NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS NOTES:
HEELS BOWLING FOR FOURTH-STRAIGHT YEAR
• North Carolina has now qualified for a bowl for the fourth straight year and the 37th time overall. The Tar Heels are 15-21 in bowl games.
• Carolina has played in 10 straight bowl games with Mack Brown as its head coach.
• This will be the first time UNC plays a bowl game in California.
• This year marks the second time an ACC team will play in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl. The bowl game will match teams from the ACC and Pac-12 through at least 2025. The last time a current ACC school played in San Diego was in 1992 when the Miami Hurricanes (then in the Big East) defeated San Diego State, 63-17.
• This will be the first football game ever played in downtown San Diego’s Petco Park.
• With a victory in the Holiday Bowl, Carolina would claim its ninth 10-win season, with Brown-led teams accounting for four of them.
TAR HEELS AND DUCKS
• UNC will face Oregon for the first time in the 2022 SDCCU Holiday Bowl.
ACC COASTAL CHAMPIONS
• North Carolina is the final winner of the ACC Coastal Division with the ACC removing divisions heading into next season. The Tar Heels finished 6-2 in conference play and 9-4 overall.
• Carolina has won nine games for just the second time since Mack Brown’s first stint in Chapel Hill with 2015 being the other. It is UNC’s sixth ninewin season since 1982 with Brown-led teams accounting for five of them.
• UNC finished the season 6-0 on the road for the first time in school history. UNC and TCU are the only schools in the country with six road wins. The six consecutive road wins is tied for the second-longest active streak in the nation.
BROWN AND HOLIDAY BOWL / OREGON
• North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is 3-2 in five Holiday Bowl appearances. He secured wins in 2011, ’07 and ’01.
• Brown has posted an 0-2 record versus Oregon. Texas fell 30-7 in the 2013 Alamo Bowl, which would be Brown’s final game with the Longhorns.
• Texas met Oregon in the 2000 Holiday Bowl as well.
TAR HEELS’ TICKING ON OFFENSE
• Carolina’s offense is once again among the top units in college football and ranks among the top programs nationally in numerous stat
categories.
FOCUSED ON 4TH DOWN
UNC has been one of the most effective offenses on fourth down in the nation in 2022. The Heels have converted 21-of-31 fourth downs (67.7%). The 21 conversions include five TDs, 10 that led to TDs, one that led to a FG, and one that ended a game. Drake Maye has gone 11-of-17 for 159 yards and five TDs on fourth down. He’s also produced four rushing conversions, totaling 46 yards. Meanwhile, the Carolina defense has only allowed 13-of-26 fourth-down conversions (50%).
600+/700+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE
• North Carolina has eclipsed the 600-yard mark seven times since the start of the 2019 season. The most recent occurrence came on Aug. 27 when UNC posted 608 yards vs. FAMU.
• The Tar Heels reached 700-plus yards twice during the 2020 season. Carolina had 742 yards against Wake Forest and set a program record with 778 yards at Miami.
500+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE
• North Carolina has recorded 500-plus yards of total offense 23 times in 51 games dating back to the start of the 2019 season, including five of the 13 games in 2022. Carolina’s offense recorded 500-plus yards five times in 2021, eight times in 2020 and five times in 2019.
400+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE
• North Carolina has notched 400-plus yards of total offense 37 times in 51 games dating back to the start of the 2019 season, including nine of the 13 games in 2022. Carolina’s offense recorded 400-plus yards 10 times during both the 2019 and 2020 seasons and eight times in 2021.
30+ POINTS IN 32 OF LAST 51 GAMES
• North Carolina’s offense has scored 30 or more points in 32 of the last 51 games dating back to the start of the 2019 season. The Tar Heels have reached 30-plus points in nine of 13 games in 2022.
40-OR-MORE POINTS SINCE 2019
• North Carolina has scored 40 or more points 18 times since the start of the 2019 season. The Tar Heels have reached 40-plus points in four
games in 2022. UNC scored 40 or more points six times in 2020 and three times in 2021.
50-POINT GAMES SINCE 2019
• Carolina has scored 50 or more points in 11 games since the start of the 2019 season. UNC scored 56 points in the 2022 season opener against Florida A&M and 63 the following week at App State.
