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The Matchup
Oregon at Texas Tech
Saturday, September 9, 2023
4:10 p.m. PT | FOX
Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, Texas
Oregon Ducks (1-0)
AP/Coaches Rank: 15/15
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 11-3 (2nd Season)
Career Record: Same
Texas Tech Red Raiders (0-1)
AP/Coaches Rank: RV/24
Head Coach: Joey McGuire (Texas, 1995)
Record at Texas Tech: 8-6 (2nd Season)
Career Record: Same
TV: FOX
Play-By-Play: Mark Followill
Analyst: Mark Helfrich
Radio – Oregon Sports Network
Local: KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene) | KFXX-AM 1080 (Portland)
Sirius: 133 | XM: 197
Play-by-Play: Jerry Allen
Analyst: Mike Jorgensen
Sideline: Dusty Harrah
Pre-Game Show: Joey McMurry
Series History
All-Time Series Record: Oregon leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 16-13 (1992)
Numbers To Know
0 – Oregon allowed zero sacks, pressures or quarterback hits in the season opener. The Ducks led the nation with just five sacks allowed in 2022 and have now allowed zero sacks in nine of the last 14 games.
3 – Sophomore running back Jordan James is tied for the FBS lead with three rushing touchdowns.
29.75 – Bucky Irving leads the nation with an incredible 29.75 yards per carry after going for 119 yards on just four rushes.
34 – Wide receiver Tez Johnson has caught at least one pass in 34 straight games, the nations’s seventh-longest active streak.
37 – The Ducks played 37 newcomers in the season opener vs. Portland State, including 25 true freshmen.
48 – With 48 career starts, Bo Nix is the most experienced starting quarterback in the country.
50 – UO scored 50 points in the first half vs. PSU, tied for the fourth-most in any half by Oregon in modern-day history.
52 – Oregon allowed just 52 passing yards against Portland State, the fewest since limiting Washington State to 51 in 2009.
74 – Oregon’s 74-point win over Portland State was its largest margin of victory since beating Willamette by 97 in 1916.
81 – Oregon set the modern-day program scoring record with 81 points vs. PSU, the most by an FBS team since 2015.
85.2 – Bo Nix‘s 85.2 completion percentage (23-of-27) vs. PSU was his best as a Duck and the second-best mark in UO single-game history.
124 – Junior running back Bucky Irving needs just 124 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for his career.
546 – The Oregon Duck toughed his way through a whopping 546 push-ups during Oregon’s historic 81-point performance.
TEAM NOTES
Road Test In Lubbock
Coming off a historic season-opening win over Portland State, the No. 15 Ducks will be challenged against a Power 5 opponent in a hostile environment as they head to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech. Oregon will face the Red Raiders for the first time since 1992, and will go against a familiar face in former quarterback Tyler Shough. UO’s starter in 2020, Shough completed 31-of-47 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns in Texas Tech’s season-opening loss at Wyoming.
Record-Breaking Opener
Oregon made an emphatic statement last week to open the 2023 season, scoring 50 first-half points en route to an 81-7 win over Portland State in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks set the modern-day program scoring record and the Autzen Stadium scoring record, and secured the program’s largest margin of victory since 1916. Oregon is just the 12th FBS team since 1996 to score 80 points in a game, and the first since UNLV in 2015.
Fresh Faces
The 2023 Ducks feature 63 total newcomers, making up 49.6 percent of the 127-player roster. Among those 63 newcomers are 18 transfers who combined to make 213 starts at the collegiate level prior to arriving in Eugene, as well as a group of freshmen that made up a consensus top-10 recruiting class in the nation. Oregon’s 63 newcomers are tied for the third-most in the nation with Oklahoma State, trailing only Colorado (88) and Arizona State (79). Thirty-seven of those 63 newcomers saw action in the season opener, including 25 true freshmen.
