THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025
CAN’T DRAG US DOWN
On Noah Whittington’s big run, Dan Lanning’s perfect fit among his hiring class and when to peak in college football.
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(On The Cover) Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates a second-quarter touchdown that was later called back. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025.
(Right) Oregon Ducks kicker Atticus Sappington (36), warms up to take the kickoff. (Julia Massa/Emerald)
OREGON OREGON OFFENSE vs.
WEEK 12 TEAM ROSTERS: USC
USC OFFENSE
PLAYER
DANTE MOORE
BROCK THOMAS
JORDON DAVISON
NOAH WHITTINGTON
DIERRE HILL JR.
MALIK BENSON
JEREMIAH MCCLELLAN
KENYON SADIQ
JAMARI JOHNSON
ISAIAH WORLD
EMMANUEL PREGNON
IAPANI LALOULU
GERNORRIS WILSON
DAVE IULI
MATTHEW BEDFORD
ALEX HARKEY
OREGON DEFENSE
A’MAURI WASHINGTON
BEAR
MATAYO UIAGALELEI
TEITUM TUIOTI
BRYCE BOETTCHER
DEVON JACKSON
JERRY MIXON
ELIJAH RUSHING
DILLON THIENEMAN
AARON FLOWERS
IFY OBIDEGWU
BRANDON FINNEY JR.
THERAN JOHNSON
JADON CANADY
DAYLEN AUSTIN
OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS
PLAYER
JAYDEN MAIAVA
HUSAN LONGSTREET
JA’KOBI LANE
MAKAI LEMON
TANOOK HINES
JADEN RICHARDSON
DJ JORDAN
ELIJAH PAIGE
TOBIAS RAYMOND
J’ONRE REED
ALANI NOA
JUSTIN TAUANUU
LAKE MCREE
WALKER LYONS
KING MILLER BRYAN JACKSON
JAHKEEM STEWART
ERIC GENTRY
TA’MERE ROBINSON
DESMAN STEPHENS II
JADYN WALKER
MARCELLES WILLIAMS
DECARLOS NICHOLSON
DJ HARVEY
BISHOP FITZGERALD
CHRISTAIN PIERCE
KAMARI RAMSEY
KENDARIUS REDDICK
LAZARUS: OREGON’S BEST LOOKS SO FAR THIS SEASON
The Ducks are often lauded for the sheer number of uniform combinations they can display. Here’s a ranking of what they’ve worn this season.
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Editor
While it’s often something that opposing fans like to poke fun at, it’s probably about time to celebrate each of the unique uniforms Oregon has worn so far in 2025. Each season, Oregon football take the time to design and execute a vision that entails rolling out 12 different uniforms for the team’s 12 games. Compared to 2024, this year has seen fewer swings in terms of introducing new jerseys, but sticking to the classics has worked wonders for the Ducks’ on-field looks this season.
Full Green Week 2 vs. Oklahoma State
There’s not that much to say about these, as they lack any character and any of the flair that makes the Ducks often stand out.
White-Green-White Week 11 vs. Minnesota
Oregon needed something special to go along with the “Friday Night Lights,” and this was not it. The marble hel mets matched with the regular white pants were...
#10 #9 #8 #7 #6 #5 #4
The thing about these is that there is something about the white wings on the green helmet that sticks out in a bad way. There is something major preventing this uniform from tying together as a whole, which sticks it towards the bot tom of the list.
Green-Black-Green Week 7 vs. Indiana
In this uniform, it’s the green pants that are throwing everything off. It doesn’t help matters that the Ducks wore these in their only loss so far this season, but the combination of the helmet, jersey and pants doesn’t work here.
Yellow-White-Yellow Week 3 at Northwestern
For the Ducks’ first road trip this season, they unveiled a clean combination that matched the helmet and pants, which has become a staple of this team’s attire. The usage of the green “O” logo instead of wings also gets this uniform extra points, as that hasn’t been super common in 2025.
