Eugene, Ore. — All week long, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore tried to quiet the noise surrounding a high-profile matchup at Autzen Stadium. When Saturday arrived, he and the Ducks delivered.
Moore threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon (10–1, 7–1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) toppled USC 42–27, a result that likely ended the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes while boosting the Ducks’ chances of both qualifying and securing a home game.
Kenyon Sadiq played a major role in the win, hauling in six passes for 72 yards and two scores, while Noah Whittington added 104 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Between Senior Day festivities, playoff stakes, a top-20 matchup, and ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting from campus, the buildup was immense. Moore said maintaining emotional balance was critical.
“I kept reminding the team all week that yes, it’s emotional—senior night, big stage—but you can’t let emotions turn negative,” Moore said. “We worked Monday through Friday to earn this result.”
USC Strikes First, Oregon Answers
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to star receiver Makai Lemon. Lemon also completed a touchdown pass of his own, becoming the first USC wideout to do so since 2018. But the Trojans (8–3, 6–2, No. 15 CFP) once again faltered on the road against a ranked opponent, extending their losing streak in Eugene to five games.
“This wasn’t our best,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Too many penalties, some mistakes we haven’t been making. We fought hard, made plays, but ultimately came up just short.”
The Trojans opened the game with an 8-yard touchdown from Maiava to Lemon. Oregon responded quickly with freshman Jordon Davison’s 11-yard scoring run, then took the lead on Sadiq’s first touchdown grab.
USC tied it at 14 early in the second quarter when Lemon took a backward toss from Maiava and launched a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tanook Hines.
Ducks Shift Momentum Before Halftime
Oregon regained control on a highlight punt return as Malik Benson weaved 85 yards for a touchdown. The Ducks looked poised to settle for a long field goal later in the half, but a USC penalty on a missed 44-yard attempt extended the drive. Oregon capitalized with a 1-yard plunge from Bryce Boettcher, building a 28–14 halftime lead.
The Trojans tightened the game midway through the third quarter with Maiava’s 4-yard scoring toss to Lemon. But before the end of the period, Moore found Sadiq again—this time for a 28-yard touchdown.
A pair of Oregon pass-interference penalties helped USC cut the deficit to 35–27 on Maiava’s 9-yard touchdown to Lake McRee, though the Trojans failed on the two-point try. Oregon responded immediately, with Whittington breaking loose for a 9-yard touchdown run that effectively put the game away.
“They’re explosive—they were going to land some shots,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “But our guys did a great job resetting and answering back.”
Notable Absences
Oregon remained without injured receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. USC was also shorthanded, missing safeties Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald, along with tackle Elijah Page.
Takeaway
Oregon’s earlier loss to Indiana left little room for error. A slip-up against USC would have derailed both its playoff bid and its narrow path to another Big Ten title. The Ducks avoided that fate, though they still must beat Washington next weekend in Seattle to keep their hopes intact.
As for USC, Riley emphasized the season isn’t finished: “We’ve won some really good games. In the ones we didn’t win, we were right there. We’ve got a great chance to get win No. 9 next week, and that’s the focus.”
Up Next:
USC: Hosts rival UCLA on Saturday.
Oregon: Travels to Seattle for a pivotal showdown with Washington.
