Oregon’s offense took another hit Saturday night against No. 20 Northwestern, with running back Jordon Davison heading to the locker room in the first half of the Halloween matchup at Autzen Stadium.
Davison’s night turned in the first quarter on the Ducks’ opening scoring drive. He hauled in a checkdown from quarterback Dylan Raiola near the end zone, then got slow to rise after being tackled near the line of scrimmage. He limped off and was later seen making his way into the locker room.
By the start of the second quarter, Oregon had shifted the backfield workload to Dierre Hill Jr. while Davison stayed inside. The Ducks also tried to get Evan Stewart involved out of the backfield in his first game since the UCLA loss, lining him up next to Raiola, but the play was wiped out by an errant snap from center Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu.
With Oregon trailing 20-6 in the second quarter, Hill had taken over as the primary runner and led the team with 21 yards on four carries. Davison had 17 yards on three carries before leaving, and his status for the rest of the game remained unclear.
The Ducks have already been juggling injuries elsewhere on offense. Wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Messiah Hampton are out on Saturday, and Oregon has spent most of the season without starting quarterback Dante Moore after his concussion against USC. The receiver group has been hit hard by injuries and off-field issues, but Hill and Davison had been among the steadier pieces in the backfield through the 2026 season.
Losing Davison would be another tough blow for an offense now being directed by assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson after former offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer was fired. Even with both Davison and Hill available, Oregon’s ground game has averaged 145.4 yards per game, which ranks No. 91 in the country.
Davison entered the game with 422 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. His breakout started as a freshman in 2025, when he was originally used as Oregon’s goal-line back before his role expanded. As a true freshman, he finished with 667 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
If Davison can’t return, freshman Brandon Smith would be the next likely option alongside Hill Jr. Smith has 125 yards on 24 carries, the third-most on the team. Oregon could also turn to Da’Jaun Riggs or Tradarian Ball if needed.
Through the first half, freshman receiver Jalen Lott led Oregon with 42 receiving yards on two catches, highlighted by a 35-yard grab from Raiola.
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