Full White Week 8 at Rutgers
At this point, all of these uniforms are beautiful. This one probably gets dinged a little bit due to the game that they featured in being a fairly unmemorable Oregon blowout. This was the first time they donned a white helmet with black wings, which is definitely one of the best lids the Ducks have worn. The all-white was a very clean uniform, a great risk that paid off and probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves due to the top four of this list.
Yellow-Green-Yellow
Week 1 vs. Montana State
Oregon opened its season with a bang in terms of uniform. The yellow helmet with green wings looked incredible in person and the classic green jersey and yellow pants is a look that inspires nostalgia in all Ducks fans. The helmet was new, but the rest of the uniform proved as traditional as it gets, so trotting this out at the begin ning
#1 #3
Shoe Duck
Week 4 vs. Oregon State
When Oregon does take risks, it does it right. Paying homage to the founder and CEO of Nike, Phil Knight, the “Shoe Duck” uniforms feature a plethora of differences from the average Duck jersey. The silver coloring, gold shoes and logos and the Nike wing on one side of the helmet were all calculated risks to take, and it’s all tied together by the shoulder logos featuring Knight’s signature.
Black-White-Black Week 5 at Penn State
These could be up here just because of the moment, but that’s the whole point. These uniforms, while nothing crazy relative to others, were featured in one of the best moments in Ducks history. The White Out at Penn State hosted one of the biggest wins in Oregon’s history and the Ducks dressed to the occasion with a simple black and white look that stole the show.
#3 #2 #1
Grateful Ducks
Week 9 vs. Wisconsin
It had to be these. The “Grateful Ducks” uniforms were probably the biggest swing Oregon has taken in recent years. Tying back to the city’s rich history with the Grateful Dead, the jerseys feature the accent of tie-dyed numbers, which proved to be one of the most iconic looks from the past few years.
(LEFT) The University of Oregon Ducks donned their Nikeinspired “Shoe Duck” uniforms as they hosted the Oregon State Beavers for their 129th meeting at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
(BELOW) Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) runs back to the sidelines after Oregon scores a touchdown. The University of Oregon Ducks host the University of Wisconsin–Madison in a Grateful Dead-themed washout at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 25, 2025. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
THE DUCKS OFFENSIVE LINE DOMINATES ANOTHER PHYSICAL BATTLE
How Oregon’s offensive line shut down the most productive pass rush in the Big Ten in Week 12.
BY HENRY LIGHT Sports Writer
Oregon’s availability report for its matchup against Minnesota’s conference-leading pass rush left its passing offense in a precarious position.
Facing a Minnesota defense that leads the Big Ten in sacks with 32, Oregon’s pass protection would be short-handed with right tackle Gernorris Wilson ruled out and right tackle Alex Harkey and tight end Kenyon Sadiq listed as questionable.
Luckily for the Ducks, Harkey and Sadiq did return, and with a long list of depth players taking on larger roles, Dante Moore completed 27 of his 30 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns while taking just one sack.
“Well, I think it’s a great performance by Dante, but I think he’d be the first to tell you there were some unbelievable catches within that (and) some great protection,” head coach Dan Lanning said after the game.
On its first point-scoring opening drive since Week 4, Oregon shifted heavily to 12-personnel with both Sadiq and backup tight end Jamari Johnson running routes. Harkey helped Moore take advantage of the personnel on the second play of the drive, realizing he had no pass rusher to block and shifting to help Dave Iuli hold up Big Ten sacks leader Anthony Smith. The two gave Moore just enough time to find Johnson for 8 yards.
Later in the drive, with a third tight end on the field in a goal-line formation, Moore threw one of his three incompletions under heavy pressure due to a missed block. Oregon had six blockers lined up to push six pass-rushers to the right and open up Johnson in the end zone, but Isaiah World and Trent Ferguson let linebacker Matt Kingsbury through the left side to pressure Moore.
