LAS VEGAS — As the first half wound down, Oregon behind Boise State 17-0, Justin Herbert took a snap and scrambled to his right as the Broncos defense closed in. He threw the ball to the right sideline and it was intercepted by Kekaula Kaniho, who returned it for a touchdown.

Herbert was immediately met by defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt on the sideline, who gave the sophomore quarterback a pep talk.

“He just told me to keep in it and to keep the team focused and do my best to stay involved,” Herbert said.

With only 233 yards of total offense, the fewest in its bowl game history, Oregon’s offense struggled to sustain an attack in a scoreless first half. The offense finally executed, but only when the game began to get out of reach. Oregon looked out of sorts for most of the game, going three-and-out four times and being forced to punt on eight of its 16 drives, playing a big role in the 38-28 loss.

Herbert, who was 6-1 with the Ducks during the regular season, went 26-of-36 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. His two first-half interceptions, though, hurt the Ducks.

“I definitely forced some passes that weren’t needed,” Herbert said. “We, unfortunately, just didn’t move the ball the way we needed to. Just made some bad throws, bad decisions.”

Oregon’s defense did its best to stay in the game, scoring two touchdowns from turnovers.

First came Troy Dye, who scooped up a fumble on a Statue of Liberty attempt and returned it for an 81-yard touchdown. Then, Tyree Robinson intercepted Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien inside the Ducks’ end zone and Robinson returned it for a 100-yard score — the longest interception returned for a touchdown in Oregon history.

Those scores brought the game within 10 points, as Oregon trailed 24-14 at the half.

“Aw man, I was just studying my tail off all week here,” Robinson said. “I got one last year and I didn’t make it to the end zone so I was just glad I made it to the end zone. There was no better feeling than just helping my team before going into the half.”

The Ducks stumbled from the start, taking a timeout before the first ball was snapped by the Oregon offense.

Then, when frustration built, things got heated, including a play where Oregon running back Tony Brooks-James threw the ball at a defender who had just tackled him.

“He knows it’s unacceptable and we have a really good understanding among ourselves as a team, as players and coaches so confronting and demanding is part of football,” Cristobal said. “If a coach has to tiptoe around that stuff, then he shouldn’t be coaching. We’re hard on each other about that.”

It was not have the start to the Cristobal era that the Ducks had hoped for. Herbert says the loss will linger until next year, and like Herbert, Cristobal is looking ahead.

“We’ve got to get back to work once we come back off the break and re-establish ourselves, recognize the good things we accomplished this year and things that have to be made better,” he said.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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After an eventful first half, Boise State leads Oregon 24-14 with both Oregon touchdowns coming on interceptions.

Key Plays

— Oregon is forced to call timeout before the Ducks take their first snap of the game. Oregon goes three-and-out on its opening drive.

— Boise State scored on its opening drive, converting a 4th-and-2 inside Oregon’s 5-yard line as the Broncos took a 7-0 lead.

— Oregon’s second drive of the game started with a holding penalty and the Ducks once again went three-and-out without gaining a yard.

— Arrion Springs grabbed a one-handed interception in the end zone to halt Boise State’s drive and keep the game 7-0. The interception was the second of the senior’s career.

— Tony Brooks-James fumbled inside Oregon’s half and gave Boise State the ball at the 32-yard line.

— Boise State’s Cedrick Wilson is found wide open for a 26-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 14-0 lead.

— Justin Herbert fumbles at the Oregon 28-yard line and Boise State took over at the Ducks’ 21.

— Boise State missed a 42-yard field goal wide to the left to start the second quarter but converted a 39-yard field goal on the next drive to take a 17-0 lead.

— Justin Herbert was intercepted on a pass intended for Brenden Schooler. Boise State took over at its own 47-yard line.

— On Oregon’s next drive, Herbert threw a pick six as Boise State took a 24-0 lead with 5:11 left in the half. The Ducks went three-and-out on the next drive.

— Boise State fumbles the ball on a Statue of Liberty play and Troy Dye picks up the ball for an 81-yard touchdown, making the game 24-7 with 37 seconds to play in the half.

— Boise State’s Cedrick Wilson makes a 65-yard catch to Oregon’s 7-yard line. Then, Tyree Robinson intercepts the pass inside Oregon’s end zone and runs it back 100 yards to make it 24-14.

Oregon passing

— Justin Herbert: 10-of-15, 43 yards, two interceptions.

Oregon rushing

— Kani Benoit: Five carries, eight yards.

— Jaylon Redd: Two carries, nine yards.

— Justin Herbert: Five carries, nine yards.

Oregon receiving

— Dillon Mitchell: Four receptions, 38 yards.

Boise State passing

— Brett Rypien: 12-of-24, 222 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions.

