Won the Day

With 9:13 left in the 3^rd Quarter, the sellout crowd in Autzen Stadium rose to its feet to cheer on the Oregon defense. Which of the following events gave the crowd cause to stand and yell?

a. The game was close.

b. Washington was about to score.

c. It was 3^rd or 4^th and short.

d. All of the above.

e. None of the above.

Answer: e.

Oregon led Washington 38-7, and Washington had the ball 1^st and 10 from their own 46. Not only was the crowd standing and yelling, they were screaming as if Washington was about to score the mythical 40-point touchdown to win the game. Regardless of the time or circumstances, the Oregon faithful showed the most consistent energy out of any crowd we have seen.

So that leads to the question, why? Why did Oregon have the most engaged crowd? How did they create the stadium energy that opponents who come into Autzen Stadium dread?

It all starts with the team.

Yes, the recent team performance, high paced offense, pure speed, and athleticism play a major role in the crowd’s enthusiasm. But it’s more than that.

The fans feel like they know the team. They feel connected to the team. They feel like they’re a part of the team. They are not just spectators; they are living and breathing with every tackle, every breakaway dash down the field, and every touchdown.

Starting pregame, 35 minutes before kickoff, when the team took the field for warm-ups, “Joker and the Thief” blared over the loudspeakers and the fans clapped in sync with the team to create a hyped atmosphere. This pregame team-fan interaction elevated the crowd’s level of interest from start to finish. Finally, before the team made its entrance, led by The Duck on a motorcycle, an intro video was played to add even more energy to the stadium.

Throughout the game, they used the video board to further showcase the team and players, both current and former. When Washington scored a touchdown, at first the energy subsided, but by the end of the media timeout you never would have guessed this crowd knew how to be quiet. To uplift the crowd, they showed a highlight video of great moments in Oregon football and the fans cheered as if it was happening live.

Throughout the game, the video board made PA announcements and on-field recognitions come to life. During a media timeout, the women’s track team took the field accompanied with a highlight film of last year’s accomplishments. The crowd cheered as the video ended and as each runner was introduced with a live shot on screen. Highlight videos promoting “Matt Knight Madness” and the Oregon Duck volleyball team also gave the crowd reason to cheer and to show even more support for their Ducks.

And, as if the fans in Eugene needed another reason to shout, between the 3^rd and 4^th quarters, video from “Animal House” (filmed on campus) came on, and the whole stadium stood up and sang along to “Shout.” The Ducks capped off the emotional high of the crowd with a touchdown on the very next play, sending Autzen Stadium into a frenzy. No one cared that the game had been well in hand since the first half.

The energy in Autzen Stadium, from pregame events until the final whistle, made gameday in Eugene truly unique. The University of Oregon may not have the tradition of Ohio State, or Notre Dame, but they have a distinct identity that shapes their gameday experience. High energy on the field, in the stands, and on the video board undoubtedly helped the Oregon Ducks “Win the Day.”

Heading Out to Oregon!

Eugene, Oregon. Home to just over 156,000 people, and 155 sunny days per year (the national average is 205), does not sound like the ideal destination for the best high school football players in the country. The University of Oregon, however, has now become a college football destination, and the next stop for the Gameday Guru!

To understand how impressive the Oregon football program is, let’s look at a few comparisons:

Most big-time football programs build their success on in-state, high school talent. Oregon, however, has very little elite talent to draw from. According to Rivals.com, the state of Oregon has produced 18 high school football players ranked in their respective positions (8 in the top 10) from the 2010 class through the class of 2013. Meanwhile in only the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes, Florida, Texas, and California each had over 40 high school recruits ranked in their position’s top 10.

The Duck’s home, Autzen Stadium, holds 54,000 fans. Bryant Denny Stadium (Alabama) seats 101,000. The Horseshoe (Ohio State) has a capacity of 102,000. The Coliseum (USC) holds 90,000, and the Swamp (Florida) hosts 89,000.

Undesirable weather, very little in-state talent, a smaller stadium, and maybe even less tradition, but still, the Oregon Ducks compete with the traditional powerhouses in college football both on the field and in the stands.

As the story goes, the Oregon football program began its rise to prominence in 1994. On a Saturday afternoon in Autzen Stadium, #3 Washington trailed the Ducks 20-24. Driving down the field to win the game, Washington QB Duane Huard threw an interception to Oregon’s Kenny Wheaton. The redshirt freshman returned the interception for a touchdown, sealing the win for the Ducks.

As Oregon’s football momentum continued to build on the field, the Ducks needed to establish an identity to attract recruits from around the country.  But how could they do this without the rich, historic, tradition of a national powerhouse, such as Notre Dame, Alabama, or Texas? 

Enter, Nike. Let the uniform transformation begin. 

The Oregon uniforms became a little more unique in 2000 

A little more aggressive in 2006-2008

And today, they have the most distinct, creative, (awesome?) uniforms in the country.

The exciting uniforms and high-speed offense in Eugene have created one of the loudest, most electric stadium atmospheres in the country.

How loud is Autzen Stadium? In 2007 against USC, the Oregon faithful registered crowd noise at 127.2 decibels. The pain threshold begins at 125 decibels.

On October 5^th, the Gameday Guru heads out to Eugene to see how a small town in the Pacific Northwest does gameday. What makes a stadium that only holds 54,000 people so loud? How does the University of Oregon create such great energy in the stadium?

Stay tuned to see what makes the Oregon Ducks one of the most unique programs in the country!