Sunday night in Arrowhead turned into a showcase for two former Oregon Ducks, even if the ending belonged to Kansas City. In the Chiefs’ 33-30 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts, DeForest Buckner and Bryce Boettcher were both central figures for an Indianapolis defense that kept battling deep into the night.
Buckner, the veteran defensive tackle, turned in one of the Colts’ most productive defensive performances. He finished with five total tackles and a sack, giving Indianapolis a stabilizing presence up front in a game that went all the way to overtime. For the Colts, that kind of effort is exactly the sort of foundation they can lean on as they head back to Indianapolis.
Boettcher also made his presence felt in the loss. The rookie linebacker had five tackles against the Chiefs, following up a seven-tackle debut in the season opener. For a first-year player, that’s a strong early start, and it has Boettcher trending in the direction the Colts hoped for when they added him.
Buckner’s path to this point has been built on years of high-end production. He spent four seasons at Oregon and was a major piece of a defense that helped the Ducks win a Pac-12 title and reach a national championship game in the program’s first College Football Playoff.
Across those four seasons, he piled up 224 total tackles, 18 sacks, and one forced fumble. That run made him the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Now in his eleventh NFL season, with seven of those years coming in Indianapolis, Buckner has put together a résumé that speaks for itself: 659 total tackles, 73 sacks, and nine forced fumbles. With the Colts trying to stay in the AFC South race, his role remains as important as ever.
The division picture is still crowded after two weeks. The Colts are one of three AFC South teams sitting at 0-2, joined by the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are out front at 1-1.
Boettcher’s own Oregon career was equally loaded with production and leadership. After his final season with the Ducks in 2025, when he was Oregon’s top defensive leader, he arrived in the NFL with the reputation of a tough, physical linebacker who could set the tone. He also brought a rare background as a dual-sport athlete, having played for the Ducks baseball team as well.
Over four seasons in Eugene, Boettcher recorded 269 total tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The Colts then selected him No. 135 overall in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
For now, both Ducks alumni head into another important week with Indianapolis still searching for its first win. The Colts return home to face the Houston Texans, another 0-3 team in the AFC South, after giving the Chiefs all they could handle in a spirited road effort.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Gives Oregon Fans A Lift As Justin Herbert Sparks Debate
Week 2 brought a mixed bag for former Oregon Ducks around the NFL, but Bo Nix gave Duck fans plenty to smile about. The Denver Broncos quarterback turned in one of the sharper outings among the schools alumni, throwing for 288 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars while also hooking up with former Ducks receiver Troy Franklin.
Justin Herbert, meanwhile, had a rougher afternoon in a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, finishing with 192 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. With Nix trending up and Herbert taking a step back, it was the kind of weekend that naturally invites a fresh round of debate about how Oregons quarterback pipeline is looking at the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Playoff Path Just Got A Lot More Real
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For a team trying to stay in the thick of the playoff race, that kind of movement matters even in September. The broader picture around the country is shifting too, with recent results reshaping rankings and playoff projections for other contenders, but Oregons arrow is clearly pointing in the right direction for now. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Can Hit USC Where Lincoln Riley Still Gets Questioned
Saturdays top-20 matchup between Oregon and USC carries the kind of late-September weight that can shape both the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff picture, especially with two programs trying to prove they belong in that conversation. It also puts the Ducks in the spotlight as one of the conferences most complete teams, with Dan Lannings reputation on the defensive side drawing as much attention as the offense around him.
ESPNs Rece Davis framed the game as another measuring-stick moment for Lincoln Riley, whose USC tenure has come with familiar questions about winning the biggest games. The Trojans have tried to address one of those lingering concerns by bringing in Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator, but Oregon still enters with the steadier identity and the tougher edge that has made Lanning such an intriguing foil in this matchup. [Read more 🡒]