Oregon vs. USC Series History: Former Pac-12 foes meet again in first Big Ten matchup
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Throughout the 2025 campaign, the Oregon Ducks have continued making their rounds of meeting Big Ten opponents for the first time as a member of the conference, often with select matchups prior to then. But in Week 13 against the USC Trojans, that won’t be the case.
The Ducks and Trojans have met a total of 63 times, with USC leading the series at 38 wins to Oregon’s 23, with two ties being recorded.
The first matchup occurred all the way back in 1915, as the Ducks handed the Trojans a 34-0 loss in Los Angeles. But over the next 23 years, USC dominated, winning the next eight matchups by a combined score of 257-21, including six shutouts.
The programs went back and forth until the 1970’s and 80’s, as the Trojans once again went on streak of wins against the Ducks. From 1972 to 1993, they went 15-2, taking back a commanding lead in the series. One game in particular, played in the 1985 Mirage Bowl, sticks out in particular.
That’s because it was held in Tokyo, Japan, hosted by Mitsubishi Motors. The Trojans were victorious on that day, boarding their long flight back to America with a 20-6 win over the Ducks.
In this century, the two teams have battled in a number of memorable games.
In 2012, Oregon came away with a 62-51 win in Los Angeles thanks to a legendary day from running back Kenjon Barner, who finished with 38 carries for 321 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was near-perfect, going 20-for-23 with 304 yards and four touchdowns while adding 96 yards on the ground. The Trojans were explosive as well, with quarterback Matt Barkley throwing for 484 yards and five touchdowns with wide receivers Nelson Agholor (six catches, 162 yards, one touchdown) and Marquise Lee (12 catches, 157 yards, two touchdowns) having standout days.
The 2020 Pac-12 championship is also notable, as Duck quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Anthony Brown threw four touchdown passes combined in helping crown Oregon as the conference champions after a 31-24 victory.
The team’s last meeting was in 2023, as Bo Nix (412 yards, four touchdowns) and Bucky Irving (118 yards, one touchdown) were the catalysts as the Ducks held off the Caleb Williams-led Trojans. Williams, the eventual 2024 No. 1 overall pick, managed to complete just 55.8% of his passes at Autzen Stadium while USC mustered up just 2.9 yards per carry on the ground. Oregon won, 36-27.
That was the Ducks’ third straight win over the Trojans, marking Saturday as a chance to make it four in a row — and the first time as Big Ten opponents.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans series history
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