No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) continues its reign as the top-ranked team in the nation despite offensive troubles last Saturday against the Terrapins. The Ducks take their final road trip of the regular season to Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten).

Oregon is coming off arguably its shakiest performance since it played Boise State in the second game of the season. The Ducks defeated Maryland 38-19 at home last Saturday, but the game was closer than the final score indicated.

“Adversity is real,” Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel said postgame. “You’ve got to find ways to win when things aren’t always going your way. We definitely made it tougher on ourselves, but Maryland played really well.”

The Terrapins didn’t play like the 17th-ranked team in the Big Ten. They picked up 289 total yards and many of their drives got within field goal range.

Oregon ended up being bailed out by its defense — which forced three turnovers and scored its first defensive touchdown of the season — and by clever coaching from Dan Lanning. A fake punt in the third quarter led to a touchdown and a two-point conversion to put the score at 28-10. Both of the plays into the end zone featured unexpected recipients: offensive linemen Gernorris Wilson and Josh Conerly Jr.

Lanning and his squad are certainly looking to clean things up before they head to Wisconsin.

“We got to go back and look at the film and figure out how we can eliminate [penalties],” Lanning said postgame about the 12 infractions his team committed. “We didn’t play clean. I don’t know, we were distracted and we weren’t focused.”

On the other side of this weekend’s matchup, the Badgers come in with a week off to reset following their 42-10 loss at Iowa. Wisconsin will face a Top-25 team for the fourth time this season. The first three matchups accounted for its first three defeats of the season.

The rushing attack is something to look out for against the Ducks. The Badgers rank sixth in the Big Ten in total rushing yards (1563), fifth in rushing touchdowns (19) and fifth in rushing yards per game (173.7). Oregon, on the other hand, is 38th in the nation in defensive rushing yards per game (121.4) which is 10th in the conference.

Tawee Walker is the leading running back for Wisconsin. Walker has 676 yards on 142 carries and is second in the conference in rushing touchdowns with 10.

The Badgers are ranked first in the Big Ten in fumbles, which could prove to be a major weakness against the Ducks. Oregon is second in the conference in forced fumbles — which includes the fumble defensive end Jordan Burch forced to lead to a recovery and a 62-yard Brandon Johnson defensive touchdown last weekend. 

Wisconsin lost at home twice this season, with both coming against teams that were in the top-5 at the time. This will be the seventh meeting between the two, but Oregon has won the last three, including the 2020 Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has won both of the two matchups at home, but those were in the 1970s.

Oregon and Ohio State continue to separate themselves from the rest of the nation. The University of Georgia and the University of Miami, then-ranked No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, both lost their matchups last weekend. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, defeated Purdue 45-0 while the Ducks began their season 10-0 for the third time in program history.

The Cheese State is Oregon’s last stop on the road before a potential appearance in the Big Ten Championship. It’ll look to keep its record unblemished for its rivalry matchup in the regular season finale against Washington the weekend of Thanksgiving.

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Matthew Knight Area was infiltrated by a sea of red and white. To be contenders in the Big Ten, you have to contend with No. 2 Nebraska (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) — and its traveling fanbase. 

On Thursday night, No. 12 Oregon (17-5, 9-4 Big Ten) looked like the rookie in the Huskers’ straight-set victory.

“The first set, we were kind of timid. We weren’t being super disciplined in any aspect of the game,” Mimi Colyer said. “I think the second set, we realized and we figured it out, and we were playing much better.”

Allick Rebekah got the first say for Nebraska with a kill down the middle. Oregon appeared shaky right off the bat, hitting attempts out of bounds that it usually makes.

The Ducks immediately responded to a 4-0 Huskers run with a 3-0 run of their own. They tied it at 6-6 but it didn’t take long for Nebraska to snatch the advantage right back.

Oregon stars Colyer and Michelle Ohwobete struggled in Set 1, as both players had errors and .000 percent hitting in the first. On the opposite side of the floor, Taylor Landfair dominated and recorded five first-set kills on .625 percent hitting.

The Ducks fell apart in the back half of the set, with Nebraska taking it 25-12.

It was Oregon’s first matchup against a top-2 team in Eugene since 2018. The Ducks entered the match on a roll at home, winning nine in a row and losing only its first match against the current No. 1 team, the University of Pittsburgh.