Clean Start
The Ducks were nearly mistake-free in the opener, committing zero penalties in the first half and just two total penalties for 20 yards. Oregon is the only Pac-12 team and one of just 13 FBS teams with two or fewer penalties through week one.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
That’s A Lot Of Offense
Oregon’s record-breaking 81-point performance was fueled by a whopping 729 total yards, the program’s most since 2016 and seventh-most since at least 1996. The Ducks’ 348 rushing yards were their most since 2018, and the 86.8 team completion percentage (33-of-38) was the highest in a game since 2012. Oregon matched the program record with 11 total touchdowns while finding the end zone on each of its first nine drives, and the Ducks came away with points on 12 of 13 total drives.
Offensive Standouts vs. Portland State
» QB Bo Nix – 23-of-27, 287 yards, 3 TDs
» QB Ty Thompson – 7-of-8, 81 yards, TD
» RB Bucky Irving – 4 rushes, 119 yards, 2 TDs
» RB Jordan James – 10 rushes, 86 yards, 3 TDs
» RB Dante Dowdell – 8 rushes, 55 yards, TD
» RB Jayden Limar – 8 rushes, 51 yards, TD
» WR Troy Franklin – 7 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TDs
» WR Gary Bryant Jr. – 7 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs
Experience Under Center
Oregon boasts the nation’s most experienced signal caller in Bo Nix, who returned to Eugene for his fifth and final season of eligibility following a tremendous first year with the Ducks. Nix leads all active FBS quarterbacks with 48 career starts, and ranks in the top three in six other major categories. The Pinson, Ala., native is one of just three active players with at least 11,000 career passing yards after surpassing that mark last week vs. Portland State, and his 32 career rushing touchdowns are three more than any other QB in the nation. Nix is also one of just three active quarterbacks with at least 100 career total touchdowns.
Came Out Firing
Bo Nix picked up where he left off last season in Oregon’s dominant 81-7 season-opening win over Portland State, completing 23-of-27 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Nix needed just the first half and one series in the third quarter to put up impressive numbers, throwing three or more touchdowns for the fifth time as a Duck and ninth time in his career. After setting the UO single-season record for completion percentage in 2022 at 71.9, Nix’s 85.2 completion percentage vs. the Vikings was his best in an Oregon uniform and the second-best mark in single-game program history. Nix’s first completion of the season meant a little bit more, as he connected with Tez Johnson – his adopted younger brother – for a three-yard gain.
» 23 completions went to eight different receivers, with five different Ducks hauling in at least three passes from Nix.
» Nix now owns three of the top six single-game completion percentage performances in Oregon history.
» In seven career games at Autzen Stadium, Nix is 146-of-200 (73.0) for 1,796 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with six rushing TDs.
Historically Clean Pocket
Oregon’s offensive line was absolutely stellar in 2022, leading the nation with just five sacks allowed. The Ducks’ O-line got off to a historic start, joining Army (2017) as the only units since 2009 to allow one or zero sacks through the first nine games of the season. Army allowed just one sack in 13 games that year, but did so while attempting only 65 passes. In 13 games last season, Oregon attempted 432 passes. The Ducks picked up where they left off in the 2023 season opener vs. Portland State, allowing zero sacks, pressures or QB hits in Oregon’s 81-7 win.
Rush Week
Four Oregon running backs gained 50 or more yards to fuel the Ducks’ 348 rushing yards against Portland State, headlined by an incredibly efficient day by starter Bucky Irving. The junior needed just four carries to rush for 119 yards, breaking loose for touchdown runs of 52 and 56 yards in the first half. Sophomore Jordan James saw the most action with 10 carries, running for 86 yards and three touchdowns to tie for the FBS lead through week one. Talented freshmen Dante Dowdell and Jayden Limar also found the end zone to give Oregon seven total rushing touchdowns, tied for the second-most since at least 1996.
» Irving is tied for the FBS lead with two rushes of 50-plus yards, and now owns four such runs in his career.
» Irving’s 56-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the third-longest of his career.
» Irving rushed for multiple touchdowns for the second time as a Duck and third time in his career.
