Bear Alexander made sure his return to Los Angeles came with plenty of noise, and not just from the crowd.
The Oregon defensive tackle spent warmups inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum taking boos from USC fans, then helped the No. 15 Ducks roll past the No.
18 Trojans, 41-27, on Sept. 26.
Afterward, he went right back at his former team online.
On Instagram and X, Alexander posted a blunt message aimed at how people talk about him: "Make sure you tag WINNER at the end of that s*** when you mention me," Alexander said online, clearly taking a swipe at USC.
He kept going from there. Alexander shared 20 photos on Instagram from the win, including images tied to his own tackles, and followed that with a "strength in numbers" post featuring three smiling face emojis after Oregon knocked off its longtime West Coast rival.
The trolling wasn’t limited to social media. Oregon on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus captured Alexander throwing up the “O” hand gesture back at heckling USC fans after they reportedly directed some harsh words his way.
Once the game started, Alexander backed it up. He helped disrupt USC’s protection, including a key red zone sack that pushed the Trojans into a field goal. The veteran interior defender worked through left guard Hayden Treter, whose hip angle was compromised by Alexander’s quick first step and relentless motor before quarterback Jayden Maiava felt the pressure from his former teammate.
This wasn’t a one-game statement, either. Alexander also went after USC last season in Eugene, clogging run lanes, delivering violent knockback, and getting into Maiava’s face to force incompletions. The 2026 matchup came close to matching last year’s 42-27 Oregon win in Autzen Stadium during Big Ten play.
Alexander’s performance came with NFL eyes on him, too. The Ducks played in front of 29 different pro scouts representing 19 different franchises, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
That group likely left impressed. Alexander’s burst and hand strength stood out again, the kind of traits that make him fit as a three-technique defender. He reset the line of scrimmage and added another strong showing against a top 15 opponent that has since dropped in the latest poll rankings.
In Other News...
Oregons USC Win Put One Transfer Story Front And Center
Week 4 offered a reminder that Oregons roster churn has reached far beyond Eugene, with several former Ducks making their presence felt for new teams. The most visible example came in the win over USC, where backup quarterback Dylan Raiola helped lead the way with 289 passing yards and two touchdowns, a performance that put his transfer path back into the spotlight.
Raiola was hardly alone in turning heads. Kingston Lopa, Kamar Mothudi, Sione Laulea, Makhi Hughes, Keith Brown, Jericho Johnson and Blake Purchase all turned in meaningful work for their new programs, adding another layer to Oregons transfer-era story. For the Ducks, the week was a useful snapshot of just how many familiar names are still shaping games elsewhere, even as one of the biggest results of the weekend came against USC. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Teased A New Look Bruins Fans Need To See
During the bye week, Oregon used a little downtime to stir up plenty of offseason-style intrigue, teasing a new alternate look that fits right into the programs long-running habit of making uniforms part of the brand. The matte black jersey features green and yellow paint streaks, along with a nod to the origin of speed inside the collar, a clear callback to the Chip Kelly era that helped define a lot of what the Ducks became.
The timing makes the tease even more interesting, with the full reveal expected on September 29 and a possible debut lined up for the October 10 matchup with UCLA. A version of the jersey had already surfaced through Dicks Sporting Goods, both online and in some stores, so the only real mystery now is how Oregon plans to package the finished product when it officially goes public. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Gets A Crucial Reset Before Its Toughest Home Test Yet
A win over USC gave Oregon a needed breather, and the timing could hardly be better. The Ducks head into a bye week with quarterback Dante Moore coming out of the game injured, giving the staff a chance to regroup, reset and sort through the health of the offense before the next stretch gets any tougher.
UCLA waits on October 10 in Autzen Stadium, and the matchup already carries real weight with the Bruins still undefeated and ranked No. 23. CBS will have the broadcast, but Oregons bigger question is under center, where Dylan Raiola is expected to step in if Moore cannot clear the concussion protocol in time. [Read more 🡒]