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Oregon vs Utah Odds

October 28

3:30 p.m. ET

FOX

-6.5

-110

47.5

-110o / -110u

-250

+6.5

-110

47.5

-110o / -110u

+200

The excitement in the Pac-12s final season roles through Rice-Eccles Stadium in Week 9. Oregon will leave the friendly confines of Eugene as -6.5 favorites, although Utah has one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

The Utes are celebrating after a road victory as touchdown underdogs to USC, as head coach Kyle Whittingham summarized how his team feels.

Utah is now a leading contender to win the Pac-12, hosting Oregon in this game with a Week 11 showdown scheduled at Washington.

Oregon also controls its own destiny. A sweep of the remaining schedule will put the Ducks in the conference championship game.

Head coach Dan Lanning rebounded from a loss to Washington by beating Washington State by two scores in Week 8. The Ducks continued to cruise as one of the best offenses in the nation, creating 14 explosives against the Cougars.

Oregon has one of the easiest paths of all Pac-12 teams in regard to the November schedule, as a win in Week 9 will set the Ducks up to be a contender on the national stage.

This game will serve as a Pac-12 knockout game with the winner having an outside chance of making the College Football Playoff.

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As its strength of schedule continues to improve, there has been no drop-off in Oregon's offense.

Quarterback Bo Nix has an outstanding 19:1 ratio in passing touchdowns to interceptions after health played a factor in the Ducks' 2022 decline when the Auburn transfer was limited by an ankle injury.

This season has seen the fifth-year quarterback cut down on rushing attempts, logging just 74 scramble yards compared to 281 a season ago.

Oregon boasts the top offense in the nation from a Quality Drives perspective, starting with the lethal rushing attack of Bucky Irving and Jordan James.

Both running backs average at least 7.6 yards per carry, creating a combined 49 missed tackles on the season. Oregon plays at the second-highest rate in standard downs, as the Ducks are rarely behind the chains.

Nix has been excellent when it comes to throwing the ball with the top overall rank in on-target passes.

No individual player in college football is having an easier season than punter Ross James, as the Ducks have kicked on fourth down just 16 times this season.

The 3-3-5 defense has been fantastic against the pass this season. Oregon ranks top-15 against the pass in terms of Success Rate and explosives, ranking 34th in coverage by PFF.

The Ducks' nickel package runs a heavy amount of Quarters and Cover 1, but excelling against the pass may have little value against the current Utah offense. The Utes run a heavy amount of inside zone from 12 personnel, so Oregon is expected to stuff the box and look to replicate its success against opponents with this run concept.

The general feeling in Week 8 was that the Utes would not be able to keep up with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner from an offensive perspective in the Coliseum.

Utah thrived in shutting down the USC offense, limiting the Trojans to a single methodical drive while producing six tackles for loss.

The Utes kept up on offense, receiving four total touchdowns from quarterback Bryson Barnes. The junior had the best passing game of his career despite three drops by targets.

Utah has found new life on offense through a backup quarterback and a converted safety in Sione Vaki at running back.

The offense was lifeless for most of the season with injuries across the roster, but it blasted the USC defense for 13 explosive plays. The Utes had as many explosive drives as the Trojans, a testament to the rising offense and declining USC defense.

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley continues to call one of the best defenses on the West Coast. Utah ranks top-10 in Havoc and Defensive Quality Drives, making it difficult for opposing offenses to move the chains and protect the football.

The 4-2-5 defense has a moderate blitz rate in standard downs, ultimately bumping to 69% in long second- and third-down attempts. The defense has been fantastic in passing downs, ranking as the best in college football in terms of Success Rate.

Where Utah struggles on defense is in standard downs, allowing explosives at a bottom-10 rate in FBS.

Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Oregon and Utah match up statistically:

Betting Prediction, Picks

Oregon's success in early downs will be the determining factor in the Ducks' ability to win and cover the game.

Oregon has the best offense in the nation in standard downs, assisted by the run game with Irving and James. The Ducks are hit at the line of scrimmage at the second-lowest rate nationally, so they should be confident in moving the pile against the Utes' front seven.