Set 2 started out better for the Ducks. They took their first lead of the match at 7-6 and kept it much closer than in the first. The Huskers still went up 2-0 following a 26-24 set.

The story was nearly identical to when Oregon played Pitt in the season’s first game. Set 1 in that match also ended 25-12 in favor of the Panthers. Then, the Ducks showed fight and potential by coming within two points of the Huskers in Sets 2 and 3.

But this wasn’t game one of the season and Oregon wasn’t looking for a moral victory.

“I hope teachers, just keep teaching and you never know when they’re going to get it,” Ulmer said. “If you have goals in December, like we’re gonna have to tackle this, right? This is what a Sweet 16, Elite Eight is gonna feel like. We’ve had a few matches, Penn State, Wisconsin. This one that felt that way, Saturday will feel the same way with the crowd, the environment, handling all those things, and it’s something that you have to tackle if you want to have success. And if you don’t, you won’t.”

Colyer put up a decent performance. She tallied 13 kills, many of them garnering big reactions from the Ducks’ fanbase. The problem was that Colyer finished with 52 attacks — none of her teammates had more than 19.

“52 is crazy,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “We were just kind of bailed out to Mimi. But there was opportunities to send other people and have our offense more diverse, so we really need to do that against these guys.”

Nebraska won a critical challenge to make the score 24-23, determining Set 2, but Oregon’s confidence didn’t waver. The Ducks began the third with the advantage but it didn’t last. The final was 25-18 in Set 3.

Huskers’ sophomore Harper Murray stole the show with 14 kills on 29 attacks and 10 digs. Landfair also recorded 13 kills, while Bergen Reilly had 33 assists for Nebraska. The Huskers continue their conference record and extend their winning streak to 20 matches.

The matchup brought an attendance record of 8,566 for Oregon volleyball. It surpassed the previous record of 7,334 set against Oregon State in 2023. The season-high before the match was 3,847 against Illinois.

“The crowds when we’re on the road there, they look like that and I was hoping that we’re going to try to raise our competitive level to compete in the conference,” Ulmer said. “I hope that our fans noticed how many red shirts were there, how early they were there. They got the seats because they showed up early, that’s something they’re used to doing. That’s not something we’re used to doing here we show up, you know 10 minutes to game time, and we have a nice time.”

The Ducks’ next test will be on the road. It doesn’t get any easier, as they’ll have to rebound with a top-15 win. Oregon faces No. 14 Minnesota on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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No. 1 Oregon (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) passed each test thrown at it throughout the season — trap games, top-3 matchups and now hostile road environments.

For the Ducks to keep their position as the highest ranked team in the nation, they’ll need to take care of business against the No. 15 team in the 18-team Big Ten. Oregon is asked to do so with the injury bug hitting its roster.

Only a No. 1 caliber team can have a 21-point road win in a stadium as storied as The Big House and still leave fans feeling that they underperformed.

The Ducks won 38-17 last Saturday in front of 110,576 fans in Michigan but left much to be desired. For example, a muffed punt in the first quarter set up the Wolverines in a dangerous position, ultimately leading to a game-tying touchdown.

Oregon responded to its early fumble by controlling the matchup the rest of the way.

Michigan outscored Oregon 7-3 in the third, despite the Ducks having the advantage for the remainder of the game. Third quarter struggles are something head coach Dan Lanning called a “trend” this season, with Oregon being outscored 30 to 29 overall.

The Ducks do head into Week 11 with a 9-0 record for only the third time in program history. Their opponent, however, has not had the same kind of success this season.

Maryland (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) enters the matchup off a bye week. Conference play has been rocky for the Terrapins, as their defense has conceded 27 points or more in every Big Ten game. They’ve dropped both of their road Big Ten matchups, allowing 90 points and scoring 51 across the two games.

In a season of firsts, Oregon will face the Terrapins for the first time ever as Maryland makes the 2,823-mile trek from College Park, Maryland to Autzen Stadium.

Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. has 13 touchdowns on 2,314 passing yards this season on 68.4 percent completion. Opposing defenses have sacked Edwards 13 times and forced six picks — something to look out for with the Ducks’ defense totaling 23 sacks and seven interceptions.

