No. 4 Ducks Head To Seattle For Rivalry Showdown

#4 Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12)
CFP/AP/Coaches Rank: 4/7/7
Head Coach: Mario Cristobal (Miami, 1993)
Record at Oregon: 32-11 (4th Season)
Career Record: 59-58 (10th Season)

Washington Huskies (4-4, 3-2 Pac-12)
CFP/AP/Coaches Rank: NR/NR/NR
Head Coach: Jimmy Lake (Eastern Washington, 2000)
Record at Washington: 7-5 (2nd Season)
Career Record: Same

TV - ABC
Play-by-Play: Mark Jones
Analyst: Robert Griffin III
Sideline: Quint Kessenich

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: Joey McMurry
Pre-Game Show: Terry Jonz

Numbers to Know
3 - Travis Dye is one of only three FBS players to lead their team in both rushing yards (609) and receptions (24). 
4 - Oregon came in at No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, cracking the top five for the first time since 2014.
36.1 - Oregon is No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 23 in the FBS with 36.1 points per game after scoring a season-high 52 vs. Colorado.
77.8 - The Ducks are tied for second in the nation this season with TDs on 77.78% of their red zone opportunities (28-of-36).
308.8 - Anthony Brown led the Pac-12 during the month of October with 308.8 yards of total offense per game.  

Did You Know?
Oregon is 15-1 under Mario Cristobal when rushing for more than 200 yards after racking up 256 on the ground vs. Colorado.

Series History - Oregon vs. Washington
All-Time: Washington leads, 60-47-5
In Seattle: Washington leads, 30-20-2
Current Streak: Oregon W2
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 35-31 (10/19/19, in Seattle)
Most points scored by Oregon: 58 (1973)
Most points scored by Washington: 70 (2016)
Largest margin of victory by Oregon: 58 (1973)
Largest margin of victory by Washington: 66 (1974)

TEAM NOTES

At A Glance
Oregon will travel to Seattle this Saturday for a showdown against Pac-12 North rival Washington at Husky Stadium. At 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 play, the Ducks earned the No. 4 spot in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season released on Tuesday. This will be the first meeting between Oregon and Washington since 2019 after last season's game was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Huskies program. Oregon has won the last two meetings against the Huskies, and 14 of the last 16. 

Ducks In The CFP Rankings
» The lone Pac-12 team currently in the CFP top 25.
» First time in the top four of the initial CFP rankings.
» First CFP top-five ranking since 2014, and seventh overall.
» 12th time in the CFP top 10, and 21st in the top 25. 

A Win Would...
» Be Oregon's 15th in the last 17 meetings with Washington.
» Be Oregon's seventh in the last eight games against Washington in Seattle.
» Mark the 14th time in school history that Oregon has won at least eight of its first nine games. 

Nail-Biters
Oregon is among the best in the FBS at winning tight games, coming through in clutch situations on both sides of the ball to win four games decided by seven points or less. The Ducks are one of just six teams in the country that have won at least four games by a touchdown or less and one of only three in the Power 5 (Oklahoma - 5, Kentucky - 4). It's also the first time since 2009 that an Oregon team has won at least four one-possession games in a season. 

Winning The Turnover Battle
Through eight games, Oregon has been one of the best teams in the FBS when it comes to winning the turnover battle, sitting in a tie for ninth nationally with a plus-8 turnover margin. The Ducks are also tied for ninth in turnover margin per game at +1.00 while the Ducks' 16 takeaways are tied for 16th most in the FBS. Oregon has won or finished tied in the turnover battle five times, winning each of those games.  

Fresh Faces
Oregon has played 19 members of its highly-touted 2021 recruiting class in the first eight games. Additionally, four true freshmen have earned a start this year (Terrance Ferguson, Keith Brown, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jeffrey Bassa). The Ducks have played 40 total freshmen. 

