Surprising MVP in Oregon Ducks' Upset Loss to Indiana Hoosiers

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks suffered a 30-20 home loss in week seven to No. 7 Indiana. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had arguably his worst performance as a Duck, going 17/28 for 163 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

The Hoosiers had the perfect plan coming into Autzen and constantly found soft spots in the Ducks' defense to exploit. The MVP of the highly-anticipated Big Ten conference matchup is Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.

Elijah Sarratt Has Huge Game Against Oregon Secondary

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Autzen Stadium Dakorien Moore Dante Moore Jordon Davison Indiana Hoosiers Curt Cignetti — Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley (8), tight end Riley Nowakowski (37) and offensive lineman Carter Smith (65) celebrate on the field after defeating the Oregon Ducks by the score of 30-20 at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Sarratt had a massive game for the Hoosiers and was consistently a thorn in the Ducks' side. Sarratt ended the game with eight receptions for 121 yards and made a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown catch that would end up being the death knell for the Ducks in Eugene.

Sarratt now has six touchdowns on the season with 412 receiving yards. Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza used Sarratt as a security blanket when the pocket would collapse, giving Sarratt the MVP of the top-10 showdown.

Sarratt and his eight receptions were able to establish the running game for the Hoosiers, and it paid off in a huge way. Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby was able to scamper for 70 yards on 19 carries and found the end zone twice.

The Ducks' secondary was constantly tested all game, and gave up 215 receiving yards throughout four quarters. The secondary wasn't necessarily getting torched over the top, but they were constantly giving up small receptions that Indiana used to move the chains.

Ducks Receivers Struggle Against Indiana Defense

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Curt Cignetti Dakorien Moore Dante Moore Autzen Stadium Big Ten Fernando Mendoza — Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) walks off the field after the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

While Sarratt was able to give the Hoosiers a massive boost, the Ducks' pass catchers weren't able to do the same. Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq ended the game with just one reception, and wide receiver Dakorien Moore ended the game with just four receptions for 39. No Oregon receiver had over 44 yards receiving.

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Part of the Ducks' receivers' issues lies with the Ducks' quarterback, Dante Moore. Moore had two interceptions and was 17/28 through the air. The 11 incompletions for Moore were often due to him scrambling after the pocket collapsed, but a few of the incompletions were overthrows that could have resulted in a big gain for the Ducks.

The one bright spot for the Ducks' offense was freshman running back Jordon Davison. Davison carried eight times for 59 yards while snagging four receptions for 9 yards. Davison has been used mostly as a goal-line back this season up to the Ducks matchup with Indiana.

The Ducks will have to quickly dust themselves off, and the secondary will have to play up to standard as Oregon now faces a cross-country trip to New Jersey to face off against Rutgers. Rutgers gave Washington a big test in Seattle and shouldn't be looked at as a pushover game by any means.