Oregon Ducks Football vs. Idaho Vandals: Key Matchups To Watch In Season Opener

The Oregon Ducks open the 2024 season against FCS' Idaho Vandals. Kickoff is set for Saturday, August 31, 4:31pm at Autzen Stadium. The game will be shown nationally on the Big Ten network.

Oregon quarterbacks Luke Moga, left, and Dillon Gabriel during the Ducks’ fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has navigated an active off-season that includes significant transfer portal signings, integrating a new quarterback in Dillon Gabriel into offensive coordinator Will Stein’s system, formal introduction to the Big Ten Conference and a full month of fall camp. The Ducks are anxious to get this season started with a matchup against the Idaho Vandals. Kickoff is set for Saturday, August 31, 4:30pm (Pacific Time) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene with the television broadcast provided by the Big Ten Network. .

Oregon’s first opponent, Idaho, hails from the Big Sky Conference. While the Vandals are not a Big Ten school, they are a highly regarded Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team. In the first ranking of the season, FCS Stats Perform Top 25, Idaho comes in at No. 7. Overall, the Vandals will present some challenges that the Ducks will need to overcome. Let’s take a look at three key matchups that will have an impact on the final score.

No. 1 Dillon Gabriel vs. Idaho’s Defense

Gabriel was a key transfer portal acquisition as coach Lanning looks to replace Bo Nix, a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL draft. While that could be a daunting task, consider that Gabriel is not a young undergraduate looking to make his first start. His career started at Central Florida (UCF) before moving to Oklahoma. Consider that he has nearly 16,000 passing yards and 125 career passing touchdowns in 49 starts before coming to Oregon. Not only will Gabriel benefit from playing in Stein’s high-powered offense, but the Ducks have also assembled a wide receiver room that includes arguably the best 1-2 receiving punch in college football, Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart.

Gabriel’s challenge in this first game is to execute Stein’s offense, get players in the right position, take care of the ball and take what the defense will give him. While there are likely to be some first game jitters, look for Oregon’s offense to perform at a high level given the tools available to Gabriel. Most importantly, he needs to be himself and play to his strengths. He is not Bo Nix, but then again, Nix is not Gabriel.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel walks the field during practice with the Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Saturday, Gabriel will face arguably one of the best defenses in FCS. As a whole, the Vandal defense ranked third in the Big Sky last season. They allowed 35 touchdowns for an average of 22.1 points per game. While they have lost several starters on defense, head coach Jason Eck has signed several players looking to earn playing time.  

Heading into this season, Eck and his coaching staff are focusing primarily on their defense. During fall camp, Tommy McCormick, Keyshawn James-Newby and  Dallas Afalava have become the leaders for the defensive line and have set a high bar.

September 16, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Idaho Vandals head coach Jason Eck signals touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

“(We) can be dominant if we all work, we all do our one-eleventh and we're going to be a dominant defense as long as we stay tight, together and have positive affirmations,” explained James-Newby. “I think we will stay on the right road and stay on the right track.”

Coach Eck also believes that the defense will lead this team in 2024.

"I think it will be a great defense. Last year, in total defense, we led the conference so now that gets helped a little bit in the style of play we play,, said Eck. “Specifically, getting better on third down, converting downs and around the redzone to take the next step and our secondary needs to be really stalwart for us."

The bottom line is that the Vandals are an FCS team and despite their emphasis on defense, expect Gabriel and the Ducks to light up the scoreboard at Autzen Stadium.

No. 2  Oregon Ducks Defensive Line vs. Idaho’s Offensive Line

Early season defense rankings have been very positive for the Oregon Ducks. Not only were they among the most improved units last year, but coach Lanning has also further beefed up the defense through transfer portal acquisitions. Leading the Ducks’ attack is a group of edge rushers, a position that is arguably their biggest strength heading into 2024. Expect to hear a great deal from returners defensive end Jordan Burch, outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti and defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei. Leading the transfer additions are defensive tackles Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell. 