OFFENSE CONTINUES TO SHINE
• Carolina has posted three of the top five total offense performances in program history since head coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Phil Longo arrived in Chapel Hill in 2019.
• The 2022 version of Carolina’s offense is currently putting up 473.6 yards per game, the fifth-highest average in program history.
• The Tar Heels set the school record in 2020 with 556.6 yards per game behind an offense that featured five future NFL play makers: QB Sam Howell, running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, and wide receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome.
DON’T BLINK
• North Carolina has produced the top two single-game total offense figures in program history and seven of the top-21 since Brown and Co. returned in 2019
EXPLOSIVE PLAY OFFENSE
• In 2021, Carolina led the ACC with eight plays of 60 or more yards, 13 plays of 50+ yards, 22 plays of 40+ yards and 42 plays of 30+ yards.
• Between 2019 and 2021 under the direction of offensive coordinator Phil Longo, UNC’s offense led the ACC in plays of 20+ yards (257),
30+ yards (124), 40+ yards (66) and 50+ yards (38).
• Carolina ranks in the top-2 in the ACC thus far in 2022 in all aforementioned long scrimmage play categories.
THE MARVELOUS MR. MAYE
• Drake Maye ranks second nationally in total offense (366.8), ranks fifth in passing yards per game (316.5), tied for fifth in passing TDs (35) and 13th in passing efficiency (160).
• The redshirt freshman is tied for fourth nationally and second in the Power 5 with Oregon’s Bo Nix with 42 total touchdowns (35 pass, 7 rush) and 254 points accounted for in 2022.
• Maye leads the ACC in all five categories.
MAYE ON FOURTH DOWN
• Maye is 11-of-17 passing for 159 yards and five touchdowns on fourth down this season. He also has four conversions on the ground for 46 yards.
MAYE IN THE RED ZONE
• Maye’s 23 touchdown passes in the red zone rank third in the Power 5. He has also added seven rushing scores in the red zone for 30 total TDs.
MAYE’S MASTERCLASS
• Maye has posted five games with 5 or more TDs responsible for in the first 13 starts of his career. That figure is already the UNC all-time
record and he is the only player to do it in one season.
• Maye has produced five games with 350 pass yards and three pass TDs. The rest of the ACC has four combined.
• Out of Maye’s 35 TD passes, nine have come with the game tied and 15 have come when the Heels were trailing.
• Maye has gone 197-of-292 (67.5%) for 2,535 yards and 24 TDs when UNC was tied or trailing this season.
• Maye leads the nation in second-half comeback victories with six.
• Maye has gone 84-of-134 for 1,175 yards and eight TDs when tied or trailing in the second half.
IMPRESSIVE COMPANY
• Drake Maye has thrown for 4,115 yards and 35 TDs to go along with 653 yards rushing and 7 TDs. He is just the sixth QB since 2010 to post
4,000 pass yards, 35 pass TDs, 650 rush yards, and 7 rush TDs in a season. The others are Kyler Murray (2018), DeShaun Watson (2015, ’16),
Marcus Mariota (2014), Johnny Manziel (2013) and Robert Griffin III (2011). Each one of those players either won the Heisman Trophy or finished as the runner-up.
A LIST OF ONE
• In the past 15 years, Drake Maye is the only QB to have three-straight games with 3 TDs, 0 INT, 70% completions, 250 passing yards and 50 rushing yards.
• The only QBs to do it in back-to-back games are Bo Nix, Jalen Hurts, JT Barrett, Marcus Mariota, Robert Griffin III and Joe Webb.
• Maye is the only ACC player in the last 25 years with four-straight games with at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards. He did it
against Virginia Tech, Miami, Duke and Pitt, and was seven passing yards away from doing it for a fifth-straight game against UVA. Maye accomplished the feat again at Wake Forest.
PFF GRADES MAYE NO. 1
• Drake Maye is currently the highest graded quarterback in the Power 5 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) with a 91.6 mark.
• According to PFF, his 41 big-time throws are 12 more than any other Power 5 quarterback, while his 512 rushing yards after contact are the second-most among Power 5 QBs.
ON THE ACC LISTS
• Drake Maye currently ranks fifth on the ACC single-season list with 4,768 yards of total offense. The only two QBs to produce more total offense are Lamar Jackson and DeShaun Watson. Maye’s 366.8 total yards per game rank fourth.
