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Oct 21, 2024

Oregon football spring game: What we learned from Ducks' scrimmage

The Oregon football team showcased its new-look 2024 roster for the first time to in its spring game Saturday at Autzen Stadium, providing a look at the fresh weapons and players available in the

The Oregon football team showcased its new-look 2024 roster for the first time to in its spring game Saturday at Autzen Stadium, providing a look at the fresh weapons and players available in the fall.

Though the score could hardly measure the success of the game at Autzen, the Green team defeated White 28-17. The game featured 719 total yards, five sacks, and one takeaway as first team players mixed with second and third-string athletes.

Those numbers didn’t include a 75-yard touchdown scamper from UCLA transfer QB Dante Moore that originally counted toward the final score on the big board before getting wiped away in the game’s final stats.

At the head of the pack, quarterback Dillon Gabriel – an Oklahoma transfer – debuted and tossed two touchdown passes, and several freshmen like Dakoda Fields and Luke Moga showed what the future could hold.

“Certainly, an awesome environment and always is here at Autzen,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “I think our fans are unbelievable … There were definitely pieces of today that were a little bit sloppy and made me wish we had some more practices but also some points of improvement, some places we can go attack.”

Here’s what we learned from Oregon’s final scrimmage of the spring.

The pair of transfers that will likely occupy the top of the Oregon depth chart at quarterback looked the part Saturday, with Gabriel completing over 66% of his passes for 163 yards and two scores and Moore completing 11 of his 16 pass attempts for 87 yards.

As the clock winded down in the fourth, Moore broke loose and ran for a 75-yard score – showcasing his speed to the Autzen crowd – as time expired, but the play was wiped from the official scorebook. He gained 12 yards on the play before being touched down in his non-contact black jersey.

Still, the pair put on a show for their first action in front of fans in Eugene.

“All of our quarterbacks had some really positive plays,” Lanning said. “Then there were a couple of plays that series would have kept going if the ball was caught … I feel really good about our quarterbacks though. I really like the group that we have there.”

With Oregon’s offensive line rotating in players from the first, second, and third teams, the Oregon defensive line got to the quarterbacks early and often, led by the strong play of sophomores Ben Roberts and Teitum Tuioti.

Gabriel and Moore were sacked a combined five times, with Tuioti recording 2.5 sacks, Roberts earning one, Keyon Ware-Hudson nabbing another, and My’Keil Gardner getting a half sack as well.

“There were certainly some advantageous matchups, but there are some guys out there who can certainly play for us,” Lanning said. “If you want to win football games, you have to win it in the front on both sides of the ball. I am excited about those guys we have in that group.”

Roberts, in particular, will be a major factor in how well the Ducks can replace most of their defensive line from a year ago, including fourth-round draft pick Brandon Dorlus and undrafted free agents Taki Taimani and Popo Aumavae.

The sophomore is entering his third season in Eugene and should step into a starting role in the interior come the fall.

“I think coach (Tony) Tuioti has done an unbelievable job with our defensive line and continued to develop it and grow it,” Lanning said. “Ben is certainly one of those guys that’s embraced, what’s the technique required to be successful at the position. D-Line is a really technical position, and Ben’s done a good job this offseason of attacking that.”

For the second straight season, a new face in the receiver room took the Autzen crowd by storm Saturday. In 2023 it was Tez Johnson, who would later have a 1,000-yard receiving season in Eugene in the fall.

In 2024, several players earned that distinction. Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart had three catches for 67 yards and wowed the crowd with his contested catch ability. True freshman Jeremiah McClellan hauled in a nice pass in the second half over his back shoulder, and Justius Lowe caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Though Lowe spent last season with the Ducks as a reserve, the Portland native showed his improved route running and speed.

“We have some talented guys in that room,” Lanning said of the receivers. “We have to eliminate some of the (mistakes) that occur when you’re learning something new. I see burst, I see explosion, I see guys that grab the ball when it's in the air. Big catch radius and the ability to run after a catch. It’s a deep group for us. I think there’s a lot of guys that can help us.”

Along with those names, Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Jurrion Dickey, and Gary Bryant Jr. could all be factors in the room if they don’t decide to enter the transfer portal.

The Ducks will have one more practice next week to wrap up spring practices before taking the summer to get ready for fall camp, which will begin close to August. Oregon opens its 2024 season against Idaho at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 31.

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at [email protected] and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.