Smith recorded Minnesota’s lone sack late in the first quarter in a mismatch against redshirt freshman Trent Ferguson, who has played sparingly behind Harkey and Wilson. Smith faked inside and burned Ferguson to the outside, blowing up a play-action drop back for a loss of 10 yards.
The Ducks’ offense ended the first half with a perfectly executed two-minute drill, which produced its fourth touchdown of the game.
QUARTERBACK PREVIEW: DANTE MOORE AND JAYDEN MAIAVA
Oregon’s Dante Moore and USC’s Jayden Maiava lead their teams into a high-stakes Big Ten showdown in Eugene.
BY RACHEL MCCONAGHIE Sports Writer
When No. 7 Oregon (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) and No. 15 USC (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) meet this weekend, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks. Sophomore Dante Moore and junior Jayden Maiava have taken drastically different paths to becoming the leaders of their teams, but both will be the deciding factor in determining who stays alive in the race for a Big Ten Championship berth.
The highlight for Maiava has been the deep ball averaging a longest pass of 49.3 yards per game. His ability to remain calm and execute long down the field has allowed the Trojans to lead the Big Ten in Yards per game averaging 488.9.
For Moore, his strengths also lie in his run game. He has rushed 48 times for 183 yards, averaging a stronger 3.8 yards per carry, but with zero rushing touchdowns, as his runs typically come from scramble plays.
Oregon went back to 12-personnel for its first significant gain, with Iuli stopping a delayed rush up the middle and Harkey neutralizing a spin move by Smith before pancaking him while Johnson found a weak spot in the secondary for a gain of 24.
On the final two plays of the drive, Stein took advantage of his running back room’s blocking ability, first using Noah Whittington on the outside for a 12-yard pass to Sadiq, then going back to Sadiq for a 3-yard touchdown pass with Jordon Davison executing the same role.
Early in its lone third-quarter drive, the Ducks’ offense pushed the ball downfield with play action roll-outs designed to limit the pass rushers’ reaction time to get through to Moore.
Later in the drive, Smith beat Harkey badly for the first time in the game on a 14-yard pass to Sadiq that put the Ducks in the red zone, getting through him with a bull rush and landing a hit on Moore as he released the ball. Iapani Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon and World did well enough up the middle to allow Moore to connect with Sadiq.
On what may have been the offensive line’s most dominant rep of the game, Iuli, Laloulu and World pushed their assignments back several steps while the rest of the line didn’t budge, allowing Moore to find Jeremiah McClellan in the end zone.
Early in the fourth quarter, on Oregon’s final drive with starters in the game, the offensive line put together one more flawless rep in front of Moore. Harkey and World withstood bull rushes on either end, allowing Moore to make a perfect throw to tight end Roger Saleapaga 18 yards downfield.
Oregon’s offensive line will need to continue its strong pass protection in Week 13 against a USC defense that is tied for sixth in the Big Ten in sacks.
For USC, Maiava has been nothing short of spectacular. Through the 2025 season, he has emerged as a consistent passer, ranking first in ESPN’s Total QBR with a 90.7 rating. Maiava has thrown for 2,868 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions. On a per-game basis, he’s outpacing Moore by a notable margin averaging roughly 68 more passing yards per game.
Moore, however, enters the matchup with momentum and a 9-1 record. The sophomore delivered the best performance of his young career in a 42–13 win over Minnesota on Friday. Moore completed a program-record 90% of his passes, hitting 27 of 30 attempts for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think he’d be the first to tell you too, some unbelievable catches within that great protection,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “That’s a great indicator of how this offense is operating … but it’s a team award, really.”
Although Lanning credits the offense as a whole as deserving the honor, Moore still deserves credit for remaining composed under pressure. On the season, Moore has totaled 2,190 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, earning a 72.5 QBR that ranks 28th nationally. While his numbers trail Maiava’s in overall volume, Moore has grown tremendously in his time as command of the Ducks offense.