• Maye’s 4,115 passing yards rank eighth on the ACC’s single-season list and his 35 TD passes are tied for eighth.
DUAL THREAT
• Drake Maye is currently averaging 316.5 passing yards per game and leads UNC in rushing with 653 yards (50.2 ypg). The last two QBs who averaged over 300 passing yards per game, while leading their team in rushing were Patrick Mahomes in 2016 and Johnny Manziel in 2013.
280+ PASSING YARDS, 2+ TDS
• Drake Maye threw for 280+ yards & 2+ TDs in the first 10 games of this season. Since 2004, no other ACC QB has done that in any 8-game stretch, much less 10, and no true or redshirt freshman has done it at any FBS school.
• Only two QBs (playoff era) had longer streaks: Bailey Zappe (W. Kentucky) 14 (2021) Baker Mayfield (Okla.) 12 (2016-2017)
CAROLINA RECORDS
• Maye’s 4,115 passing yards set the UNC single-season record, formerly held by Mitch Trubisky at 3,748 yards in 2016. His 35 passing TDs currently rank second in a single-season behind Sam Howell’s 38 in 2019.
• Equaled the UNC freshman record with 5 TD passes against FAMU, Notre Dame and Pitt.
• His 34 completions against Pitt are the most ever by a Tar Heel freshman QB and the highest figure by a UNC signal caller since Nathan Elliott had 34 at Syracuse in 2018. The previous rookie record was 33 by Sam Howell in 2019.
• Maye is the second UNC QB to ever have 380 passing yards and 70 rushing yards in a game. The other was Marquise Williams who went for 390 passing yards and 73 yards on the ground versus Georgia Tech in 2014.
• There have been nine games when a QB threw for 300 and ran for 70 in program history. Maye has four of them in 2022 (App State, Virginia Tech, Duke, WF). Sam Howell did it three times in 2021 (Georgia State, Virginia, Notre Dame) and Marquise Williams twice (the aforementioned
GT game and Notre Dame in 2014).
MAYE’S FIRST TWO GAMES
• Drake Maye is one of only four QBs over the last 15 years to post nine TD passes and 0 INTs in their first two career starts.
• The others are Cole McDonald (Hawaii, 2018), Nic Shimonek (Texas Tech, 2017) and David Johnson (Tulsa, 2008).
• Maye’s 9 TD passes were the most through a team’s first 2 games by any ACC player since 2000.
• The only ACC player in the last 15 years with more TD responsible for through 2 games than Maye’s 10 was Lamar Jackson in 2016 with 13.
• Maye’s nine TD passes were the most ever by a UNC QB in the first two games of a season.
Most TD Passes by P5 Frosh in 1st 2 Games of
Season – Since 2000*
2022 Drake Maye, UNC 9
2020 Spencer Rattler, OKLA 8
2007 Sam Bradford, OKLA 8
2000 Philip Rivers, NCST 8
*Includes true and redshirt freshmen
ALL IN THE FAMILY
• The Maye family is starting to stake claim as the first family of Carolina Athletics.
• Drake Maye’s father, Mark started 22 games at quarterback from 1986-87.
• Brother, Luke, was a star basketball player at UNC from 2016-19 that famously hit the game-winning jump shot with 0.3 seconds left to topple Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Elite 8.
• Additionally, brother, Cole, won an NCAA baseball title at Florida, while Mom, Aimee, attended UNC and brother, Beau, is currently enrolled at the university and will play basketball for the Tar Heels in 2022-23.
JD & AG
• Josh Downs and Antoine Green were a lethal wide receiver combination in 2022. Downs has decided to not play in the bowl game and focus on the NFL Draft process.
• Downs is tied for second in the ACC and is tied for seventh nationally with 11 receiving touchdowns.
• Downs’ 94 receptions lead the ACC and rank third among Power 5 receivers.
• Downs tops the conference with six games of 100 or more receiving yards, while his 166 yards at Virginia is the fifth highest single-game total this season.
• Downs 15 catches at Virginia is the most in the ACC in a game in 2022.
• Downs set the ACC record for most receptions in a three-game span with 37 over the last three games, passing Ervin Phillips of Syracuse, who
had 36 over three in 2017.