Perhaps most notable heading into the Maryland matchup are the Oregon injuries. Leading receiver Tez Johnson and offensive lineman Marcus Harper II both exited the Michigan game with injuries.

Lanning said in his postgame press conference that he didn’t have any updates for either player but that Harper told him he’d “be fine.”

Losing either Johnson or Harper for any amount of time would be a big loss for the Ducks. Johnson leads the team with 64 receptions for 649 yards while Harper has been a big part of an offensive line that’s only allowed three sacks in the last seven games.

Traeshon Holden stepped up in Johnson’s absence against the Wolverines, and recorded a career-high 149 yards on six receptions. Justius Lowe is another receiver that may face a larger role if Johnson misses time. Lowe has tallied eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown in his last two appearances.

Even though Oregon lost a couple of players against Michigan, it returned defensive end Jordan Burch and tight end Terrance Ferguson. Burch missed the previous three games with an injury he suffered during practice in early October and Ferguson missed the previous two after an appendectomy.

The Ducks have not lost at home since Nov. 12, 2022 against Washington. They have the opportunity to make it two full undefeated seasons at home with just two more games remaining in Eugene.

Oregon will look to continue its home winning streak and maintain its perfect record with kickoff against the Terrapins set for 4 p.m. on Saturday in Autzen Stadium.

The crowd at Matthew Knight Arena was ecstatic. Onye Ofoegbu let out a roar, surrounded by her teammates in celebration.

Ofoegbu had just put the Ducks up 19-17 in Set 2 after smacking the ball to the hardwood. No. 10 Oregon (17-4, 9-3 Big Ten) outperformed UCLA (10-11, 4-8 Big Ten) in every category in the first set — but it needed a momentum swing. At that pivotal moment in the 3-0 victory, Ofoegbu was the one to deliver.

Both sides came into the match coming off a loss. The Ducks fell in five sets at Washington on Wednesday, while the Bruins were swept by No. 21 USC on Thursday.

Noemie Glover rose for the first Ducks point of the match — an authoritative kill. From there, it was all Oregon.

Back-to-back Michelle Ohwobete service aces followed consecutive blocks from the Ducks front row. A couple of plays later, UCLA had Oregon scrambling. Players were diving on the floor, exhibiting their hustle. Mimi Colyer’s kill capped off a 7-0 Ducks’ run after they kept the rally alive.

Oregon dominated Set 1 with a 25-12 final score. The Bruins had a negative hitting percentage for the majority of the first set, finishing at -.031 percent.

“It looked like we knew exactly what we were trying to do and we executed it right away, which is so refreshing to see,” Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer said. “We have not done a great job of that.”

UCLA cleaned up the errors in Set 2 and the scoreline reflected that. A competitive second had the two sides tied for most of the first half of the set — until Ofoegbu’s kill put the Ducks up by two. 

“We just gave them too many points early on in the second set and then again, once you do that with the team, they start getting more and more confident,” Ulmer said. “I thought we made a nice run there at the end of the second to finish it off and then we carried that over.”

Ofoegbu led the team in efficiency. She hit .769 percent with 11 kills, while Ohwobete tallied 15 kills on .438 percent.

Colyer elevated at set point to hit the ball off the Bruins block and clinch the second set 25-21. While Colyer is typically all smiles following big plays, she maintained a serious demeanor — the job wasn’t quite finished yet. 

The final set was about as lopsided as the first. Long rallies won by Oregon toward the end of the 25-13 third brought the crowd back into the match and fueled the Ducks to the finish line.

The match ended with the third Ohwobete service ace.

“I think one of the best things about my game that’s improved since coming to Oregon is definitely my serve,” Ohwobete said. “I think I’ve gotten more comfortable being aggressive and getting after it.”

Oregon has yet to lose two matches in a row this season and hasn’t lost at home since Aug. 30. 

The Ducks return home for one of their biggest challenges of the season on Thursday against No. 2 Nebraska. Then, they’ll hit the road for a match in Minnesota next Saturday.

“Some of the things we did tonight are things we’ve been really working on. So it needs to grow. If you’re gonna be successful against them, you’re gonna have to bring your A game,” Ulmer said. “They’re maybe the best defensive team in the country, among other things. So it’s going to be a really great test for us and it’ll be fun to be able to do that in front of our home crowd.”