True freshmen to play in 2021: Jeffrey Bassa, Isaiah Brevard, Keith Brown, Brandon Buckner, Byron Cardwell, Daymon David, Jaylin Davies, Avante Dickerson, Terrance Ferguson, Troy Franklin, Moliki Matavao, Seven McGee, Jabril McNeill, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Kingsley Suamataia, Ty Thompson,  Dont'e Thornton, Terrell Tilmon and Keanu Williams.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

What Can Brown Do For You
Anthony Brown has made big plays with his arm and his legs while leading the Ducks to a 7-1 start to the season. Brown has thrown 10 touchdown passes to go along with six rushing TDs, and he ranks third in the Pac-12 with 270.3 yards of total offense per game. Brown has been especially effective over the last three games, setting season highs in passing yards each time out and completing 75.5 percent of his passes (74-of-98) for 847 yards and four touchdowns during that span. Brown led all Pac-12 quarterbacks during the month of October in completion percentage (71.0) and total offense per game (308.8). 

» Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award top 10 finalist
» No. 3 in the Pac-12 with 2,162 yards of total offense. 
» Tied for 1st among Pac-12 QBs with six rushing touchdowns.
» Five games with at least 200 yards passing and 35 rushing.
» Rushed for a career-high 85 yards and a TD in win at UCLA.

Career Day For AB
Anthony Brown played the best statistical game of his career in Oregon's 52-29 win over Colorado, completing 25-of-31 passes for a career-high 307 yards and three touchdowns. Brown's stellar 80.6 completion percentage shattered his previous career best, and he surpassed 300 passing yards for the first time as a Duck and second time in his career. 

» First UO QB to complete at least 80 percent of his passes in a game since Justin Herbert on Nov. 2, 2019.
» Started the game 9-for-9 for 100 yards and a TD. 
» Added 38 rushing yards to finish with 345 yards of total offense.

Feature Back
Travis Dye is arguably the biggest key to Oregon's offense this season, especially after fellow back CJ Verdell went down with a season-ending injury on Oct. 2. Dye rushed for a season-high 145 yards on 19 carries on Oct. 15 vs. Cal - UO's first game following Verdell's injury - and he ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 76.13 rushing yards per game. One of four current Pac-12 players with more than 2,000 career rushing yards, Dye's ascension as Oregon's primary ball carrier has accelerated his rise up the all-time rushing charts. Dye entered the UO career top 10 in rushing yards during the California game, and he currently sits in 10th all-time with 2,449 yards.

» Needs 97 rushing yards to move into ninth on Oregon's career rushing list.
» Five career games with 100-plus rushing yards; UO is 5-0 when Dye rushes for 100-plus.
» Third among active Pac-12 players and 10th in the Power 5 in career rushing.

26 Can Do It All
A dynamic runner, Travis Dye has also been a huge weapon for the Ducks as a receiver out of the backfield. Dye leads the Ducks with 24 receptions for 264 yards, making him one of only three players in the FBS to lead his team in both rushing yards and catches. Dye has been heavily involved in the passing game over the last four games, recording 20 receptions for 223 yards during that span after making five catches for a season-high 75 yards on Saturday vs. Colorado. Dye added 73 receiving yards on a career-best seven catches against Cal to go along with his season-high 145 rushing yards, and is the only FBS running back this year and the first Pac-12 player since Christian McCaffrey in 2016 to have at least 140 rushing and 70 receiving yards in a game. Dye ranks third in the Pac-12 this season with 109.1 total yards from scimmage per game and is one of just six players in the conference averaging over 100 scrimmage yards per contest.

FBS players to lead their team in both rushing yards and receptions
Tyler Badie - Missouri (989 rushing yards, 40 receptions)
Travis Dye - Oregon (609 rushing yards, 24 receptions)
Deuce Vaughn - Kansas State (704 rushing yards, 32 receptions)

TDs For TD
Travus Dye has shown a knack for finding the end zone this season, leading the Pac-12 with 11 total touchdowns entering Saturday's game in Seattle. Dye is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 10 rushing touchdowns, including seven on the ground and eight total in the last three games. Dye rushed for a career-high four touchdowns in Oregon's win at UCLA, becoming the first Oregon player since Verdell in 2018 and just the fourth since 2000 to have four scores on the ground in a game. Dye's four touchdowns came on four consecutive carries, setting a new NCAA record in the process. Dye followed that performance with two rushing touchdowns and his first receiving touchdown of the season vs. Colorado, scoring a rushing and receiving TD in the same game for the first time in his career. Dye also scored multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time, and Oregon improved to 14-1 all-time when Dye finds the end zone. The Norco, Calif., native owns 22 career touchdowns (15 rushing, 7 receiving). 

