THE MAKING OF A BIG GAME
ESPN’s College GameDay came to town and Oregon fans showed
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(On The Cover) The Indiana Hoosiers football players stand with their fans after beating the Oregon Ducks 30-20. The University of Oregon Ducks played the Indiana University Hoosiers at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 11, 2025. (Anna Liv Myklebust / Emerald)
(Right) Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney (4) tackles Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (13).
OREGON VS. RUTGERS
After losing its home winning streak in Week 7, Oregon faces its longest road trip in the Big Ten for its first-ever matchup with Rutgers in Week 8.
BY HENRY LIGHT Sports Writer
Oregon could use the air miles it will take to get to Newark, New Jersey for a Hawaiian vacation, but instead it will take a short bus ride to Piscataway, New Jersey for a Week 8 matchup against Rutgers.
Oregon’s new multi-thousand-mile cross-country road trips for conference matchups with Rutgers and Maryland were a topic of conversation when the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024. Week 8 brings the first of those matchups as No. 8 Oregon (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) makes the 2,908-mile journey to Piscataway to face Rutgers (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten).
The road trip is Oregon’s longest in the Big Ten since its 2024 expansion, and narrowly beats out Maryland’s 2,815-mile trip to Autzen Stadium last season. The Scarlet Knights will also have a sellout crowd behind them for their homecoming weekend.
Rutgers returns home from a long road trip of its own to Washington in Week 7. The Scarlet Knights took a 13-10 lead into halftime and trailed 24-19 late
Rutgers has not faced a halftime deficit in Big Ten play so far, being tied at 21 in the opener against Iowa, and leading Minnesota 21-14 in Week 5.
Late in the fourth quarter against Iowa, trailing by three, the pocket around quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis fell apart, and his deflected pass was intercepted, which allowed the Hawkeyes to score again for a 38-28 win. Against Minnesota, a potential walk-off drive went off the rails, ending in a missed 56-yard field goal on fourthand-22, and the Golden Gophers kneeled out a 31-28 win.
The late losses are a new challenge for head coach Greg Schiano, who has slowly turned the program around during his five-season tenure. The Wyckoff, New Jersey native has deep ties to the state and football program after first getting into coaching in 1988 as an assistant at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, near his hometown. The next year, Schiano landed his first NCAA position as a graduate assistant at Rutgers, and in 2001, he returned for his first head coaching job.
Schiano left Rutgers to coach the
52-year-old Schiano stepped away from coaching to spend more time with his family, but returned to coach the Scarlet Knights ahead of the 2020 season. After setting the program’s wins record with his 79th in 2022, Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to their first winning record and bowl game in nine years in 2023, and he repeated both feats in 2024.
“Coach Schiano is a guy that I’ve got tremendous respect for. His name speaks for itself — what he’s been able to do over the years,” Lanning said in his Monday press conference. “His teams, when you watch them play, they play with a brand of toughness, and they challenge you in a lot of ways.”
Kaliakmanis is in his second season controlling Rutgers’ offense, and although the chances of Kaliakmanis leading the team to another bowl game are looking slim, the fifthyear senior is quietly putting together an excellent season. Kaliakmanis ranks third in the Big Ten in passing yards with 1,785 and has thrown 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions. His lagging completion percentage of 66%, which ranks 41st in the nation, hints at the Ducks offense’s major weakness: an offensive line that has allowed 18 sacks. He generously splits the targets among junior Ian Strong, sophomore KJ Duff, and senior DT Sheffield, with all three hauling in over 25 receptions. Strong leads the team in receptions with 36 and yards with 537, while Duff leads in touchdowns with four, and all three appeared on the preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist for best wide receiver in the nation.
The Scarlet Knights’ rushing game, meanwhile, goes as sophomore running back Antwan Raymond goes. Raymond sits tied for second in the Big Ten in attempts with 102, fourth in rushing yards with 560 and second in touchdowns with nine.
“Offensively, they’ve got real weapons outside at wide receiver, one of the better, if not one of the best running backs we’ve seen this year in the way they’re playing right now,” Lanning said.