Both teams enter the game sitting near the top of the Big Ten standings. Oregon ranked just ahead of USC in overall team production in fourth and fifth consecutively in the Big Ten.
“We’re all fired up; we just can’t wait for this coming week,” Maiava said after beating Iowa.
For the first time Oregon and USC meet in the Big Ten, both Moore and Maiava are set to deliver in the Ducks’ home regular-season finale.
(BELOW) Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks for an open pass. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025.
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
(ABOVE) The Oregon offensive line huddles up before running a play. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025. (Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
While Maiava has had more time to develop and find his identity within his career, he’s been faced with two setbacks this season with losses to Illinois and now-No. 9 Notre Dame. Against the Fighting Illini, the Trojans’ defensive performance allowed over 500 yards in the game in a narrow loss, 32-34. With the Fighting Irish, the loss came Maiava’s lack of offensive production, as three turnovers and two interceptions allowed the Irish to beat the Trojans 24-35.
A LOOK BACK AND
It’s been four seasons since Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley took their respective West Coast posts. They meet Saturday, amid success found in different ways.
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI
Looking back at a college football coaching carousel can be a wild thing.
Each one is different, with surprising risers everywhere and some of the most obvious hires (like Wisconsin and head coach Luke Fickell) likely being regretted a few years down the line.
When USC and Oregon meet up in a top-20 nationally televised showdown, it’ll be another meeting between two programs that have taken two drastically different paths to their current success.
USC poached head coach Lincoln Riley from another typical college football superpower, The University of Oklahoma, and quickly reached a false peak in a sugar-high 2022 season; USC soon crashed back down to earth before rising again to an 8-2 record
Oregon, on the other hand, lost its head coach in that same cycle and actually came out better off for it. Mario Cristobal is likely to remain without a College Football Playoff berth through four years at the University of Miami.
To achieve success again, Riley had to redefine himself and his program’s images — the Trojans lost all three of their five-star recruits from the 2023 recruiting cycle to the transfer portal — to achieve
Lanning, on the other hand, has been a perfect example of a perfect fit, making a hiring decision successful, more than any other factor. For Lanning, it was parlaying his gritty and tough culture with the glitz and investment that Oregon has in athletics.
Now, every team with a head coach opening is looking for someone with a Lanning-like combination of “it” fac-
That, coupled with incomparable loyalty and being damn good at his job, has left Lanning among college football’s elite.
It’s reasonable for skeptics to ask what Lanning has really won thus far, but patience and acceptance that what Curt Cignetti is doing at Indiana in just year two — while some coaches are yet to win in years three and four — is further proof that comparison is the thief of joy.
Still, it’s not hyperbole or looking at the situation with green and yellow colored lenses to say Lanning has risen among the rest of his coaching class and into the top class of college football coaches as a whole.
Lanning is 44-7 in his head coaching career — a ratio only made better by the fact that, after his three-loss first season in 2022, he’s only lost twice in the regular season (once away to Washington, in 2023, and at home to Indiana
Secondly, Lanning has done what very few coaches have done at Oregon, which is establish the Ducks as a sure-fire perennial contender in the same category as University of Georgia and Ohio State.
He’s done so while shutting down surfacing rumors anytime a major head coaching job has come up.
“I feel like I have the things necessary here to win. So, how much money does a person need to make? What do you really need in your life?” Lanning said in a 2024 interview with ESPN. “For me, I want to be in a place where I can win championships. I feel like we’re close to that here. And then there is a level of loyalty to people who gave you an opportunity. Why should anybody ever trust me again if I do leave here for something else?”
Winning in college football can come in a variety of ways. It’s just that under Lanning,
A STEP FORWARD
it’s come a little easier than most for Oregon.
That brings the Ducks to the home stretch of the final season, and don’t feel bad, Minnesota defense. No one can really fully drag Oregon down right now.