Williams Heating Up
Devon Williams has emerged as one of the go-to targets in the passing game over the last few weeks, currently leading the team with 290 receiving yards Williams has caught 14 passes for 242 yards and a TD over the last three games, leading the team in receiving yards in each of the last two contests. He has finished with at least 60 receiving yards in each of the last three games while setting season-highs in receiving yards each of the last three times out. 

» 14 of his 18 receptions have gone for first downs, including all five of his catches against Colorado.
» Hauled in five catches for 95 yards, highlighted by a 25-yard TD in the Colorado game.

Pro-Duck-Tive Duo
Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson III are among the most experienced wide receiver pairs in the FBS. They have combined for the third most career receiving TDs of any Power 5 duo - and the most in the Pac-12 - with 31. Johnson and Redd are also second among Pac-12 duos with 3,276 career receiving yards led by Johnson, whose 1,872 receiving yards is second among active players in the conference.

Climbing The Reception Rankings
Senior wide receivers Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson III look to continue climbing Oregon's career receptions list during their final collegiate seasons in 2021. Johnson cracked the top 10 list in career receptions at Oregon in the Colorado game, and now has 135 catches while Redd is 13th with 129 career receptions.

» To move into ninth on Oregon's receptions list, Johnson needs 10 catches.
» Johnson is 15 catches away from 150 in his career while Redd is 21 away. Seven WRs in UO history have reached that mark.
» Johnson is also 177 receiving yards away from cracking the Oregon top 10 list for career receiving yards. 

Line 'Em Up Anywhere
Versatility on the offensive line has been one of the keys to Oregon's offensive success. Six linemen have taken snaps at multiple positions along the offensive line, led by Dawson Jaramillo, who has played four different positions, and Jackson Powers-Johnson, who has taken snaps at three spots. Additionally, five players have started at multiple positions during the year while the Ducks have used six different starting offensive line combinations and 19 different groups overall. 

Ground And Pound
Oregon's offense has been paced by a consistent ground attack over the first two months of the season. The Ducks are second in the Pac-12 and 25th nationally with 204.9 rushing yards per game and have gone over the 200-yard mark four times. Travis Dye is fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (76.1) while Anthony Brown is third among QBs in the league in yards per game on the ground (45.6). Dye, CJ Verdell and Byron Cardwell have each run for 100 yards in a game this year, making Oregon one of five Power 5 teams to have three different players reach the century mark in a game this year.

» Leading the conference and tied for sixth nationally with 25 rushing TDs.
» 15-1 under head coach Mario Cristobal when rushing for at least 200 yards and 9-0 when reaching 250 yards. 
» Scored five TDs on the ground at UCLA, the most rushing TDs by an Oregon team since Nov. 23, 2018 at Oregon State. 
» Ran for 269 yards in a week two win at Ohio State - the most by a team against the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium since 2014.

Thriving On Third Down
Oregon has been efficient on third downs over the last two games, combining to go 14-of-19 in third-down situations during the UCLA and Colorado games. The Ducks converted on 12 consecutive third-down attempts between the UCLA and Colorado games, succeeding on their final seven against the Bruins before coming up with first downs on their first five attempts against the Buffaloes. 

