Oregon Ducks Offensive Star Earns MVP in 56-10 Win over Rutgers

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks dominated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their 56-10 win on the road in week 8. The Ducks logged 750 yards of total offense to collect their sixth win of the 2025 season. Oregon running back Noah Whittington stole the show.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dakorien Moore Dante Moore Noah Whittington Rutgers Scarlet Knights Big Ten Schedule mvp | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated Rutgers 56-10 in Piscataway, New Jersey. With the win, the Ducks moved to 6-1 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play.

The Oregon offense under Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein was back to its usual self, as the Ducks put up a whopping 750 yards, coming just 27 yards shy of the all-time school record. Every facet of the Ducks' game was nearly flawless, but Noah Whittington shone brighter than the rest of the Ducks in week eight of their college football season.

Whittington had 11 carries on the evening which led all Ducks. Whittington was able to scamper for 125 yards on those 11 carries, averaging 11.4 yards every time he took a handoff. Whittington also found the end zone twice. With the Ducks down 3-0 early in the first quarter, Whittington took a handoff 68 yards to the house for his first touchdown, which sparked the Ducks and would be the catalyst for an incredible offensive performance.

Whittington's 28-Yard Touchdown Run Put The Game Out Of Doubt

Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on the field before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In the second quarter, with the Ducks leading 28-3. Whittington took a handoff 28 yards for a touchdown that put the game out of reach. Whittington has had to fight for his playing time in what is an incredibly packed running back room. The matchup against Rutgers was just the second time all season Whittington has logged double-digit carries, and also the first time Whittington went over 100 yards rushing. 

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So far this season, Whittington is averaging a whopping 8.1 yards per carry. Whittington had to sit last season behind former Oregon running back Jordan James, and the senior is now making the most of every moment on the field.

Whittington’s performance against Rutgers was damaging enough to force Rutgers to load the box, which then opened up the airways for Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. Moore was able to throw for 290 yards and four touchdowns while going 15-20 through the air. 

Oregon's Deep Running Back Room

Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The performance against Rutgers might move the needle enough to solidify Whittington as the starting running back moving forward. The Ducks have operated using a committee that has included freshman Jordon Davison and freshman running back Dierre Hill Jr. Davison carried three times for 100 yards in the matchup against Rutgers, while Hill Jr. rushed just five times for 62 yards, averaging just north of 12 yards per carry. 

After the game, Ducks coach Dan Lanning shared his thoughts on Oregon's rushing attack against Rutgers:

"Yeah, we wanted to establish the run, and we felt like we could move bodies up front and run through some arm tackles, and we did that tonight," said Lanning.

Whittington and the Ducks will be licking their chops going into a week 9 matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers allowed 210 yards on the ground in their week seven loss to Iowa, and allowed just shy of 100 yards to Ohio State in their week 8 loss to the Buckeyes.