Noah Whittington has finally grown into Oregon’s lead back.
sweet
Duckopoly Game
Being a Duck means not only having the sweetest gift ideas, but sometimes the gifts with the best sense of humor.
At The Duck Store, we’ve got you covered with fantastic gift ideas, so many of them at only $50 or less. Whether you’re in need of wallets or plush, drinkware or blankets, you can find a little something for every Duck in your life.
Duck Mascot Mug
Green U-Scape Jacquard Knit Scarf
GAMEDAY
GAMEDAY, the Daily Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.
EMERALD MEDIA GROUP
1395 University St., rm. 302 Eugene, OR 97403 541.346.5511 | dailyemerald.com
NEWSROOM
Editor in Chief
Tarek Anthony
Print Managing Editor
Ryan Ehrhart
Sports Editors
Jack Lazarus
Owen Murray
Copy Chief
Olivia Ellerbruch
Sports Writers
Harry Leader
Henry Light
Joe Krasnowski
Max Koebel
Rachel McConaghie
Rowan Shea
Photo Editor
Saj Sundaram
Design Editor
Adaleah Carman
Designers
Abigail Raike
Asha Mohan
Eva Andrews
Nina Rose
BUSINESS
President & Publisher
Eric Henry x317
Vice President,
Operations
Kathy Carbone x302
Creative Technical Director
Anna Smith x327
ADVERTISING
Director of Sales and Digital Marketing
Shelly Rondestvedt x303
Account Executives
Torin Chevalier
Camcole Pereira
Ava Stephanian
Elliot Byrne
(On The Cover) Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) runs towards Michigan State defensive back Nikal Martinez (1) after getting the outside run. The Oregon Ducks took on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 4, 2024.
(Eric Becker/Emerald)
(Right) Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) catches a contested throw for a touchdown. The No. 7 University of Oregon Ducks took on their West Coast rivals, the No. 15 USC Trojans, in a game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 22, 2025.
(Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
OREGON SAYS IT’S ‘STILL NOT PLAYING OUR BEST BRAND OF FOOTBALL.’
IMPERFECTION HAS HELPED IT GROW.
BY OWEN MURRAY
Associate Sports Editor
It’s exceedingly difficult to play a perfect game of football, but Oregon’s 49-21 win over Washington a season ago was fairly close. Then, the Ducks advanced to 12-0 and the Big Ten title game with a 10-sack, seven-touchdown performance over their rival that, alongside them, joined a new conference.
It was probably the last “perfect” competitive game they’ve played since.
No. 7 Oregon’s (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) 2025 season has been markedly different than last. Nonconference play against uncompetitive teams notwithstanding, the Ducks eked past Penn State in double overtime, snapped their nation-leading home win streak at the hands of Indiana and hung 42 points on No. 15 USC last Saturday despite racking up 130 penalty yards. This season has been anything but perfect, but it doesn’t matter for the Ducks, who built a brand off those wins and have a chance to essentially clinch a College Football Playoff bid with a win Saturday against the Huskies (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten).
“I think it’s scary,” wide receiver Malik Benson said of the Ducks’ victories through imperfection after the USC game. “I feel like we’re still not playing our best brand of football.”
The win on Saturday may have been the most imperfect of them all. Outside of the 11 penalties (six of which were defensive pass interference calls), the Ducks missed a field goal try that was reset by a USC penalty and failed to capitalize on a third-quarter Jadon Canady interception and instead threw one of their own.
USC walked down the field and punched in a score to cut Oregon’s lead to seven points on a nine-play drive in which it accumulated 21 rushing yards, 14 passing yards and 15 from a pass interference penalty. Oregon outplayed the Trojans on the other side of the ball and allowed just one more score, but it was never perfect. That’s what Oregon head coach Dan Lanning saw – but he saw something else, too.
“I’m excited to see the growth that we can walk away from and say, ‘Okay, how can we do this better?’” Lanning said. “And there’s definitely going to be some moments like that, coming out of this game. We’re going to see some elite passing attacks throughout the season. That’s somewhere we can improve.” Perhaps the only part of Oregon’s season that has approached perfection has been its depth.
By the fourth quarter, the Ducks faced USC without either of their starting tackles or backup Gernorris Wilson, and without scholarship receivers Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. and Evan Stewart. Postgame press conferences heaped praise on redshirt-freshman tackle Fox Crader, who stepped up as Oregon allowed one sack on the day. Lost in the imperfection, though, is some truth that Lan ning communicated Saturday: “There’s an example that we can beat you in multiple ways, right?” he said after the Ducks’ 42-27 win over the Trojans. “We can out score you at times, right? We can hold you to an 18, 16 (point) type of game. We can win in tough environments, any weather, put the ball down, let’s go play football. That’s the kind of team that we have.”