» Second in the conference and 10th nationally, converting 49.0 percent of third downs.
» Went 7-for-9 on third-down conversions in the win at UCLA, before finishing 7-of-10 against Colorado.
» Of the 14 third-down conversions in the last two games, seven have been through the air, and seven have been via run. 
» Tied for third in the FBS with three-and-outs on just 10.1 percent of drives. 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Game Wrecker
Named a first-team preseason All-American by eight different outlets, Kayvon Thibodeaux has wreaked havoc in opposing backfields in his career as a Duck. An FWAA second-team All-American in 2020, Thibodeaux has recorded 16.0 sacks and 31.0 TFLs in 27 career games at Oregon. He is fourth among Power 5 players in TFLs since the start of 2019 with 31.0 after recording a career-high 4.5 at UCLA on Oct. 23. Thibodeaux leads Oregon with four sacks and 7.5 TFLs this season despite missing two-and-a-half games due to injury, seeing limited action vs. Arizona and missing the first half vs. Cal.  

» Bednarik Award semifinalist
» Tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with 7.5 TFLs and tied for fifth with 4.0 sacks.
» Fourth-highest pass rush grade nationally among edge defenders according to PFF (92.0). 
» 27 total quarterback pressures, 18 hurries and five QB hits, according to PFF.

Superb Sewell
Linebacker Noah Sewell has proved himself as one of the best defensive players in the conference. Sewell is fourth in the Pac-12 and third nationally among freshmen with a team-high 69 tackles - 20 more than any other Duck. He has made 57 tackles over the last six games, including 42 in the last four home games (10 vs. Stony Brook, 14 vs. Arizona, 12 vs. California, 6 vs. Colorado). He owns the highest grade among Pac-12 linebackers and is 16th in the FBS in pass rushing situations according to PFF (86.2).

» Butkus Award semifinalist (first in program history).
» One of two Pac-12 players with at least 60 tackles and three sacks on the season.
» Second among Ducks in both tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (3.0).
» Has finished at least tied for the team lead in tackles five times, all in the last six games. 
» Made at least four stops in all 15 career games, and five-plus in his last 13. 
» Set a career-high with 14 stops against Arizona. 
» Three double-digit tackle performances this season, and four in his career. 

Back-End Playmaker
A third-year starter in the UO secondary, Verone McKinley III has proven to be one of the best playmakers in the FBS in 2021. He's tied for second nationally with four interceptions after coming away with a pick in three straight games in September. McKinley is also third on the team with 46 total tackles this season. The 2019 FWAA Freshman All-American is tied for eighth among active FBS players with nine career interceptions and is one of just two third-year players with at least nine picks. 

» Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist
» First Duck with an interception in three straight games since Erick Dargan in 2012.
» Two INTs vs. Stony Brook, the second multi-interception game of his career. 
» Game-sealing interception in Oregon's historic win at then-No. 3 Ohio State.
» Five of his nine career interceptions have come in the red zone. 
» Three interceptions away from cracking the UO all-time top 10. 
» Has already matched his career-high with 46 tackles this season. 

The Wright Stuff
A preseason first-team All-Pac-12 selection, Mykael Wright has continued to put up strong numbers in his third collegiate season. Wright is second on the team with 49 tackles (35 solo) and also has an interception, three TFLs, a forced fumble and four pass breakups. Wright has recorded five or more tackles in seven of the eight games, highlighted by a career-high 10 stops in the win at Ohio State. He has also finished at least tied for the team lead in tackles in a game twice, making a team high in stops against the Buckeyes and the last time out vs. Colorado. 

» First among Pac-12 cornerbacks and tied for second among all DBs in the league with 49 tackles. 
» Came away with second career INT during the Arizona win. 
» One of four Pac-12 DBs with at least 40 tackles and three TFLs on the season.

Turning Up The Pressure
Oregon has gotten significant contributions from a number of players along its defensive front to compliment consensus preseason All-American Kayvon Thibodeaux. Sophomore BBrandon Dorlus leads all Pac-12 interior defensive linemen and is third on the team with 5.5 TFLs, while freshman Bradyn Swinson is tied for second on the team and 10th in the conference with three sacks. Additionally, freshman Treven Ma'ae has added a pair of TFLs and 1.5 sacks while freshman Keyon Ware-Hudson has three tackles for loss and half a sack to go along with four QB hurries. 

