Oregon’s wide receiver room already made its presence felt in the opener, and now the Ducks may be about to add another dangerous piece.
Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan each delivered game-deciding touchdowns in Oregon’s 34-27 win over Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 5, but the group was missing one of its most intriguing newcomers. UAB transfer Iverson Hooks sat out after tweaking a hamstring in practice leading into the game, and his status has become one of the bigger storylines heading into Oregon’s first road test of the season at Oklahoma State.
Coach Dan Lanning has been upbeat about Hooks’ chances of making his Ducks debut in Stillwater, and Moore made it clear on Wednesday why there’s so much buzz around the transfer. The praise was direct and strong.
“I would say he’s way better than before he got here. Of course, just his knowledge of the game, his speed, his player recognition just everything I feel like after he got here has advanced.
Of course, he was a tremendous player at UAB. So if you watch his highlights from there, you’ll get a little glimpse of what he’ll bring here.
But, yeah, I can’t really spoil too much. I just say, stay tuned for Iverson Hooks on the field,” Moore said.
Hooks brings a résumé that helps explain the excitement. Over four seasons at UAB, he caught 97 passes for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best year came in his final season before transferring, when he posted 72 receptions for 927 yards and seven touchdowns, production that placed him among the top receivers in the AAC.
That kind of resume is part of why many Oregon fans see him as a potential difference-maker in a receiver group that already includes Moore, McClellan and Evan Stewart. If Hooks is ready to go, he adds another layer to an offense that already showed plenty of punch in Week 1.
Oregon enters Saturday as a heavy favorite. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Ducks as 23.5-point favorites over the Cowboys, with the over/under set at 57.5. Oklahoma State is coming off a 24-10 road loss to Tulsa in its first game under new coach Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT at Boone Pickens Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN. If Hooks is on the field, all eyes will be on how quickly he can turn that offseason hype into production.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Draft Hopes Ride On One Massive Oregon Showcase
The spotlight for Oklahoma States trip to Oregon is already bigger than a late-September nonconference game usually gets, and the NFL has made sure of that. More than 20 scouts, including two general managers, have requested credentials for the matchup, a clear sign the visiting locker room and the Ducks sideline both figure to be under a heavy pro-grade microscope with several draftable players on the field.
For the Cowboys, the game offers a chance to put more than just a result on tape. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker has draft potential, while wide receiver Wyatt Young has drawn attention as a possible NFL slot fit, but the standard only rises when the opponent brings prospects like Dante Moore, AMauri Washington and Jamari Johnson into the same conversation. Oklahoma State does not need a perfect afternoon to justify the buzz, but it does need a cleaner one if its own draft hopes are going to keep building. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Must Fix One Major Problem Before Oregon Arrives
Oklahoma State has spent the week staring straight at the same problem that showed up in last weeks loss to Tulsa: getting enough heat on the quarterback. That issue gets a lot bigger with No. 6 Oregon coming to Stillwater on Saturday, because the Ducks do what dangerous passing teams always do - make a defense pay if the rush never arrives and the secondary has to hold up too long.
Dante Moore is back on the schedule, and the Cowboys know exactly what kind of challenge he brings to the matchup. Oklahoma States defense has to find a way to disrupt him early and slow Oregons passing game, or the Ducks could settle into the kind of rhythm that has already hurt the Cowboys once before. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Boise State Win Just Took On A Different Look
Oregons narrow win over Boise State already looked a little less tidy after the rankings settled, and the Ducks FPI slot reflects that. The more immediate concern for Oklahoma State, though, is how the matchup now looks from its own side after a Week 1 loss to Tulsa and a drop in the same metric, leaving the Cowboys trying to steady themselves before a visit from a top-10 opponent in a game that already carried plenty of attention.
Stillwaters challenge got tougher in the meantime, with the Cowboys dealing with a major hit up front after their starting left tackle was lost for the season. Oklahoma State also is still sorting through a roster with several new faces, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who arrived from North Texas with Eric Morris, and those moving parts will matter even more as the Cowboys try to reset quickly for Week 2. [Read more 🡒]