The Portland Trail Blazers are taking on the rival Houston Rockets, and the game has not been without its drama.

The two teams wasted very little time getting physical and chippy, setting the tone for the first half of the game. Neither team was able to get too large of a lead, battling and exchanging buckets for most of the first quarter. Portland got its biggest bucket as time expired, with Moe Harkless draining a near half court shot at the buzzer. After one quarter, the Blazers were up 34-28.

The two stared the second quarter much like they ended the first: Being physical and exchanging buckets. That was until Portland got hot, and Houston unraveled. Behind some great defense, and even better ball movement, Portland opened up a 57-39 lead with 5:19 left in the quarter. From that point, the scoring slowed, but the lead stayed in tact.

Midway through this contest Portland is well in control. Blazers 64 – Rockets 49.  Don’t forget to catch Talkin’ Ball and Trail Blazers Pulse right after the game on CSN.

Top performers of the first half:

Blazers

Points—  Damian Lillard, 12

Rebounds— Ed Davis, 8

Assists— Damian Lillard, 5

Nets

Points—  James Harden, 12

Rebounds— Dwight Howard, 6

Assists— James Harden, 4

Mike Johnston returns to his post as VP, GM and Head Coach of the Portland Winterhawks after a brief stint in the NHL in which the Pittsburgh Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup just months after relieving him of his head coaching duties. 

Johnston held the head job with the Penguins for less than two seasons. So, how did the tide change so quickly? How did the Penguins front office inform him that they were going in a different direction? Did he watch the Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup? And is there any anymosity that he holds? 

And be sure to catch the Podfather Godcast with Dwight Jaynes to hear the entire interview coming your way soon. 

The Oregon Ducks' 53-28 win over UC Davis on Saturday certainly didn't impress voters.

Oregon remained at No. 24 in the latest AP Poll and fell one spot to No. 23 in the latest coaches poll. 

AP voters certainly love the Ducks' Pac-12 North Division rivals, Stanford and Washington.

The Cardinal, which won 26-13 over Kansas State on Saturday, moved up one spot to No. 7. The Huskies, a 48-13 winner over Rutgers, jumped to No. 8 from No. 14.  

In the coaches poll, Stanford is No. 5 (up from No. 7) and Washington is No. 11 (up from No. 18). 

Oregon freshman linebacker Troy Dye has been named Pac-12 defensive player of the week. 

Dye had 11 tackles (seven solo) and 4 1/2 tackles for loss, including one sack, during the No. 24 Ducks' 53-28 win Saturday at home against UC Davis.

Dye also blocked a field goal attempt.  

"I felt great about my performance but like I said before, there are little things I still need to work on to become a great player," Dye said. 

Colorado senior quarterback Sefo Liufau received offensive player of the week after he completed 23-of-33 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 66 yards on 14 carries. The Buffaloes won 44-7 over Colorado State on Friday night.

The special teams award went to Utah sophomore punter Mitch Wishnowsky. He punted six times for 333 yards (55.5 average) during the team's 24-0 win over Southern Utah. 

In a perfect world, Oregon freshman quarterback Justin Herbert would have seen more playing time during Saturday's 53-28 win over UC Davis at Autzen Stadium.

A slow start by Oregon's offense, however, led to a late hook for starting quarterback Dakota Prukop. That resulted in Herbert not getting on the field until the final drive of the game. His lone play consisted of handing off the ball on a running play.  

Still, for the local kid from Sheldon High School, simply getting into the game proved to be a thrill. 

“It was really cool. Just glad to be out there," the 6-foot-6 Herbert said. "It was a good win for the team. I was glad to be a part of it.”

Herbert is in this position after beating out redshirt freshman Travis Jonsen and true freshman Terry Wilson Jr. to become Prukop's backup.

Chances are, at some point Herbert will throw a meaningful pass this season. To that end, the Ducks' coaches would like to get him prepared as much as possible. 

“We were trying to get him in the game, get that over with," Yost said. "Get that nervousness out as early as possible in case he’s needed that’s not the first time he sees the field."

Next up: A pass attempt.

