The first road trip of the season sends No. 6 Oregon into a place that usually makes visiting teams work for everything they get: Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Ducks arrive in Stillwater at 1-0 after a 34-27 win over Boise State, a game in which quarterback Dante Moore piled up a career-high 378 passing yards to help Oregon erase a 17-14 halftime deficit. Oklahoma State is 0-1 after a 24-10 loss at Tulsa in the first game for new coach Eric Morris, following a 1-11 season in 2025.
That backdrop sets up a matchup where the Ducks are expected to control plenty, but not necessarily all of it.
One place Oregon may start asserting itself is on the ground. Against Boise State, the Ducks didn’t need to lean on the run much while Moore was dealing.
Oregon finished with 119 rushing yards on 28 carries, with Jordon Davison leading the way at 90 yards on 14 attempts and Dierre Hill Jr. adding 36 yards on seven carries before negative team yardage pulled the official total down. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, gave up 134 rushing yards on 37 carries to Tulsa, including 80 yards and two touchdowns from Damari Alston.
That opens the door for Oregon’s backs to take over. A breakout day on the ground would mean more than doubling last week’s production and pushing past 250 rushing yards.
Davison and Hill Jr. would both be in line for 100-yard performances if that happens. Davison already has two 100-yard games in 2025, against Rutgers and Wisconsin, while Hill Jr. is still hunting his first after falling just short with 94 yards on five carries and a touchdown against Northwestern.
The Ducks’ defensive front also has a chance to make life miserable for Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Oregon held Boise State to 93 rushing yards and 2.6 yards per carry, and the Ducks did manage three sacks from Bear Alexander, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti.
Still, Dan Lanning wasn’t pleased with the run defense afterward, saying, “Not good enough,” and then adding, “Not good enough. Not to our standard.
“Our pass rush should be a strength for us,” Lanning added.
That front could be set up for a bigger afternoon if the Cowboys are forced into obvious passing situations. Oklahoma State left tackle Jacob Sexton suffered a season-ending lower-leg injury at Tulsa, and Mestemaker was already asked to throw 49 times in Week 1. If that kind of volume shows up again, Oregon has a real shot to create pressure and turn it into a sack-heavy day.
The Cowboys are also coming off a turnover-filled opener, giving it away four times against Tulsa with two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Oregon didn’t force any takeaways against Boise State, but the Ducks have the kind of defensive backs who can change that quickly.
Brandon Finney Jr. and Koi Perich bring the kind of volatility that can flip a game in a hurry, especially if the front seven starts collapsing the pocket. A pick-six or scoop-and-score would fit the way Oregon wants to play this one.
And there’s another lane where the Ducks could hit fast: special teams. Evan Stewart handled punts against Boise State, Dierre Hill Jr. had Oregon’s lone kickoff return for 21 yards, and Lanning has more options in the return game beyond Stewart and Hill. Perich came to Eugene with more than 1,100 career return yards from his time at Minnesota, and Dakorien Moore also saw limited special teams work in 2025.
Oregon also has recent history on its side. The Ducks beat Oklahoma State 69-3 last year in Autzen Stadium, and while this Cowboys team is not the 2025 version that allowed at least 38 points seven times, the matchup still gives Oregon chances to score in bunches.
Moore and the offense looked dangerous at times against Boise State, particularly in the two-minute drill, and the Ducks found the end zone four times through the air. With the quarterback’s playmaking and the number of options around him, Oregon should be able to find points again.
Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
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