Despite Schiano’s defensive background, that side of the ball has troubled the Scarlet Knights all season. The unit sits dead last in the conference in total yards allowed per game with 385.3, and has forced just three turnovers by way of two interceptions and one fumble recovery. University of Nevada, Las Vegas transfer safety Jett Elad has been the defense’s saving grace, leading it in tackles with 40.
“We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us to go play a team in Rutgers that does a lot of things that really challenge you,” Lanning said.
Former Oregon star Bucky Irving remains sidelined for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with injury. Head coach Todd Bowles ruled him out for Week 7 vs. Detroit, marking his third straight missed game.
Irving first suffered a foot sprain in Week 4 before a shoulder injury extended his recovery. With a bye in Week 9, he’s expected to return around Week 10.
AROUND THE BIG TEN WEEK 7
Standings shift as Oregon and Michigan take big losses.
BY HARRY LEADER Sports Writer
The Big Ten standings saw movement in Week 7 and teams at the top shifted down. These matchups were intense and have major implications going into the second half of the season. The Daily Emerald breaks down all the action.
PENN STATE FALLS 22-21 TO NORTHWESTERN IN DEFLATING LOSS
The Wildcats took down the Nittany Lions in a catfight for the ages, which resulted in Penn State head coach James Franklin losing his job the next day. Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending leg injury during the game after a big hit late in the fourth. Northwestern wide receiver Griffin Wilde was electric in the win, collecting seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.
NO. 1 OHIO STATE TAKES
DOWN NO. 17 ILLINOIS 34-16
In a game littered with great offensive plays for the Buckeyes, the defense stood out with an interception and a forced fumble against a strong Illinois team. Ohio State running back CJ Donaldson was a menace at the goal line, picking up two touchdown rushes from inside the five-yard line.
IOWA BLOWS OUT WISCONSIN 37-0
The Hawkeyes’ backfield carried the team to a massive blowout win on the road, scoring all but one of their four touchdowns. The Iowa passing game was forgettable with quarterback Mark Gronowski only throwing for 107 yards and one interception. Gronowski mustered only one score, picking up an early rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Iowa’s passing game looked great in comparison to Wisconsin’s who only threw eight completions for a measly 82 yards and two interceptions. The only positive note for the Badgers’ defense was cornerback Ricardo Hallman’s interception in the first quarter. Iowa defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne picked up his first career interception.
WASHINGTON HANDLES RUTGERS, 38-19
Huskies quarterback Demond Williams was lights out against the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 402 yards and two touchdowns in a big win for Washington. Williams wasn’t just throwing the ball for the Huskies, either, as he ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Washington receivers Dezmen Roebuck and Denzel Boston could not be stopped by the Rutgers secondary as they combined for over 200 yards, with Boston catching both touchdown passes. The Scarlet Knights took a beating from the Huskies, but wide receiver Ian Strong put himself on the map with 124 receiving yards.
NEBRASKA SURVIVES MARYLAND 34-31
Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola had Nebraska fans on a roller coaster of emotions after throwing four touchdown passes and three interceptions in the close win on the road. Running back Emmett Johnson continued to impress with 176 rushing yards, just a week after putting up three touchdowns against Michigan State. The Maryland defense came to play, picking up three interceptions, including a pick-six to take the lead late in the third quarter. The Terrapins put up a fight against a tough Cornhuskers team, but couldn’t walk away with the win at home.
NO. 20 USC DISMANTLES NO. 15 MICHIGAN 31-13
USC running back King Miller was unstoppable in the home upset against the Wolverines, racking up 158 rushing yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t just Miller putting the ball in the endzone for the Trojans: running back Bry-
an Jackson ran a 29-yard touchdown late in the game to win it at the Coliseum. Michigan wide receiver Andrew Marsh stood out in the loss, picking up 138 receiving yards and a touchdown, which came off a 69-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
UCLA HANDLES MICHIGAN STATE ON THE ROAD TO WIN SECOND STRAIGHT
UCLA picked up its second win of the season against Michigan State in a 38-13 blowout. Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were caught by running back Jalen Berger. Berger also ran for 89 yards and a touchdown in a big road win for the Bruins.