The 2024 season has started with everything head coach Dan Lanning and his Oregon program could dream of: a No. 1 national ranking, a top-3 win, an undefeated record.

But one thing Lanning doesn’t have in his three seasons with the Ducks is a resume-boosting win on the road.

The first game Lanning ever coached on the Oregon sidelines was against the team he won the national championship with as the defensive coordinator the season prior. Then-ranked No. 3 Georgia obliterated the No. 11 Ducks 49-3 in Atlanta.

The road woes continued and became more heartbreaking as Lanning’s first two seasons progressed. Later that season, Oregon had the opportunity to finish the 2022 regular season on a high note and clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Lanning failed his first test against the Ducks’ formidable foes, Oregon State, in Corvallis, Oregon.

Then comes what happened to the program one year ago. The difference between Oregon making or missing the College Football Playoff was just two games. 

Both games were against Washington. Both were on the road. Both ended in defeat.

A No. 1 overall ranking and an expanded 12-team playoff means one misstep shouldn’t prevent the Ducks from making the postseason this time around. However, for the sake of favorable seeding and maintaining positive morale, this trip to Michigan still matters.

With the Wolverines currently out of the national rankings, a loss would be detrimental to Oregon’s hopes of staying atop the polls. Furthermore, Michigan’s history of winning national titles puts a target on its back — regardless of whether or not it’s had the same success this year.

“Obviously, they have a storied history. It’s an exciting game to get to be a part of,” Lanning said. “That’s what you sign up for when you’re in the Big Ten.”

The first season in the Big Ten already brought an all-time victory against Ohio State. As time expired and the Ducks won 32-31, Lanning appeared more emotional than usual on the sideline.

“In moments like this when you want to be filled with complete joy, the relief is one of the biggest feelings you feel,” Lanning said after the Ohio State win. “Because of how hard your guys worked, how bad you know they wanted it — but it’s never about the team that wants it the most. It’s never about the team that just has great emotion. It’s about the team that executes.”

But that was at home and the Wolverines aren’t a top-3 team like the Buckeyes. They aren’t the same team they were last year when they won the national championship. Last week, Michigan dropped out of the Top-25 for the first time since 2021.

Still, the Ducks haven’t had a whole lot of success playing in Ann Arbor. They’ve lost three of four matchups there all-time but won 39-7 the last time they met in 2007. Oregon didn’t even score at Michigan until that outing.

“To have the ability to handle travel and go play in a tough environment is going to be a fun challenge for our team,” Lanning said.

For the Ducks to break Lanning’s bad mojo on the road, they’ll need to capitalize on every opportunity for points, something that hurt them against Washington, and not let their foot off the gas, a costly mistake in Corvallis in 2022. 

The Ducks still have to conquer Wisconsin and postseason opponents away from Autzen. A defining victory at The Big House, however, would check one of the final boxes Lanning is missing before winning a coveted national championship.

On Nov. 18, 2012 Ducks fans left Autzen Stadium devastated, as No. 1 Oregon conceded a losing field goal to No. 13 Stanford in overtime. Twelve years later, the Ducks finally returned to Autzen as the highest-ranked team in the nation.

Oregon didn’t fumble the opportunity this time to secure the 38-9 Top-25 win.

“We don’t really care that we’re number one,” wide receiver Tez Johnson said about the team’s mentality. “We just want to win football games.”

The Ducks (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) started the matchup against No. 20 Illinois (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) hot right out of the gates. The first drive featured 52 total yards from tight end Kenyon Sadiq and running back Jordan James.

But quarterback Dillon Gabriel switched things up on the final play. Gabriel found Johnson open, dodging multiple defenders to reach the endzone. 

“I saw the third guy before I made my first two moves,” Johnson said. “Dillon played an unbelievable ball. I caught it, and just I was in space. Pretty much in space, that’s where I play my game.”

The offensive firepower continued. Justius Lowe received the second-straight receiving touchdown of more than 30 yards, giving Gabriel 100 passing yards on the first two drives alone.

“We’ve been waiting for that the whole year. Justius is one of those guys in the room that we all learn from,” Johnson said. “Justius made plays today that were normal. He does it every day.”

