3 Ducks to Watch as Oklahoma State Faces No. 6 Oregon in Week 2
In this story:
Oklahoma State is set to face one of the top teams in the nation, and they’ll have to face some of the top players, too.
The Cowboys sit at 1-0 after their win against UT Martin to begin the 2025 season, but their undefeated mark will be on the line against No. 6 Oregon this weekend. While OSU showed off some new talent on Thursday, it might not be enough to compete with some of the Ducks’ top players.
Three Oregon players to watch against Oklahoma State:
QB Dante Moore
After a solid freshman campaign at UCLA and last season backing up Dillon Gabriel in Eugene, Moore is ready to take over a high-octane Ducks offense. Coming into college as a five-star prospect and one of the top recruits in the country, Moore will have a chance to show off that potential against OSU.
He had a successful 2025 debut against Montana State, completing 18 of his 23 throws for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Add in another 18 yards on the ground, and OSU will have its hands full against one of the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks on Saturday.
LB Matayo Uiagalelei
Considering Zane Flores will be making the first start of his collegiate career, Uiagalelei could be an absolute force against the Cowboys. Best known for making quarterbacks’ lives miserable, Uiagalelei racked up 10.5 sacks for the Ducks last season, also adding an interception and forcing a couple of fumbles.
With his move to linebacker this season, Uiagalelei is still wreaking havoc on opponents’ backfields, getting two sacks against Montana State in the season opener. After finishing in the top 10 in sacks in the country last season, Uiagalelei could absolutely dominate against an OSU offensive line that didn’t exactly impress against UT Martin.
S Daniel Thieneman
One of Oregon’s top transfer additions this offseason, Thieneman could be a force in the secondary for the Ducks on Saturday. After two successful seasons at Purdue, Thieneman had a four-tackle debut with Oregon against Montana State, but he could play a much more important role against the Pokes.
Last season, Thieneman racked up 104 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and seven pass breakups. Those numbers alone show how scary Thieneman can be, but his freshman numbers are what OSU should be most worried about.
In 2023, Thieneman had six interceptions and forced two fumbles. Considering how young and inexperienced the Cowboys’ offense is in some key spots, OSU could be having nightmares about Oregon’s latest star defender.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.