— Montell Cozart: 2-of-3, seven yards.

Boise State rushing 

— Ryan Wolpin: 10 carries, 34 yards, one touchdown.

Boise State receiving

—Cedrick Wilson: Six receptions, 133 yards, one touchdown.

— Sean Modster: Two receptions, 58 yards.

Total offense

Oregon: 77 yards (43 passing, 34 rushing)

Boise State: 294 yards (229 passing, 65 rushing)

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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Following a historic 2017 season, Raevyn Rogers won the 2017 Bowerman Award on Friday night, collegiate track and field’s highest honor for an individual athlete.

Rogers, who became professional after the conclusion of the 2017 outdoor season, won six NCAA championships during her time at Oregon. She is the third women from Oregon to receive The Bowerman Award in the past four years. Laura Roesler won it in 2014 and Jenna Prandini in 2015. Oregon has now won the most Bowerman Awards of any school in the nation.

Congratulations to @OregonTF‘s Raevyn Rogers (@TheROYALlife21), the winner of #TheBowerman17 women’s award. pic.twitter.com/y3wIW71asO

— The Bowerman (@thebowerman) December 16, 2017

Rogers’ biggest moment of 2017 came when she helped the Ducks clinch the triple crown for Oregon women’s track and field as the anchor leg in a nail-biting 4×400-meter race at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

While at Oregon, Rogers was a record-breaker in the 800. She smashed Suzy Favor’s record that stood since 1990 at the Mt. SAC Relays in April, winning in 1 minute and 59.10 seconds.

Rogers won five straight NCAA titles in 800-meter events on the indoors and outdoors stages while also being the only athlete in NCAA history to win three 800-meter outdoor championships straight.

Her Bowerman trophy will also go alongside her U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association outdoor athlete of the year award she won for her 2017 efforts as well.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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LAS VEGAS — This time last year, Oregon football was focused on getting back to winning ways with a brand new coaching staff. This year, with Mario Cristobal at the helm following the exit of Willie Taggart, the feeling has some familiarity to it.

“Coaching changes are always kind of a tough transition, but coach Cristobal’s done a great job keeping us focused and he’s a great coach and even better person,” quarterback Justin Herbert said at Friday’s press conference. “I know he’s got our backs and we’ll go to battle for him any day.”

With so much uncertainty in December of 2016, there’s a level of excitement in December of 2017 thanks to the Ducks’ participation in the Las Vegas Bowl, creating an immediate chance for the new coaching staff to make an impact and prove a point. For Oregon, the Las Vegas Bowl feels like a new start on a big stage.

“Well last year that wasn’t part of the circumstances so this year it has been invaluable for us,” Cristobal said. “These bowl practices, we’ve only had them 15 days of spring ball as we do in college football, it’s invaluable.”

Oregon has some work cut out for itself when they face No. 25 Boise State on Saturday in the 26th edition of the Las Vegas Bowl. The Broncos, who went 10-3 and 7-1 in the Mountain West Mountain Division, will be a tough test for the Ducks on both sides of the ball.

“They have a lot of great tools they can use,” linebacker Troy Dye said. “Their receivers are great, running backs run really hard, physical. O-line does a great job opening up holes for their running backs to go through. They have two great quarterbacks that they utilize really well.”

And just as much as the Oregon defense is wary of Boise State’s offense, the Broncos offense is wary of the Ducks’ defense.

“We see they have a lot of speed and their secondary is probably one of the biggest we’ve played this year,” Boise State wide receiver Cedrick Wilson said. “I don’t think we’re going to change anything that we usually do. … I think it’s just going to come down to who’s going to make the most plays.”

Oregon’s offense will have Herbert running the show once again with offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo calling the plays for the Ducks.

Running back and Oregon all-time rushing leader Royce Freeman won’t be playing for the Ducks in the game as he prepares for the NFL draft, but senior offensive lineman and Las Vegas native Tyrell Crosby will play in the game, wearing No. 58 to represent the 58 victims of the Las Vegas massacre in October.

“This is so much more than a game to me,” Crosby said. “I take a lot of pride in being from Vegas — especially being a football player from Vegas.”

His involvement with the team over the years has shown a level of leadership that was embodied in the Ducks’ campaign to make Cristobal the head coach, which Crosby spearheaded on Twitter and by gaining signatures to show support.

“The way he handles himself, takes young freshmen under his wing and guides them and helps set the standard every day is invaluable; it’s priceless,” Cristobal said. “He’s had his best week of preparation all year.”

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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No. 9 Oregon began a three-game stretch against Southeastern Conference opponents on Wednesday with a visit to No. 5 Mississippi State. The Ducks could not hang with the Bulldogs, losing 90-79.