Gabriel helped his Heisman Trophy campaign with 291 passing yards and four total touchdowns on 69 percent completion. He also passed Timmy Chang for the second-most passing yards in Football Bowl Subdivision history and rose to second in all-time touchdown passes.

“I’m chasing wins,” Gabriel said about his record-breaking performance. “I think you play a long career like I did and you realize a lot of things. I choose winning 100 percent of the time.”

Johnson led all receivers with 102 yards and six receptions. Lowe tallied a career-high 51 yards to go along with his touchdown.

Oregon performed just as well on the defensive side of the field. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti set the tone with a 10-yard sack on the Illini’s second play of the afternoon. Later in the first quarter, Tysheem Johnson intercepted the football at the Oregon 14-yard line.

“Matayo [Uiagalelei] and Teitum have played really consistent football for us this entire season,” head coach Dan Lanning said. “Certainly we’ve been asking a little bit more of them, because Jordan [Burch]’s been down, but they’ve done a good job of upholding that.”

The Fighting Illini entered the game 3-1 in Top-25 matchups this season — but were 3-12 when facing off against the No. 1 overall team all-time.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer struggled against the Ducks’ defense. He completed only 49 percent of his passes and recorded two interceptions, leading to a massive 35-3 deficit for his team heading into halftime.

Altmyer and Illinois looked sharper to begin the second half. A 44-yard throw to Zakhari Franklin put the ball in the red zone. Emar’rion Winston ultimately broke up a pass on 4th-and-2 to prevent an Illini touchdown.

Illinois rushed into the endzone at the end of the third quarter, while holding Oregon scoreless in the period.

A Gabriel deep pass ended up being picked off to start the final quarter. The Ducks weren’t as clean as they were in the first half and only scored a field goal— but it was already too late for the Fighting Illini.

“I do feel like we had a little bit of a lull in the second half where we could have been a little bit cleaner, hurt ourselves with a couple of penalties that extended drives,” Lanning said. “But overall, pleased with our team’s performance and I think we continue to see this team have growth and look for opportunities get better.”

Oregon heads to Ann Arbor, Michigan next weekend for another tough matchup. The Ducks are 4-1 all-time when facing the Wolverines on the road.

Ohio State seemingly had the momentum against Oregon in a Top 3 matchup, but a disastrous fumble conceded the football to the Ducks.

With 60,129 fans intently watching, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel put the team on his back as he rushed 27 yards into the endzone. It was not only a moment that helped the Ducks to their biggest win in Autzen Stadium, but it was a lasting snapshot of how Gabriel will be remembered in an Oregon uniform. 

The three total touchdowns and 341 passing yards performance against the Buckeyes is a reflection of how Gabriel has played throughout the season. His name is in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the top player in college football.

Gabriel opened the season as the Heisman favorite, according to BetMGM, an entertainment and sports betting company. A 24-14 win against the University of Idaho and a 37-34 victory over Boise State University brought the Ducks’ ranking down from No. 3 to No. 9 in the nation. Gabriel’s odds of winning the Heisman Trophy dropped with it.

The Ducks’ quarterback was sacked a total of seven times in the first two games at Autzen Stadium. Gabriel also rushed for negative 38 yards on 14 carries against the first two contests.

But Gabriel’s odds increased following his winning performance against then-ranked No. 2 Ohio State. Gabriel has 15 passing touchdowns on 2,080 yards and four rushing touchdowns through seven games.

He trailed only Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty after Week 7 with BetMGM listing Gabriel’s odds at +350.

It took a few games for the Ducks’ offense to click, especially with Gabriel and other key players like wide receiver Evan Stewart transferring in.

“You just see everyone continue to grow,” Gabriel said after the Ohio State win. “I think you can see that from Week 1 to now with just how much more confident everyone is playing, but also us as a team forming as one.”

An Oregon athlete hasn’t won the coveted Heisman Trophy since former quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2014. Gabriel has a real shot at changing that, as the Ducks are having a historic season under his command of the offense.

Despite early bumps, Gabriel has the program undefeated through seven games — something that hasn’t happened since Mariota was with Oregon in 2013.

It’s not the only piece of history that Gabriel and the Ducks have accomplished this season. Last Friday, Oregon achieved its first road shutout since 1992 in a 35-0 win against Purdue.

