EUGENE - Matt Rhule knows exactly what Nebraska is walking into on Saturday night. He’s been around long enough not to hand Oregon any extra fuel, but he also didn’t pretend Autzen Stadium is just another stop on the schedule.
The Nebraska coach was careful with his words at a press conference, but the message was plain: the Cornhuskers are heading into one of college football’s toughest road environments, and he isn’t interested in helping the Ducks turn anything he says into crowd noise. Rhule put it bluntly, with a grin: “Certainly not going to say anything that they can play in their stadium like we've done,”
What he did talk about was the football side of it - the noise, the timing, the pressure on Nebraska’s offense to stay synchronized before the snap. Autzen’s crowd, which holds around 54,000, can make every little exchange more difficult.
“But obviously you have the cadence issues and the communication issues and all those things that you have to do a great job with,” Rhule said.
He also pointed out the flip side. Oregon’s fans tend to be quieter while the Ducks are on offense, which can make life a little easier for the defense trying to communicate across the field.
“And on the flip side, defensively, you anticipate being able to communicate more on defense than you do at home because we play in a really, really, really elite environment here,” Rhule said.
That environment has built its reputation over decades. Autzen has never been one of the biggest stadiums in the sport, but it has long acted like one of the most punishing.
Oregon fans yell and “Shout!” and the place has become known for the kind of energy that can swing a game fast - the Duck on a Harley, the sudden momentum shifts, the “it never rains” vibe.
The Ducks have made that edge count. Oregon owns the longest active home nonconference winning streak in the country at 40 games, a run that goes back to 2008. Under Dan Lanning, Oregon is 26-3 at home.
Even with the recent 17-15 loss to UCLA, the bigger picture still shows how hard it has been to beat the Ducks in Eugene. That night got ugly in a hurry, with Bruins fans dancing to “Shout!”
after the end of the third quarter while some Ducks fans headed for the exits. There were also boo birds inside the stadium, especially when Oregon had the ball.
Still, Oregon has been nearly unbeatable at home for years. Since 2017, the Ducks are 56-5 at Autzen, which ranks fourth in the nation in home winning percentage over that span.
Rhule was also asked whether he planned to let Nebraska take part in “Shout!”
“I don't pay - If they want to do that, they can do it,” Rhule said. “They want to go to Wisconsin, they want to do jump around, do it.
I first got here, I was screaming about stop looking at the drone show and focus. After two games, I was like, whatever, just do it.
I expect our guys to go play. Especially coming off of last week, understanding whether you're ahead or behind in the fourth quarter.
That's where big time wins happen, so let them go play.”
Oregon has heard plenty about Autzen’s edge from visiting teams, too. At Big Ten Media Days, Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus asked Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith about the stadium after he played in Oregon’s 32-31 win over the Buckeyes - a game that featured ESPN’s College Football GameDay and a field storming after the final whistle.
“It was rocking. Probably the loudest I've ever been in,” Smith said.
“The fans were definitely getting hyped. Couldn't hear anything.
Probably the best stadium I played in last year.”
Dan Lanning echoed that view, saying: “Yeah, I think (Smith) experienced what a lot of us Duck fans know, that our fans make a huge impact, that our stadium and our venue is really impressive and special. And not everybody in college football gets to experience that. So it's part of what makes our place so awesome,”
Nebraska’s trip also comes with a quarterback storyline of its own for Oregon. If Dante Moore remains sidelined in concussion protocol, Lanning said the competition is open between Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas. Raiola spent two seasons at Nebraska, which adds another layer if he gets the start.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Autzen Stadium. The forecast calls for a dry night and a low of 42 degrees, and FOX will carry the broadcast.
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