• Green’s 180 yards against Pitt is the third-highest single-game total in the ACC this fall, and he ranks third with three games of 100+ receiving yards.
• Green’s seven receiving TDs are tied for fifth in the ACC.
• Green leads the ACC and is tied for second nationally with five catches of 50 or more yards and his 18.6 yards per catch ranks fourth nationally among receivers with at least 40 catches.
1K RECEIVERS
• North Carolina has had five 1,000-yard receivers over the last four seasons, which is tied for the most nationally with Alabama. Dyami Brown did it two times in 2019 and ’20, while Dazz Newsome reached the mark in 2019. Josh Downs eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2021 and ’22.
10+ CATCHES BY 2 PLAYERS IN SAME GAME
• Josh Downs and Antoine Green became the first pair of receivers in North Carolina program history to have 10 or more catches in the same game against Pitt on Oct. 29.
• Downs had 11 catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while Green had 10 receptions for 180 yards and two TDs.
• They are also the first set of UNC receivers to notch 100 yards in back-to-back games.
• Downs had 126 yards, while Green added 112 yards at Duke on Oct. 15.
JOSH “TOUCH” DOWNS
• Downs had 21 touchdowns over his last 25 games going back to the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2020 campaign.
• His 22 career receiving touchdowns rank second in program history. He needed just three more TDs to tie Quinshad Davis’ school record of 25.
• In 2021, Downs registered at least eight catches and a TD in eight-straight games. That was the longest streak since Fresno State’s Davante Adams did it in nine-straight games in 2013.
• Downs’ streak of eight-straight games with a receiving TD was tied for the third longest stretch in ACC history.
• Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins set the record with 10 in a row in 2012 that broke the mark of nine that was set by Virginia’s Herman Moore in 1990. Wake Forest’s Sage Surratt (2018-19) and NC State’s Bryan Underwood (2012) also put together eight-game streaks in the last decade.
TALENTED TIGHT END TRIO
• Carolina is blessed with an outstanding tight end room in 2022 and are led by the threesome of John Copenhaver, Kamari Morales and Bryson Nesbit.
• The trio have combined for 73 receptions, 1,026 receiving yards and seven receiving TDs.
• Nesbit has 32 catches for 470 yards and three TDs, while Morales has 29 catches, 358 yards and four touchdowns. Copenhaver averages 16.5 yards on 12 catches for 198 yards.
MORALES SETS UNC TIGHT END TD RECORD
• Kamari Morales has scored more touchdowns than any other Carolina tight end in program history. He set the record with his 10th career TD at Duke on Oct. 15.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
• Omarion Hampton’s seven total TDS (six rush, one rec) are the most among all freshman in the ACC.
• WRs Gavin Blackwell and Kobe Paysour have combined to catch 40 passes for 465 yards and four TDs. Paysour has 22 catches for 226 yards and three TDs, while Blackwell has made 18 catches for 239 yards and a score.
• DB Will Hardy has 33 tackles and joins Cedric Gray as the only two players on the team with an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Hardy earned his first start in the ACC Championship game and led the team with 13 tackles.
JUST CALL HIM “AWESOME” RICHARDS
• UNC left tackle Asim Richards leads all ACC tackles with 624 pass-blocking snaps this fall and has only allowed two sacks this season.
• Richards’ two sacks allowed are tied for the fewest among ACC tackles with at least 400 pass-blocking snaps and his 18 pressures allowed are the fifth fewest.
GRAD TRANSFERS
• North Carolina added three graduate transfers that have made immediate impacts during the 2022 season.
• OL Corey Gaynor played in 38 career games at Miami, starting 28 along the interior offensive line. He had a string of 27 consecutive starts snapped after suffering a season-ending injury in the third game of the 2021 season. He has started every game at center in 2022.
• OL Spencer Rolland joined the Tar Heels this summer after graduating from Harvard with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in astrophysics. He started 20 games on the offensive line at Harvard. He has started 12 games at right tackle for the Tar Heels.
• JACK Noah Taylor played in 44 career games at Virginia, making 31 starts. Taylor posted 170 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 30 TFL, two forced fumbles, three INTs and 13 PBU over the last three seasons in 35 games.