There are only a few legitimate threats to Gabriel’s Heisman hopes other than Jeanty. Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter’s odds have diminished due to a shoulder injury he’s been battling. Meanwhile, quarterbacks for the University of Texas and the University of Alabama, Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe, have found themselves on the losing side of recent games.

University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward has the fourth-best odds of winning and has the Hurricanes undefeated. If playing in a non-Power Four conference decides Jeanty’s Heisman fate, Ward and his 20 touchdowns pose the biggest threat to Gabriel’s chances.

Oregon has consistently executed the most important task since the start of the season — winning. Recently, Gabriel has the Ducks dominating the teams they’re supposed to dominate. If they continue to take care of business and Gabriel continues to perform as he did against the Buckeyes, there’s a good chance that he’ll find himself at the Heisman Ceremony come December.

Every time No. 11 Oregon (14-3, 6-2 Big Ten) has dropped a match this season, it has responded with a convincing victory. Sunday’s trip to Iowa (9-11, 3-5 Big Ten) was no different, as Oregon left Iowa City with a 3-1 win.

The Ducks entered the match off a four-set loss at No. 9 Wisconsin on Friday. Oregon began Big Ten play on an 11-match winning streak but dropped two of its last four against ranked opponents. A date with the Hawkeyes provided the opportunity to avoid the first losing streak of the season.

The Ducks didn’t disappoint.

Mimi Colyer and Onye Ofoegbu set the tone with a block assist to secure the first point. Oregon never let off the gas in the opening set which ended in a resounding 25-17 victory.

Iowa tallied nine early attack errors in the match. While the Ducks recorded half of that total, they still racked up four service errors.

These errors and the power of the Hawkeyes’ hitting led to an 8-2 start in the second set for Iowa. Oregon responded with a 5-0 scoring run coming out of a timeout but Iowa once again began to run up the score.

Colyer led the way on the second 5-0 run of the set, recording two kills and a service ace in the process. It wasn’t enough, as the Hawkeyes closed Set 2 with four consecutive points to win 25-18.

The Ducks resembled the dominant team they looked like in Set 1 to open the third. Big swings from Colyer and Michelle Ohwobete gave Oregon the advantage.

Ohwobete finished the match with 13 kills, while Colyer had 16 kills and seven digs. Setter Cristin Cline totaled 45 assists — her fourth straight match with 40 or more.

Oregon had Iowa scrambling throughout Set 3 to receive perfectly placed hits and it eventually paid off. Noemie Glover elevated to slap the ball to the hardwood at set point. The Ducks snagged the third set 25-14 and their messy, inconsistent Set 2 was in the rearview mirror.

Oregon’s front row paved the way for a 25-15 Set 4 win. Middle blocker Mia Tvrdy tallied a solo block early in the fourth — one of her six blocks of the day.

But it was Tvrdy’s two-handed kill that delivered the Ducks the victory.

After the early errors, Oregon ended with 10 service aces — its highest total of conference action. The Ducks hit .328 percent as a team while forcing 20 Iowa attack errors.

Oregon returns to Matthew Knight Arena to begin a two-match homestand. It’ll get a break from top-25 opponents with its next four matches against teams in the bottom half of the conference standings. The Ducks will face Maryland on Friday, with the first serve expected for 6 p.m.

No. 2 Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) hasn’t started a season with seven straight wins in 11 years. The Ducks are presented with the opportunity to do just that, as they hit the road for Purdue (1-5, 0-3 Big Ten) on Friday.

Oregon exited Autzen Stadium off an all-time high last weekend after it defeated Ohio State 32-31 in a Saturday night thriller. The Ducks are playing their best football of the season, taking down Big Ten powerhouses in the process.

But to maintain their spot as second in the nation, the Ducks need to take care of business in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Boilermakers are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, with their lone victory coming in the first game of the season against Indiana State University. Still, Purdue enters the matchup off a narrow 50-49 loss against No. 23 Illinois.

The Boilermakers rallied against the Illini last Saturday, but the defense conceded too much yardage in the fourth quarter. Illinois converted on a 38-yard field goal as the clock expired and Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was sacked on a potential game-winning two-point conversion.