MINNESOTA ESCAPES A TIGHT ONE WITH PURDUE
The Minnesota Golden Gophers came back late at home against the Purdue Boilermakers in a 27-20 win. Minnesota was trailing by seven heading into the final quarter, but tied it up halfway through the fourth with an endzone reception by tight end Jameson Geers. The Golden Gophers responded seven seconds later with a pick-six to win the game.
(ABOVE) Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) throws the ball during warmups before a game against the UCLA Bruins at Spartan Stadium. (Brendan Mullin/Imagn Images)
EUGENE’S TIME
Students and fans reflect on a weekend to remember.
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Sports Writer
The “best night of their lives” commenced on the University of Oregon’s Memorial Quad.
Lugging bags, carpets and pillows into a cramped space separated by metal barriers, over 700 fans spent the night with a pack of friends before ESPN’s “College GameDay” for the chance to score an orange hard hat, a free donut and an all-desirable prime location to be seen on ESPN.
Others were lured by the promise of a potential field-goal try for hundreds of thousands of dollars, the opportunity to boo Indiana fans walking by and center-stage viewing of one of college football’s hottest commodities. Those who came with the biggest of groups also had the craziest plans.
Freshman Zoe Hargreaves said that she was paired with a partner within a group of 15 friends so that a few could stay in line while the others could rest or get something hot to eat.
“My friends got here at 4:30 p.m., (25 hours and 30 minutes before the start of the actual show) in the morning, and we’ve been taking shifts all day,” Hargreaves said. “We want to be front row, and get the hard helmets and meet some new people… the experience is super fun.”
Fans bonded over the Ducks, not to mention a shared love of signs, festivities and everything that makes “College GameDay” special.
“It’s unbelievable being out here, it’s really all adrenaline
at this point,” freshman Zach Powman said. “We’ve been here since 4 p.m. and really the whole evening has been loud music and card games… a few of us left to get food, but other than that we’ve just been here.”
Getting to the start of GameDay was the challenge.
“Right around 4 a.m., we hit a wall,” Powman said. “We got into the pit and got the hat, but then it was like two hours until it started, and we definitely had to keep pushing through… It’s been the best night of my life, though, and I’m so glad we did it.”
When the show actually started, the crowd went from good to great, gawking and cheering for Dan Lanning’s shirt-taking-off scene with host Pat McAfee, booing a fan chosen to kick a potentially life-changing field goal and laughing at all of The Duck’s stunts.
“It’s always special to come out here to do GameDay. It’s my third one, I think, out here. The morning start, the fans, Pacific Northwest fans I think in general are a little bit more ‘hooliganly’ like soccer fans, but they show up in a big way,” McAfee said on the show. “It’s special out here.”
Those who went to the game were treated to one of the great environments, that is, until Oregon stopped giving fans much to cheer about.
For fans at the game, the result was a bummer, but it’s important to remember that everything Oregon wants is still in front of it. Also, being able to witness a marquee win for a sport’s biggest characters and most passionate fanbas-
TIME TO SHINE
Zach Powman UO freshman “ “
It’s unbelievable being out here, it’s really all adrenaline at this point.
es was a memorable part of what Saturday had to offer.
After Dante Moore’s packed house at Autzen Stadium eventually filed out, Indiana’s fans and players celebrated in delirium near the visiting fans’ section.
After all, “boos” kind of sound like Hoosiers anyway.
The Sunday after was a first for this iteration of head coach Dan Lanning’s team, and there’s absolutely an argument to be made about how all of Lanning’s cockiness and shirt-stripping swagger rings a little hollow when Oregon loses to an underdog at home. Lanning’s brashness rarely blows back in his face like it did Saturday, and it’s never as publicized or talked about as it was after losing to the Hoosiers.
Lanning and his group got kicked in the teeth, as a betting favorite and at home. The overall sentiment that Indiana was far more prepared than the Ducks was certainly another outlier of his incredibly successful run as head coach.
“Ultimately I don’t think our plan was great,” Lanning said postgame. “I don’t think anyone in the organization did the best that they are capable of today, myself included. Again, I thought their plan was better and ours wasn’t.”
