Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks enter Saturday night in Eugene with the margin for error almost gone after last weekend’s loss to UCLA dropped them to 3-2. Nebraska is coming in after pushing the defending champions to the brink, and with injuries piling up, Oregon can’t afford to waste much time searching for answers. The Ducks are going to need their healthy playmakers to hit early and hard if they want to come out with a win.
The offense, in particular, needs a spark from the ground game. Jordon Davison has handled 29 carries over Oregon’s first two Big Ten games for 107 yards, a 3.69-yard average that hasn’t yet given the Ducks the kind of physical edge they need. Oregon is still hunting for its first 100-yard rushing performance, and that breakthrough would take a lot of pressure off whoever ends up starting at quarterback, since Dan Lanning hasn’t named one for Saturday night.
That quarterback situation makes it even more important for Drew Mehringer to get the ball to the right people early. Jamari Johnson didn’t see his first target against UCLA until the 57th minute, a delay that left one of Oregon’s biggest playmakers too far on the margins. If the Ducks want to keep Nebraska from dictating the game, Johnson needs to be involved much sooner and do damage when his number gets called.
Dakorien Moore has already shown he can carry more than his share of the load. He led Oregon with 77 yards on just four catches against UCLA, and his ability after the catch gives the Ducks an easy way to make life simpler for whoever is throwing the ball.
If Evan Stewart is ruled out, Moore becomes the elder statesman in the room, and Oregon may need to lean on him even more. There may not be a more talented player on the roster, and the Ducks need to use him like it.
Defensively, Oregon can’t let Nebraska’s Jacorey Barney win the game on the outside. Na'eem Offord got burned on the opening drive against UCLA for a 62-yard gain and finished with two catches allowed for 88 yards.
Barney lines up most often on the outside, which means Offord figures to see plenty of him. The Ducks don’t need a repeat of that kind of breakdown.
Up front, Matayo Uiagalelei may be the most important piece on defense right now. Oregon’s defensive line helped keep the Bruins game close even while the offense struggled, and Uiagalelei was at his best with seven tackles and two sacks.
If that performance was the start of something bigger, it comes at the right time. With Dante Moore still out, Oregon needs its defense to keep carrying the load.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Changed Oregons Biggest Nebraska Game Storyline
Dylan Raiola had been trending into a more central role for Oregon after his strong showing against USC, but the momentum stalled quickly in the next game against UCLA. Now Dan Lanning has made the call to keep Brock Thomas in the starting job against Nebraska, a move that shifts one of the biggest storylines of the week and changes how the Ducks will approach a matchup with Raiolas former team.
Lanning pointed to Raiolas recent performance and the adjustments Oregon has made on offense as the reasons behind the decision, which gives the Ducks a clearer picture heading into a game that already carried plenty of extra intrigue. For Raiola, the opportunity to face Nebraska will still be there, but it comes with a different role than many expected when the schedule first set up this reunion. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Commit Brayton Feister Is Back On The Field Amid Dispute
Brayton Feister is back on the field at Massillon Washington High School after the Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled that he and his brother Brydon are eligible to play, overturning the Ohio High School Athletic Associations earlier ineligibility decision. The brothers had been sidelined over transfer and disciplinary issues, but the latest ruling granted them a preliminary permanent injunction and cleared the way for them to continue their senior season.
For Oregon, it means one of its commitments is once again taking part in the kind of late-season football that can matter in more than one way, from development to momentum before the next level. The OHSAA still has the option to keep fighting the case, so the legal side of the story is not necessarily finished, but for now Feister is back where he wants to be, and that is on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Home With One Big Problem Against Nebraska
Oregon heads into its Week 7 home game against Nebraska trying to regroup after a 17-15 loss to UCLA pushed the Ducks out of the rankings. The trip back to Autzen Stadium brings a familiar sort of pressure, with a favored team expected to rebound quickly and get its season pointed back in the right direction.
The bigger issue, though, is still unsettled at quarterback. Oregon has multiple players competing for the job and has not named a starter, leaving the Ducks to sort out the most important spot on the field before a nationally televised matchup on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Against a Nebraska team coming in with a chance to test Oregon early, the Ducks will be looking for answers as much as a win. [Read more 🡒]