Six Biggest Winners and Losers From Oregon's Redemption Win Over Portland State

EUGENE - Friday night under the lights, the No. 21 Oregon Ducks entered their final non-conference matchup of the season against the Portland State Vikings looking to bounce back after Week 2’s upset to Oklahoma State.

And a statement was made, to say the least, as the Ducks defeated the Vikings 84-0.

In all the times Oregon has faced Portland State, the Ducks have never won by less than 41 points, and in the last three matchups leading up to this one, Oregon had scored 212 points compared to just 21 from Portland State.

Oregon Ducks Portland State winners losers Dante Moore Dylan Raiola Jordon Davison Jeremiah McClellan USC prep — Oregon quarterback Dante Moore dances to “Shout!” as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

But what added flames to the fire and made matters even worse for the Vikings was the fact that Oregon entered Friday night’s matchup fresh off the worst upset in the coach Dan Lanning era. The Vikings were on the receiving end of that frustration. No matter the opponent, Oregon had to come out and make a statement. It just happened to be against the lowest-level team on Oregon’s schedule.

However, the score can’t necessarily be used as the measurement stick for this Oregon team. Against an opponent like Portland State, the Ducks were expected to win, and win comfortably. What mattered more was how Oregon executed.

“We have a better team, and no disrespect for Portland State, but that's what that's the way it should look when you execute what we're supposed to execute,” said Lanning after the win.

“As a whole, I'd say it was a much higher percentage of guys doing the right thing consistently.”

The Ducks have little to no margin for error going forward if they want to make the College Football Playoff and contend for a national championship. And Friday’s win over Portland State showed fans that the high-potential team national media outlets were raving about during the offseason could still be there.

Winners:

Oregon's Running Game

After Oregon struggled to establish the run against Boise State and Oklahoma State, the Ducks finally got their ground game going against Portland State. The Ducks finished with 273 rushing yards.

Running back Jordon Davison set the tone early. After quarterback Dante Moore connected with sophomore running back Dierre Hill Jr. for a 29-yard gain that brought Oregon down to the Portland State 3-yard line, Davison finished the opening drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

Davison was a big part of Oregon's success on the ground. He finished the game with 13 carries for 81 yards.

Hill provided another big piece of the rushing attack, finishing with 61 total scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown.

The production continued after the starters left the game. Freshman Tradarian Ball finished with seven carries for 47 yards and a touchdown, and fellow freshman running back Brandon Smith added 15 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown.

After the Ducks were held to just 90 rushing yards against Oklahoma State, Oregon needed to get its running backs reps and success on the ground. It did that against Portland State, and that confidence in the run game is something the Ducks will need going forward.

Oregon's Freshmen

This was exactly the type of game Oregon wanted for its young players. With the Ducks in control early, Lanning was able to get a number of freshmen on the field, and several of them made an immediate impact.

Freshman tight end Kendre Harrison was one of the biggest standouts. With starting tight end Jamari Johnson still sidelined, the true freshman continued to get valuable reps with Dante Moore and the Oregon offense. Harrison caught four passes for 53 yards and scored the first touchdown of his college career.

Wide receiver Messiah Hampton also made the most of his increased opportunity. With Jeremiah McClellan unexpectedly sidelined, the true freshman stepped into a bigger role and finished with six catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

Hampton wasn't the only freshman to find the end zone as Smith and Ball also recorded their first career touchdowns.

Defensively, freshman defensive back Davon Benjamin recorded an interception. Defensive back Jett Washington picked off two passes and added a solo tackle.

The Ducks got five touchdowns from freshmen and three interceptions from true freshmen, which gives Lanning the chance to develop depth while also allowing some of Oregon's younger players to gain confidence before Big Ten play.

Dylan Raiola

Transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola made quite the first impression in his Oregon debut. Raiola took over at quarterback to start the second half and completed all 11 of his passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns.

Raiola helped lead Oregon's second-half offense while the Ducks continued to pull away from Portland State, finding the end zone three times through the air. It was the kind of debut Oregon wanted to see from its backup quarterback.

Raiola was efficient, didn't turn the ball over and took advantage of his opportunities.

There was never much doubt that Moore had established himself as Oregon's starter, but Friday night showed why Raiola was highly regarded coming into Eugene.

The Ducks also got Brock Thomas into the game in the fourth quarter, giving Oregon even more reps at the position.

Losers:

Oregon's Injury Situation

Oregon entered Friday night with several players already unavailable, but the Ducks also had the benefit of playing a game where they didn't necessarily need every injured player on the field.

Offensive lineman Trent Ferguson is out for the season after suffering a knee injury against Oklahoma State, while Johnson, cornerback Carl Williams IV, wide receiver Dillon Gresham and wide receiver Jalen Lott also remained sidelined.

The biggest question coming out of Friday night is wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan.

McClellan was fully dressed and going through warmups before the game, including talking with Oregon's training staff. But when the game started, he was back on the sideline in street clothes with a boot on his left foot and using crutches.

McClellan entered the game as Oregon's leading receiver through two weeks with seven catches for 170 yards and a touchdown. His absence opened the door for Hampton, who responded with six catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns, but Oregon still needs to know where McClellan stands heading into USC.

Harrison also appeared to suffer an injury scare late in the game after his four-catch, 53-yard, one-touchdown performance. Oregon had the luxury of being able to give some players additional time to recover against Portland State, but that luxury won't necessarily exist once conference play begins.

Oregon's Offensive Line

The running game finally got going, but Oregon's offensive line still showed some of the issues that have followed the Ducks through the first two weeks.

The most obvious example? Oregon allowed a Portland State sack.

The Ducks have also continued working through different combinations along the offensive line. Douglas Utu has moved to left guard, Michael Bennett III has been working at right guard and Gernorris Wilson has gotten reps at right tackle.

That rotation is understandable after Ferguson's season-ending injury, but Oregon is still trying to find the right combination up front.

Oregon's Pass Rush

The defense pitched a shutout and held Portland State to just 103 total yards, so there wasn't much to complain about from the final result, but the pass rush still hasn't looked like the unit Oregon expected coming into the season.

The Ducks entered 2026 with massive expectations for their defensive front after returning players such as edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, and defensive tackles A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander.

Tuioti was coming off a season with 9.5 sacks. Uiagalelei entered the year as a preseason All-Big Ten selection and one of the most highly regarded players on Oregon's defense.

The Ducks also didn't get their first sack of the season until the fourth quarter, when junior defensive lineman Aydin Breland finally got to the quarterback.

That's notable considering Portland State was an FCS opponent and Oregon's defensive front was expected to be one of the team's biggest strengths.

Add us as a preferred source on Google