• Taylor started the first eight games before suffering a season-ending injury in the Pitt game. He played a key role in making the game-saving stop at the goal line on App State’s two-point attempt that secured a 63-61 UNC win. He contributed 3.5 sacks and 6.0 TFL in 2022.
FIND A WAY
• UNC’s defense is giving up 31.0 ppg over all games this season, but they tightened up during conference play. The Heels allowed 25.8 ppg in
league play.
• Carolina’s D gave up just 76 points in the second half during ACC play (9.5 ppg). It was even better when it got to the fourth quarter, when it only allowed 42 points in the eight league games or 5.3 ppg in that quarter.
GRAY LEADING THE WAY
• Junior linebacker Cedric Gray leads the Power 5 with 10.5 tackles per game and his 137 total tackles are the most by a player in the Power 5
conferences. His 76 solo tackles also lead the Power 5.
• His career-high 16 tackles at Virginia is tied for the most in the ACC this season. Ryan Smenda Jr. of Wake Forest and Charlie Thomas of Georgia Tech also have 16 stops in a game.
• Gray has six games this season with 13 or more tackles, leads Carolina with 10 TFL and also has five breakups, four hurries, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a sack to his credit in 2022.
ROAD WINS
• After not picking up a road win in 2021, Carolina was a perfect 6-0 on the road this fall. The Tar Heels won back-to-back road games three times this year. First, it was non-conference games against App State and Georgia State, later it was games against Miami and Duke and they
finished with wins at Virginia and Wake Forest.
• UNC is 6-0 in true road games for the first time in program history.
• The six consecutive road wins is tied for the second-longest active streak in the nation with TCU and Michigan, trailing Georgia’s streak of
11.
• The current six-game winning streak is the longest on the road for UNC since winning nine in a row between 2014-16.
CLOSE CALLS
• Since Mack Brown returned to take over the UNC program in 2019, Carolina owns a 30-21 overall record.
• 13 of the 21 losses have been by seven points or less with four setbacks coming in overtime.
• Carolina went 6-2 in games decided by seven or less in 2022, including five wins by three points or less.
• The first two losses in 2020 came by a mere three points at FSU and at Virginia.
• Nine of Carolina’s 13 games in 2019 were decided by seven points or fewer. That was the most by any team in the AP Poll era going back to 1936.
• UNC lost 43-41 in six overtimes at Virginia Tech in the longest game in ACC history.
• The Tar Heels also lost twice in overtime on the road at Pitt, 34-27 (2019) and 30-23 (2021).
OREGON DUCKS NOTES:
TALKING POINTS
HOLIDAY BOWL BOUND
The No. 15 Ducks will wrap their first season under head coach DAN LANNING against North Carolina in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego. Oregon went 9-3 overall and 7-2 in conference play in the regular season, and is looking to secure its second straight 10-win season and 13th since 2000. It will be the Ducks’ fourth appearance in the Holiday Bowl, and first since a 42-31 win over Oklahoma State in 2008. This is the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between Oregon and North Carolina.
BO IS BACK
Oregon will bring back one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in 2023, with BO NIX announcing his decision to return to Oregon for his final season of eligibility. Nix was in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race before being slowed by a late-season injury. He is among the nation’s leaders in total touchdowns with 42, and his 14 rushing touchdowns are the most among all FBS quarterbacks. Nix is No. 2 in the nation with a 71.5 completion percentage, and his 8.41 total yards per play rank third in the country.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
Oregon’s dynamic offense has been the story of the 2022 season, led by BO NIX and a dominant offensive line. The Ducks are one of just four FBS teams to score 40-plus points at least eight times, along with Ohio State (9), USC (9) and Tennessee (8).
QUICK HITS: QB BO NIX
2022 SEASON
» Announced he will return to Oregon in 2023 for his final season of eligibility.
» Tied for No. 3 in the FBS with 42 total touchdowns (27 passing, 14 rushing, 1 receiving).
» No. 2 nationally with a 71.5 completion percentage, and No. 7 with a 166.93 passer rating.
» No. 1 among all FBS quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns, tied for No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No. 15 in the nation.
» 14 rushing TDs are second-most in a season by an Oregon quarterback, just one shy of Marcus Mariota’s record of 15 (2014).