Sophomore guard Sabrina Ionescu, who turned the ball over only four times in the past four games, had four turnovers in the loss. The Ducks as a team turned the ball over 15 times, the most since they recorded 16 in their win over Oklahoma in the PK80.

Ruthy Hebard led the Ducks with 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting while Ionescu finished with 15 and Satou Sabally with 17.

The game stayed close to start, with the Ducks keeping pace with last year’s national runners-up. But the Bulldogs, led by 21 first-half points by Teaira McCowan, began to flex their muscles.

McCowan went on to finish the game with a career-high 35 points along with 19 rebounds while her teammate Victoria Vivians added 30 points.

At halftime, Oregon trailed 45-33 following a 13-2 run by the Bulldogs.

Hebard led the Ducks with 12 points from perfect 5-of-5 shooting while also collecting three rebounds. Ionescu had 10 points for the Ducks at the intermission.

The second half did not prove to be much better for Oregon as Mississippi State started to run away with the game.

At the end of the third quarter, Oregon trailed 70-55 with three Ducks in double-digits: Hebard, Ionescu and Sabally. The trio made up 40 of Oregon’s 55 points first-half points.

The Ducks cut a 20-point Mississippi State lead to ten at 72-62 with 7:51 left in the game but never got within single-digits as the Bulldogs fought off Oregon’s late push.

Oregon travels back to Eugene to host Ole Miss on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT before heading to Las Vegas for the Duel in the Desert tournament to round off nonconference play.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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Ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday against Boise State, Oregon defensive lineman Jalen Jelks told reporters that he will remain with the Ducks for final year of eligibility, passing on the NFL.

“I’m back for sure,” Jelks said to reporters in Las Vegas. “I talked to my parents and my family and everything and just probably the best decision for me is to make the best out of next season and make a lot more plays than I did this season.

“I missed a lot of plays, and if I can capitalize on that and translate it to next season I could contribute a lot to the draft.”

Jelks, who played in all 12 games for Oregon this season, recorded 50 tackles and led the team with 15 tackles for loss. He was a true force for the Ducks’ defense in what was his best season in Eugene.

After redshirting his true freshman year, Jelks began to accumulate time on the field in 2015 and 2016, but this year he flexed his strengths in defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt’s defensive line.

Like many other Ducks, Jelks will have to adjust to a third coaching staff of his career at Oregon with Mario Cristobal at the helm for the upcoming season following the exit of Willie Taggart for Florida State. It remains unknown whether Leavitt will return next season, but the coach will remain on the Oregon sideline for the bowl game.

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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Mario Cristobal was named Oregon football’s interim head coach after Willie Taggart decided to leave the Ducks for Florida State on Tuesday. Oregon confirmed Cristobal’s promotion on Friday afternoon after it was first reported by NBC Sports Northwest in the morning.

As Oregon’s co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach under Taggart, Cristobal helped the Ducks’ offense produce a lethal run game led by Royce Freeman. Cristobal, who was the offensive line coach at Alabama between 2013-16, was an immediate favorite to take the head coach role once Taggart exited as multiple players and recruits expressed their desire for Cristobal to get the job.

“Mario’s leadership skills, work ethic, and experience makes him a perfect fit to lead the Oregon football program,” athletic director Rob Mullens said in a press release. “He has a passion for Oregon and a vision for our future success, and has made a significant impact on our student-athletes during his time here. We look forward to a great future on the horizon for Ducks under Mario’s leadership.”

At 4 p.m., the Ducks will hold a press conference to officially introduce Cristobal as the head coach.

“I’m excited and honored to be the head football coach of the Oregon Ducks,” Cristobal said in the press release. “The rich tradition combined with the incredible wave of momentum that has been created throughout the season and the recruiting process is something we believe will be unstoppable, and this will lead us to fulfill the great expectations of our great University and our fan base.”

Offensive lineman and senior Tyrell Crosby was active on Twitter following Taggart’s resignation, pushing for Cristobal to get promoted to the permanent position and not just the interim role.

Had an 70+ players signed petition to keep Cristobal as head coach

— Tyrell Crosby (@Tyrellcrosby) December 8, 2017

He even changed his profile picture to a photo of Cristobal that pays homage to former President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign “hope,” but with the tagline “Mario.”

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/wsffVo4dni

— Tyrell Crosby (@Tyrellcrosby) December 7, 2017

Multiple recruits celebrated the announcement on Twitter, and so did Oregon safety Brady Breeze, who alluded to a players’ meeting that’s scheduled for 1:30 p.m. PT today.

This is what we’re all going to look like today at the team meeting with our new HC @coach_cristobal Posted in UncategorizedComments Off on Oregon to promote Mario Cristobal to head coach