EUGENE - Oregon’s defense looked nothing like the group everyone had circled before the season when the Ducks walked out of Stillwater with a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State on Sept. 12. That day, the numbers were ugly: 25 first downs allowed, 554 yards surrendered, and a unit that seemed out of sync at every level.
Since then, though, the Ducks have started to resemble the defense they were supposed to be. Over the last three FBS games, Oregon has tightened up, played with more purpose and shown the kind of front-seven pressure that was expected from the start - even as the offense has stumbled with Dante Moore sidelined.
“I think they’re starting to come into who they are,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said after Saturday’s 17-14 win over Nebraska. “Like, really find who they are, not what they were anointed to be before the season. ... I’m just impressed with a lot of the growth of the guys across the board, guys that can play winning football, and there’s more and more guys that are really accountable and frustrated if they don’t do their job at a high level.”
Lanning said Oregon still has room to grow, but the Nebraska game offered another clear sign that the defense is carrying real weight. The Ducks held the Cornhuskers to 242 yards and just 78 on the ground, while piling up eight tackles for loss, four sacks, four passes broken up and an interception.
It starts inside, where Bear Alexander is tracking toward a career season with 30 tackles and two sacks, and A’Mauri Washington has steadied himself after an early-season slump. Their work in the middle is helping open the door for Oregon’s edge rushers, with Matayo Uiagalelei at six sacks, Teitum Tuioti at three and Nasir Wyatt adding one, which came against Nebraska.
“When one person’s getting up the field and the other person’s going with power, there’s nowhere for the quarterback to go,” Wyatt said this week. “Coach Rip (Rowan), he spoke about, like, we’re not really playing for sacks.
We’re just playing that, we call it ‘Dirty Ps’. Just condense the pocket, you know, and the more ‘Dirty Ps’ we get, the more we’re gonna get to the quarterback.”
The pressure up front has also helped the linebackers settle in. Devon Jackson’s speed has become a real weapon, especially when he’s closing on quarterbacks or chasing down outside runs. Dylan Williams and Jerry Mixon have been steady in run support and coverage, and Mixon’s interception against UCLA showed up in a group that is starting to look more comfortable by the week.
For Jackson, the formula is simple.
“Who doesn’t love playing football, right?” Jackson said.
“Like, it doesn’t matter how many opportunities we get, we just continue to play off each other, feed off each other’s energy, right? Like, beginning of the season, it started off slow.
But it’s like, feeding off Teitum when he makes a play. Whoever makes a play, just feed off each other’s energy and know we’ve got each other’s back.”
That approach has carried over as Oregon’s defense keeps trying to cover for an offense that has not been nearly as efficient. Even if the Ducks are spending more time on the field than they want, Jackson said the group is embracing the challenge of keeping games alive.
The secondary has held together, too, despite losing starting safety Aaron Flowers to what is likely a season-ending shoulder injury. Peyton Woodyard has stepped in, and Minnesota transfer Koi Perich has picked up steam after a slow start, posting 17 tackles over the last two games along with an interception and a fumble recovery against UCLA.
At corner, Brandon Finney Jr. and Ify Obidegwu have developed into a dependable tandem. Na’eem Offord has chipped in, and freshmen Davon Benjamin and Devin Jackson have made the most of their snaps.
“I think it comes from our preparation, man,” Tuioti said. “Throughout the week, we’ve been practicing hard.
We’ve been trying to figure out ways to be better. And I just give kudos to the guys, man, playing really hard and physical on the D-line, at backers, in the secondary.
Everyone just plays super hard, man, and that’s how we get it done.”
The effort is obvious. So is the coaching tweak behind it.
Players say Hampton and the defensive staff have streamlined things, giving the Ducks a clearer path to focus on assignments instead of sorting through a heavy load of complicated looks. The message has been straightforward: play physical, play winning football, and let the rest sort itself out.
As Oregon’s identity keeps sharpening, the playbook may grow again. For now, though, there’s no reason to complicate what’s finally working. The talent is showing up, the production is following, and the defense that was supposed to arrive in September is beginning to look very real.
“I think the key is never getting infatuated with praise, right?” Lanning said.
“There’s growth in there somewhere, and that’s what the defense is focused on is continuing to grow. And hopefully don’t spend any time reading your press clippings, because we can play better than we did.”
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Oregon Turns To A Familiar QB For A Crucial Illinois Test
Dan Lanning is making a familiar move at quarterback as Oregon prepares for a crucial road test against Illinois, turning back to Dylan Raiola after Brock Thomas got the start last week. Raiola has already shown he can settle a game in a hurry, having come off the bench and helped spark a late comeback win over Nebraska, and now the Ducks are asking him to carry that momentum into a matchup that could shape the rest of the stretch.
Illinois presents a defense that has had trouble against the pass, which gives Oregon a clear reason to lean on Raiolas arm and poise. It will be his second start, and for a Ducks team looking for stability at the position, the challenge is less about whether Raiola has flashed upside and more about whether he can do it again when the stakes are a little higher. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Lott Is Suddenly In Position To Matter For Oregon
Jalen Lotts second game already looked like the kind of moment that can change a freshmans place in a lineup. The Oregon wide receiver had an early drop, but he kept coming back into the action and made key catches, including a crucial grab on a late fourth-down play against Nebraska. For a young receiver trying to get on the field, that kind of response can matter as much as the stat sheet, especially when a quarterback starts looking his way in tight spots.
Lott has also entered a situation that could speed up his rise. With other Oregon receivers dealing with injuries, the Ducks may need him to take on a much bigger role in the games ahead, and the trust hes already earned from Dylan Raiola and the coaching staff gives him a real path to more snaps. For a freshman, it is one thing to flash talent in a game or two, and another to be the next option when the depth chart gets thin. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Weighed In On Playoff Expansion At A Tough Time For Oregon
Dan Lanning has made it clear he is in favor of a larger College Football Playoff, and the timing of his comments adds an interesting layer for Oregon. The Ducks are in the middle of a season that has not put them anywhere near the current bracket picture, so a proposed 24-team field would change the stakes around the sport in a way that would matter to plenty of programs, including ones trying to climb back into the conversation.
For Lanning, the appeal is straightforward: fewer teams would be left arguing over the final spots, and more programs on the edge of the race would still have something to play for late in the year. Oregon, meanwhile, has to keep its focus on the next challenge, a road trip to face Illinois, and Lanning has already pointed to the Illinis offensive strengths as a key part of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]