» One of just 12 FBS quarterbacks since 2000 with at least 27 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns in a season.
» Joined Bowling Green’s Josh Harris (2001) as the only FBS players since at least 1996 to have two passing TDs, two rushing TDs and a receiving TD in the same game (at Colorado).
» One of just three FBS QBs with at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards (Drake Maye & Frank Harris).
» One of just eight FBS QBs with double-digit TDs both passing and rushing.
» The only FBS quarterback this season with three games of three rushing touchdowns (vs. BYU, at Arizona, at Cal).
» No. 8 in the nation with 324.3 yards of total offense per game, and No. 3 with 8.41 total yards per play.
» 300-plus passing yards three times this season, including a career-high 428 yards at Washington State.
» Multiple passing TDs in nine of 12 games, including a career-high five passing TDs vs. both Eastern Washington and UCLA.
» No. 4 nationally with 16 passing plays of 40-plus yards, tied for No. 4 with eight of 50-plus yards, and tied for 10th with 54 of 20-plus yards.
» No. 3 in UO single-season history with 271 completions, No. 5 with 3,388 passing yards and tied for No. 9 with 27 passing TDs.
» Three-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (Weeks 8, 9 & 10); just the third player ever to win it three weeks in a row.
TEAM NOTES
OWNING THE MIDDLE EIGHT
The Ducks have had great success during the “middle eight” – the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. Oregon leads the nation in scoring differential in the middle eight minutes of the game at +7.8 points per game.
» No. 2 in the nation in scoring differential in the last four minutes of the first half (+4.7), and No. 1 in the first four minutes of the second half (+3.2).
» Dominant in the second quarter this season with 15.00 points per game, No. 2 in the nation.
» No. 4 nationally in first-half scoring (21.50 PPG) and No. 2 in third-quarter scoring (11.25 PPG).
» 21 points in the third quarter vs. Washington on Nov. 12, Oregon’s eighth quarter of 20-plus points this season.
» Five of the eight 20-plus points quarters have come in the second quarter.
ALL ABOUT THE BALL
» Tied for No. 12 nationally in fewest turnovers committed (11).
» Tied for 28th with 21 takeaways, including 16 in the last seven games and three in each of the last two games.
» Tied for No. 10 nationally with a plus-10 turnover margin.
» Tied for No. 6 in the FBS with just three lost fumbles.
» Zero lost fumbles through the first nine games of the season.
DUCKS DOMINATE PAC-12 WEEKLY AWARDS
Oregon won a whopping 13 Pac-12 weekly honors during the regular season, tied with Washington for the most in the conference. BO NIX was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week three times in a row from weeks eight to 10, becoming just the third player ever to win the honor three weeks in a row. The Ducks led the conference with four Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week winners – T.J. BASS won it twice in a row in weeks five and six, ALEX FORSYTH was the winner following week eight, and MALAESALA AUMAVAE-LAULU took it home after week nine. Oregon’s four Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week winners also tied for the league lead, with BRANDON DORLUS winning it twice and both MASE FUNA and DJ JOHNSON taking it home once. CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after his two-interception performance against Colorado, and BENNETT WILLIAMS earned the honor after leading Oregon with 14 tackles and two interceptions in its win over No. 10 Utah. .
» Since the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week award started in 2019, the Ducks lead the league by a wide margin with 16 winners.
» Bass has won the honor four times in his career, tied with former Duck Penei Sewell for the most in the award’s history.
» Forsyth has won the award twice in his career, also winning last season after Oregon’s historic win at No. 3 Ohio State.
» Four of UO’s primary starters on the O-line have won the Pac-12 award at least once – RYAN WALK won it once in 2020.
THIRD TOP-15 WIN FOR OREGON
With its win over No. 10 Utah on Nov. 19 at Autzen Stadium, Oregon is one of only five teams in the nation with three wins over opponents ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press at the time of the game. The Ducks also defeated No. 12 BYU and No. 9 UCLA earlier in the season. The Ducks are also one of just 15 teams to play at least four top 15 teams (No. 1 Georgia), and they faced six total top-25 opponents. UO’s win over Utah also made it one of seven teams to have two wins over top-10 teams this season, and one of eight to play at least three top-10 opponents. Oregon is the only Power 5 team to play two top-12 nonconference opponents this season.