Herbert might have gotten a chance to show off his arm had he entered the game sooner. But the Aggies (0-1) kept the game closer than many expected, thus delaying Herbert's debut. 

Herbet said when he entered the game was of no concern him. He spent the game, he said, keeping track of what Prukop was doing and trying to learn. He still has so much to learn even after spending the summer cramming as much knowledge into his head as possible. 

“I really focused on the offense," Herbert said regarding his offseason preparation. "Made sure I got that down, knew all the ins and outs of the offense so I could come in ready.”

His ability to process information and then make plays impressed coaches and teammates during fall camp. Two weeks in it became apparent that he had earned the No. 2 position. 

“It was a little bit of a surprise," Herbert said. "I came in and I just wanted to get the offense down and really focus on this as a learning year.”

A couple of plays he made during camp led Herbert to believe that maybe he had a chance to compete for the job. But when asked on Monday if there had been a moment during camp when everything clicked, he said, not quite. 

“It was really tough and it was a lot of work,” Herbert said. “I think I’m still waiting for that moment. Still have a lot of work to do.”

Joel Gunderson brings us the inaugural episode of “Hawks Talk,” our new weekly Seahawks podcast. Every Monday Gunderson will be giving us his latest fantasy football picks, weekly breakdowns, predictions, and anything else ‘Hawks related. On this week's episode Gunderson talks Seahawks offseason and what we can expect from Seattle as week one approaches. 

The Oregon Ducks that were on display during Saturday's 53-28 win over UC Davis were nothing compared to what we could see this Saturday against Virginia. 

At least, that's the goal.

“We’re expecting a huge jump from Week 1 to Week 2,” senior quarterback Dakota Prukop said on Monday. 

That improvement goal includes, of course, the play of the quarterback. Prukop, a transfer from Montana State, completed 21-of-30 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns in his UO debut. But his performance lacked much flare. There were too many hiccups. Still, quarterback coach David Yost wasn't displeased. 

“Kind of happy with the first game,” Yost said of Prukop. “Pretty consistent throughout the whole game doing what he was supposed to do.”

Maybe. But clearly one would expect an Oregon quarterback to be far more dynamic against a mediocre FCS program like UC Davis.

Prukop said he was pleased with how the offense progressed during the game. The first quarter stunk, but the Ducks were humming by the fourth quarter when they racked up 182 yards of offense to reach 522 for the game. 

Missing was No. 24 Oregon's famed pace. Prukop blamed himself for taking time to get the offensive line into the proper protections after struggling to do so properly in the first quarter. 

Yost agreed.

“We’ve got to constantly try to ratchet it up a bit,” Yost said.

Growing pains should be expected with a new quarterback and several new offensive linemen. 

If the theory holds true that the biggest improvement is shown from game one to game two, a theory also endorsed by offensive line coach Steve Greatwood, then Virginia could be in trouble on Saturday. 

It's somewhat unfair to criticize a team for winning a game by "only" 25 points, regardless of the opponent. 

Nevertheless, that's what happened with No. 24 Oregon following its 53-28 win Saturday over UC Davis, a Big Sky Conference team that went 2-9 in each of the past two seasons. 

The No. 24 Ducks simply didn't look like themselves, or, at least, the past versions of themselves. 

The players and coaches certainly shared that sentiment. UO wide receiver Darren Carrington II, who flexed his talent with seven receptions for 117 yards, said the offense's performance was just "okay."

"We can't go anywhere lower than this," he said. "I think we can only go up. I don't think we even did bad, or anything, I just think we can be a little more efficient on our drives and finish drives instead of leaving open drive and putting the defense back on the field."

In all fairness we're talking about just one game. The Ducks (1-0) could very well show great improvement Saturday night against Virginia (0-1) at home. UO's performance against the Aggies could end up being a meaningless blip on the radar screen of a long, successful season. Or, the team's performance on offense could be the sign of a developing trend that will result in defeats against better competition. 