A young team now has the experience to overcome significant mistakes, and that’s happened this season. Oregon doesn’t need perfection to win — this much is clear.
“It’s coming up, and we’re going to need to (play our best brand of foot ball),” Benson, the third-string punt returner who housed one from 85 yards out against the Trojans, said. “But I feel like once we are, we’re often a very scary team.”
Will Oregon play a “perfect” game against a competitive opponent this year?
Who knows? Does it matter more than winning to a team that has become ex cellent at doing so?
Maybe not.
(RIGHT) Oregon Ducks wide receiver Malik Benson (9) falls as USC Trojans cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson (17) defends the pass. The No. 7 University of Oregon Ducks took on West Coast rivals, the No. 15 USC Trojans in a game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 22, 2025. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
The Ducks haven’t played a perfect game of football against a competitive opponent this year, and it might not really matter. Dan Lanning’s group has won in supremely diverse ways, and it’s to their benefit ahead of a potential postseason run.
LAZARUS: WHY THE OREGON-WASHINGTON RIVALRY HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER THAN NOW
The Ducks’ bitter rivalry with the Huskies has only intensified in recent years.
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Editor
There’s 289 miles between Oregon and Washington, and for some reason, that distance has never felt closer than right now.
There’s approximately 12.2 million people between the two states, and the one thing that most Oregon and Washington residents can agree on is the hatred for the other state’s football program.
While the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies have faced off 117 times in their shared history, the rivalry has never been as hot as it’s been in the last four or so seasons.
NEW HIRES; WASHINGTON CONTROLS THE RIVALRY
In fall 2022, less than a month apart, both programs hired new head coaches. In November, the Huskies appointed Kalen DeBoer as their head man, and in December, the Ducks announced the hiring of Dan Lanning.
For each program, this proved to be a watershed moment, albeit at different times. For the Huskies, the success was immediate, especially as it regarded Oregon. Washington eked out a 37-34 win in Autzen Stadium, which propelled it to an 11-2 record and a bowl win, while Oregon finished 10-3. The next season, DeBoer led the Huskies to two more wins against Lanning’s Ducks and cruised to a 14-1 record, a playoff win and a National Championship Game appearance.
For Oregon, it turned into two seasons in a row where Washington stood in the way of its playoff aspirations and prevented Lanning from taking a major step up as a young head coach. However, the momentum would start flipping the Ducks’ way, even as soon as that next offseason. DeBoer departed for the University of Alabama, giving way for former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch to take the reins. Each program’s success came at a perfect time, as conference realignment grouped the two teams together and sent them to the Big Ten, keeping the rivalry perfectly intact.
MOVE TO THE BIG TEN; BYPASSING IN-STATE FOES
With conference realignment, it became important to those in charge to keep traditional rivalries intact, but for Oregon and Washington, that became difficult. The two programs saw enough success both onfield and commercially, which meant they became great candidates for the revamped Big Ten conference.
There were only four spots though, which meant the Big Ten had to be selective on which schools, teams and brands it welcomed into the conference. USC and UCLA became the final two schools accepted into the Big Ten, which left both Oregon and Washington’s in-state rivals, Oregon State and Washington State, without a conference.
That remains the case today, depending on how one views the current state of the Pac-12 conference. While there existed a metaphorical barrier for a great while, for the first time, the Beavers and Cougars faced a physical barrier between themselves and their rivals.
For Oregon and Washington, the removal of each’s traditional “little brother” created a much larger focus on each other, and that intensity is most often exemplified on the football field.
While 2024 saw a national No. 1 Oregon squad dominate a Washington side ailing from growing pains under a firstyear head coach, the 2025 iteration at Husky Stadium in Seattle should live up to the recent installments of the rivalry.
On Saturday, the Huskies hope to play spoiler to what the Ducks hope will become a playoff season, and get another leg up on their rivals.
LINEBACKER FROM CENTER FIELD SAYS GOODBYE TO AUTZEN STADIUM
How Bryce Boettcher discovered football and what playing in Eugene has meant to him.
BY MAX KOEBEL Sports Writer
It was first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Linebacker Bryce Boettcher lined up with the offense, took a direct snap and ran it in for a score.
