Oregon football is under new leadership for the first time since the 2013 season with the hiring of Willie Taggart. He brought new assistant coaches, which hasn’t been done at Oregon in decades. Here’s a look at the opponents the Ducks will face this season as they look to bounce back from their worst season since 1991.
September 2 vs. Southern Utah 2016 (record: 6-5)
Southern Utah returns eight starters on a defense that held the Utah Utes to just seven second half points in a 24-0 loss to open last season.
September 9 vs. Nebraska (2016 record: 9-4)
Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley, formerly Oregon State’s head coach, returns to Autzen Stadium, a place where he hasn’t won since 2007. Last season, Oregon’s loss to the Cornhuskers was the first of five straight losses. The Cornhuskers will start Tulane transfer Tanner Lee at quarterback behind an experienced offensive line.
September 16 at Wyoming (2016 record: 8-6)
The Cowboys are led by quarterback Josh Allen, and many mock NFL drafts project him as a top pick in the 2018 draft. Wyoming returns five offensive linemen who started seven games or more last season, so that will give Allen time in the pocket.
September 23 at Arizona State (2016 record: 5-7)
Head coach Todd Graham enters the 2017 season on the hot seat for the Sun Devils. Last season, Justin Herbert torched the Sun Devils in a victory, tying an Oregon all-time single game passing yards mark with 489 yards and four touchdowns.
September 30 vs. California (2016 record: 5-7)
First year head coach Justin Wilcox returns to Eugene, where he played safety and cornerback for the Ducks. Former Oregon assistant coach Steve Greatwood returns after spending 30 years as the offensive line coach. Last season, the Ducks lost 52-49 in double overtime.
October 7 vs. Washington State (2016 record: 8-5)
Under head coach Mike Leach, Washington State likes to pass all over the field, so this will be a big test for the secondary under new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt. Last season the Cougars won 51-33 for their second win in a row over the Ducks.
October 14 at No. 14 Stanford (2016 record: 10-3)
It’s a return to “The Farm” for Oregon head coach Willie Taggart, who coached under then Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh from 2007-09. Last season, the Ducks lost 52-27 after getting pummeled by Stanford’s running game. If Washington State is a secondary test, Stanford is a front-seven test.
October 21 at UCLA (2016: 4-8)
The Oregon defense will need to figure out a way to stop quarterback Josh Rosen, another QB most project to be a first-round pick. The Bruins also have a solid wide receiver group, so the defense will have a tough task when in Pasadena, California.
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Darren Carrington II (7) kneels as the Washington Huskies run onto the field. Carrington II returns to Autzen Stadium as a Utah Ute on October 28, 2017. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)
October 28 vs. No. 25 Utah (2016: 9-4)
Last season, the Ducks won in a shocking 30-28 win over the Utes, who came into the game ranked No. 11 in the nation. The Ducks won on a late touchdown by Darren Carrington II, who will be playing for the Utes following his offseason arrest and dismissal from the Oregon program.
November 4 at No. 7 Washington Huskies (2016: 12-2)
Last season, the Huskies handed the Ducks a 49-point loss, their worst of the season. Washington will replace three defensive backs who are now in the NFL, but the Huskies still enter the season as the Pac-12 North favorites after winning the conference title last year.
November 18 vs. Arizona Wildcats (2016: 3-9)
The Ducks and Wildcats last played in 2015, when they played twice, once in Eugene, and once in the Pac-12 Championship game. The Wildcats come into the season with question marks at quarterback, but have a quality running back in J.J. Taylor.
November 25 vs. Oregon State Beavers (2016: 4-8)
Oregon will be looking for payback following last year’s Civil War loss, the first for the Ducks since 2007. Suiting up for the Beavers will be former Oregon Duck, Thomas Tyner, who played two seasons in Eugene before he received a medically redshirt.
Follow Zak Laster on Twitter: @zlast3445