Oregon gained 522 yards in the game, which isn't shabby. But the Ducks had just 340 at the end of the third quarter before tacking on 182 in the fourth. In years past against FCS competition, the Ducks would have reached the 500-yard mark and at have scored at least around 50 points by the end of the third quarter. Oregon led 39-21 at the end of three quarters on Saturday and finished the game with a modest 21 first downs. 

Keep in mind Saturday's game came against a lower-tier Big Sky team, not the likes of Eastern Washington, which won 45-42 at Washington State on Saturday, and last year lost at Oregon, 61-42.

Take a look at Oregon's performances against FCS competition dating back to 2010. 

2015: Oregon 61, Eastern Washington 42

Oregon gained 731 total yards and racked up 34 first downs. The Ducks rushed for 485 yards on 8.5 per carry and led 54-35 after three quarters. The defense, however, played poorly and that ended up foreshadowing the rest of the season. 

2014: Oregon 62, South Dakota 13

The Ducks led 41-13 at halftime and 48-13 at the end of the third quarter. UO gained 673 total yards with 380 passing and 293 rushing on 7.7 per carry.

2013: Oregon 66, Nicholls 3

The Ducks led 38-3 at halftime and 45-3 at the end of the third quarter. Oregon finished with 32 first downs, 500 yards rushing and had 772 total yards.

2012: Oregon 63, Tennessee Tech 14

The Ducks led 35-7 at half and 56-14 at the end of three quarters. Oregon racked up 28 first downs while rushing for 324 yards and gaining 652 total yards on the day.

2011: Oregon 56, Missouri State 7

The Ducks led 56-7 at the end of three quarters before shutting things down and finished the day with 681 total yards with 416 rushing.

2010: Oregon 69, Portland State 0

The Ducks led by the eventual final score at the end of the third quarter. UO finished the day with 528 rushing yards and 668 total yards. 

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Needless to say, the Ducks have been far more dominant against lesser competition in the past, as the above list illustrates. During that eight-year stretch the Ducks won three conference titles, two Rose Bowls and appeared in two national title games. 

Does this all mean that this year's team simply doesn't have what it takes to become a champion? Not necessarily. But it shows that the 2016 Ducks have a lot of work to do before it will strike fear into the hearts of opponents as recent UO teams certainly did.

A quick look at Virginia:

No. 24 Oregon vs. Virginia

When: 7: 30 p.m., Saturday, Autzen Stadium.  

T.V.:  ESPN

Betting line: UO minus 24.

Records: Oregon (1-0, 9-4 last season), Cavaliers (0-1, 4-8 last season). 

Coaches: Oregon's Mark Helfrich (34-8); Virginia's Bronco Mendenhall (99-44, 0-1 at Virginia. Went 98-43 at BYU from 2005 to 2015).

Last week: Virginia Lost 37-20 at home to Richmond.  

Last season: The Cavaliers lost five games last season by seven points or less. But that couldn't save Mike London from losing his job after six seasons. Enter Mendenhall who promptly went out an lost to in-state Richmond, an FCS program. 

Cavaliers impact players: Junior quarterback Kurt Benkert, in his first year as a starter, looked solid in defeat, completing 26-of-34 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.

Virginia's running game, however gained just 38 yards on 21 carries. Senior Albert Reid is the new starter. He rushed for 360 yards last season.  

Fear factor (five-point scale): 1.  Virginia will bring much more talent into Autzen than UC Davis did but it won't be enough against what should be an improved Ducks team seeking to prepare for Nebraska the following week. If Oregon plays like it did Saturday against the Cornhuskers, the Ducks will lose. Virginia will provide Oregon with a chance to improve before facing real competition. 

Preliminary pick: Oregon, 47-20.

The Portland Trail Blazers were hard at work in San Diego this week, with nearly every roster player in attendance preparing for the upcoming season ahead. 

Though, while All-Star point guard Damian Lillard works to build another playoff caliber team, Dame DOLLA remains in mid-season form. 

Happy Sunday. pic.twitter.com/7uUpszg2QV

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 4, 2016

What'd you think?

