GAMEDAY FRESH WOUNDS AFTER ALLOWING THE MOST POINTS at Autzen since before World War II, Oregon looks to beat its rival Washington in a Saturday night showdown in Seattle. PLAYERS TO WATCH VS WASHINGTON DUCKS FIGHTING FOR A BOWL GAME OFFENSIVE LINE PUNISHING OPPONENTS The Fifth Street Public Market is the area’s premier GAMEDAY shopping destination. Here you’ll find a colorful GAMEDAY, the Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the collection of unique and enchanting stores, independent nonprofi t news company at the restaurants, and cafés, as well as a University of Oregon founded in 1900. EMERALD MEDIA GROUP boutique hotel. 1395 University St., #302, Eugene, OR 97403 The Fifth Street Public Market is the area’s premier 541.346.5511 | dailyemerald.com NEWSROOM shopping destination. 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PAGE 2 | EMERALD GAMEDAY | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 GAMEDAY PLAYERS TO WATCH BY: Kylee O’Connor @kyleethemightee Oregon Wide Receiver: Cornerback: Taj Griffin Arrion Springs Head coach Willie Taggart mentioned that he Springs had three total tackles and three broken wants to get Griffin more involved in the offense up passes in the Ducks’ win over Utah, and he during his press conference on Monday. “We’ve got currently leads the Pac-12 with 14 passes broken to continue to find ways to get him the ball,” Taggart up. Going against the Huskies’ volatile offense, said. “e kid is very talented and electrifying when the senior will have many chances to be a game he has the ball in his hands.” Taj has been both changer in the Oregon secondary. Washington a slot receiver and a running back for the Ducks also leads the Pac-12 in total defense, allowing this season. But with the strong backfield of Royce just 236.2 yards of offense per game, so the Ducks Freeman, Tony Brooks-James and Kani Benoit, need Springs and the rest of the secondary to have Griffin has primarily been in the slot position. He a big game if they are going to stand a chance. had his best performance early in the year against Wyoming, combining for 55 yards of offense, including a receiving touchdown. Washington Running Back: Wide Receiver: Myles Gaskin Dante Pettis A first team All-Pac-12 in 2016, Gaskin tallied 169 Pettis leads the Pac-12 with three punt return rushing yards against UCLA last week. He is currently touchdowns this season. He is also tied for the sixth in the Pac-12 in average rushing yards per game NCAA record in career punt returns with eight. at 99.4. Gaskin has scored nine rushing and two With the Oregon offense rarely sustaining long receiving touchdowns for the Huskies in their 11 games, drives, Pettis could have more opportunities so be on the lookout for him in the endzone. to make something happen on special teams. e senior wide receiver also has 484 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns this season, so he is a legitimate target for Washington quarterback Jake Browning as well. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | EMERALD GAMEDAY | PAGE 3 GAMEDAY Oregon avoided a winless October by beating the up a win in recent years. Visiting teams have a record Utah Utes 41-20 last week, but the Ducks face their of 8-20 since the stadium was renovated at the start of toughest road game of the season on Saturday against the 2013 season. e Ducks are responsible for two of DEEP DIVE: the No. 12 Washington Huskies. the eight Huskies’ home losses. is will be Oregon’s biggest offensive test this Huskies head coach Chris Petersen relies on WASHINGTON season. Only Alabama has a higher ranked total his junior quarterback Jake Browning, who ranks defense; but an argument could be made that the 51st in the nation in passing yards with 1,703. is BY: Zak Laster @zlast3445 Huskies defense has been more effi cient. ey’ve season, he has thrown 14 touchdowns and four surrendered just two more yards than Alabama all interceptions. Myles Gaskin carries the ball for the PHOTO: Emerald Archives season, but have faced 36 more plays. Huskies and ranks 24th with 795 rushing yards and Head coach Willie Taggart has not faced the eight touchdowns. Huskies, but Oregon co-offensive coordinator and e kicking game has struggled for the Huskies this offensive line coach Mario Cristobal saw them with season. Tristan Vizcaino is 2-of-7 on fi eld goals from Alabama last season. 30-49 yards, but is perfect on his fi ve attempts inside “ ey’re real big and physical on defense in the 29 yards. Van Soderberg has only attempted kicks less interior,” Cristobal said. “ ey control the guards and than 29 yards and has missed two-of-three. Kicking centers and make plays bounce to free up a lot of guys. extra points hasn’t been a problem though, as the two e thing is, they get off blocks, and when they tackle have combined for 39-41. you, they tackle you on the spot. It’s not like a collision e Ducks opened the week as a 26-point underdog, plus two or three yards.” their largest spread since 2004 against an Adrian e Huskies enter Saturday having only surrendered Peterson-led Oklahoma team. As of Wednesday, the 11 touchdowns to opponents and have scored 11 line had dropped to 17.5 points. defensive touchdowns, which ranks fourth nationally. e initial spread likely had to do with Oregon’s “ ey’re very fundamentally sound, play physical uncertainty at the quarterback position. e memories as can be,” Cristobal said. “ eir linebackers are of the Huskies 70-21 beatdown of Oregon linger fast, explosive guys that get downhill … a very well as well. prepared defense.” “It defi nitely stuck with us — something that they’ve Saturday’s 7 p.m. kickoff is nothing new for either talked about since they’ve got here.” Tony-Brooks team. e Huskies have played just one game before James said of the coaching staff. “ e score is posted 5 p.m. all season, and it was against UCLA last week. inside the weight room every day, so it’s a constant Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks- Oregon has had three games kickoff at 7 p.m. or later. reminder, and now it’s their week so we kinda go James (20) catches a pass for a touchdown. Seattle has become a diffi cult place for teams to pick extra harder.” OmniShuttle 24/7 Eugene Airport Shuttle www.omnishuttle.com 541-461-7959 1-800-741-5097 WHEN BECOMES WE’RE HIRING dailyemerald.com/apply PAGE 4 | EMERALD GAMEDAY | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 GAMEDAY Q&A WITH WILLIE TAGGART Oregon Head Coach Willie Taggart leads the BY: Gus Morris @JustGusMorris | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt team through the courtyard of the Hatfield- Dowlin Complex during the march to victory. Do you bring up last year’s loss and he goes out in practice, and to Washington to this team or he’s performing really well. If you was that last year’s team and it’s a had seen him in practice yesterday, different situation now? you would have been like, “OK, he’s ready.” But like I said the other at was last year’s team. I don’t day, we’re not going to put him out think I really have to bring up there unless he’s healed and ready anything about that game. I think to go. We’re not going to jeopardize that’s a sorry taste in everybody’s our franchise. mouth. Our guys understand that we can’t play that way if we want How is Jake Browning different to beat this football team. We’ve from other Pac-12 quarterbacks? got to play a hell of a lot better, and you do that by preparing really He’s shorter. He’s shorter, but well and then going out and giving he’s smart and he understands it everything you got. their offense and what they’re Herbert was listed an “or” on the asking him to do. He doesn’t depth chart this week, any update make a lot of mistakes.