Oregon is bringing back a look that has worked before, and it comes with a little extra flair for the trip to Los Angeles.
The No. 20 Ducks will face No.
12 USC on Sept. 26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the all-white “stormtrooper” uniform. Oregon has had success in that setup before, including the 2010 team led by former coach Chip Kelly and the 2012 group that featured former Ducks running back Kenjon Barner setting school records in a win in LA.
This time, the attention started to shift before kickoff thanks to Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander. The former USC defender posted an image on his personal Instagram stories on Sept. 24, and it quickly spread across the internet and social media.
OMG THESE ARE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/exoF6zdRTN
USC had already made its own move, unveiling new Nike cleats on Sept. 24. The Trojans’ Nike Vaporposite pro cleats feature unique coloring at the bottom that gives them a reflective look, along with flexible studs designed for smooth plant-and-go movement from USC defenders and skill players.
But Alexander’s post made it look like Oregon had something to answer with of its own. The Ducks’ cleats appear to feature the “UO” from past helmets, the Ducks flock, and several other Oregon logos that have appeared on previous uniforms, now placed prominently on the shoe.
The uniform battle is just the backdrop, though. This matchup carries real weight this early in the 2026 season.
USC enters at 4-0, one of nine undefeated teams in the Big Ten as of Sept. 26, and the Trojans are the only one with four wins already. Oregon, meanwhile, has taken the last four games in the series, including last season’s “Trojans funeral,” as coach Dan Lanning called it. In that 42-27 win at Autzen Stadium, the Ducks intercepted USC quarterback Jayden Maiava twice and controlled the game.
USC has tried to reset its trajectory since then. Coach Lincoln Riley worked with new general manager Chad Bowden to land the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class for 2026, while also bringing in impact transfers and hiring hall of fame coach Gary Patterson to lead the defense. The freshman class has already produced, with wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon, Wyatt, edge rusher Luke Wafle and tight end Mark Bowman all making immediate impressions.
Still, USC will be without Mosley in this one, and Oregon will be missing star wideout Jeremiah McClellan.
That makes this conference opener one that could matter for plenty of careers. Dante Moore gets one more shot at a longtime West Coast rival that also includes his brief time with UCLA.
Alexander has a chance to add another win over his former school. And with McClellan out, Oregon will need production from Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart or Messiah Hampton.
There is also one more chance for edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti to close out their Ducks careers with another win over USC. Uiagalelei, in particular, gets to do it in his home city, with the spotlight only brighter because of the gear on his feet.
In Other News...
USC Injury Trouble Could Reshape Oregons Biggest Test Yet
USCs unbeaten start has turned this weekends matchup with Oregon into one of the early seasons more consequential games, and it comes with plenty of uncertainty attached. The No. 12 Trojans are 4-0 and set to host the No. 20 Ducks at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, with playoff implications already hanging over a meeting that kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT and airs on NBC.
Oregon enters as a slight favorite, but the bigger question for USC is availability. The Trojans may be without wide receiver Corey Simms and freshman Trent Mosley, injuries that could affect how Jayden Maiava and the offense attack a Ducks team led by Dante Moore at quarterback. For Oregon, it is a chance to test itself on a big stage against a ranked opponent that may not be at full strength, and the roster news could wind up mattering as much as the on-field matchup. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is Hiding A Coliseum Twist Before Oregon Arrives
USC has left one small but notable piece of theater hanging as Oregon prepares to visit the Coliseum: the Trojans have not yet announced who will serve as tunnel captain for the game. It is the kind of detail that usually gets buried under the football itself, but at USC it carries a little extra weight, especially with two familiar names sitting in the conversation in Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll.
Bush, the former Heisman Trophy winner, and Carroll, the coach most closely associated with USCs modern peak, both have deep ties to the program and plenty of appeal in a setting like this. The delay has only fueled the guessing game for a matchup that already has enough energy around it, and the answer will say something about how USC wants to frame the night before Oregon ever takes the field. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads To Oregon With One Huge Lineup Uncertainty
USC arrives in Eugene with its offense still sorting through the fallout of a growing injury list, and the receiving corps has taken the biggest hit. Trent Mosley and Corey Simms are already out with knee injuries, while Terrell Anderson and Jahkeem Stewart are still hovering in that uncertain range that can force a staff to keep reshuffling plans deep into the week.
For Oregon, the real interest is less about who USC can list and more about how the Trojans will actually line up once the game starts. The return of Madden Riordan gives them a little more depth, but it also underscores how much of the burden is shifting onto players like King Miller and Riley Wormley as USC tries to patch together enough reliable options for a road test that could expose every thin spot. [Read more 🡒]