With the ball on the 40-yard line in the second quarter of the Ducks’ 42-13 win over the Golden Gophers, offensive coordinator Will Stein called a run to Noah Whittington. After being handed the ball from Dante Moore in the backfield, the senior running back appeared to be stopped for a sizable gain before slipping out and running into the end zone.
Watching the replay, at least seven Gophers were in near contact with Whittington and still none could take him down. Whittington lost control of the ball in the end zone but retained possession and the touchdown stood.
“I think it’s a culture play up until that moment where we didn’t have good ball security at the finish,” Lanning said. “So, we can coach that moment. I know Noah will be hard on himself, but we got to handle the ball better there.”
Perhaps no better play can sum up Oregon’s season than that. Oregon’s been in rainy cage matches with Wisconsin and Iowa, and will now head into the final two games of the season ready to take USC and Washington’s best punches.
Oregon out-Iowa-ed a Hawkeyes program built on running the ball and dominating the trenches. Then six days later, they beat Minnesota at their own game, dominating a team that prides itself on the stopping the run and using multiple tight ends.
In getting those key late-season wins, Oregon has had to manage significant injuries to its two best receiving weapons in Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq, all while balancing a shuffled offensive line, short weeks and freshmen scattered throughout.
“We’ve said strength in numbers all season, and you
know, these last couple games, it’s really starting to show up where, you know, we need other guys to step up and create opportunities, and they’ve done a great job of that,” Lanning said after the Minnesota game.
The Ducks have played far from perfect football, but peaking in Week 12 is overrated. Just ask Oregon last year. And who’s to say Oregon doesn’t have its best football ahead of it? Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore’s returns seem inevitable.
If Stein can engineer 510 total yards against Minnesota’s previously-respectable defense, imagine what he can do with the addition of two of the best weapons in college football. Much like Whittington, Oregon will have to be better down the stretch, mainly due to its opponents.
Watch out. The Ducks are surging through the Big Ten yet again and very few have been able to bring them down.
For me, I want to be in a place where I can win championships. I feel like we’re close to that here. And then there is a level of loyalty to people who gave you an opportunity. Why should anybody ever trust me again if I do leave here for something else?
(Julia Massa/Emerald)
(LEFT) Oregon running back Noah Whittington (6) breaks free from a tackle by University of Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Mike Gerald (13). The University of Oregon Ducks hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup on Nov. 14, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
(ABOVE) Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) carries the ball across the field, escaping a grab by Minnesota Golden Gopher Devon Williams (9). The University of Oregon Ducks hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025.
Dan Lanning Head football coach
‘UNBELIEVABLE’ TIGHT ENDS OPENING UP POSSIBILITIES FOR OREGON OFFENSE
A returning Kenyon Sadiq, alongside Jamari Johnson and Roger Saleapaga, drove the Ducks’ offense against Minnesota. The depth at the position is allowing Oregon to reach new levels of versatility.
BY OWEN MURRAY Sports Associate Editor
Games under the lights at Autzen Stadium are prone to explosion through the air. Last time Oregon played a true home night game, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff against USC in 2023, wide receivers Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson scored 83-yard and 77yard touchdowns, respectively.
Last weekend, the Ducks’ aerial outlets looked a little bit bigger. Saturday, for the first time under head coach Dan Lanning, Oregon’s two leaders in receiving yards in a game were both tight ends. The reasons are multifold — the Ducks were missing their top three wideouts, but their tight ends have become legitimate receiving options in multiple spots.
Against Minnesota, Kenyon Sadiq (career-high eight receptions, career-high 96 yards, touchdown) and Jamari Johnson (four receptions, career-high 57 yards) shone.
Sophomore Roger Saleapaga snagged two receptions, too, and the group anchored the No. 8 Ducks’ 42-13 win.
“A lot of times, when tight ends come into the game, it’s to run the ball,” Lanning said afterward. “Our tight ends are like having wideouts on the field, and all three of those guys did an unbelievable job.”