Utah has been susceptible to allowing chunk plays in standard downs through the air. The Utes excel in zone coverage, opting to run Cover 1 and Cover 3 on the majority of defensive snaps.

Nix has been excellent against these select coverages, executing a high number of explosives against Cover 1.

Nix leads a passing offense that's best overall in on-target rate, so Utah must crowd wide receivers Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson in coverage. The Utes rank 18th in on-target allowed rate, indicating there should be some resistance to Oregon's downfield passing attack.

The Ducks must lean on one of the best discipline factors of the offense the nation's second-best rank in Havoc Allowed. Protecting the football will be key against an opportunistic Utah defense.

The Utah handicap comes down to its use of inside zone runs against the Ducks' front seven. Barnes, Vaki and running back JaQuinden Jackson run twice as many zone rush concepts inside the tackles than outside, as the Utes rank top-30 in Stuff Rate Allowed and Line Yards.

The Oregon defense has been excellent at defending inside zone when loading the box with seven or more defenders.

The Ducks play a majority of zone coverage snaps in quarters, a consistent thorn in the side of Utah's passing attack.

The Utes will opt to complete passes within 10 yards or behind the line of scrimmage, taking advantage of Oregon in open space. The Ducks rank 110th in broken tackles allowed, a positive sign for Jackson and Vaki.

Action Network projects Oregon as a three-point favorite. An opener of three was quickly steamed to the current market number of a full touchdown.

The Ducks have yet to face an offense with a heavy ground attack, as Washington, Washington State, Stanford and Colorado are all pass-first offenses. Utah will have success running inside zone, creating explosives via missed tackles from the Ducks.

Expect Oregon to utilize its downfield passing attack while the Utes break enough tackles to keep this within a possession.

Pick: Utah +7 (-120 or Better) Over 48 or Better

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Oregon vs Utah Odds, Prediction & Picks | How to Bet Marquee ... - The Action Network

Drover Madness is an event that brings the community together and helps kickstart the basketball seasons Wednesday Oct. 25 in the Drover Fieldhouse.

The womens and mens basketball programs along with the Drover Dancers put together an event that brings the community together and with the help of the Sport Information Department the entire event is broadcasted live.

Throughout the night the guests were introduced to the three teams along with plenty of games to help incorporate members of the community into the event.

Starting off with musical chairs, which is an event for the young audience members, which came down to a good friendly competition between the two head coaches sons, Ayzden Matthews and Zayden Fancis. They both had their teams support throughout the entire game and at the end when Matthews, when he won the close competition he was raised up by the womens team in celebration.

After that the faculty and staff knockout game which was won for the second year in a row by Coach Pav, who had the entire baseball team on their feet cheering him on.

Followed up by the Drover Dash in which two kids dribble down to the other baseline and put on a bigger fitting jersey, shorts, and large shoes and dribble back, the first one to make the layup wins the contest.

Courtesy to the USAO Foundation there was a drawing for two book scholarships, one of the winners was Holden Pate, a USAO sophomore, who at first was bummed since his numbers were off by 40 from the first ticket drawn, but he had the next number announced.

I was surprised and then I was nervous to walk in front of everyone, and even more nervous to answer questions, Pate said.

Next up was the 3-point contest, in which there were two contestants from each program, each contestant had 45 seconds and the one with the most points wins. The contest was won by mens basketball player Logan Dolan who went 10-15 in the contest.

The long awaited TV drawing was won by Jordan Simmons. Simmons is a junior volleyball player.

To finish up the Drover Madness contests, the dunk contest was composed of six mens basketball players, who each had two rounds of 30 seconds to complete one dunk. After many failed dunks, it came down to Jaden Causwell and Jayden Patcha.

I had never attempted this dunk before, I was just talking about it with Manny a couple practices ago, but never got to attempt it before right now, Causwell told Danny Henderson in his post win interview.

To wrap up the night, people could grab a warm plate thanks to Jakes Ribs catering and watch the mens basketball team scrimmage and get a glimpse of the talent the team has in store.