» Irving notched his fifth 100-yard rushing game as a Duck and eighth of his career.
» James rushed for touchdowns of nine, four and nine yards for the first multi-TD game of his career.
» Dowdell rushed eight times for 55 yards and a score, and Limar carried the ball eight times for 51 yards and a TD.
Franklin Emerges As Elite Target
Troy Franklin has become the go-to target for quarterback Bo Nix, putting together a tremendous 2022 season and picking up right where he left off with a strong showing in the 2023 season opener. After leading Oregon with 61 receptions for 891 yards and nine touchdowns last year, Franklin paced the Ducks with seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s historic win over Portland State. Franklin scored Oregon’s first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard reception, and added a 32-yard touchdown later in the opening quarter.
» Fourth career 100-yard receiving game and second career game with multiple touchdown receptions.
» At least one reception in 18 consecutive games, and multiple receptions in 13 of last 14 games.
» Five straight games with a touchdown reception dating back to last season, scoring six times during that stretch.
» 43 receptions for 611 yards and eight touchdowns in last seven games at Autzen Stadium.
Transfer Trio Bolsters Receiver Room
Oregon used the transfer portal to add reinforcements to its wide receiver group, signing three experienced players in Gary Bryant Jr. (USC), Traeshon Holden (Alabama) and Tez Johnson (Troy). The trio combined for 240 career receptions, 3,024 yards and 22 touchdowns prior to coming to Eugene, and each caught multiple passes in their Duck debut last week vs. Portland State. Bryant Jr. hauled in seven catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns, teaming up with Troy Franklin to become the first UO receiving duo since Dec. 5, 2014 (Darren Carrington & Charles Nelson), to each go over 100 yards in a game. Johnson – the adopted brother of quarterback Bo Nix – caught three passes for 41 yards, and Holden pulled in a pair of catches for 17 yards.
» Bryant Jr. scored his first touchdowns since 2021 after playing in three games and using a redshirt last season at USC.
» Bryant Jr. secured the second 100-yard receiving game of his career, and first since 2021 when he caught 44 passes for 479 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games at USC.
» Johnson now has at least one reception in 34 straight games, the seventh-longest active streak in the nation, and at least one catch in 36 of 37 career games.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Don’t Forget About These Guys
While much was made of the Ducks’ offensive performance in the season opener against Portland State, the Oregon defense put on its own historic performance in the 81-7 victory. The Ducks held Portland State to just seven points – the lowest in a season opener since 2013 – and just 52 passing yards – the fewest since limiting Washington State to 51 in 2009. Additionally, Oregon limited Portland State quarterbacks to a completion percentage of just 40.0, the lowest since allowing the same passing percentage to Wyoming in 2017.
New Kids On The Block
Fifteen true-freshmen defensive players saw the field in for Oregon in week one, including five who logged multiple tackles in their collegiate debuts. Leading the way was 5-star defensive end Matayo Uigalelei, who racked up three tackles.
Defensive transfers also made their presence known around the field in their first games as Ducks, with Jordan Burch (South Carolina), Khyree Jackson (Alabama) and Tysheem Johnson (Ole Miss) all in the starting lineup. The trio accounted for each of the Ducks’ three tackles for loss, while linebacker Connor Soelle (Arizona State) led Oregon with five tackles and defensive back Nikko Reed (Colorado) broke up two passes.
Disruptive Dorlus
Defensive end Brandon Dorlus is once again a focal point on the Oregon defense in 2023 after establishing himself as one of the most disruptive defenders in the Pac-12 over the last few seasons. Dorlus was an all-Pac-12 second-team selection in 2022 after leading Oregon with a career-high 9.5 tackles for loss and ranking second with a career-high 2.5 sacks. Dorlus was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week in 2022, and he enters Saturday with 83 career tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 44 career games.
» Led Oregon with two pressures in opener vs. Portland State while adding a QB hit, according to Pro Football Focus.
