The biggest swing in Oregon’s 41-27 win over USC wasn’t just the scoreboard. It was what the night did to the Ducks’ depth chart.
No. 15 Oregon left Los Angeles with a Big Ten opener win over No.
18 USC, and the game sharpened the picture around several players whose roles are starting to separate. Some Ducks are trending up fast.
Others just got squeezed by the way the roster is sorting itself out.
The clearest riser was quarterback Dylan Raiola, who stepped in after Dante Moore exited with an injury and settled the offense down in a hurry. Moore left after taking a vicious targeting hit from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II, and Raiola was the one left to keep the Ducks moving. He did more than survive the moment.
The junior transfer from Nebraska completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a 76 percent completion rate. Oregon scored 24 points on his first four drives, and Raiola looked comfortable running the show even with the pressure cranked up on the road.
Tight end Jamari Johnson also made a loud return after missing the previous two games with an undisclosed injury. He came back with seven catches for 119 yards, both career highs, and averaged 17 yards per reception. The hurdle he put on a USC defender was the kind of play that jumps off the screen, but the bigger story was how steady he looked as Oregon shifted from Moore to Raiola.
On defense, cornerback Ify Obidegwu kept showing why his stock is climbing. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 326 yards, but Oregon’s defense held together, and Obidegwu was right in the middle of it with three tackles and three of the Ducks’ nine pass breakups.
That number stands out even more considering he had just six pass breakups despite starting 12 games in 2025. He’s tracking toward becoming a fixture in the secondary.
The return of Johnson, though, creates pressure elsewhere in the tight end room, and Andrew Olesh is one of the players feeling that squeeze. Olesh had been gaining ground while Johnson was out, then caught two passes for 23 yards and his first career touchdown against Portland State.
Against USC, he didn’t show up on the scoreboard, but that doesn’t change his place in the picture. He remains a useful sophomore with upside, and Moore had recently praised his route running, preparation and coachability.
Kendre Harrison is in a similar spot, except Johnson’s comeback affects his chances across the entire passing game. Harrison flashed against Portland State with 53 yards and his first career touchdown, but he was held without a catch against USC. With Jeremiah McClellan sidelined indefinitely by a broken foot, there are still openings for Harrison, but this game didn’t move him forward.
Running back Brandon Smith also lands in the falling category after a quiet night in Los Angeles. He entered the week No. 3 on Oregon’s rushing list with 85 yards through four weeks, but with Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. ahead of him, the path to bigger touches looks crowded.
Davison led the Ducks with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown against USC, while Hill Jr. added 63 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 105 receiving yards. Smith, who had impressed against Portland State with a team-high 16 carries for 85 yards, was held off the stat sheet against the Trojans.
In Other News...
USC Now Faces One Costly Question After The Oregon Loss
The loss to Oregon left USC with more than just a mark in the standings. In a top-20 showdown that ended 41-27, the Trojans got production from a few key places, including wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who paced the offense with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, and running back King Miller, who added 74 rushing yards. On defense, Jahkeem Stewart was back in the lineup, giving USC another body in a game that demanded everything.
Desman Stephens IIs ejection for targeting added another layer to an already costly afternoon, especially after the hit that injured Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. USC has spent enough time this season trying to piece together consistency, and games like this tend to sharpen the bigger question around discipline and availability as much as execution. The Trojans left with the more immediate concern of what the loss means in the moment, but also with the kind of looming issue that can shape the next stretch if it is not cleaned up quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Locksley Is Suddenly In A Conversation Maryland Fans Dread
Week 4 brought a fresh round of anxiety to the coaching carousel, and Marylands Mike Locksley suddenly finds himself in the kind of conversation Terrapin fans have been trying to avoid. A rough loss has turned the spotlight on a coach who entered the season with expectations attached and now sits in a crowded group of Power Four leaders feeling the heat, with the calendar still early enough for things to change but late enough for every slip to matter.
Locksley is hardly alone in that uneasy space, with South Carolinas Shane Beamer, Florida States Mike Norvell and Colorados Deion Sanders among the names drawing scrutiny after a difficult weekend. For Maryland, the concern is less about one bad afternoon than what it signals about the trajectory ahead, and the next stretch of games will say plenty about whether the noise around Locksley is just a bad week or the start of a much louder debate. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Faces A USC Decision Fans Can't Ignore
The hit that sent Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to the hospital during USCs game against Oregon has put Desman Stephens and the Trojans in the middle of an ugly moment that has lingered well beyond the final whistle. Stephens celebrated after the collision and showed no remorse, and the reaction was swift, with calls growing for USC to suspend or dismiss him from the football program.
Lincoln Riley now faces the kind of decision that reaches beyond one player and into the standards of the program itself. The episode has sharpened questions about accountability and the culture around USC football, because this is no longer just about a controversial play, but about what the Trojans are willing to tolerate when the spotlight turns harsh. [Read more 🡒]