“He’s been asking for the ball all year,” head coach Dan Lanning said. “We really put that in this week. It’s something we worked multiple times this week. It’s something we felt like we might be able to carry. I don’t know if anyone could have kept him from getting in that end zone whenever we gave him that opportunity.”
“It’s what you live for,” Boettcher said. “It starts getting cold, the leaves start falling off the trees. Obviously big games like this, especially senior night. The magnitude of it is what you play for.”
Born and raised in Eugene, he conquered center field at PK Park for the Ducks, and now led the Oregon defense at Autzen Stadium for possibly the last time.
Throughout his four years in a Ducks uniform, Boettcher has increased his play making each season. Through 11 games this year, he has recorded 90 tackles, three pass deflections, a forced fumble, an interception and a touchdown.
Boettcher committed to Oregon on a baseball scholarship. After the hiring of head coach Dan Lanning, one of Boettcher’s teammates suggested he try out as a walk-on, and just like that, a linebacker was created.
“It’s been quite a journey mentally and physically,” Boettcher said. “When I first came in, all I really saw was see ball, hit ball carrier and hopefully knock their helmet off in the process. I didn’t really know a lot of football scheme. I think that’s where I’ve grown the most – being able to pick plays up, diagnose some of what the offense is doing while still being physical.”
Boettcher’s most notable performances this season were his interception and 31yard return against Northwestern, his 10 tackles against Oregon State, 12 against Penn State, 11 against Indiana and his forced fumble and two pass deflections against Wisconsin.
Last week’s outing against USC might have been his best performance of the season. It was clear that this game meant a little bit more to him, it being his last game at the stadium he had been coming to since he was a little kid.
“I’m excited,” Boettcher said, “(it’s) obviously a little bittersweet, but it’s a cool opportunity, especially to end in this fashion.”
He recorded a season high of 13 tackles, while also scoring his first career touchdown.
It was a special day for all the seniors in what was possibly their last game at Autzen Stadium. It was clear this day meant a lot to Lanning as well when he addressed the seniors in an emotional interview.
“To think this will be the last time they get to play on this field. I probably haven’t said it enough this week what those guys mean to us and the work that they’ve put in. We talk about a player-led team. It’s really driven by those guys.”
As much as Boettcher has meant to the Oregon defense in recent years, the players who have played around Boettcher and the ones who came before mean even more to him.
“I’m gonna give credit to those guys who came before me and helped lay the foundation. Obviously I’ve been a part of it over the past four years, but there’s been a lot of pieces to this defense. Obviously it’s great to be a part of it, but it’s way greater than me.”
Boettcher has already been drafted into the Houston Astros organization if he chooses to pursue baseball. As for football, he is on a team that still has everything in front of them. His physical shape might be more suited for football at this point anyway.
With the win over USC, the Ducks moved up to No. 5 in the AP Poll. A win Saturday against rival Washington would help to push them toward one more game in Eugene, in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Regardless of where they land after the regular season finale this Saturday, the season will not be over for the 10-1 Ducks and Boettcher will continue to prove he can execute on both fields.
(Eric
“I’m forever grateful for those guys for what they’ve contributed,” Lanning said.
(BELOW) Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) and Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) embrace after the end of the game. The No. 7 University of Oregon Ducks took on their West Coast rivals, the No. 15 USC Trojans, in a game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 22, 2025.
(Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
(ABOVE) Bo Nix (10) throws while under pressure from Sekai Asoau-Afoa (46). The University of Oregon Ducks Football team defeated the University of Washington Huskies in an away match at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Oct. 14, 2023.
Becker/Emerald)
NOAH WHITTINGTON OREGON’S RUNNING
The sixth-year senior has felt at home in Eugene since he arrived in 2022, and
When senior running back Noah Whittington cut right in the backfield and ran 35 yards down the sideline on Oregon’s first play from scrimmage in 2025, his four-year journey to the top of the Ducks’ running back depth chart was finally complete.
Whittington entered the season with a three-yearold single-season high of 779 rushing yards looming from his breakout sophomore season behind Bucky Irving in 2022. It was a promising Oregon debut for the transfer from Western Kentucky University, but his 2023 season was derailed by a torn ACL, and he took a secondary role behind Jordan James the next season, making 2025 his final opportunity to deliver on the potential he had displayed.
With one regular-season game remaining in his career, Whittington sits 52 yards short of his single-season career high with 727, despite seeing 44 fewer carries as Oregon’s lead back than he did as its backup in 2022. Ahead of senior day against USC, he reflected on the journey before taking 19 carries for 104 yards and the game-sealing touchdown.