Finding the endzone is something the Boilermakers have struggled to do this season. Since Purdue’s 49-0 win to open the season, it has been outscored 234 to 93. Browne and Hudson Card have split time at quarterback, but only combine for 10 touchdowns to four interceptions.

And unfortunately for the Boilermakers, the Oregon defense put up a monster performance against the Buckeyes’ star-studded offense last week.

The Ducks were without defensive end Jordan Burch against Ohio State, but the defense didn’t miss a beat. Oregon recorded three tackles for a loss, a sack and one recovered fumble. A Buckeyes program that is more than capable of running the ball only picked up 141 rushing yards in the top-3 matchup.

Purdue will also need to stop the Ducks on the offensive side of the field to stay as close as they did against Illinois.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had arguably his best performance as a Duck against Ohio State. Despite taking time to settle into the offense, he’s remained efficient throughout the season. 

Gabriel’s offensive line has done a better job at protecting him since the first two games where he was sacked a total of seven times. As a result, Gabriel has 13 passing touchdowns on the year — more than Browne and Card combined — and he has completed over 76 percent of his passes.

The Ducks are favored to win by four scores against the Boilermakers. Anything less than a dominant showing could mean Oregon drops in the rankings. As long as the Ducks stay undefeated, they’ll continue to head toward favorable seeding in a potential College Football Playoff appearance.

Purdue returns home for the fourth time this season. With the home crowd rallying behind the team, the opportunity is there for the Boilermakers to play spoiler on Friday.

A Michigan State squad that entered the season in search of new beginnings found early success due to an offense that tends to run the ball.

Last Friday, it was the Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) who flipped the script on the Spartans (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) — and turned their greatest strength into a weakness.

The Oregon run game paved the way for a win on a night that started out slow for quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Running back Jordan James led the Ducks’ rush by extending his career-high in rushing yards by nearly 50 yards in the first half alone.

“The guy’s special,” Gabriel said. “I think he would say the same — the guys up front creating the alleyways for him to work with. But when you’re able to give him that space and then work on a third-level defender, then he’s able to do his thing and make a move and get vertical.”

James recorded 166 yards in the game to go along with his touchdown. He brought life to the Oregon offense when putting the ball in the air wasn’t working.

Gabriel started 2-7 on the first two drives. On two separate occasions, an endzone pass was picked off by the Spartans — one occurring when the Ducks were on the Michigan State 1-yard line.

But Gabriel still put Oregon on the board first when he rushed for nine yards and the score. Later in the first half, he ran for 12 yards to force 1st-and-goal — ultimately leading to a second touchdown.

“You see the one-two punch with [James] and Noah [Whittington].  I think that’s special,” Gabriel said. “And then, you know, whenever I can finagle my way into the run game, I try.”

On the other side of the field, the Ducks were able to contain the Spartans’ run game. The disparity ended up being 192 Oregon rushing yards to 21 for Michigan State heading into halftime.

“We knew that they had an attack that was tough to be able to stop,”  Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “Once we were able to secure the run game, it made them play a little bit left-handed.”

The Oregon Duck had more pushups than the Spartans had rushing yards on Friday night — 97 pushups to only 59 yards on the ground for Michigan State.

The Ducks’ defense played a big role in limiting the Spartans. Former Spartan Derrick Harmon set the tone in the first quarter, sacking opposing quarterback Aidan Chiles for a loss of 11 yards.

“We usually don’t go out onto the field before the game. [Harmon] was like, ‘Everybody get dressed, we’re going out,’” defensive end Jordan Burch said. “He was ready all week.”

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith operates a run-heavy offense. When he coached Oregon State last season, 445 of his 825 offensive plays were on the ground.

Oregon was ready for the Spartans’ plays. The defense also tallied six tackles for a loss, with 2.5 coming from Burch.

The next matchup will be the biggest yet for the Oregon run game. The Ducks play Ohio State for the tenth time and the second at Autzen Stadium.

The Buckeyes only conceded 47 yards on the ground when they played Michigan State two weeks ago. Their opponents average just 72.6 rushing yards per game, while they average 222.2.

“Winning football is winning football regardless of conference,” Lanning said. “And if you’re able to control the run game on both sides of the ball, that’s going to equate to wins a lot of times.”