Oregon’s season has already taken a hard turn from preseason buzz to damage control, but one part of the roster has started to look like it belongs on a team with bigger ambitions. Inside linebacker has become a strength for the Ducks, and senior Devon Jackson is right at the center of it.
That group has settled in as the season has worn on, and Jackson said the chemistry inside the room keeps pushing the unit forward.
“ We feed off each other. It doesn't matter who's on the field, and, like, we're gonna keep getting better,” said Jackson of the linebacker group Tuesday ahead of facing Nebraska.
The numbers back up the idea that Oregon’s defense is carrying itself with some real bite. The Ducks are allowing opponents just 3.4 yards per carry and 118.4 rushing yards per game, while third-down stops have been a major weapon too, with opponents converting only 22.06 percent of the time.
That progress matters because Oregon is already in a tough spot. The Ducks opened the year with national championship expectations and a No. 2 ranking, but six weeks in, the picture looks very different. At 3-2, with losses to Oklahoma State and UCLA, the margin for error is almost gone.
The defeat to Oklahoma State showed cracks in the defense. The loss to UCLA created a different kind of frustration, mostly because Oregon’s defense did enough to keep the Ducks alive while the offense put it in an impossible spot.
UCLA managed only 17 points despite Oregon’s offense turning the ball over seven times. The Ducks also mustered just 272 total yards and went 1-for-12 on third down.
Even so, the defense kept answering. Outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt, inside linebacker Jerry Mixon came up with a key interception, and safety Koi Perich added an interception and a fumble recovery.
Oregon also held UCLA to 140 rushing yards on 46 carries, and the game stayed within reach until the end. But the offense never cashed in on the chances the defense created.
Jackson doesn’t want to split the team into separate stories, though. For him, the result belongs to everybody.
“We all in this together. It's not like, oh, defense won a game and offense lost, or special teams won or lost.
Like, we all lost together and we all win together. So we got each other's back no matter what,” said Jackson.
“I remember talking to Poncho (offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu) for like 20 minutes after the game, and it's just like, ‘Bro, like, I don't care what's going on or what happens, the result is like I got your back.’ Like, I trust that group. I wouldn't trade that group with anybody else in the country despite what other people may think, and we're gonna continue to lean on each other because it's all we got and we all we need.”
Now Oregon turns to Nebraska, another game with a lot hanging over it. The Cornhuskers nearly upset then-ranked No. 7 Indiana, losing 20-17 after controlling much of that game.
The matchup also means something extra for Jackson, who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and went to Omaha Burke High School before heading to Eugene.
He knows what this one represents, both personally and for a Ducks team trying to steady itself. Oregon still has games left against Michigan and Ohio State, but with two losses already on the record, another slip could be devastating to its playoff hopes. Even winning out would not automatically get the Ducks into the 12-team playoff.
Jackson’s message, though, stays rooted in the same place: control today, handle the next game, and keep moving.
“You can't really control that far out. All I got is today, just like everybody else in this room.
All we can do is focus on to get better for today, and to improve the things that need to be improved on as a defense. Continue to trust each other, continue to trust the coaches, continue to trust the preparation,” said Jackson.
“At the end of the year, what happens, happens, but I promise if we focus on the day and focus on one game at a time, we'll be okay.”
In Other News...
Oregon Must Find An Unexpected Answer At Receiver Before Nebraska
Oregons receiver room took another hit this week, and the timing could hardly be worse with Nebraska up next. Jeremiah McClellans broken foot has already thinned the depth chart, and Aaron Flowers is out for the rest of the season after surgery, leaving the Ducks to sort through another layer of injury fallout as they get ready for a big early test.
Evan Stewart is also doubtful for the upcoming game, which has opened the door for some less familiar names to step forward. Freshmen Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair, along with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, are among the options Oregon may lean on if it needs a new starting combination at wide receiver, and the coming days should reveal just how much the Ducks are willing to trust that group in a spotlight game. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons New-Look Roster Already Has A Problem To Fix
Oregons first look at its revamped mens basketball roster came with a reminder that new pieces do not always fit cleanly right away. The Ducks fell to Seattle University, 71-65, in their preseason exhibition opener, and the box score told the story of a team still trying to find its footing. They were careless with the ball, turning it over 25 times, and struggled to match Seattles physical play while working through the early stages of team cohesion under interim head coach Tony Stubblefield.
There were some familiar and new faces in the mix, including Pharaoh Compton, Andrew Meadow and Taylor Bol Bowen, but the night also exposed how thin the margin can be when a group is still sorting itself out. Senior forward Sean Stewart fouled out early, another blow to a team already battling mistakes and inconsistency, and the Ducks now have plenty to clean up before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon May Be Losing Grip On A Quarterback They Wanted Badly
Oregons 2028 recruiting board still has plenty of work to do, but the Ducks have clearly identified quarterback Josiah Boyd as one of the names they want to land early. Boyd has narrowed his finalists to Oregon, UCLA and Kentucky, and he is set to make his commitment decision on November 23, giving the Ducks a little more time to make their case to one of the top passers on their board.
The latest signs, though, have made this one a little tougher to read for Oregon. Kentucky appears to have picked up momentum in Boyds recruitment, helped in part by new head coach Will Stein, even as Oregon stays involved and plans to bring Boyd to upcoming home games. For a program that has yet to secure a commitment in the class, keeping pace in a battle like this matters, especially with a quarterback target who could shape the early feel of the group. [Read more 🡒]