How Oregon football got a 7-figure scare from Boise State in Week 1 game
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Oregon football’s 2026 season-opener was far tenser than many expected, as the nation’s No. 2 team narrowly held off Boise State 34-27 in a tight back-and-forth game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 5.
The Ducks had to pay a pretty penny for an anxiety-filled afternoon, too.
Oregon owes Boise State $1.4 million that’s due within 120 days of the game’s completion, according to a contract signed between the two schools.
It’s a relatively common arrangement in college football, with programs from the sport’s power conferences giving an opponent a large payday, sometimes well over $1 million, for making the trip for a game the smaller school is almost certain to lose.
The Broncos, however, are far from a pushover from a tiny conference, as the Ducks know well. Two years earlier, Oregon edged Boise State, 37-34, in a game in which eventual Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Even after Saturday’s loss, the Broncos lead the all-time series between the programs, 3-2.
The Ducks trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half and were tied with Boise State in the fourth quarter before a Dakorien Moore 62-yard touchdown catch from Dante Moore with 7:51 remaining gave the Ducks a permanent lead.
The Broncos had the ball in the final two minutes with a chance to tie the game, but a Maddux Madsen pass to Darren Morris on fourth-and-10 from the Boise State 31-yard line was broken up with 1:41 remaining.
Despite the close final score, Oregon outgained Boise State by a 507-274 margin and averaged eight yards per play. Moore, one of the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites, completed 28-of-37 passes for 388 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Oregon football got a 7-figure scare from Boise State in Week 1 game
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