THEY’RE
NOT JUST EXCEPTIONAL BLOCKERS. THEY’RE AERIAL MISMATCHES FOR DEFENDERS.
Sadiq has garnered praise this season — as have many of the Oregon wideouts — for his blocking. Johnson’s snaps were limited when Oregon had a healthier roster, and he mostly saw action as an inline blocker.
That wasn’t the case Saturday. Oregon sent a 12-personnel (one running back, two tight ends) set out for its first drive — notable because the Ducks’ depth at wide receiver leads them to play mostly in 11.
Offensive coordinator Will Stein used Johnson in motion on that drive, where he moved pre-snap wide and flattened his route to the sideline before turning a 4-yard completion into eight. The 23-yard completion to Sadiq on the same drive, which set Oregon up at the 1-yard line, had the junior on a wheel route from the left end of the offensive line.
“Even if we’re in 21, 12, 13 (personnel), we still have the ability to play open
sets,” Sadiq said. That opens a lot for everyone, so everyone knowing what to do and just being versatile is huge.”
VERSATILITY IN 12 PERSONNEL ALLOWS FOR TEMPO OFFENSE WITH VARIETY.
In Oregon’s two-minute offense at the end of the first half, where it’s been supremely successful in 2025, four of eight plays from scrimmage were targeted at a tight end. On the others (Oregon was in 12-personnel for the drive), Sadiq and Johnson were used both to block and run routes.
Johnson, attached to the left side of the offensive line, beat zone coverage with a double-move route on second-and-10 from the Gophers’ 42-yard line to set the Ducks up on the Minnesota 18-yard line. Two plays later, Sadiq, lined up in the slot, ran an in-breaking route defended by a defensive back whom he had five inches and 55 pounds on.
Dante Moore paid that completion, down to the 3-yard line, off with a cross-hash throw on the next play that found Sadiq (from the slot, again) open against man coverage from a linebacker in the back right corner of the endzone. Dante Moore’s ball placement — high and away from the defender — took advantage of Sadiq’s size. He went up and got the ball and got his feet down, too.
Oregon will get healthier — the Ducks didn’t have Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart or Gary Bryant Jr. against the Gophers last weekend. It’ll look closer to the 11 personnel group that had the potential to take the top off college football over the past two seasons. Here’s what matters, though: Oregon’s tight ends don’t limit those possibilities; they expand them. That’s not going away.
(LEFT) Sophomore tight end Roger Saleapaga (83) celebrates a Ducks touchdown. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025. (Julia Massa/Emerald)
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EXECUTING IN UNDER TWO MINUTES
How the Ducks have capitalized with minimal time to work with.
BY MAX KOEBEL Sports Writer
“During that moment, I didn’t feel nervous at all,” quarterback Dante Moore said regarding Oregon’s game-winning drive against Iowa. “When we took the field, as a whole huddle, everybody was looking at me. I told everybody, ‘Take a deep breath, let’s embrace this moment.’”
Through 10 games this season, Oregon has failed to score in the final two minutes before halftime just twice. In the other eight games, it has scored five touchdowns and three field goals with less than two minutes remaining; seven of those scores came with less than one minute remaining.
Two weeks ago was the first time in Moore’s career where the outcome of a game came down to one drive in under two minutes.
It was the second time in that game where Oregon put together a scoring drive with less than two minutes to work with. Late in the second quarter, Iowa punted and gave the Ducks the ball at their own 20-yard line with 1:43 until halftime. They relied heavily on running back Noah Whittington on that drive. He rushed for 45 yards on four carries and had a 4-yard reception to set up Atticus Sap pington for a 46-yard field goal.
On the second play after the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter, Iowa found the end zone on fourthand-goal to take a 1-point lead. Oregon had 1:51 to try to win the game from its own 25-yard line. The biggest play
on that drive came on first-and-10 from the Oregon 49yard line with 30 seconds remaining. Moore heaved a pass through the air that found Malik Benson along the sideline for a 24-yard pickup that put the Ducks in field goal range. Four plays later, Sappington drilled a 39-yard field goal for the lead with three seconds remaining.