“It’s going to be a real sad day, man, because I’m going to enter a new chapter in my life, and I feel like I haven’t thought much about my time outside of Oregon because I’ve been here for so long, it’s kind of felt like home,” Whittington said in a press conference on Nov. 18.
Whittington took to Eugene and first-year head coach Dan Lanning’s program quickly, expressing a deep appreciation for both in his first media availability during the 2022 season.
“I love it. I love Oregon in general, the people here — they’re very welcoming, especially since I’m an Oregon football player, so every time I’m out and about and I’ve got my gear on, I always get good energy,” Whittington said before the third game of that season against No. 12 Brigham Young University.
He earned the backup role behind Irving in the win over the Cougars, taking 13 carries for 66 yards. It was an immediate introduction to Lanning’s preference for deep running back rotations, but Whittington wasn’t deterred.
“I just enjoy being out there playing, just being in Oregon, and when I do get in, I run hard,” Whittington said before the BYU game. “When I’m hot and I come out (of a game), somebody else gets hot. I like to see my brothers eat and win. That’s winning football, and that’s what we’re trying to do — it’s not about personal goals.”
Whittington’s bond with first-year running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, whom he followed from Western Kentucky in 2022, was a key reason for his rapid development as a Duck. Locklyn had recruited Whittington as a three-star prospect with one season of experience as a running back after converting from wide receiver before his senior season.
“I feel like I learned how to play running back here. (In) high school, I really played receiver. I played running back my senior year, and then my first year at Western Kentucky, I was just getting the ball and running. I really didn’t understand how to play the position. Coach (Locklyn) came my second year (at Western Kentucky), and he taught me my foundation, and through the years he was here, he helped me grow and grow and grow,” Whittington said before senior day last Saturday.
After Whittington earned significant playtime for the first time against BYU, his growth was exponential. He tied Irving in carries for the first time, with 11 in a win over Washington State the next week, then led the team in a win over Stanford, taking 11 attempts for 66 yards.
Although Whittington had caught up to Irving in attempts, he hadn’t led the team in rushing yards until Week 6 against Arizona. Whittington compiled 92 yards on only six attempts in the win over Arizona, buoyed by a 55-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, in which he waited for a hole to open on the right side of the line, shed two tackles and used his already elite acceleration to break away from the remainder of the Wildcats’ secondary.
“ “
The theme of the week was ‘From the dirt,’ and I feel like since my injury, I was buried, and I’ve just been trying to grow.
Noah Whittington Senior running back
With the running back rotation established, Whittington led Oregon in rushing yards three more times in Pac-12 play and posted his season highs in attempts (20) and yards (108) in the Ducks’ loss to Washington. Whittington had established himself as a key piece of Oregon’s future in year one, but with Irving returning and sophomore Jordan James set to play a bigger role the next season, he would be part of a rotation again.
The hierarchy for 2023 was difficult to parse in the first two games, with Whittington unavailable for the opener against Portland State University for undisclosed reasons, and the three being used situationally in a grueling Week 2 win over Texas Tech University.
Whittington saw only five attempts in Week 3 against University of Hawai’i, but led the Ducks with
IS AT HOME ATOP BACK DEPTH CHART
he is finally delivering on the promise he showed that season.
80 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run.
The next week against Colorado, Whittington retained his backup role behind Irving in the first half, taking six attempts for 27 yards and one touchdown as the Ducks raced out to a 35-0 lead. Early in the third quarter, Whittington cut outside on a pitch play and dove over two defenders for a gain of one yard, taking awkward contact to the side of his left leg as he dove.
“I kind of knew — I just didn’t want to believe it,” Whittington said at Oregon’s 2024 media day of the torn ACL he had sustained.
The first major injury of Whittington’s collegiate career was season-ending, but he nearly halved his recovery timeline of 12 months and came back with a new outlook for the 2024 season.
“I’m kind of appreciative that it happened, because I feel like it brought the love back to the game for me,” Whittington said. “I had never been hurt before, so (football) has just been a continuous cycle, and then taking that break, I know for sure that this is what I love to do.”
While James came into 2024 with a tight grip on the starting role after excelling as Irving’s backup and having a complete offseason, Whittington was happy to
split carries with the junior whose career aligned with Whittington’s Oregon tenure.
“I remember his freshman year, we were sitting on the bus, and I told him myself, ‘Bro, you really have the ability to do three years at Oregon and play at the next level,’ and I feel like last year just showed him that he’s fully capable of that,” Whittington said.
