If you’re like me, you don’t need a rehashing of the No. 9 Oregon Ducks‘ soul-crushing 38-34 loss to the Beavers on Saturday night at Reser Stadium. I’m not going to harp on the risky coaching decisions that paved the way for a loss. And there is no sense pointing out DJ Johnson‘s apparent sucker punch of a Beavers fan who had rushed the field after the game — the video of Johnson’s poor sportsmanship speaks for itself.
All truly bad looks. But if you want to dwell in the stew of negativity and bicker with trolls, Twitter is available 24 hours a day as a hellscape for grieving sports fans. And just remember this: No matter how miserable you feel about the loss, the players and coaches in the Oregon locker room feel significantly worse by orders of magnitude.
My quick thoughts on last night’s game: No, Oregon coach Dan Lanning shouldn’t be fired, stop being so dramatic; Yes, the playcalling in the final minutes was too risky for the reward and arguably cost the Ducks a win; Yes, a young dynamic coach such as Lanning can learn from his mistakes to become a better coach; No. 21 Oregon State is a damn good football team and well coached. Hats off to them.
Regardless of what happens in the Huskies-Cougars game, it’s worth taking a look at Oregon’s football future. Here’s the good news: Oregon just landed a commitment from Johnny Bowens III, a four-star defensive lineman from Judson High School in Converse, Texas. The Ducks beat out in-state programs Texas A&M and Texas for Bowens.
Committed! @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/JxHZOPtt1V
— tyseer5denmark (@tyseer5denmark) November 24, 2022
Where my ducks at @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/zNOISN6e9n
— JohnnyBowens lll #9 (@D1Bowens) November 24, 2022
Oregon’s 2023 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 11 in the country by ESPN, anchored by five-star quarterback Dante Moore (Detroit, MI), five-star receiver Jurrion Dickey (Menlo Park, CA) and a dozen four-star recruits, including cornerbacks Caleb Presley and Cole Martin, wide receiver Ashton Cozart, and running back Dante Dowdell.
Oregon also secured a commitment from four-star wide receiver Tyseer Denmark for the ’24 recruiting class. Denmark, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound recruit out of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, had 53 receptions for 892 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
Don’t lose faith. Everything we saw on Saturday night is a learning moment for players and coaches. Let’s take a long, deep breath and admire what Lanning has built in his first year and what is on the horizon in Eugene: A cavalry of young talent eager t bring a national championship to Eugene.
Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.