Three Oregon Ducks Rising and Falling Before Portland State

The No. 21 Oregon Ducks are moving on from a shocking 39-31 road loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, with coach Dan Lanning and crew's sights now set on what may to be a bounce-back game against the FCS Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium.

With the Ducks' performance in Stillwater top of mind, Oregon athletes saw their stock rise despite an overall troubling performance, and the Ducks have some pressing questions to begin to answer during a Friday Night Lights game.

Oregon inside linebacker Devon Jackson scores off a pick-six as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rising: Devon Jackson, Fifth-Year, Inside Linebacker

If there's a single player to point to as the bright spot for Oregon amidst a slew of problems, it's veteran inside linebacker Devon Jackson. Just in the first quarter, Jackson ran down Cowboys' quarterback Drew Mestemaker to prevent an early Oklahoma State touchdown, then followed that highlight shortly after with an electric 96-yard pick six, showing off his untouchable speed.

Jackson ended the match-up as the No. 2 on the team for total tackles (7) and continued to find ways to pressure Mestemaker and the Cowboys' offense early, but his efforts weren't enough to stave off the Cowboys' dominant performance.

As Lanning admitted during his postgame press conference, without Jackson and senior edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei's defensive touchdowns, the Ducks would've been in far worse of a spot against the Cowboys.

Oregon kicker Gage Hurych kicks a point after as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rising: Gage Hurych, Junior, Kicker

During a preseason where a new-look special teams had Duck fans feeling a bit uneasy, junior kicker Gage Hurych has so far proved he's a servicable successor to former Duck Atticus Sappington. So far, Hurych is 100 percent on extra point kicks and field goals in the 2026 season, becoming a welcome consistent as the Ducks navigate pitfalls throughout.

At the end of the second quarter against the Cowboys, as the Oregon offense took 11 plays for 41 yards over 3:17 in their last offensive series with 30 seconds on the clock, Hurych took the field to punch in a 42-yard field goal which was his second longest kick of the season so far.

Oregon wide receiver Messiah Hampton is brought down by Oklahoma State linebackers Tate Romney, right, and Ethan Wesloski as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rising: Messiah Hampton, Freshman, Wide Receiver

As quarterback Dante Moore struggled to connect with his go-to receivers, one young talent stepped up amongst a stacked wide receiver room to try and pump a little more momentum into Oregon's office.

Though freshman Messiah Hampton only picked up three passes, his 10.3 yards per catch put him as the No. 3 receiver on the team against the Cowboys, with Hampton being slotted in after Moore just could not find a consistent rhythm with either senior Evan Stewart or sophomore Dakorien Moore.

Oregon’s Anthony Jones Jr., left, and offensive lineman Fox Crader, right, square off during the Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene April 25, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Falling: Fox Crader, Junior, Right Tackle

Though it's tough to single out a particular offensive lineman that contributed to the heap of issues in the trenches for the Ducks, junior right tackle Fox Crader showed some of the most obvious mis-reads and getting beat off the block, particularly in the fourth quarter as the Ducks' offense unraveled against the Cowboys.

As Crader was the typical left tackle relief lineman during the 2025 season, perhaps he's not quite used to the right side, communication issues with a less-seasoned batch of linemen, or there's a deeper issue involving defenses figuring out the "tells" of a run-play or pass-play, or all three.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is sacked by Oklahoma State defensive end Keviyan Huddleston as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Falling: Dante Moore, Senior, Quarterback

Speaking of tells, senior quarterback Dante Moore revealed his own personal faults when it comes to potentially giving away a run-play or pass-play with his footwork against the Cowboys. Moore, who was widely discussed as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy Award in the preseason, may not hear his name brought up as much after a game that's likely to go down as his worst with the Ducks.

Moore ended the game with a 48 percent completion rating in the air, going 14 for 29 with 191 yards and two touchdowns. With four sacks throughout the game and constant pressure on Moore from the Cowboys' defensive line, the quarterback often overthrew several passes to familiar targets, bringing up shades of how his collectiveness in the pocket crumbled in the Peach Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Moore has enough talent to bounce back from this loss, but seeing a veteran quarterback forgo a shot at the NFL Draft for one more year in college and play the game he did against Oklahoma State is disheartening.

Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker (17) throws a pass as Oregon's Bear Alexander (1) defends in the first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Falling: Bear Alexander, Fifth-Year, Defensive Lineman

One of the most head-scratching parts of Oregon's performances against Oklahoma State and Boise State is the defensive line, which entered the 2026 season as one of the most anticipated position groups in the country.

Senior defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington exited the game in Stillwater during the start of the first quarter with an undisclosed injury, causing the Ducks to lean on senior lineman Bear Alexander in the interior. The Cowboys had success running the ball, however, with 5.9 yards per rush play off 40 rushing attempts.

Continuing to pound the rock in that way signals Oklahoma State was not scared of Alexander and Oregon's defensive line.

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