» Tied for eighth among all Power 5 defenders with 40 QB hurries in 2022, according to PFF.
Popo Returns
Oregon’s defense receives a boost up front this season with the return of seventh-year defensive lineman Popo Aumavae, who missed all of 2022 due to injury. Aumavae was a big key to the Ducks’ defensive success in 2021, receiving first-team all-Pac-12 honors from both the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus after leading all Pac-12 interior defensive linemen with an 81.3 overall defensive grade by PFF.
» Three tackles, one solo, in season opener vs. Portland State, his first action since 2021.
» In 39 career games, Aumavae owns 69 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
D-Line Depth
Dorlus and Aumavae are joined along the defensive line with a trio of experienced contributors, as Casey Rogers, Keyon Ware-Hudson and Taki Taimani also all return. Rogers played in all 13 games for Oregon last season after transferring from Nebraska, finishing with a career-high 34 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, and he made a key play late in the Holiday Bowl to keep North Carolina out of the end zone. Ware-Hudson also had a career-high 3.5 TFLs last season while playing all 13 games, and Taimani contributed in 11 games after coming to Oregon from Washington. The Ducks also added an impact player on the edge via the transfer portal in Jordan Burch, who racked up 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season at South Carolina. Oregon’s 2023 signing class is loaded with potential on the defensive front as well, headlined by 5-star edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei.
» Rogers was Oregon’s highest-graded defensive starter vs. Portland State with an 83.0 overall grade from PFF.
» Rogers finished with three tackles while Ware-Hudson and Taimani each had two.
Bassa Ready To Lead
Now a junior, inside linebacker Jeffrey Bassa has taken on the leadership role within the Oregon defense. Bassa transitioned from defensive back to inside linebacker early as a freshman in 2021, and is now comfortable in the middle after racking up 110 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions over the last two seasons. Bassa is Oregon’s leading returning tackler from 2022, when he finished with 62. He had at least five tackles in each of the final four games of 2022, including six tackles and a sack in the Holiday Bowl, and he set a career-high with 10 tackles in Oregon’s win at Washington State. Bassa made his 17th career start in the season opener vs. Portland State, finishing with four tackles (two solo) and a QB hurry.
Secondary Loaded With Experienced Returners, Transfers
Oregon’s defensive secondary looks quite a bit different in 2023, with the departure of first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez and 2022 leading tackler Bennett Williams. The Ducks return valuable experience in players like Trikweze Bridges, Bryan Addison, Steve Stephens IV, Dontae Manning and Jahlil Florence, but also used the transfer portal to bring in four guys with significant FBS experience – Khyree Jackson (Alabama), Tysheem Johnson (Ole Miss), Nikko Reed (Colorado) and Evan Williams (Fresno State).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Lewis Chasing All-Time Scoring Record
Kicker Camden Lewis will look to make history as a fifth-year senior in 2023. He entered his final season just 82 points shy of the Oregon all-time scoring record held by Royce Freeman (384, 2014-17), and now sits 73 points away after making a 41-yard field goal and six extra points in last week’s season opener. Lewis’ 38 career field goals are the fourth-most in program history and just 13 short of Aidan Schneider’s (2014-17) program record of 51. Lewis was an all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection in 2022 after earning second-team honors in 2021.
Boettcher Trades Bat For Pads
Baseball outfielder Bryce Boettcher joined the Oregon football team last season, carving out a role on special teams with his physicality and relentless effort. Boettcher bulked up to 220 pounds over the offseason to move from defensive back to inside linebacker, and he earned his first career start in last week’s season opener. The Eugene native made a big impact in front of his hometown crowd vs. Portland State, logging four tackles and recovering a muffed kickoff return in the second quarter to give his team the ball deep in opponent territory. Boettcher played in 12 of 13 games last season for the football team, making two tackles while playing 91 snaps on special teams, and he played a key role in Oregon baseball’s run to the Super Regionals in 2022 while playing in 51 games and starting all three Super Regional games in center field.