The womens team will open their season as #25, according to this years first pre-season poll that came out Wednesday morning. The mens team will open their season next Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Oklahoma Wesleyan and the women will open their season on Saturday, Nov. 4, followed by the mens game.

Laura Barrios Bardi is a third-year Arts major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

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A Night of MADNESS! (Photo Essay) The Trend - The Trend Online

As is so often the case, FIFA led the way. Back in 2017 when football's world governing body decided to increase the number of teams competing at the World Cup from 32 to 48, its president Gianni Infantino found it easy to justify the seismic change.

"We are in the 21st century and we have to shape the World Cup of the 21st century," said Infantino of the first change since 1998 to the structure of the world's most perfect sporting event. A change that will come into effect at the next renewal, the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"It is the future. Football is more than just Europe and South America, football is global."

Infantino, bolstered by the unanimous backing of his council, was easily able to frame this as a democratic and inclusive move, rather than the watering down of FIFA's showpiece event to bolster TV rights and secure backing in future elections, as campaign group New FIFA Now argued.

"The football fever you have in a country that qualifies for the World Cup is the biggest promotional tool for football you can have," said Infantino, ignoring the counter-argument that a bloated tournament featuring more weaker teams may struggle to retain its allure.

For the neutral viewers (among which we in this country have had to count ourselves since 2002, alas) it also becomes a less attractive product. The memorable 2022 tournament in Qatar - which was not without its own issues - consisted of 64 games. The next World Cup will feature 104 games, as will the 2030 tournament, which will bizarrely be hosted in six countries across three continents.

How quaint to think Jack Charlton qualified Ireland for a 24-team World Cup and before the 1980s it was a 16-team tournament.

It may be a trend-setter, but FIFA is not alone here. Sporting expansionism is a worldwide problem - tournaments are out of control.

This week we learned the famously lean Rugby World Cup will add four teams in 2027 to bring it to 24 participating countries.

The pool stages of this year's event featured an average scoring margin of 31.6 points per game, so it's unclear what is to be gained by admitting four more teams, other than that fuzzy ambition of "growing the game".

"This incredible Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament has demonstrated the passion and potential that lies beyond the top 10 or 12 nations," according to World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont. "If we think big and think inclusive. It is not acceptable to accept the status quo. Not acceptable to do nothing."

The cynics among us may say the next instalment in Australia will feature an extra four games (52) to figure out which one of New Zealand and South Africa will be crowned champions, while the optimists will note the introduction of a round of 16 does offer up the real prospect of Ireland winning a first-ever knockout game.

The Cricket World Cup is happening right now. Don't worry, if you've missed the first 28 group stage games there are another 17 still to be played.

The format, adopted four years ago, sees all 10 teams play each other in a league format to identify four semi-finalists. What it lacks in efficiency it gains in attractiveness for those of us who appreciate some unobtrusive background sport during our working day: one game a day for a month and a half with little enough action of consequence as of yet. Apart from defending champions England being all but eliminated.

To be fair to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the current tournament is smaller in terms of teams and games (48) than previous incarnations, which have featured up to 16 teams and 54 games. But it is going back up to 16 teams in 2027.

Of course, we are not immune to this expansionism closer to home either. The group stages of the Tailteann Cup and Sam Maguire have seen the number of Gaelic football championship matches balloon from 60 to 99 in the space of 12 months.

Coupled with splitting the season into inter-county and club-only segments it has greatly increased the number of games to be played in a more narrow window, but perhaps the GAA was one sporting organisation where the training-to-games ratio was skewed too much in favour of the former.

However the GAA have not increased the number of televised games to reflect this increase in matches, which causes problems that the likes of FIFA could not even fathom. Plus the players' union, the Gaelic Players Association, are calling for pre-season tournaments to be done away with to reduce the strain on players.

It is football however - thanks to years of obscene TV rights deals - where the most supersized supersizing has happened. Before 1980 the Euros featured four teams and perhaps Ireland's greatest footballing achievement was to qualify for the eight-team Euro 88. From 1996 to 2012 it was satisfied with 16 teams and 31 games, but since 2016 (when we last qualified) it has been a 24-team tournament with 51 games.