Still, Oregon might just be a year away faced against an Indiana team only improving as the season progresses.
Oregon’s season was far from decided and the loss certainly won’t put too big a damper on the time that thousands of fans – Ducks and Hoosiers alike – had over a delirious two days.
But from an overall perspective, there’s a certain wow-factor that comes with the eyes of the nation; GameDay’s Week 4 episode, hosted in Miami, averaged 2.8 million viewers – on the campus students walk every day.
“What question should I ask Dan Lanning tomorrow?”
Howard asked a fan near the tour.
The fan, not expecting the question, stuttered.
“Damn, you gotta be ready! Howard said as he walked away.
It was about the only thing Oregon (and Hoosier) fans were not ready for amid the pregame festivities.
ESPN’s
poses with
fans at the barrier of the pit 30 minutes before the live broadcast is scheduled to begin.
The University of Oregon hosted ESPN's College GameDay for the Indiana University at Oregon game, played at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 11, 2025.
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
( ABOVE) Duck fans in the pit pose one hour before ESPN’s live broadcast begins.
On the Friday before Oregon vs. Indiana, students got to be a part of a media tour where the first stop was with Heisman Trophy winner and GameDay host Desmond Howard.
(LEFT)
Harry Douglas
duck
PRO DUCKS: TEZ JOHNSON STEPS UP IN KEY MOMENT FOR TAMPA BAY
BY ROWAN SHEA Sports Writer
Former Ducks were on full display across the world this past weekend. Bo Nix was in London, Dillon Gabriel got his second start in the NFL, Justin Herbert had a nail-biting final drive in Miami and Tez Johnson showcased his speed in Tampa Bay.
NIX LEADS BRONCOS TO INTERNATIONAL WIN
After Dillon Gabriel flew across the pond last week, another Duck in Bo Nix migrated to London to take on the winless New York Jets. Nix handed the Jets another loss after he led the Broncos to a 13-11 win early Sunday morning.
The 25-year-old threw for 174 yards, one touchdown and had 24 rushing yards making him second on the team in rushing yards for the game. That sole touchdown was a 16 yard pass from Nix to tight end Nate Adkins at the very end of the first quarter.
Nix targeted Ducks-turned-Broncos teammate wide receiver Troy Franklin four times throughout the game, completing all four of those passes. Although Franklin dropped the first reception, he finished with 19 yards on the day through his last three receptions.
GABRIEL FALTERS IN PITTSBURGH
Back in the U.S., a week after taking over for Joe Flacco as the starter, Dillon Gabriel struggled to match Nix’s performance. Gabriel went 29/52 for 221 passing yards. While he had more yards on the day than Nix, Gabriel and the Browns did not have a drive that resulted in a touchdown. The Browns would end up losing to the Steelers 23-9. The stat line does not reflect the quality of Gabriel’s play.
Around the league, multiple former Ducks were difference makers for their teams.
Many of the passes that Gabriel threw were on time, in little coverage and, if the Browns’ receivers could secure them, would have kept the Browns in the game. For his second career start, the rookie quarterback looked confident in his ability to perform and execute at a high level, even converting on fourth down.
HERBERT HANDLES THE DOLPHINS
Down in Florida, the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers took on the 1-4 Miami Dolphins. A hard fought battle with both teams trading scores throughout most of the game, the Chargers pulled away in the third quarter. A touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to wide receiver Ladd McConkey put the Chargers up by three. An interception would lead to another Chargers touchdown, this time a pass to running back Kimani Vidal.
Herbert led the Chargers down the field in the last 46 seconds, put them within field goal range and the Chargers walked out of Hard Rock Stadium with a 29-27 win.
At day's end, Herbert was 29/38, throwing for 264 yards and two passing touchdowns. On the defensive side, Troy Dye, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2020, would end the day with six total tackles, five of them solo, and a tackle for loss early in the second half.
JOHNSON SCORES FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN IN TAMPA BAY
Just over 270 miles away from Hard Rock Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers battled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers employ two of the most electric former Duck playmakers in Tez Johnson and Bucky Irving.
