first commit in the Ducks’ 2018 recruiting class after choosing Oregon over top-rated programs like Michigan, Texas A&M, Boston College and UCLA. As a kid, Travis imagined himself playing for the Oregon State Beavers, finding inspiration from running back Jacquizz Rodgers. But now, they are both glad he stuck with Oregon.

“When I got here, he kinda just put all his orange shit away, so we moved past it,” Troy said. “We Ducks now and that’s fun.”

Troy and Mark are proud of Travis’ decision to stay despite former head coach Willie Taggart’s decision to leave the program.

“I knew he was not going to just back away,” Troy said. “That’s not how we were raised, never to run from a challenge. So, he was ready. He was really locked in and excited to continue and come in and wear the green and yellow.”

Mark added: “I think one of the things that he realized was that he was committing to the school and the program, not really specifically to people or a specific coach.”

Travis said watching Troy’s experience at Oregon helped prepare him for the intensity of playing college football.

“I learned real quick that you have to grow up real fast,” Travis said.

The brothers said that having each other on the same team only pushes them to get better — especially since they usually face-off against each other in practice drill and scrimmages. Head coach Mario Cristobal was impressed with their ability to remain locked-in against the other brother.

“I haven’t seen Troy slow down in hitting him, and I haven’t seen Travis slow down to try to get tackled,” Cristobal said. “They’re competitive. It’s in their DNA.”

Troy and Travis may both be “T. Dye,” forcing coaches and teammates to refer to them by their jersey number, but that doesn’t mean they’re the similar on the field.

“We are two different types of people,” Troy said. “He’s a little bit more outgoing on the field. I’m a little bit quieter. But it’s kind of cool to see him across the field and to know that that’s my brother over there. He made it, and he’s just here having fun.”

Cristobal is no stranger to the experience.

“I played with my brother in college together, so I know what a special thing that is,” Cristobal said. “To have them here and at the level of talent and the level of player that Troy has been, and Travis is going to be, it’s exciting times for us.”

With the spring game being Travis’ first game at Autzen, Troy is looking forward to sharing that one-of-a-kind moment with him as they walk through the tunnel.

“Hopefully it will be way more than he ever expected, and we can enjoy that moment together,” Troy said.

Follow Maggie Vanoni on Twitter @maggie_vanoni

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