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Three Things We Learned in Oregon's Win Over Portland State

The No. 21 Oregon Ducks bounced back from their loss to Oklahoma State with a dominating victory against the FCS Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium.
Ally Osborne, Lily Crane|
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning | Darby Winter

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Oregon DucksPortland State Vikings

The No. 21 Oregon Ducks took their Week 2 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the chin and responded with an 84-0 shutout victory over the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium.

Coach Dan Lanning earned his 50th win as head coach, and the win set a program record for the most points in a single game in the modern era (surpassing 81 against the Vikings in 2023). It also marked the largest margin of victory at Autzen Stadium.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) walks off the field after a game against the Portland State Vikings
Sep 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) walks off the field after a game against the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Below are three things that Ducks fans can take away from the win.

1. Oregon Freshmen Take Advantage of Their Opportunity

Lanning and the coaching staff seemingly had the freshmen on a short leash in the first couple weeks of the season, but against the Vikings, they were provided with a massive opportunity to play. It’s fair to say 2026 recruiting class didn’t disappoint.

The leading receiver in the game was four-star Messiah Hampton, who finished with six receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Behind him was five-star tight end Kendre Harrison, with four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, while also displaying his skills as a dominant blocker with his 6-7 frame.

At running back, Brandon Smith and Tradarian Ball both got late run, each scoring touchdowns and combining for 114 rushing yards. Receiver Brady Bidwell joined the party of true freshman to score their first collegiate touchdowns. Hudson Lewis and Gaitlin Bair also tallied three receptions each.

The defensive side of the ball was no different, featuring two interceptions and a forced fumble by five-star safety Jett Washington. Four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin also recorded a pick.

It may have been against an FCS opponent in a blowout win, but the Ducks’ freshmen showed that they’re ready to contribute.

2. Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola Show Strength of Quarterback Room

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up before the game 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

The Ducks played four different quarterbacks in this one. Dante Moore started and played the whole first half, throwing for 280 yards and four touchdowns on 19-for-23 competition. Moore additionally became the first quarterback in FBS this season with 220-plus passing yards in a single quarter during the first quarter.

He wasn’t the only quarterback to turn heads. Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola played his first snaps in an Oregon uniform, throwing a perfect 11-for-11. Raiola finished with 124 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. both played in the fourth quarter. Fans got to see four very different players at quarterback, two of whom finished with jaw-dropping stat lines.

3. Penalties Still a Concern

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning shakes the hand of Portland State Vikings head coach Chris Fisk
Sep 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning shakes the hand of Portland State Vikings head coach Chris Fisk after a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penalties and mistakes were big storylines in the Ducks’ first two games of 2026. Penalties remain an area of concern, even though they didn’t end up hurting Oregon in this game.

Offensively, Oregon notched seven penalties for 65 yards. The Ducks saw flags for everything from illegal holding, illegal formation, delay of game and false starts.

Granted, some of those mistakes came in the second half when the Ducks played guys who are third or fourth on the depth chart. But if it’s still an issue in a dominant win over an FCS school, questions arise about whether they can show improvement in just a week’s time for a matchup against the nationally ranked No. 12 team, the USC Trojans.

FINAL: OREGON 84 - PORTAND STATE 0

FOURTH QUARTER: OREGON 84, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q4 0:00: Portland State kneels. Game over.

OREGON 84, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q4 0:29 OREGON SCORES: The fourth Oregon quarterback in the game is redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr. Freshman running back Brandon Smith punches in a two-yard touchdown after 13 plays for his first career score. The extra point is good.

Q4 2:45: Emiliano Rodriguez punts 51 yards after a three-and-out. Receiver Iverson Hooks fields the ball at the Oregon 24-yard line.

OREGON 77, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q4 8:08 OREGON SCORES: The Ducks put in their third quarterback of the night as Brock Thomas comes in. Freshman running back Tradarian Ball rushes into the end zone for his first career touchdown. The extra point is good.

Q4 12:38: Defensive lineman Aydin Breland gets Oregon's first sack of the game for a loss of eight yards. The 14-yard Vikings completion isn't enough on 3rd-and-18. Dakorien Moore returns a 57-yard punt for 10 yards to the Oregon 22.

OREGON 70, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q4 14:55 OREGON SCORES: Receiver Brady Bidwell catches his first touchdown as a Duck on a seven-yard pass. The extra point is good.

THIRD QUARTER: OREGON 63, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q3 0:00: Dylan Raiola's pass goes to Da'Jaun Riggs, who advances 24 yards on the play. The third quarter ends with the ball on the Portland State 2 after a Riggs four-yard rush.

Q3 4:03: The first play of the Vikings' drive is Jett Washington's second interception in as many defensive drives. The Ducks get the ball on the Portland State 38.

OREGON, 63, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q3 4:08 OREGON SCORES: Back-to-back throws from Dylan Raiola to Messiah Hampton result in a 17-yard touchdown, Hampton's second of the night. Roco Graziano's extra point is good.

