# 2017 Oregon Ducks football team

The 2017 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by first-year head coach Willie Taggart, until he departed at the end of the regular season to accept the head coaching position at Florida State. Co-offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal was promoted to interim head coach before being officially hired as head coach on December 8, 2017. Oregon played their home games at Autzen Stadium for the 51st straight year. They competed as a member of the Pac-12 Conference in the North Division. They finished the season 7–6, 4–5 in Pac-12 play to finish in fourth place in the North Division. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl where they lost to Boise State.

## Recruiting
### Position key

| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |

### Recruits

Oregon signed a total of 24 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| C. J. Verdell RB | Chula Vista, California | Mater Dei HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 5, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Rutger Reitmaier DT | Nashville, Tennessee | Lipscomb Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Jun 8, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Alex Forsyth OT | West Linn, Oregon | West Linn HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | Jun 11, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Sampson Niu LB | San Diego, California | Madison HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 217 lb (98 kg) | Jun 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Adam Stack K | Honolulu, Hawaii | Kamehameha | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 6, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Jaylon Redd CB | Rancho Cucamonga, California | Rancho Cucamonga HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 26, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Nick Pickett S/WR | Los Angeles, California | Salesian HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Oct 30, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Popo Aumavae DT | Stockton, California | St. Mary's HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | Nov 13, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Johnny Johnson III WR | Chandler, Arizona | Chandler HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | Nov 13, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Darrian McNeal WR | Seffner, Florida | Armwood HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Dec 11, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Thomas Graham Jr. CB | Rancho Cucamonga, California | Rancho Cucamonga HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Dec 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Jordon Scott DT | Largo, Florida | Pinellas Park HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 345 lb (156 kg) | Dec 25, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Darrian Felix RB/CB | Fort Myers, Florida | Fort Myers HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | Jan 8, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Braxton Burmeister QB | La Jolla, California | La Jolla Country Day School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 211 lb (96 kg) | Jan 13, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Isaac Slade-Matautia LB | Honolulu, Hawaii | Saint Louis School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Austin Faoliu DT | Santa Ana, California | Mater Dei HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Cyrus Habibi-Likio RB | Mountain View, California | St. Francis HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jan 26, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Bruce Judson QB | Cocoa, Florida | Cocoa HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | Jan 27, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Demetri Burch WR | Apopka, Florida | Apopka HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | Jan 28, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Daewood Davis WR | Deerfield Beach, Florida | Deerfield Beach HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jan 29, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| George Moore OT | Antioch, California | College of San Mateo | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 308 lb (140 kg) | Jan 31, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Cody Shear OG | Eugene, Oregon | Sheldon HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Billy Gibson S | Miami, Florida | Southridge HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Deommodore Lenoir CB | Los Angeles, California | Salesian HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Oregon Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. "2017 Oregon Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. ||||||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 5:15 p.m. | Southern Utah* | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | P12N | W 77–21 | 52,204 |
| September 9 | 1:30 p.m. | Nebraska* | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | FOX | W 42–35 | 58,389 |
| September 16 | 4:00 p.m. | at Wyoming* | | War Memorial StadiumLaramie, WY | CBSSN | W 49–13 | 29,139 |
| September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | at Arizona State | No. 24 | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ | P12N | L 35–37 | 50,110 |
| September 30 | 7:30 p.m. | California | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | FS1 | W 45–24 | 55,707 |
| October 7 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 11 Washington State | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | FOX | L 10–33 | 56,653 |
| October 14 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 23 Stanford | | Stanford StadiumStanford, CA | FS1 | L 7–49 | 48,559 |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at UCLA | | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | P12N | L 14–31 | 55,711 |
| October 28 | 2:45 p.m. | Utah | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | P12N | W 41–20 | 56,154 |
| November 4 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 12 Washington | | Husky StadiumSeattle, WA (rivalry) | FS1 | L 3–38 | 70,572 |
| November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | Arizona | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | P12N | W 48–28 | 51,799 |
| November 25 | 4:00 p.m. | Oregon State | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR (Civil War) | ESPN2 | W 69–10 | 57,475 |
| December 16 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. No. 25 Boise State* | | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV (Las Vegas Bowl) | ABC | L 28–38 | 36,432 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time ||||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Years at current position at Oregon | Alma mater |
| Willie Taggart | Head coach | 0 | Western Kentucky (1998) |
| Mario Cristobal | Head coach (Bowl Game), Co-offensive coordinator, Offensive line coach | 0 | Miami (1992) |
| Marcus Arroyo | Co-offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks coach | 0 | San Jose State (2002) |
| Jim Leavitt | Defensive coordinator, Linebackers coach | 0 | Missouri (1977) |
| Donte Pimpleton | Running backs coach | 0 | Western Kentucky (2002) |
| Charles Clark | Cornerbacks coach | 0 | Ole Miss (2007) |
| Keith Heyward | Safeties Coach | 0 | Oregon State (2000) |
| Joe Salave'a | Defensive line coach | 0 | Arizona (1997) |
| Raymond Woodie | Special teams coordinator | 0 | Bethune-Cookman (1995) |
| Irele Oderinde | Head Strength Coach | 0 | Western Kentucky (2003) |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Southern Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Southern Utah | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| • Oregon | 21 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 77 |

### Nebraska

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| • Oregon | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 42 |

### Wyoming

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Oregon | 14 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 49 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |

### Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| • Arizona St | 17 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 37 |

### California

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| California | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| • Oregon | 17 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 45 |

### Washington State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Washington St | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 33 |
| Oregon | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 |

### Stanford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Stanford | 21 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 49 |

### UCLA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| • UCLA | 14 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 31 |

### Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utah | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| • Oregon | 7 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 41 |

### Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Washington | 0 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 38 |

### Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Arizona | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| • Oregon | 14 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 48 |

### Oregon State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon St | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| • Oregon | 17 | 35 | 10 | 7 | 69 |

### Las Vegas Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oregon | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| • Boise St | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |