Piscataway, N.J. — Dante Moore threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns as No. 8 Oregon bounced back from its first loss of the season with a dominant 56–10 victory over Rutgers on Saturday night — the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Just a week after a disappointing 30–20 defeat to Indiana, the Ducks (6–1, 3–1 Big Ten) responded emphatically, extending the nation’s longest active road winning streak to 10 games.
“I expected our guys to play with an edge,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “They executed at a really high level tonight and did exactly what we asked them to do.”
Running back Noah Whittington added 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Oregon rolled up an eye-popping 750 yards of total offense — 415 on the ground and 335 through the air — the most by any team this season against a Power Four opponent.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano didn’t mince words after watching his defense get overwhelmed.
“I’m very disappointed in those numbers,” Schiano said. “I’ve got to take a hard look at everything and everyone. We’re not at that level right now.”
Moore was nearly flawless, completing 15 of 20 passes and leading the Ducks to touchdowns on five of their first six drives.
“He was playing with joy,” Lanning said. “You could see it on his face. There are always things to clean up, but he really commanded the offense tonight.”
The Scarlet Knights (3–4, 0–4 Big Ten) never found their footing. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was under constant pressure, completing just 8 of 25 passes for 79 yards with two interceptions while being sacked three times.
Rutgers managed only 202 total yards as its streak of futility against ranked opponents stretched to 16 years — the longest active drought in college football.
Oregon’s explosive attack produced eight plays of 30 yards or more, overwhelming Rutgers in front of a sellout homecoming crowd of 53,127.
Freshman defensive back Aaron Flowers continued to impress for the Ducks’ defense, tallying five tackles, forcing a fumble, and recording an interception.
“This was a complete team response,” Lanning said. “To come across the country and play like this in a tough environment says a lot about our group.”
Oregon fans made their presence felt in New Jersey, filling large sections of the stadium in green and yellow. “It was unbelievable,” Lanning added. “To see our fans travel that far and make it feel like a home game — that meant a lot.”
Up Next:
Oregon: Hosts Wisconsin on Oct. 25.
Rutgers: Travels to Purdue on Oct. 25.