» Dorlus leads the team with 30 QB pressures and owns an 80.7 pass-rushing grade according to Pro Football Focus.
» Junior Popo Aumavae is the second-highest graded Pac-12 interior defensive lineman (77.0) while Dorlus is fourth (75.3) according to PFF. 

DJ Crank It Up
Since taking over the starting role at one of the cornerback spots, sophomore DJ James has shown the ability to make plays defending both the pass and the run. He has 22 tackles over the last five games while coming away with a pair of interceptions and breaking up two passes. James picked off two passes in the win at UCLA, including one to seal the game with under a minute to play in addition to recording a career-high eight stops. James is fifth on the team with 28 stops on the year despite playing in one fewer game than the four players ahead of him.

» One of eight FBS players to have multiple interceptions and at least eight tackles in a game. 
» First on the team with a tackling grade of 83.0 and has missed just one tackle all season according to Pro Football Focus.
» Has allowed 18 receptions on 38 targets according to PFF. 

Bassa Stepping Up
True freshman Jeffrey Bassa has delivered some strong play since taking over the starting role at inside linebacker. Bassa made his third consecutive start at inside linebacker in the win over Colorado, finishing tied for the team lead with six stops while recording 1.5 TFLs. Bassa has set or matched a season high in tackles in each of the last three contests, making 15 tackles and 2.0 TFLs  during that stretch.

» Moved from safety to inside linebacker prior to the Ohio State game. 
» Made six tackles and recorded 0.5 TFLs in the win at UCLA.

Making Stops In Crunch Time
The Oregon defense has made numerous big stops late in games in the seven wins. The Ducks have forced six turnovers in the fourth quarter in addition to turning opponents over on downs three times. UO has forced a fourth-quarter turnover in five of the seven wins and came up with a fourth-down stop with two seconds remaining in the win over California. 

» Forced a fumble and came up with a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter in the sesaon opening win vs. Fresno State.
» Sealed wins at Ohio State and UCLA with interceptions in the final two minutes of each game.
» Stopped Cal on fourth-and-goal on the two-yard line with two seconds left. 

Run Stuffers
The Oregon defense has been stout against the run all season, currently leading the Pac-12 allowing just 3.5 yards per rush. The Ducks have held six of their eight opponents under their season average in rushing yards, doing so in each of the last three games. Oregon is also third in the conference allowing 131.6 yards per game on the ground while sitting in a tie for second in the league with nine rushing TDs given up. 

» Tied for fifth nationally with just four runs of at least 20 yards given up.
» Oregon has not allowed a run of 20 yards or more in the last three games. 
» One of two Pac-12 teams to not allow a 100-yard rusher (Arizona State). 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Kicking It Into Gear
Sophomore kicker Camden Lewis has made a significant contribution to Oregon's special teams in handling both placekicking and kickoff duties. He is the only Pac-12 kicker and one of just eight in the FBS still perfect on the season (minimum five attempts). Lewis has put the ball in the end zone for a touchback on 26 of his 54 kickoff attempts. His eight straight made field goals to start the year is also the longest streak of his career. Lewis' numbers show a drastic improvement from his first two seasons as a Duck, as his touchback percentage of 48.1 percent is nearly double what it was from 2019 to 2020 (26 percent). 

» Current streak of eight straight made FGs is the longest by an Oregon kicker since Aidan Schneider in 2015 (9 straight).
» 49-yard FG vs. California was the longest by a UO kicker since Matt Evensen hit a 52-yarder on Oct. 25, 2008.

Snee GIves Ducks Defense An Edge
Sophomore punter Tom Snee has proven to be a weapon, giving the Ducks' defense a number of advantages in field position through eight games. The Australia native has pinned 11 of his 24 punts inside the 20 yard-line, and has been named to the Ray Guy Award Ray's 8 list twice this season.

» Each of his last four punts have either gone for more than 50 yards or been pinned inside the 20, highlighted by two kicks of 50-plus yards vs. Caliifornia.
» Boomed a career-long 57-yard punt at Stanford.