Another major adjustment for Whittington was playing college football without Locklyn coaching for the first time after he departed to become Ohio State’s running backs coach. Whittington credits current running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples with rebuilding his game coming back from the injury.
“Coach Samples, he really honed in on recreating me and just helping me perfect my craft again,” Whittington said before senior day. “For him to come in at such a vulnerable time for me and put his arm around me and just help me create a routine, help me find my pace back into my runs, (and) help me realize where I’m supposed to fit… it was big for me.”
Whittington fit perfectly in the backup role, to such an extent that Lanning relied on two running backs by choice for the only time in his Oregon tenure so far. Whittington took 118 carries for 540 yards that sea-
son, along with returning to his roots as a receiver by catching 24 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
His standout highlight came on special teams, although it didn’t go in the scorebook under his name. Whittington tied the game against Boise State at 34 in the fourth quarter with a 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown, but dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, giving the credit to Jayden Limar’s heads-up play to recover it.
With James donning a San Francisco 49ers jersey in 2025, Oregon’s starting spot was Whittington’s to lose. Tulane University transfer and 2024 national top10 rusher Makhi Hughes added some mystery to the rotation, but giving Whittington the first carry in the opener against Montana State paid off.
Whittington won the predicted battle with Hughes in a landslide, but the emergence of freshmen Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison cut into his carries. With Whittington ruled out against Northwestern in Week 3 for undisclosed reasons, he dropped back into a four-man rotation with the freshmen and Limar upon his return.
In Whittington’s next three games, each of the three backs led the Ducks in attempts and yards once. In Week 8 against Rutgers, Whittington re-emerged into the starting spot that he had fallen out of so many times. Whittington took 11 carries for an Oregon career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns, including one from 68 yards out.
Davison stepped back into the lead the next week against Wisconsin with 16 carries for 102 yards, but in a run-based offensive game due to driving rain, Whittington took 14 for 97 yards. The sixth-year senior has not looked back, leading the Ducks in three straight games, including a 118-yard conquest of Iowa’s run defense that solidified Oregon’s run game in the Big Ten.
Whittington’s constant work ethic and selflessness have made him instrumental in instilling Lanning’s culture in a young running back room, and the coach whose Oregon career has aligned with his offered a fitting theme for his senior day.
“I’m thankful that I’m at a program where our coaches, the players — we’re all on the same page, and we’ve got that mindset that we’re going to really grind,” Whittington said before senior day. “The theme of the week was ‘From the dirt,’ and I feel like since my injury, I was buried, and I’ve just been trying to grow.”
With a rivalry matchup against Washington and a potential postseason run as the lead back ahead, Whittington has the opportunity to vault up the rankings of memorable Oregon running backs. No matter how he finishes his career, Whittington’s fit within Lanning’s culture and his ability to pass it down will shape the Oregon football program long after he goes to the next level.
(FAR LEFT) Oregon running back Noah Whittington (6) scores a touchdown in the second quarter. The University of Oregon Ducks hosted the University of Minnesota Gophers in a Friday night matchup in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 14, 2025.
(Corey Hoffman/Emerald)
(LEFT) Oregon running back Noah Whittington (6) scores a touchdown pushes through multiple Minnesota defenders on his way to the end zone. The University of Oregon Ducks hosted the University of Minnesota Gophers in a Friday night matchup in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 14, 2025.
(Julia Massa/Emerald)
A BATTLE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
The Ducks take on the Huskies for the 117th time in their storied rivalry. As they approach a quartercentury of battles since 2000, The Daily Emerald reviews the most notable moments of the era.
BY ROWAN SHEA Sports Writer
Oregon has played the Washington Huskies almost every season for the last 125 years. The two have faced off 116 total times before the Week 13 matchup in 2025; Washington leads the series with 63 wins to Oregon’s 49 (the two also have five ties between them).
Oregon, until the turn of the century, was the weaker of the two in the rivalry. The Ducks from the mid-20th century to 2000 did not have a winning streak longer than two games. Those decades are reflected in the overall numbers: the Ducks have an overall home record of 31-34-4, compared to their away record of 18-28-1.
The Ducks and Huskies have followed each other throughout the years, from their time in the Pac-12, to their move to the Big Ten. Since the turn of the century, Oregon has won 17 of the 25 games they have played.
BEGINNING OF THE RIVALRY
The Oregon and Washington rivalry truly began in 1948. Cal and Oregon had the same record that season, and when it came to the postseason, the rest of the conference (then the Pac-10) had to vote on who would go to the Rose Bowl. The northwestern schools were expected to vote for Oregon, but the Huskies did not. With the Husky vote, Cal went to the Rose Bowl.
