EUGENE, Ore. – The mood appears to be upbeat in the Oregon football circle as the No. 18 Ducks prepare to host Nevada on Saturday despite enduring a tough loss in their season opener. Oregon allowed the final 21 points - the last seven with nine seconds to play - in a 27-21 setback to No. 13 Auburn in Arlington, Texas, but coach Mario Cristobal remained optimistic that his club will move forward off the effort.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Oregon -23
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"A lot of the things we worked on in the course of the offseason were on display (against Auburn)," Cristobal told reporters. "We were able to show our physicality, (and) our improved ability to make plays in certain situations. All in all, we did not get the result we wanted. But, some good things to build upon. They feel strongly we could have a real good football team, with our goals sitting in front of us." Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert, who would have been the top quarterback taken in the 2019 NFL draft if he left school after his junior season, was 28-of-37 for 242 yards and a touchdown against Auburn and could find it a bit easier navigating through the Wolf Pack defense. Nevada began its season with a stunning 34-31 victory over Purdue when freshman walk-on kicker Brandon Talton booted a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Saturday's contest pits the Sewell brothers against one another when Oregon sophomore offensive lineman Penei faces Wolf Pack senior linebacker Gabriel.
ABOUT NEVADA (1-0)
Carson Strong, who is from the same hometown as Talton (Vacaville, Calif.), became the first Wolf Pack freshman quarterback to start a season opener since 1998 and didn't disappoint with 295 yards passing and three touchdowns while engineering a 17-point comeback. Junior wide receiver Elijah Cooks caught a career-high seven passes and matched a career best with two TDs against Purdue. The defense is off to an opportunistic start after collecting two interceptions and three fumbles last week with senior defensive back Daniel Brown recording both picks.
ABOUT OREGON (0-1)
Sophomore running back CJ Verdell provided balance to the offense with 76 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries versus Auburn. Junior wide receiver Johnny Johnson III entered the season with 38 career catches before recording seven for 98 yards last week. Senior linebacker Troy Dye resumed his exceptional tackling skills with a game-high 15 - 10 solo - against Auburn after totaling 115 last season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Herbert hasn't thrown an interception in his last 82 passing attempts and has tossed a touchdown in 29 straight games - the longest active streak in the nation.
2. Talton, who received a scholarship after the Purdue game, recorded the third-longest field goal in school history (Tony Zendejas (58 yards, 1983; Damon Fine, 58 yards, 2001).
3. Oregon has won 23 straight non-conference games at home, including 69-20 over Nevada in 2011 in the last meeting.
PREDICTION: Oregon 42, Nevada 20