The European Championships will come to these shores in 2028 and there are some who would like to see it expanded to 32 teams, as 24 is not a neat number for any knockout tournament - relying as it does on ranking third-placed teams to fill the round of 16.

But when you consider there are only 55 UEFA members you can see how this is all getting out of hand.

The Champions League is another UEFA competition undergoing a mutation. From next season the tournament will adopt the 'Swiss Model' - last seen bamboozling rugby fans in the Champions Cup - resulting in four more teams (36) and SEVENTY-FOUR more games (189) than this year's competition.

Before we even get to the proposed 32-team Club World Cup you already have global union FIFPRO baulking at the 12-month schedules that see elite players like Mo Salah play 70 matches in the 2021-22 season, or young talents like Bukayo Saka flogged by club and international managers to the point where the attacker played in 87 consecutive Premier League matches for Arsenal.

Are more games what the sport needs?

Away from the questionable merit of introducing more Champions League group stage matches into the world, there are the environmental issues.

Whether it is hosts India playing in nine different cities during the pool stages of the Cricket World Cup, or planeloads of players, staff and fans flying across the Atlantic several times to mark the centenary of the first World Cup, or four more countries flying to Australia to make up the numbers at the next Rugby World Cup, all this expansion has a knock-on effect on the climate crisis.

Which brings us to post-growth economics. The theory is catching hold in recent years as the climate crisis worsens, with academics and even some politicians coming to the realisation that the quest for never-ending growth is not helpful in efforts to cut emissions and reduce reliance on carbon fuels.

At the start of the decade economic anthropologist Jason Hickel expressed the hope that "in the 2020s, we can expect that the climate movement will rally around the Green New Deal and a vision for a completely new economy".

Thus far this decade sport has proved itself to be more Reaganite than post-growth, but with even the Premier League TV rights auction - the goose that laid the golden proverbial - showing signs of a slowdown, is it likely that fans will vote with their eyeballs and their wallets?

The law of diminishing returns is another well known economic theory, known to laymen as 'too much of a good thing'.

In this respect it is likely sport is nearing its own tipping point.

Read more:
Sporting expansionism: Tournaments are out of control - RTE.ie

In the ICC World Cup 2023 points table, the Netherlands have advanced from the 10th to the eighth position following a comfortable 87-run victory over Bangladesh.

The Dutch team secured their second win in the competition, accumulating a total of four points from six matches.

Bangladesh has endured their fifth consecutive defeat in the 2023 World Cup. As a result of this loss, the team led by Shakib Al Hasan has descended to the ninth position in the standings. The Tigers now possess only two points after six games.

The defending champions, England, have slipped from the ninth to the 10th position in the 2023 World Cup points table. The Netherlands occupied the 10th spot before their encounter with Bangladesh, but they have now climbed to the eighth position, pushing England to the bottom.

The updated points table is below

Currently, the top four teams in the 2023 World Cup points table are South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Australia. Earlier today, New Zealand and Australia clashed at the HPCA Stadium, with the Aussies narrowly defeating the Black Caps by five runs in a thrilling contest.

India have the opportunity to claim the top position tomorrow. The home team, India, will face England, who are in the 10th position, in Lucknow. If India can overcome the defending champions, the Men in Blue will ascend to the number one spot in the standings with 12 points. A victory against England would almost guarantee India a spot in the semifinals.

Conversely, England is in a do-or-die situation, with every forthcoming match acting as a knockout game for them. Having suffered defeats to South Africa, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka in their previous three matches, England face an uphill battle in the tournament.

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ICC World Cup 2023 points table after Netherlands beat Bangladesh - Geo Super

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Vlatko Andonovski was dejected after the U.S. Womens National Team, which he had coached for four years leading up to the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup, went 1-0-2 during group play and then lost on penalty kicks in their first knockout game.

It didnt matter that Sweden, which eliminated the USWNT, went on to finish third or that the team was a strange mix of aging stars nearing retirement and teenagers.

