Oregon EDGE Teitum Tuioti Explains Ducks' Disconnect on Game Days

The Oregon Ducks woke up on Oct. 11 realizing they're now unranked. The No. 12 UCLA Bruins knocked the previous No. 13 Ducks out of the top 25.

Such a loss leaves fans wondering if there's internal friction inside the Ducks' locker room. Or if, somehow, Oregon players end up dealing with a disconnect between practices and games amongst the team. Well, edge rusher Teitum Tuioti addressed that possibility with reporters postgame.

Teitum Tuioti on Apparent 'Disconnect' Between Practices and Games

Oregon Ducks Dylan Williams Teitum Tuioti USC Trojans King Miller Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Dan Lanning — Oregon inside linebacker Dylan Williams, left, and Oregon outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti bring down USC running back King Miller as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Fans are wondering if the Ducks have a sudden change in mindset once they step inside the stadium. And not in a good way.

Tuioti addressed that potential problem with honesty.

Oregon Ducks Jayden Maiava Teitum Tuioti USC Trojans Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum UCLA Bruins Big Ten Conference — Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass against Oregon Ducks linebacker Teitum Tuioti (44) during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I feel like sometimes that throughout the games, whether it's good, whether it's bad, I think sometimes we get too honed into our own selves. When we got to really, like, bring everyone along with us, and that starts with me as a leader," Tuioti said.

But this responsibility doesn't solely fall on Tuioti.

"Starts with all of our vets here," Tuioti added. "We've got to bring people along, and I think we gotta do a better job in practice and in the game.”

Where Oregon Struggled the Most Against UCLA

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning UCLA Bruins Autzen Stadium College Football Big Ten Conference Teitum Tuioti — Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning questions referees during the second half in a game against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fans will look at the stats and immediately believe Tuioti and the defense delivered a great game. But that's not necessarily the case. Even the stats don't tell the entire story.

Oregon's pass defense bottled the UCLA air attack to 205 passing yards. Even starter Nico Iamaleava struggled to generate explosive plays before leaving with a lower-body injury, hitting 162 yards and getting picked off twice. Backup Ty Dieffenbach threw 43 yards and didn't necessarily threaten the Ducks down the field.

But the latter took great care of the football. Plus leaned into UCLA's strength: The ground game, with the Bruins hitting 140 yards and playing the ball-control game with Oregon.

Oregon Ducks Dylan Raiola Autzen Stadium Eugene Oregon Big Ten Conference UCLA Bruins Brock Thomas College Football — Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola passes off the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Ducks' run defense has struggled in their two losses. Even Oklahoma State, once known for air raid approaches, found success off quarterback keepers and by taking advantage of poor eye discipline, with Oregon fueling the upset.

Tuioti and the defensive line did all they could handle against the now higher ranked Bruins. Oregon delivered four tackles for a loss among its defensive line room. But the offense didn't help matters much with the inconsistency. Oregon's ground game settled for 73 yards only while the passing game changed quarterbacks between Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas, the former getting benched.

Oregon's offense managed to finally get one late touchdown before the two-minute mark and got the ball back. But a fumble ended the chance to prevent the upset.

How Teitum Tuioti, Oregon Plan to Move Forward

Oregon Ducks Dante Moore UCLA Bruins Autzen Stadium College Football Big Ten Conference Teitum Tuioti — Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) congratulates the UCLA Bruins after a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The nation wrote off Oregon following that disastrous two-point home loss, including for the Big Ten title race and the College Football Playoffs.

Tuioti is more focused on "the next" as he described it.

"I think we'll focus on the next. Like, every week is going to be a new opportunity for us," he explained. "Obviously, this is not the way we wanted our season to go, for sure. A lot of guys came back to this program. A lot of guys came to this program, you know, to get a sneak peek at what Oregon has to offer, and I truly believe that we can still be a great team no matter what if we really put it together."

Oregon still holds a high Football Power Index by ESPN at No. 9 overall. But their chances of winning the conference are under four percent now, while their CFP probability is under 10 percent.

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