The Portland Winterhawks played their third preseason game in as many days in Everett Sunday, and used a big third period to defeat the Silvertips 4-1. Their victory has them at 3-0 after the first weekend of preseason play. 

After a scoreless first period, Everett opened the scoring 6:53 into the second on a goal by Carter Brown as they took a 1-0 lead into the third. 

But from there it was all Portland, as the Hawks exploded for four goals in the third period. 

Portland broke through early in the third with a pair of goals just 22 seconds apart. First it was Ryan Hughes scoring off a wrist shot at 5:44, followed quickly on the ensuing shift by Colton Veloso tucking in a wraparound to give Portland a 2-1 lead.  

The Hawks’ third period rally continued at 13:25 when defenseman Caleb Jones ripped a wrist shot past Everett netminder Lasse Petersen to push the lead to 3-1. Finally, Hughes struck for his second of the period with under a minute to go to put a bow on the 4-1 victory over the Silvertips.

The Hawks will continue preseason play with three games this week in Kennewick, Washington, beginning Thursday at 3 p.m. when they take on the Silvertips once again. The regular season begins September 24 when Portland hosts the Seattle Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. in the Moda Center.

Playing the first of three straight home games in eight days, Portland Thorns FC received a hat-trick from forward Nadia Nadim and goals from forward Christine Sinclair and midfielder Allie Long to earn three points with a 5-1 win against the Boston Breakers in front of 17,152 fans Sunday at Providence Park.

With the win, Thorns FC (9-3-5, 32pts) currently sit in second place in the NWSL standings, four points behind the Washington Spirit (36pts), while holding a three-point lead over Chicago (29pts) and a four-point advantage over Western New York Flash (28pts).

Sinclair, playing her first game since a 2-1 win against the Orlando Pride on June 24, opened the scoring for Portland in the 14th minute from a set-piece play. After Nadim sent in a delivery from a corner kick into the six-yard box, Sinclair was first to the loose ball and placed her shot into the back of the net. In the 24th minute, defender Meghan Klingenberg picked out midfielder Lindsey Horan, who brought the ball down with her chest and quickly fired a shot that was kicked aside by Boston goalkeeper Libby Stout. Moments later, forward Hayley Raso’s follow-up shot from just inside the 18-yard box missed the target.

After a Boston defender was whistled for a handball inside the box just before halftime, Nadim stepped up to the penalty spot and tucked her right-footed finish into the lower right-hand corner of the net to double Portland’s lead in the 41st minute.

Holding a 10-6 shot advantage in the second half, Thorns FC created a number of goal-scoring opportunities. Portland scored their third goal of the game after Sinclair sent in a low-driven cross from the right wing into the area that picked out Long, who placed her curling effort past Stout in the 48th minute.

In the 79th minute, Thorns FC scored their second goal of the half when Long played a ball in behind the Boston defense that left Nadim in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper. Nadim took a touch past a sprawling Stout and calmly placed her shot into the back of the net. After Boston (3-13-1, 10pts) scored its lone goal of the game in the 84th minute, Nadim completed her hat-trick in stoppage time. Following a passage of play when second-half substitute Tobin Heath fired a shot at Stout, who made a one-handed save, Nadim rose highest to the rebound and finished her header from inside the six-yard box.

Next up, Thorns FC will play host to the Houston Dash at Providence Park on Wednesday, Sept. 7. The match on Sept. 7 kicks off at 7 p.m. (Pacific) and will feature a live web stream at www.thornsfc.com.

Notes:

·         Forward Nadia Nadim tallied her second career hat-trick. Her first three-goal game came on Aug. 9, 2014 as a member of Sky Blue FC against Western New York Flash.

·         Portland improved to 6-5-0 in the all-time series against Boston, including a mark of 4-1-0 at Providence Park.

·         Forward Christine Sinclair appeared in her 60th career match for Thorns FC.

·         Defender Emily Menges played in her 57th career match for Portland and is the only player this season to play every minute of every match.

·         Thorns FC have outscored their opponents 17-6 at Providence Park this season.

·         Goalkeeper Michelle Betos tallied four or more saves in a match for the 13th time in her Thorns FC career.