Oregon Ducks News: Gabriel endures doubts, Sabrina dips a 30-piece, Rivalry treachery

Another day, another short question for Pro Duck Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel is 5-11, 205. Shedeur Sanders is 6-1, 212. Not at lot different, though Gabriel endures almost endless questions about his size and the limitations it creates for him as a pro quarterback.

Super Bowl champion and 10-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson is 5-11, 206.

After the fourth day of Cleveland Browns training camp Gabriel explained, patiently, for the 400th time. "Regardless, a quarterback has to find passing lanes. But also regardless, it's not always going to be the perfect situation. For anyone you're going to have to find those tight windows and make those certain throws. And that's at every level."

The Browns have a day off today after four days in helmets and shorts, resuming with a practice in pads on Monday.

According to the website "The Dawg Pound" Sanders was the most effective of the four quarterbacks on Day 4. Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, third-round draft pick Gabriel, fifth-round selection Sanders all took reps with the ones in 7-on-7 and team reps at the open practice:

Joe Flacco: 4/8 - 0 TDs - 0 INTs

Kenny Pickett: 6/10 - 2 TDs - 0 INTs

Dillon Gabriel: 8/15 - 1 TD - 0 INTs

Shedeur Sanders: 8/11 - 3 TDs - 0 INTs

When training camp began this week, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, a former Notre Dame quarterback who threw 61 touchdowns for the Irish at 6-1, 216, insisted the competition was still close.

Rees told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports,
“I mean, yeah, you can see them all winning the job, I think, right? In terms of the competition, we’re so early in the process, we’re so early in evaluating it.

Workouts in pads will be more telling. The Browns play three preseason games in August, beginning with a game in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers. They open the NFL regular season Sunday September 7 at home versus Joe Burrow and Cincinnati.

Sabrina scores 30 as Liberty streak snapped

Defending WNBA champion New York had won five games in a row before Saturday night's 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, falling at home despite 30 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals from Sabrina Ionescu.

Sparks forward Rickea Jackson hit a layup at the buzzer for the win. The Liberty played without second-leading scorer Breanna Stewart, who suffered a lower leg injury three minutes into the game.

Ionescu got heated about a illegal screen call against teammate Jonquel Jones in the third quarter.

Rivalry treachery goes back to the dawn of football

Autzen Zoo correspondent Bob B. sent Zoo headquarters an intriguing factoid.

In November 1896 before the Auburn's first-ever home game against Georgia Tech, Tiger supporters crept to the train station in the wee hours of the morning "to coat the tracks in pig grease, lard and soap."

The train carrying the Yellow Jacket squad slid five miles past the station, with their exhausted squad having to walk back into town. The Tigers, coming off a month of rest after beating hapless Mercer, won 45-0.

Even then, SEC schools were scheduling for success and gaming the system.

Fisch lobbies, sensibly, for a single portal window

At Big Ten Media Days this week Washington coach Dedd Fisch advocated for a single transfer window at the end of the school year.

During his stint at the podium he said,
"[The Big Ten] is also the best conference academically. No conference compares to the research institutions that fills our 18-team conference, and that's why I think it's so important that we let the school year be the school year, and let the portal be the portal. After the school year is over."

The Huskies and Ducks renew their rivalry in Seattle on Saturday November 29. There's no word yet on whether Dawg fans plan to grease the runway at SeaTac. The TSA frowns on that sort of thing now.

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