Q3 5:06: Oregon safety Jett Washington intercepts. Washington forces his second turnover of the day and puts the Ducks on the Portland State 36.

Q3 5:36: The Ducks are forced to punt for the first time shortly after offsetting penalties pull back a Messiah Hampton touchdown. A 30-yard punt by Bailey Ettridge puts the ball on the Portland State 10.

Q3 9:14: Oregon freshman cornerback Davon Benjamin intercepts the ball at the Portland State 27. A personal foul on Matthew Johnson puts the Ducks at the Vikings 30 after the 15-yard return on the punt initially gave them good field position following the pick.

OREGON 56, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q3 9:27 OREGON SCORES: Nebraska Cornhuskers transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola gets his first snaps as a Duck, entering for Dante Moore. Raiola hands it off to running back Da'Juan Riggs for 10 yards and a first down on his first play, followed by a 10-yard pass, 15-yard Riggs rush and a 10-yard Raiola pass. After nine plays, Raiola's first touchdown pass is 13 yards to tight end Andrew Olesh. Rocco Graziano's extra point is good.

Q3 13:46: Oregon edge rusher Nasir Wyatt comes up with a pass breakup on second down, followed by a quarterback hurry by Gavin Nix. Emiliano Rodriguez's punt goes 44 yards for a touchback.

Q3 14:52: Oregon starters are now out after halftime. Portland State's Gabe Downing throws right to Tanner Beaman for 21 yards after a missed tackle.

HALFTIME: OREGON 49, PORTLAND STATE 0

SECOND QUARTER: OREGON 49, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q2 0:00: The first half ends with Portland State on their own 31-yard line.

OREGON 49, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q2 1:45 OREGON SCORES: Another freshman gets his first career touchdown. Messiah Hampton receives a seven-yard pass from Dante Moore in the end zone. Douglas Utu gets into the game for the first time on this drive. The extra point is good from Gage Hurych.

Q2 3:44: Three-and-out for Portland State. Emiliano Rodriguez punts nine yards and puts in on the Vikings 37-yard line.

OREGON 42, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q2 5:23 OREGON SCORES: The Ducks have scored on every offensive drive. Dierre Hill Jr. rushes seven yards for a touchdown to cap off a six-minute, 13-second drive. Kicker Rocco Graziano takes the extra point this time, good.

Q2 11:34: Jordon Davison rushes up the middle on the first play of the drive for 19 yards to the Oregon 39. Davison already notched 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries with over 10 minutes to go in the first half.

Q2 11:36: Vikings quarterback Gabe Downing gets the Vikings' second first down of the day with an 11-yard pass. Oregon linebacker nearly intercepts on 2nd-and-10, but the Vikings end up having to punt to the Oregon 0 anyway.

OREGON 35, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q2 13:33 OREGON SCORES: The Ducks get bailed out of a 3rd-and-15 situation with a Portland State pass interference for an automatic first down. Dante Moore throws to Kendre Harrison for a 10-yard touchdown, and Harrison's first career touchdown reception. The extra point is good.

FIRST QUARTER: OREGON 28, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q1 0:00: The quarter ends with Dante Moore showing off his budding connection with freshmen playmakers. Receiver Messiah Hampton helps Moore secure back-to-back completions of 11-plus yards. Then, tight end Kendre Harrison catches the ball at the Portland State 25 on a 26-yard completion.

Q1 2:41: Unsportsmanlike conduct from Gavin Nix results in 15 yards and an automatic first down for Portland State. An illegal offensive lineman downfield pulled back what would've been a 19-yard completion. Three-and-out for the Vikings. Emiliano Rodriguez punts 44 yards to the Oregon 17.

OREGON 28, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q1 4:49 OREGON SCORES: Dante Moore continues to roll. Following an 18-yard pass to Dierre Hill Jr., Moore completes a 39-yard touchdown pass to Evan Stewart. Extra point is good.

Q1 5:28: Portland State called for intentional grounding on 3rd-and-9, resulting in a seven-yard loss and a loss of down. Emiliano Rodriguez punts 32 yards to the Oregon 43.

OREGON, 21, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q1 6:58 OREGON SCORES: After the Ducks force the fumble in favorable field position, Jordon Davison rushes into the end zone for the second time in the first quarter for a touchdown. The extra point is good.

Q1 9:14: Freshman safety Jett Washington forces a fumble on Gage Hurych's 63-yard kickoff that is returned to the Portland State 18. Oregon linebacker Gavin Nix recovers at the Portland State 19. Oregon ball.

OREGON 14, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q1 10:01 OREGON SCORES: Dante Moore follows up a 22-yard pass to receiver Evan Stewart to start the drive with a 45-yard bomb to receiver Dakorien Moore for the touchdown. Extra point is good.