Johnson showed NFL fans what Oregon fans have known for years and grabbed his first NFL touchdown. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, on second and 11,
heaved a 45-yard pass to Johnson on a go route. Johnson was open from the second he got past the defensive line. Using his speed and athleticism that Duck fans are accustomed to, Johnson then left his feet, soaring with both arms out to haul in the pass. Catching the ball in his finger tips, Johnson landed with his arms pointing to the ground, still fully extended. He took a step, reeled in his arms and flung himself into the endzone.
Celebrating his achievement with a roundoff back handspring, Johnson was greeted with cheers from the crowd, and celebratory headbutts from teammates.
The Buccaneers secured a 30-19 win against San Francisco thanks to Johnson’s touchdown in the waning stages of the third quarter. “Guys like him, Tez Johnson, young guys stepping up big time for us,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said, praising Johnson in an on field interview per CBS after the game.
(BELOW) Sep 28, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs the ball during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
OREGON’S DEFENSE STRUGGLES ON THE MARGINS IN INDIANA LOSS
In their 30-20 loss against the No. 3 Hoosiers, the No. 8 Ducks failed to get stops where it mattered, especially in the red zone. It’s nothing new this season.
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Editor
The team that allows its opponent to score on every trip to the red zone in Week 7 would probably be regarded by many as a bottom feeder in the Power Four.
That team may have gotten unlucky and could be an underperforming, middle of the pack squad that has yet to hit its stride midway through the season. There’s no way that team would be ranked in the top 10 — No. 3 just last week — and considered one of the nation’s primary championship contenders, right?
Unfortunately for the No. 8 Oregon Ducks, they’re one of six FBS teams (one of three Power-4 programs) that have allowed a touchdown or field goal every time their opponent has reached the red zone this season. This culminated in the Ducks’ 30–20 upset loss to now–No. 3 Indiana, where Oregon allowed four trips to the red zone for a combined 24 points.
“At times we played well defensively. We had some short
selves back into the game. Through the third quarter, the Ducks had 30 more total yards than the Hoosiers and simply lacked that spark to convert in the big moments. That also bled into the defense, who seemed unable to get a stop on third down and get themselves off the field.
“We didn’t do a good job of having responsibility for the quarterback on a couple of those plays where we thought we did, but it’s something we’ll go back and evaluate,” Lanning said.
The Ducks were able to get the Hoosiers to six third downs in the fourth quarter, but they allowed Indiana and quarterback Fernando Mendoza to convert on three of them.
This doesn’t include the touchdown the Hoosiers score on third-and-goal, and it doesn’t account for one of the attempts being a kneel down at the end of the game, so the numbers really end up being four out of six.
“I thought their quarterback did a good job of getting from one to three (in his progressions) and finding the open guy. On one of them we slipped and fell down,” Lanning said. “We had to be clean on substitutions – we weren’t.
For Oregon’s defense, this spells out a separate issue that could compound into a much larger headache if the team isn’t careful. Not being able to get crucial, late-game stops kills a team’s ability to spark any swing of momentum or play from behind like the Ducks had to do against Indiana.
“There’s some moments where we didn’t make the play that was necessary and the play we’re supposed to make. So, those will be opportunities for us to tag,” Lanning said.
Oregon will have a much-needed opportunity to work out those kinks against a relatively weaker opponent in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
The Scarlet Knights are 105th in the country in red zone percentage and 42nd on third down offensively, which doesn’t pose as significant of a threat as the Hoosiers did on Saturday.
The Ducks find themselves in a situation similar to last week where they will seemingly need to shoot themselves in the foot continuously in order to lose at Rutgers. They did that at home against Indiana, and failing to get stops on third downs and allowing the Scarlet Knights into the red zone are easy ways to ensure defeat in New Jersey.
(BELOW) Oregon Ducks linebacker Jerry Mixon (54) tackles Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15). The University of Oregon Ducks played the Indiana University Hoosiers at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. The Hoosiers defeated the Ducks 30-20 on Oct. 11, 2025.