“We do two-minutes so many times at practice,” Moore said. “They put us in tough situations, but I’d never been in a situation where I had to do a two-minute drive with the team to win the game.”
In last week’s 42-13 win over Minnesota, the outcome of the game was determined much further in advance than against Iowa, but Oregon still got the opportunity to execute a quick scoring drive towards the end of the first half.
After a Golden Gophers field goal, the Ducks got the
I think it was a good play. It’s unfortunate that my helmet hit the ground.”
Sadiq was unfazed by coming up short. On the next play, he was well contested by the Minnesota defense, but found just enough of an opening to catch the ball on the edge of the end zone with 37 seconds remaining.
“The preparation we have, just the countless situations coach (Dan) Lanning will put us through at practice,” wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan said. “We already did it at practice, so just going out there and having the confidence that we did at practice to go out there and execute it again.”
“I don’t think anyone does two-minute as much as we do,” Sadiq said. “I think Lanning makes sure of that, so I think it’s just repetition. When we get in the game, it’s just like practice.”
(BELOW) Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (5) dodges a Minnesota defender. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025. (Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
HOW THE DUCKS REVAMPED THEIR RUSHING ATTACK IN 2025
How Oregon is close to having the strongest rushing season under offensive coordinator Will Stein.
BY ROWAN SHEA Sports Writer
The Ducks’ success in the run game goes far beyond just having a bunch of capable running backs. The Ducks are explosive on the run; they rank No. 8 in rushing yards per game and No. 1 in the Big Ten in that category.
“Really proud of our offensive staff and their creativity in the run game,” head coach Dan Lanning said during his weekly media press conference before the Week 13 matchup against Minnesota.
Offensive coordinator Will Stein has pushed the Ducks to have a dominant run game this season with a considerable push toward being more creative. Oregon has already hit its 2024 rushing yards mark (including postseason) a few weeks away from the end of the 2025 regular season. To achieve this, the Ducks have set up their run game differently than before. The offense, for the past two seasons, was centered around great receivers — in 2025, that has shifted into the running back room.
The receiving room is not as built up as Oregon’s backfield. With a revolving cast of sixth year Noah Whittington and true freshmen in Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison, the way that the Ducks set up on offense has changed from when Oregon was sending out Bucky Irving, Jordan James and Noah Whittington.
With this in mind, Stein turned to an 11-personnel formation offense (one tight end and one running back).
A large amount of the offense in 2023 came from the
passing game. In all but four games in 2023, Oregon had a receiver with 100-plus yards. In comparison, only four times did Oregon have a running back with 100-plus rushing yards. Heisman finalist quarterback Bo Nix had weapons across the field, leading to Irving, James and Whittington not being turned to as much.
The majority of the season saw an 11-personnel formation from the Ducks again. By the end of the 2023 season, the Ducks racked up 2,583 rushing yards.
In 2024, some of those receiving weapons returned for Dillon Gabriel (most notably Johnson). Oregon still focused mainly on the passing game, which was shown in the decline of total rushing yards it had in 2024, going down to 2,211. Despite this, the Ducks had split the number of games where the receivers had 100-plus yards vs when the running backs did.
Of those six games where the run had 100-plus yards, James had two games where he reached the total yards on his own: against the Michigan State Spartans with 166 yards and the second against the Michigan Wolverines with 117 yards, still using the 11-personnel formation.
Coming into this season, the receiving room was less built up than what it was in years past. On the other hand, the running back room is stacked up with Davison and Hill Jr. (nicknamed Thunder and Lightning), and the return of Whittington.
This season, Oregon has shifted to running the 21-personnel more than they have in the last two seasons.
