Oregon’s bye week arrived with some timing attached to it.
The Ducks are coming off an emotional win over USC that also left them without quarterback Dante Moore, and the extra week gives Oregon a chance to reset before another big test lands in Eugene. It also opens the door for Dylan Raiola to take starting reps in practice while the Ducks prepare for a high-scoring UCLA team.
That next matchup is locked in for Saturday, Oct. 10, when Oregon hosts UCLA in its first Big Ten game of the season. The Bruins will come in undefeated at 4-0 under new head coach Bob Chesney, and the game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS.
UCLA enters its bye after a dominant 54-3 road win over Maryland and has climbed into the AP Poll at No. 23, setting up a top-25 meeting at Autzen Stadium. The Bruins have also been one of the nation’s most productive offenses, averaging 44.8 points per game.
Chesney is no stranger to Eugene. He was in town last December for the first round of the College Football Playoff while coaching James Madison, and even in that loss to Oregon, his team found ways to move the ball. That offensive approach has traveled with him to UCLA.
Oregon, as always, is also bringing some style to the moment. The Ducks have teased a new uniform combination for the game, and if Moore isn’t cleared to return from his concussion, Raiola will be the one wearing it and steering the offense in what could be another track meet in Autzen.
In Other News...
Bear Alexander Twisted The Knife After Oregon Beat USC
Bear Alexander had a little extra spotlight waiting for him at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and he seemed to lean into it. The Oregon defensive tackle, facing his former team in the Ducks 41-27 win over No. 18 USC on September 26, played a key role in a result that carried plenty of edge even before kickoff. With NFL scouts scattered through the building to watch the matchup, Alexander gave them something to note on the field and the Trojans crowd plenty to react to off it.
The boos from USC fans did not end when the game was over. Alexander took to social media after the victory to mock the Trojans and celebrate Oregons win, turning a tense reunion into a full-on postgame swipe. For Oregon, it was another signature road result in a season already built around high-stakes moments, and for Alexander it added an unmistakably personal layer to a night his old school probably would rather forget. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]