(Anna Liv Myklebust /Emerald)
WHAT WENT WRONG FOR DANTE MOORE AND OREGON OFFENSE AGAINST INDIANA?
In their first loss of the season, Moore and the Ducks created problems they haven’t all year.
BY OWEN MURRAY
Sports Associate Editor
By the time Dante Moore, flanked by tackles Alex Harkey and Isaiah World, walked toward the home sideline after throwing his second interception of the day at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 11, he — and Oregon — appeared and indeed were defeated. For the first time in 2025, the Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) looked sincerely outmatched, unable to create explosive plays and were 3-14 on third down in their 30-20 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers.
Moore (21-34, 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) struggled under pressure, took six sacks and threw a duo of fourth-quarter picks to seal Oregon’s defeat at the hands of the Hoosiers. It was the first time his passer efficiency rating dipped below 150 as the Ducks’ starter, and by far his lowest yards-per-attempt and completion percentage numbers. It wasn’t just him — Oregon allowed pressure all day against four and five-man rushes and had Moore off his spot frequently in its first loss of the season.
Hoosiers’ ability to flush Moore and eliminate options — especially on third down — cut off successful parts of play designs
On third-and-6 from Indiana’s 19yard line in the second quarter, Oregon had three men open by the end of the play. Jordon Davison, set to Moore’s left in the shotgun, came open on a wheel route that pulled Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy wide from his zone — enough space for Gary Bryant Jr., who started in trips to Moore’s right, to end up uncovered on a shallow crosser.
By the end of the play, neither of those two were viable options, because Moore had to step up to avoid the rusher who beat Harkey with speed and then, feeling pressure, chose to roll to his right out of the pocket. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq had beaten his man coverage and come open in the back of the endzone, but linebacker Aiden Fisher crashed from his zone and sacked Moore before he could attempt the throw.
By the end of the game, Moore was hurried four times and finished 4-7 for 64 yards on third down. It didn’t help that Oregon was frequently in thirdand-long (the Ducks’ average distance to go was 6.6 yards, and they were in thirdand-9 or longer five times, where they went 1-5 and gave up two sacks) — due to inefficiency and quarterback pressure on first and second down. The Ducks allowed six sacks after giving up just one in the previous five games, and two were on the first plays of drives while another was in second-and-medium.
Throwing under pressure became quick-trigger throws, missing open receivers later
Moore made some successful plays throwing hot (with identified unblocked rushers), including a second-and-7 overthe-ball completion to Bryant out of the two-minute timeout that went for 18 yards near field goal range and subsequent completion against a six-man pressure to Dakorien Moore that moved the chains again. He was hurried on second-and-8 that same drive, though, and Oregon missed the ensuing field goal to come up empty.
“They had a lot of different concepts to run on defense, but I thought we beat ourselves when it comes to penalties and missing simple reads,” Dante Moore said — Oregon had four offensive and nine total penalties.
Symptoms of that came throughout the game, like when Moore chose to check the ball down on third-and-6 against a five-man rush in the red zone. Both Dakorien Moore and Sadiq were coming open for potential touchdowns over the middle, but Harkey was beaten again and Moore, hurried, settled for the short completion and fourth down. Then, to begin the fourth quarter, he had to throw on third-and-11 with Kellan Wyatt given a free shot, and instead took a sack.
Chasing the game led to desperation throws, interceptions
The two interceptions came as Oregon began to chase a game that was running in the opposite direction. The first, deflected by Stephen Daley as Moore tried to find the only partial opening in triple coverage, bounced up in the air. The second looked like the underneath throws that Oregon linebacker Jerry Mixon regularly feasts on, but also one where Moore had few options and had to throw with pressure coming. As he walked off, though, that didn’t help.
Down seven points with six minutes remaining, Oregon moved away from the inefficient rushing game — and Indiana knew it and adapted accordingly in coverage. By the time he walked off between Harkey and World, Moore was left without a complementary rushing attack and was frequently off his spot whether or not pressure was real.
(RIGHT) Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) prepares to throw the ball. The Indiana University Hoosiers defeated the University of Oregon Ducks 30-20 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 11, 2025. (Anna Liv Myklebust/Emerald)