The first documented game was Dec. 1, 1900 a time when these two powerhouses were young, with the Huskies program being 11 years old, and the Ducks being just six years old. The Ducks won that game 43-0 at home in Eugene,
most likely being played at Kincaid Field, the home of Ducks football from 1895-1919.
The Ducks would flip-flop between Eugene and Seattle until 1930. From 1930 through 1967, the Ducks played the rivalry games in Portland.
OREGON’S RUN OF DOMINANCE FROM 2004 THROUGH 2015
Eleven years is the longest winning streak either side of this rivalry has had since its inception. The Ducks ripped off 12 total wins under three different head coaches (Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich), six different starting quarterbacks (Kellen Clemens, Dennis Dixon, Jeremiah Masoli, Darron Thomas, Marcus Mariota and Vernon Adams) and outscored the Huskies 507-222.
In that time, the Huskies had to go through an identity shift. For the first five years, the Huskies were below .500; they turned around in 2010 posting their first season above .500 in eight seasons.
In contrast, the Ducks made a Bowl game every single year during that run. They posted a plus .500 season every year, won the Pac-12 four times and made the first edition of College Football Playoffs National Championship in 2014 (they lost to Ohio State).
WASHINGTON BEATS OREGON 34-31 IN THE 2023 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
One of the most influential and stand out games in their last 25 meetings, and one that ended in heartbreaking fash-
ion for Oregon, came two years ago in Las Vegas. Ahead of the game, the Huskies were perfect, and the Ducks were 11-1, with their only loss coming from another three-point loss to the Huskies Oct. 14 of that year.
It was a juggernaut battle — Bo Nix faced off against Michael Penix Jr, and both quarterbacks had solid receivers: Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson for the Ducks, Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk for the Huskies.
Despite leading 24-20 going into the fourth quarter, Dillon Johnson and Quentin Moore both scored in the fourth quarter. The Huskies won 34-31, shutting the door on the Ducks playoffs chances but reigniting the hatred between the two teams.
The Ducks and the Huskies. One has barely existed without the other. The Huskies are only older by 15 years, and their football program, starting in 1889, is only older by five years. Over 100 matchups, stadium changes, new teams and new conferences, but one thing stays the same: the two do not like each other, and every battle means bragging rights for at least another year.
(BELOW) Troy Franklin (11) stiff arms a Washington defender. The University of Oregon Ducks Football team were defeated by the University of Washington Huskies in an away match at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Oct. 14, 2023.
(Eric Becker/Emerald)
KRASNOWSKI: JUSTICE
The
Trojans wrecked the Pac-12, and now the Ducks have wrecked their season.
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Senior Sports Writer
In a top-15 battle between former two Pac-12 heavyweights, one emerged as the tougher, more dedicated team and the other covered in stereotypes.
As was clear during Oregon’s 4227 win, USC isn’t tough or Big Ten enough, and it’s even clearer now, reflecting on the scoresheet.
Late-November football is decided in the trenches. Oregon rushed for 179 yards on the ground; the Trojans rushed for 52. Yes, 52, on 28 tries.
Some tribute to Troy that was: nearly two seasons into their time in the conference, USC is still not tough enough. They’re not Big Ten-enough.
My disdain for the Trojans is based solely on USC’s departure from the Pac-12, starting the spiral that college football is today.
But now that we’ve had nearly two years of Big Ten football, does anyone really enjoy the style of football Oregon’s been forced to play this year compared to what Saturday entailed?
Nearly 600 yards of passing, 69 total points — it was awesome. And while playing Iowa in early November may be good for a buck, the fan in me misses shootouts with Arizona State and Utah. Plus, some of the lesser Oregon sports going on the road to take on teams like Rutgers and Maryland still makes no sense.
Listen, no one should feel bad for anyone involved in moving to the Big Ten, and Oregon isn’t exactly a saint in this situation. The Ducks saw their opportunity and the writing on the wall and made the smart financial decision. The thing is, football was already making the school millions, and fans aren’t exactly seeing the benefit in the team playing their away games across the country.
As any sibling would say, the Trojans started it. Oregon followed them off that cliff, and while both are guilty, it's a heckuva lot easier to blame USC.
That’s why it's so much sweeter that Oregon won. The Trojans couldn’t hang with the Ducks, and really, any of the superlatives you want to pick could be used to define an undisciplined USC team.