HOME WIN STREAK ENDS AT 23
Oregon’s impressive home win streak came to an end at 23 games with last week’s loss to Washington. The streak had tied a program record and was the third-longest active home win streak in the nation. UO’s first home loss since Sept. 22, 2018, also snapped a 17-game home conference win streak, a program record and the fourth-longest active streak in the country. Oregon still holds a 30-game nonconference home win streak after September wins against Eastern Washington and BYU, good for the second-longest active streak in the nation.
RAZZLE DAZZLE IN BOULDER
Oregon never trailed in its 49-10 win at Colorado on Nov. 5, with the offense getting off to a hot start with three unique touchdowns. BO NIX opened the scoring with a TD pass to freshman offensive lineman JOSH CONERLY JR. Nix then reversed roles with BUCKY IRVING when the running back took a pitch threw an 18-yard TD pass back to the quarterback. Linebacker
NOAH SEWELL made his collegiate debut on offense early in the second quarter, rushing for a one-yard touchdown to make it 21-0. Oregon is the first FBS team in history to have an offensive lineman catch a touchdown, a quarterback catch a touchdown and a defensive player rush for a touchdown in the same season, let alone the same game.
WITH ALL EYES ON EUGENE, DUCKS A MAKE STATEMENT
October 22 was one for the history books in Eugene, beginning at 6 a.m. with ESPN College GameDay on campus and culminating in Oregon’s statement win over No. 9 UCLA in front of 59,962 fans, the fourth-largest crowd in Autzen Stadium history. Behind a stellar five-touchdown day from quarterback BO NIX, the Ducks notched their first win over a top-10 team in Autzen since 2018 and tied a program record with their 23rd straight home victory. Oregon used a 28-point second quarter to take a 31-13 halftime lead, with a surprise onside kick executed and recovered by kicker ANDREW BOYLE providing a huge momentum swing. Nix found TROY FRANKLIN eight times for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and BUCKY IRVING surpassed 100 rushing yards for the first time as a Duck while also catching a 37-yard touchdown pass.
EPIC COMEBACK IN PULLMAN
Oregon’s comeback win at Washington State On Sept. 24 was one for the record books. The Ducks scored an incredible 29 points in the fourth quarter alone, the most Oregon has scored in a fourth quarter since at least 1971. Trailing 34-22 with under four minutes to play, BO NIX found CAM MCCORMICK for a 1-yard touchdown, and then hit TROY FRANKLIN for a 50-yard score to put Oregon up three with 1:21 to play. On WSU’s next offensive play, MASE FUNA jumped a screen pass and sealed the game for the Ducks with a 27-yard pick-six. Oregon’s 29 points are the most the program has scored in any quarter since putting up 30 in the second quarter vs. Bowling Green on Sept. 1, 2018. UO erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, the largest fourth-quarter comeback win in program history and largest since Sept. 16, 2006. The Ducks won their Pac-12 opener for the fourth straight season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Ducks entered 2022 as one of the youngest teams in the country, tying for the fourth-most underclassmen of any FBS team with 96 on its roster. That number was comprised of 53 freshmen and 43 sophomores, and made up 76.2 percent of Oregon’s initial 126-player roster. The only teams with more underclassmen to start the season were Navy (117), Army (108) and Nebraska (110), with Wyoming tied with the Ducks at 96. Colorado ranks second in the Pac-12 with 91 total underclassmen. Through 11 games, 14 true freshmen have seen the field for the Ducks, with OL JOSH CONERLY JR. the lone rookie to play in every game.
FRESH FACES
In addition to having 53 freshmen on the roster, Oregon added 21 players via transfers over the offseason to give the program 74 total newcomers. 15 of those 21 transfers came from FBS programs, and combined to make exactly 100 starts before arriving in Eugene. Oregon also boasted an entirely new coaching staff under head coach DAN LANNING.
PILLARS OF THE PROGRAM
Head coach DAN LANNING got right to work building the program’s culture after taking over in Eugene, establishing four program pillars that the Ducks strive to embody every day – Connection, Toughness, Growth and Sacrifice. Lanning had those four pillars posted on Oregon’s practice fields at the Hatfield Dowlin Complex.