Q1 10:11: Three-and-out for Portland State. Oregon defensive back Koi Perich breaks up a pass on 3rd-and-1, and Vikings punter Emiliano Rodriguez punts 47 yards to the Oregon 22.

OREGON 7, PORTLAND STATE 0

Q1 11:45 OREGON SCORES: Jordon Davison punches in the first touchdown of the game on a three-yard rush. The extra point is good and Oregon scores first for its first time in the Ducks' first three games of the season.

Q1 12:22: Ducks quarterback Dante Moore passes up the middle to running back Dierre Hill Jr., who advances for 29 yards and gets into the red-zone.

Q1 14:20: Oregon running back Jordon Davison rushes for the second-straight play to start the game, this time for 22 yards and a first down.

COIN TOSS: Portland State won and deferred to the second half. The Ducks start on offense.

PREGAME

Oklahoma State's Jerry Lawson (92) tackles Oregon's Dierre Hill Jr. (6) second half of the college football game between the
Oklahoma State's Jerry Lawson (92) tackles Oregon's Dierre Hill Jr. (6) second 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

The biggest theme of this week leading into the Ducks' one-day-shorter game day is the 39-31 road loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, which made college football history as the first time an unranked team snapped a 12-game losing streak by beating a top ten ranked program.

With emotions running high, coach Dan Lanning spoke about the reality of managing a loss of such magnitude, regrouping, and moving forward as a team.

"Stop looking into the future," Lanning stated. "Everybody wants to make a prediction before the season starts. You know, it doesn’t matter until you play the games. We’ve seen that every year with teams that are supposed to be good that aren’t good. We have the capability to be good. We have good enough players; we have good enough coaches. I haven’t coached them well enough. I haven’t done a good enough job, so I know I can do better."

OREGON'S GAME CAPTAINS

WEATHER

According to AccuWeather, the forecast in Eugene, Oregon is far different from last weeks' heat-blistering field and game-postponing thunder and lightning. The forecast projects things to be "partly sunny and pleasant" with a temperature high of 76 degrees and a one percent chance of rain.

Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during
Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

INJURY UPDATE

During his weekly pregame press conference, coach Dan Lanning shared that junior offensive lineman Trent Ferguson would be sitting out the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered against Oklahoma State.

Lanning also gave updates on senior tight end Jamari Johnson and senior defensive back Carl Williams IV. Williams, who went down after a hit during a Cowboys' touchdown run last week, is more in-flux than Johnson. Lanning shared Johnson would miss multiple games after it was announced prior to kickoff against Oklahoma State that the star tight end would be out, despite traveling with the team to Stillwater.

"Still evaluating it with Jamari [Johnson]," Lanning said. "We'll see what that looks like. I think I may have mentioned last week, he might be down for a few. So, we'll see if he's able to, you know, get back to where he's able to perform.

UNIFORMS

In their third uniform release of the season, the Ducks continue to reference the rich history of their program. Not only were the uniforms for their game against the Vikings modeled by Portland, Oregon native and fifth-year senior defensive back Zach Grisham, audio from the Ducks' and Vikings' first ever match-up from 1994 played during the reveal, which is becomming a common calling card for this years' threads.

Freshman running back Jayden Limar breaks away for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Oregon Ducks host Portland State
Freshman running back Jayden Limar breaks away for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Oregon Ducks host Portland State in the Ducks’ season opener Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

HISTORY

Fun fact: these two teams have never met anywhere else but Eugene, Oregon, with the six games over multiple decades all being held on Duck turf (Oregon has won every single matchup). Coach Dan Lanning has faced the FCS-division Vikings once, winning by a whopping 81-7 in 2023 with quarterback Bo Nix starting, the largest victory margin in the series by far.

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Published | Modified
Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally Osborne has a passion for sporting events across her home state. She began writing for Oregon Ducks on SI in 2021. Currently a morning talk show host and sports reporter for KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon, Ally is engrained in her community. Finding and sharing stories that highlight the unique culture and connectivity sports creates is a part of her DNA. She frequently contributes sports content to KOIN's broadcast and streaming platforms while hosting talk show "Everyday Northwest" and video podcast "Tower Talk Live" every weekday. With Portland being her third-worked television market (second in Oregon), Osborne brings hard-news and feature-reporting experience to compliment her expertise for sports storytelling. Her journalistic endeavors and art creations (many of which are inspired by the Oregon Ducks) can be found on her social media pages. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. 

Lily Crane
LILY CRANE

Lily Crane a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. Before attending the University of Oregon Journalism School of Communications, she grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon. She previously spent three years covering Ducks sports for the University of Oregon's student newspaper, The Daily Emerald. Lily's also a play-by-play broadcaster for Big Ten Plus and the student radio station, KWVA 88.1 FM Eugene. She became the first woman in KWVA Sports history to be the primary voice of a team when she called Oregon soccer in 2024. Her voice has been heard over the airwaves calling various sports for Oregon, Bushnell University and Thurston High School athletics.

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