“This is USC — the standard here is incredibly high,” head coach Lincoln Riley, who has lost all five of his games against top-10 teams at USC, said. “We’ve won a bunch of games this year. The ones we haven’t won, we’re right there.”
Well, USC will again be right there in some other bowl game, all while Oregon is a win away from the College Football Playoff.
“Well, we just played a really good team. We beat them,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “And a lot of times we play really good teams that become unranked all of a sudden. That’s not our fault, right? Maybe it is our fault. But all we’re worried about is playing the teams that we play and doing the job that we need to do. And we did that job today, right?”
Fight on, home, Trojans. At least this time it’ll be a shorter, more familiar flight.
IN RIVALRY SHOWDOWN, AN ADVANTAGE — AND THE WIN — MAY LIE ON THE GROUND
In a matchup defined by grit on the ground, Oregon and Washington enter their rivalry game leaning on the strength of their ground attacks.
BY RACHEL MCCONAGHIE Sports Writer
Oregon’s (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) most recent win over USC showcased exactly where the Ducks’ confidence lies: in their run game. Head coach Dan Lanning didn’t hesitate to point toward the ground totals as the deciding factor afterward.
“Coming in here, rushing for 180 yards and them rushing for 52, I think that tells a big story,” Lanning said in postgame last Saturday.
For the Ducks, that dominance has become a defining identity, and entering this rivalry showdown, the numbers reveal just how evenly matched the two teams are when it comes to running the football. Both Oregon and Washington are tied, with 29 total touchdowns scored on the season.
For Washington (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) the rushing attack leans heavily on senior Jonah Coleman, who leads the team with 651 yards this season. His consistency and veteran presence have made him the centerpiece of the Huskies offense.
Also for Washington, quarterback Demond Williams Jr has accumulated 586 yards on the ground, ranking him second on the team in total yards, and second in touchdowns with six.
After the win over Rutgers back on October 10, Williams proved to a national stage what he was capable of. Surpassing Michael Penix Jr. in total game offense with 538 yards. Fisch said postgame of his young quarterback: "Demond Williams is a superstar."
The Huskies faced a scare on November 8 when Coleman sustained a suspected ankle injury against Wisconsin. He sat out for the remainder of that game, was out the following week against Purdue, and was listed as questionable heading into the UCLA matchup last Saturday. But still, he saw snaps at the Rose Bowl in Washington’s 48-14 win over the Bruins.
Now tied for ninth in school history, Coleman is now on a record watch list for the Huskies for most touchdowns scored in a season, currently at 14. Despite battling an injury, Coleman ranks 13 in the Big Ten in rushing yards.
For the Ducks, the ground game is powered by a trio that blends youth, and veteran experience. Oregon’s top three running backs include two standout freshmen who have quickly become central to the offense: Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. alongside senior Noah Whittington, who has become the veteran presence anchoring the group.
“Again, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” Lanning said after the USC game. “If you can play winning football, you deserve an opportunity to be on the field… ultimately, guys have shown that they’re ready, and when you’re ready for your opportunity, you know, that’s a special moment.”
The “thunder and lightning” freshman running back duo have been crucial to the success of the Ducks on the ground. With 79 carries, 13 touchdowns, Davison ranks 18 in the Big Ten for total yards with 511. And close behind, Hill Jr. ranks 25 with 452 total yards, 53 carries and four touchdowns.
For the veteran Whittington, ranked ninth in the Big Ten for rushing yards with 727, credited his success on the field this season to the tactical staff.
“Our coaches spend a lot of time on game planning and dialing up schemes that will work, and we go out there and execute,” Whittington said after the USC game.
Oregon is currently ranked first in the Big Ten for rushing yards per game with 228.6. The Ducks looks to hold that place against eighthranked Washington with 170 yards per game as Oregon angles to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.
(ABOVE) Oregon freshman running back Jordon Davison (0) runs out of the tunnel before kickoff. The No. 7 University of Oregon Ducks took on their West Coast rivals, the No. 15 USC Trojans, in a game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 22, 2025. (Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
(BELOW) The USC Trojans defense fight to stop Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) from getting to the end zone. The No. 7 University of Oregon Ducks took on their West Coast rivals, the No. 15 USC Trojans, in a game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 22, 2025. (Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
OPPONENT PREVIEW
The Ducks migrate north for rivalry weekend, with their eyes on a College Football Playoff berth and an old foe standing in their way.