The USWNTs worst-ever finish at the World Cup fell on Andonovskis shoulders, so he resigned on Aug. 17, 2023 11 days after the loss, ending a tenure that included a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a 51-5-9 overall record.

The World Cup loss, a painful moment in an otherwise remarkable coaching career, came with a sliver of silver lining for Andonovski, who was announced Monday as the next head coach of the Kansas City Current.

One thing that hit me was how much this city the people in this city, the friends and my neighbors were behind me and supportive of me, he said. When I started the talks with Angie and Chris, I was very happy about the vision and the goals, but I was also happy that all those opportunities were in front of me in the city that gave me comfort in my hardest times. Im very thankful for it, and Im looking forward to repaying it.

Andonovski considered taking time off and he also fielded a handful of international offers, other NWSL offers and some offers to become an MLS assistant coach, but the opportunity with the Current was too perfect to pass up.

Walking out of there [for our first meeting], I was so excited, and the only thing I was thinking was, When do I start? How do I make this happen? And what can we do so I can start as soon as possible? Andonovski said. Right now, Im getting into this job refreshed and driven, hungry and motivated to create a club that will make a mark in womens soccer, not just in this country but internationally as well.

Originally from North Macedonia, Andonovski settled in Kansas City more than two decades ago.

He began playing for the Kansas City Comets indoor professional soccer team in 2001 and later coached the team before he was tapped as FC Kansas Citys first coach when the NWSL debuted in 2013.

Andonovski was the leagues 2013 Coach of the Year and led The Blues to back-to-back NWSL titles in 2014 and 2015 before the franchise folded after the 2017 season.

He spent the next two seasons with the now-OL Reign, where he again won NWSL Coach of the Year in 2019, before he was hired as the USWNT coach in October 2019.

Andonovski acknowledged that NWSL has changed since he left but noted that his USWNT role kept him close to the league, so he hopes to replicate his past success and bring new co-owners Chris and Angie Long along with Brittany Mahomes a few championships.

Im coming back to an organization that has a clear vision of what this team is going to look like and a clear vision of the path where this team needs to go, Andonovski said. Im humbled for the opportunity to be part of an organization like this, and I cant wait to get on the field and start building a team that will make this city proud.

Launched in 2021, the Current strive to be a mold-breaking franchise for womens professional sports.

Weve talked many times about our goal to be the best womens football club in the world, and everything that we do has that ambition, in my mind, Angie Long said. For me, though, its even more exciting when the best in the world is in your own backyard and the perfect fit for the club.

The Longs termed Andonovskis hiring as another step and investment as well as a momentous day in the franchises journey.

Were just really fortunate that timing-wise the stars aligned to make this happen, Angie Long said.

During a press conference last week to announce the naming rights for the clubs new home CPKC Stadium, which opens in March the Longs got to hear some of the feedback [on the hire] and it was unequivocally, unanimously positive, Chris Long said.

He said it spoke volumes to get that unsolicited feedback shortly after Andonovskis first meeting with the players.

Hes widely respected by players and soccer leaders across the landscape, Chris Long said. He has an endless work ethic and strives to not only win but also inspire and facilitate the development of his players.

Andonovski said hard work is not negotiable, noting that its part of Kansas Citys DNA and he wants it to be part of the Currents DNA as well.

But with players like Debinha and last seasons first-round pick Michelle Cooper, the Current will play with some flair, too.

Once you join this organization, it feels like you have no choice but to be bold and brave with the decisions that youre making, Andonovski said. This ownership group has shown us that in the past.

He pointed to launching the franchise in four months after the NWSL expanded back to Kansas City in December 2020, building a multi-million training facility, and constructing the worlds first stadium purpose-built exclusively for womens professional sports.

As a coach, I go with the mindset that I will be expected to make brave decisions, Andonovski said. I will be expected to make difficult decisions and face those decisions and challenges head-on, to embrace those challenges.

Andonovski said he believes the roster can compete for a championship and he wants to prove hes a championship coach still.

I may be even more driven and eager to start now and more motivated, Andonovski said.

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New Current coach Vlatko Andonovski hopes to repay city's ... - KSHB 41 Kansas City News