“I think we probably have more 21-personnel sets than any other team in the conference this year,” Lanning said. “That goes back to trying to utilize the personnel that we have.” Oregon has blown past their 2024 total in 2025. Going into their Week 13 matchup against USC, the Ducks sit at 2,336 total rushing yards on 369 total attempts. They are within range to beat their 2023 total (2,583 yards) and are positioned to push past the highest number of rush attempts under Stein, with the 2024 team rushing a total of 499 times.
The Trojans are ranked No. 76 nationally in yards per rush going into their matchup with the Ducks on Nov. 22. With the change on offense, USC will be seeing more backs than the last time these two met in 2023. Stein ran the backs as effectively as he could against USC in that last matchup, but with the updated running back room –– one that may be more dynamic than the last time they met ––Stein will be utilizing the Big Ten’s love of smashmouth football against the struggling USC defensive line.
(BELOW) Oregon running back Jordan Davison (0) tries to run past Minnesota defensive back Koi Perich (3) in the first half. The University of Oregon hosted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Friday night matchup at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2025.
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
OPPONENT PREVIEW: USC
The No. 7 Ducks take on No. 15 USC in the final home game of the season.
BY HARRY LEADER Sports Writer
This week, the No. 7 Oregon Ducks (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) face off against the No. 15 USC Trojans (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) in the penultimate game of the regular season — and the final home game for Oregon. USC is coming off a tough 26-21 win over Iowa, a team that battled with the Ducks in Week 11.
The run game has been solid for the Trojans, with King Miller rushing for 719 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Miller ranks second in the Big Ten in yards per carry, behind only Ducks running back Noah Whittington. Miller and Whittington have each rushed for over 190 total yards over the last two games.
Defending the run will be a focal point for both teams in this matchup, with Oregon and USC sitting at No. 2
and No. 4 in total rushing yards in the Big Ten. On the other side of the ball, the Trojans have allowed 1699 rushing yards (10th best in the conference), 374 more than the Ducks, who are sixth-best in the Big Ten.
USC linebacker Eric Gentry will be a major factor in this week’s matchup, as he ranks first in the conference and third in the country in forced fumbles with five. He also leads the Trojans in total tackles with 64, and is second in tackles for loss with seven.
Against Iowa, the Trojans’ defense struggled in the first half, allowing 21 points and trailing by 11. The defense rallied and didn’t allow a single score in the second half to finish the comeback win.
“I think the whole team understands what the culture is, and that is to fight to the last second. We’re not in denial or feeling like something bad is gonna happen,” Gentry said in a postgame press conference following the win against Iowa. “Coach Lincoln (Riley) said it — don’t hope for nothing, make it happen. Don’t hope for nothing good to happen, make the good happen.”
USC ranks first in the conference in forced fumbles with 11. Oregon has eight fumbles this season and fumbled on a
blown-up lateral play last week against Minnesota.
One player flying under the radar for the Trojans is kicker Ryon Sayeri, who is second in the conference in field goal percentage with 94.4 (17-18). He also has the third-longest field goal of the season in the Big Ten after he hit a 54-yard kick in the fourth quarter against Michigan in Week 7.
The special teams unit has been on a roll for USC this season, especially after a trick play against Northwestern saw third-string quarterback Sam Huard switch his number to 80 and throw a 10-yard pass in punt formation to set up a touchdown drive. Punter Sam Johnson usually wears number 80, and the Trojans do not have names on their jerseys, which made the Wildcats believe Huard was Johnson.
“You guys got to pay attention, that’s been there,” Riley said. “It’s been on there for three weeks, so I’m glad none of y’all put it on Twitter. It was a well thought out thing by several of our staff members involved and got it at the right time and we had confidence in it.”
ESPN College Gameday is coming to Eugene for the pivotal matchup between the Ducks and the Trojans Nov. 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PST.
(BELOW) A sack fumble recovery by Oregon safety Evan Williams (33). The University of Oregon Ducks Football team played the University of Southern California in a home match at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 11, 2023. (Spencer So/Emerald)