BY ROWAN SHEA Sports Writer
The last week in November brings two things: Thanksgiving and the Oregon Ducks taking on the Washington Huskies. Duck fans had a lot to be thankful for last season with a 49-21 beatdown of the Huskies at Autzen Stadium — but this season, the venue changes to Husky Stadium in Seattle, a stadium Oregon has held a 7-3 record in since 2000.
The Huskies are in much better shape than the team that gave up seven touchdowns to the Ducks last year. Going into the 116th matchup between the two in 2024, Washington was sitting at 6-6; this season they’ve improved tremendously to 8-3 after beating UCLA in Week 13. Washington has solid options in both the run and pass game. On the run, the Huskies are going to often turn to senior running back Jonah Coleman. Coleman has just under 651 rushing yards on the season on 135 carries, making him the rock of the Huskies offense with his 14 touchdowns. Backing him up is sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2721 passing yards, 568 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 19 passing touchdowns), who can make an impact on the game either through the air or with his legs, and sophomore running back Adam Mohammed (412 yards, five touchdowns).
The Huskies are very good at getting reads, breaking through the offensive line and getting to the sideline very quickly. Bryce Boettcher, Teitum Tuioti and the rest of the Oregon defensive line is going to have their work cut out for them with the Huskies running game.
In their lone loss of the 2025 season so far against Indiana, the Ducks struggled to keep the Hoosiers’ strong run game from getting big breaks, often breaking down in the middle of the field. Washington, despite Coleman, does not have a strong rushing attack. The Huskies are middle of the pack, ranked No. 8 of 18 Big Ten teams in rushing yards per attempt. Though, they are tied with Oregon for second in the number of rushing touchdowns with 29. Oregon is going to have to work to keep Coleman and the Huskies at bay when they are in the red zone. If the Ducks can do that, they can turn their attention to the air.
The Huskies, though, can flat out play with the best when it comes to the passing game. With a completion rate of 72.34%, they rank No. 3 in the nation. Washington’s weapons include junior wide receiver Denzel Boston with 730 yards and eight touchdowns and freshman Dezmen Roebuck with 527 yards and six touchdowns.
Dillon Thieneman and Brandon Finney Jr. are going to have battles on the deep ball. The Ducks were 50-50 when they competed against larger receivers. USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane ripped off 108 total yards and had some great catches over the heads of Oregon secondaries. Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt did the same. The Ducks fought well against Rutgers, keeping KJ Duff to under 50 yards and no touchdowns. The Huskies’ Boston fits the mold, standing at 6-foot-4, 209 pounds, and could be a battle for Thieneman and Finney.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Huskies have some decent numbers against the run – however, so do the Ducks. With Oregon averaging 6.1 yards per rush, No. 1 in the nation, and the Huskies holding their opponents to 4.5 yards per rush, the trenches are going to be on full display again.
Oregon may have an easier time than what the numbers suggest. Washington has not played a lot of solid rushing offenses this year. Against ranked opponents, Washington gave up 149 rushing yards to Ohio State, 187 rushing yards to Michigan and 138 rushing yards to Illinois.
Oregon has only failed to break 100 rushing yards in a game once this year, rushing only 81 yards against Indiana. The Ducks rush offense this season has already surpassed
the total yards of the 2024 team. With the Huskies weak defensive line against stronger rushing offenses, the Ducks’ attack of true freshmen Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., and sixth-year Noah Whittington look to have no issue following suit in dismantling the Huskies defensive line.
Washington does not cover the air attack well either. The Huskies rank top 25 in the nation in only one category: opponent yards per pass, which they allow 5.9 (ranked No. 11). The Ducks, joining their great running numbers, have a strong receiving room.
Oregon, despite being without three scholarship receivers (Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. and Evan Stewart) for the previous three games, still has a rugged receiving core. Kenyon Sadiq, Malik Benson and Jamari Johnson have continued to be threats: each has had 20+ receptions and Sadiq has been finding the endzone multiple times in the last few games. Oregon should have no issue breaking out on the Washington secondaries.
Looking toward the playoffs, this matchup can be a last chance for Oregon to get everything they need settled before moving into the College Football Playoff. Given Washington’s lackluster performance against strong rushing teams and Oregon’s revamped running back room, the Huskies linebackers Xe’ree Alexander and Deven Bryant are going to have a tough matchup against Hill Jr., Davison and Whittington. The Ducks are poised to break off another 200+ rushing yard game.
(BELOW) Michael Penix Jr. (9) is sacked by Brandon Dorlus (3). The University of Oregon Ducks Football team defeated the University of Washington Huskies in an away match at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Oct. 14, 2023.
(Eric Becker/Emerald)
