5 major takeaways from Oregon Ducks' 42-27 rout over USC Trojans
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There was a lot on the line on Saturday afternoon in Autzen Stadium.
Not only were the No. 7 Oregon Ducks and No. 15 USC Trojans fighting to stay alive in the College Football Playoff race, but they were also battling for West Coast supremacy, as well. The Ducks were hosting a large portion of their 2026 recruiting class for visits on Saturday, several of whom are 5-star players that the Trojans are also recruiting. With Lincoln Riley on the other side of the field, trying to end Oregon's impressive season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks needed to make a statement on Saturday.
And they did just that. The final score was 42-27, with Oregon coming out on top and controlling the game almost from the very start. While the Trojans scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game, Oregon quickly answered, and never looked back, eventually going up 28-14 at halftime and then coasting to a victory in the second half.
In the end, the Ducks kept their playoff hopes alive and well, and did so by leaning on their depth at multiple key positions. Going forward, they will need to get healthy in order to fulfill their championship dreams, but as far as execution on the field goes, Oregon is in a good spot.
The rushing attack on Saturday was solid, Dante Moore and Kenyon Sadiq shone, the defensive front-seven was stout, and the special teams were special. Here are our biggest takeaways from Saturday's 15-point victory.
Another Next Man Up Week
The Oregon Ducks have been hit hard by the injury bug over the past month. Starters like Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, Alex Harkey, Isaiah World, and Devon Jackson have all missed time at certain points, and it didn't get any better on Saturday vs. the Trojans.
Once again, Moore and Bryant were ruled out before the game started, and World was listed as questionable with an ankle injury. To make matters worse, starting center Iapani Laloulu went down with an apparent ankle injury in the first half of this game, knocking out another starter and forcing the Ducks to lean on their depth once again.
Fortunately, Oregon's depth has answered the call, and the next-man-up mentality has been a cornerstone for this team.
On Saturday, it was walk-on center Charlie Pickard, left tackle Fox Crader, and right tackle Kawika Rogers who stepped up on the offensive line, along with Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan at the receiver position.
"I always talk about being ready for your opportunity and not waiting for your opportunity," Lanning said after the game. "There's some guys that were ready for their opportunity when their number was called."
Back in the fall, Lanning and this coaching staff talked about how deep they felt the roster was, and how, at the end of the year, it could be on anyone to step up if injuries arose, and they needed someone to hold the fort down. That happened once again on Saturday, and the Ducks needed it badly.
The Penalties Need to Improve
Oregon was called for 11 penalties for 130 yards on Saturday.
That's too much. No excuses, no trying to talk around it. In no way is that acceptable for a team that fancies itself a national championship contender.
You can have a problem with the referees, sure, for what appeared to be a handful of ticky-tack calls, particularly against the Ducks' secondary in coverage, with four pass interference calls. But even then, the Ducks were far too undisciplined in this game, and it routinely hurt them on the field. Oregon had a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, one on Dave Iuli for a late hit and one on Malik Benson for taunting a defender after a big catch.
In a rivalry game, there are bound to be a lot of emotions, but that's something that Lanning wanted to keep in check for this game, and he was frustrated with the result.
"The fire and passion are gonna come on their own," Lanning said. "We've talked all week about execution and not emotion. It's unfortunate that it showed up, but that can be a learning lesson for this group. We can take that and learn from it."
Of course, Oregon faces an even bigger rival next week with a road trip up to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies, so it will be a good opportunity to show improvement on this front.
Two Oregon Boys Get Their Shine
There's just something about senior day for Oregon boys in Autzen Stadium.
Coming into Saturday, we knew that it was going to be a special game for Bryce Boettcher. In potentially his final game at Autzen Stadium, the Eugene kid had a chance to go out with a bang, and he certainly accomplished that. Not only did Boettcher lead the Ducks with 13 tackles, but he also got the first offensive carry of his career and took it in for a touchdown from a yard out.
"He's been asking for the ball all year," Lanning said. "I don't know if anybody could keep Bryce out of that end zone when we gave him that opportunity."
Boettcher wasn't the only Oregon kid to have a meaningful day, though. After Iapani Laloulu went down with an injury in the first half, it was Portland native Charlie Pickard, a walk-on senior, who stepped up in his potential last game at Autzen Stadium and led Oregon's offensive line without issue.
It was a special day for everyone on the team, but always very cool to see these home-grown seniors get to have their moments in the sun one last time at Autzen Stadium.
Kenyon Sadiq Does It Again
While injuries are never a good thing, and any coach or fan base would choose to do away with them completely, the dings at Oregon's wide receiver position appear to have opened up a new wrinkle in the Ducks' offense, and Will Stein is leaning into it.
Without Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. available, Oregon has utilized TE Kenyon Sadiq more as a tight end over the past two games, and the results have been incredible. Last week, he had a career day with 96 yards and a touchdown on eight catches, and he turned around and caught six more passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns in this game against USC.
More than just the stats, though, it's the plays that Sadiq made that drop jaws to the floor. Whether it's a hurdle that leaves his skying over a defender, or a tough, leaping contested grab in the endzone with two Trojans draped all over him, Sadiq once again proved that he is among the most freakish athletes on the field, and arguably the best tight end in the nation.
"I think we're lucky to have the best tight end in the nation," Lanning said after the game. "His play has shown that. We're better when he's out there with us, and certainly, he's a tough guy to defend."
While the Ducks hopefully get healthier in the next couple of weeks ahead of a likely College Football Playoff run, it is at least comforting to know that their offense is able to spread Sadiq out and use him as one of the most effective mismatches in the sport.
The College Football Playoff Case is Strong
Dan Lanning and the Ducks are fortunate not to be in a position where they have to campaign and lobby for their spot in the College Football Playoff. If they win next weekend against the Washington Huskies, they are in, and likely with a very favorable seed. However, Lanning took the time after the game on Saturday to talk about how Oregon should be viewed by the Playoff committee anyway.
"We just played a really good team and we beat them," Lanning said. "A lot of times we play really good teams and they become unranked all of a sudden. That's not our fault – well, maybe it is our fault. But all we're worried about is playing the teams we play and doing the job we need to do. And we did that job today. Proof is in the pudding – we played a good team and we beat them. All we can do next week is try to do the same thing."
There is a narrative that runs throughout the sport of college football that the SEC is king, and all other conferences are playing for second. But Lanning went a step further on Saturday and made note that his team, and other teams in his conference, are playing conference games this week, rather than non-conference games against the likes of Mercer, Charlotte, or other FCS schools.
"This conference is a really good conference," Lanning said. "It's competitive. We didn't play Chattanooga State today like some other places. We competed. That being said, it's tough playing nine conference games, it's tough playing in this league and we got to take advantage of playing a good team today and attacking that."
The Ducks don't need to sing for their supper or lobby for a better spot in the playoff, but if they did, then Lanning certainly knows the points to hit.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 takeaways from Oregon Ducks' big 42-27 win over USC Trojans
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