One Exciting Stat About the Oregon Ducks Defense

EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks' defense found success against some of the top offenses in the nation last season, and the program has the chance to build on that in 2026, with it set to return many of its defensive starters in 2026.

Oregon finished the 2025 season with the No. 11 defensive stop rate, per ESPN. The Ducks played three of the top-10 teams in stop rate, including the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who clinched the No. 1 spot.

Oregon’s Defensive Success

oregon ducks dan lanning defensive coordinator tosh lupoi chris hampton transfer portal dillon thieneman koi perich matayo — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stop rate is “the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in a punt, turnover or a turnover on downs," per ESPN. In Oregon’s 14 games in 2025, it posted a stop rate of 72.4 percent. The Ducks allowed an average of 1.63 points per drive.

The Ducks' first-round opponent in the College Football Playoff, James Madison, ranked a sport ahead of them. The Dukes finished with a 73 percent stop rate, allowing 1.49 points per drive.

The first-round showdown between Oregon and JMU didn’t end up being a defensive matchup as the stop rates suggest. The Ducks dropped 51 points on the Dukes, and JMU scored 34, which was a season-high for Oregon opponents at the time.

That CFP game wasn’t the only outlier between Oregon and a team with a top-10 stop rate. The Ducks’ worst defensive performance of the 2025 season came against the Indiana Hoosiers in the CFP semifinal. The eventual National Champions scored 56 points on the Ducks’ defense and only punted three times.

Meanwhile, the Hoosiers showed why their defense had a top-three rating. They caused three turnovers in the semifinal, forced three punts and created two turnovers on downs.

But one of the Ducks’ biggest highlights of the 2025 season was their defensive performance against Texas Tech. The Oregon defense was motivated to show its ability against a defensive unit that was receiving national praise.

Oregon shut out the Red Raiders’ offense. The Ducks forced four turnovers, caused four punts and created three turnovers on downs. Texas Tech’s defense still limited the Ducks, but it allowed the second-most points of any opponent it faced in 2025.

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Previewing the Ducks’ 2026 Defense

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The 2026 season will bring some changes on the defensive side of the field for Oregon. Former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi moves on from the program to become the head coach of the California Golden Bears. Oregon’s Chris Hampton moves into the defensive coordinator role after serving on the coaching staff since 2023.

The Ducks’ secondary made major improvements under Hampton as the safeties coach. Defensive improvements are a trend that has occurred under Hampton at each of his previous stops. If he’s able to raise the standard of the Oregon defense even higher in 2026, the defensive stop rate should be even higher next season.

While the Ducks will have a major change at defensive coordinator, the core of the defense is set to return. Edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti will be back, alongside defensive linemen Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington. Oregon does lose safety Dillon Thieneman to the NFL Draft, but added former Minnesota safety Koi Perich.