We would be remiss if we failed to mention the leader of the defense, senior linebacker Jeffrey Bassa. In 2023, Oregon’s defense ranked in the top three of all major Pac-12 categories in 2023 with much of the success due to this undisputed leader of the defense, a fact not lost on Lanning. 

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) with defensive back Evan Williams (33) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

 “This guy has grown and grown every single year that I've been here into this leadership role to the point where we now have a coach on the field,” said Lanning. “He's a true leader. He wants to attack his game. He doesn't want you to tell him all the things he's great at, he wants to be coached. He coaches the guys around him. He demands excellence.” 

The obvious question is whether Idaho’s offensive line can withstand the pressure defense from the No.3 ranked college football team in the country. If youth is an advantage, the Vandals are in great shape. Eight of the 10 players on the current Idaho offensive line two-deep depth chart are freshmen or sophomores and there isn’t a single senior in the group. 

The focus for the line this year is to better understand the details of their offensive scheme and how to adapt to the defenses that they will face.

“We preach to them all the time, be masters of the offense and master what they're doing, what the defense is doing and be able to play at a consistent high level,” said offensive line coach Cody Booth. “We've got to be able to run the football. It starts upfront with us. We are very prideful in that. We’ve really got a great couple of running backs in the backfield and we just need to provide the holes for them and play at a high, consistent level.”

Again, this appears to be a mismatch with Oregon having a significant advantage with their aggressive defense and better overall athletes. Look for the Ducks’ defense to dominate the line of scrimmage.

Oregon running back Jayden Limar attempts to break a tackle by defensive back Kobe Savage during practice with the Ducks Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 3 Idaho Quarterback Jack Layne vs. Oregon’s Secondary

Following the end of a fairly successful 2023 campaign, Idaho looked ahead to having one of the most exciting players in FCS return for a second year. Unfortunately, for the Vandals, Gevani McCoy opted to transfer and ended up at Oregon State. Accordingly, the Vandal offense now belongs to redshirt sophomore Jack Layne who is looking forward to leading this team.

"Quarterbacks are natural leaders whether you want to be or not, so I have been focusing on that in two ways: being more vocal and leading by example by doing the right things," Layne said.

On the downside, Idaho’s offense does not have a single senior in the lineup. On the other hand, coach Eck believes his players have enough experience to inspire confidence moving into the 2024 season. In terms of what Layne brings to the table, both Eck and other players believe in their new quarterback.

"I think he is definitely ready, he is one of the hardest working guys I have ever met. He puts a lot of time in outside of practice and he is a good leader of the team,” said senior safety, Tommy McCormick. “He does a lot of things right on and off the field, so I think he is ready and I am excited to see what he does this year.”

Further challenging Layne is that Idaho also lost a sizable chunk of passing production through graduation, namely receiver duo Jermaine Jackson and Hayden Hatten, who both eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving last year.

If all that wasn’t enough, redshirt sophomore from Lake Oswego, Oregon faces a Ducks’ secondary that is likely one of the best in the country. Two losses last year to rival Washington exposed a weakness in the secondary. As a result, coach Lanning made it a priority to bring in players to fill the void.

Jabbar Muhammad headlines the group of transfer portal acquisitions. Oregon fans had a front row seat in watching Muhammad as the Huskies relied on him as their top cornerback during their 2023 championship season. Kam Alexander is another highly ranked player that will boost the play against the passing game. His resume notes a spot on the All-AAC first-team by recording 34 total tackles and 15 pass breakups.

Not to be forgotten, returnees include Tysheem Johnson, Jahlil Florence, Dontae Manning and Nikko Reed, all of which are expected to add experience in the secondary.

Despite the positive attitude of Layne, his coaches and teammates, Oregon’s speed, depth and aggressive defensive play calling are solid reasons why the Ducks’ will win the day.

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