No. 3 Oregon's matchup with No. 7 Indiana, Saturday 12:30 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium, CBS TV, comes down to the three Ps:
1. Pressure
2. Protection
3. Pass defense
The Hoosiers are disruptive on defense. They're third in the Big Ten in sacks with 16 while the Ducks are way down in 14th with nine. Linebacker Isaiah Jones, 6-4, 284 sophomore Mario Landino and 6-0, 302 Tyrique Tucker get after the quarterback.
In a way they're what Penn State was supposed to be as a physical, pressure defense, though they give up some size to the Ducks.
When Indiana has the ball, their calling card is execution. Dan Lanning said this week, “They have a clear identity. They know what they’re good at, and they do it really, really, really well,” he said. “They run the ball well, and they obviously RPO tags off a lot of their runs. They make sure when they’re running it, they’re running into an advantageous look — and when they’re throwing it, they’re throwing into a good look.”
The Ducks have just nine sacks this year, partly because opponents have altered and simplified their passing game to avoid the pressure. Knowing how Matayo Uiagalelei can wreck an offense, Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State all limited their passing game to short throws, timing routes and tried to get rid of the ball quickly, almost going into turtle mode on offense.
The Ducks rank second in the Big Ten in passing defense. They've allowed just 123 yards per game and 5.2 yards per attempt. Opponents have thrown only two touchdowns versus five interceptions. They've been stifling through the air, partly because Uiagalelei and Tuioti do so much to disrupt and speed up a quarterback's timing.
That's significant because Indiana's is a timing offense. Penn State podcast host Landon Tengwall (a former Nittany Lion offensive lineman, one of the best follows on social media and YouTube for Big Ten football content) thinks the Ducks can exploit the matchup of UIagalelei/Tuioti versus the Indiana tackles.
Oregon Edge’s Matayo Uiagalelei & Teitum Tuioti are about to have a good ole time Saturday evening https://t.co/guB1Uc4mhE pic.twitter.com/PGFMCsg5NL
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) October 7, 2025
Based on these reps, the Hoosier tackles won't be able to handle the quickness and technique of the Oregon edge rushers, not without some help and adjustments.
“Their timing is really impressive,” Lanning said this week, talking about the Indiana offense and quarterback Fernando Mendoza. “He knows where his wideout is going to be and knows what coverage he’s throwing into. That’s an indicator of a really well-coached player that knows his system extremely well.”
It's a little like playoff baseball. The great Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn once said, "Hitting is timing, and pitching is disrupting timing."
Indiana has a well-disciplined offense that relies on timing. The Ducks have to disrupt that timing, get them off schedule. To do that effectively they have to create pressure while stopping the run, especially on early downs.
The Ducks have an edge this week in size, talent and speed, but to assert that advantage they have to match Indiana's toughness and discipline. Scott Reed outlined it eloquently at Duck Sports Central.
Dante Moore hinted at this week's mental focus. “Coach Lanning this week has been speaking about Secretariat — a horse who kept his blinders on,” Moore said. “That’s us. We keep tunnel vision within ourselves. We don’t listen to the hype. We just come to work.”
That image, tunnel vision, resisting the hype, is a strong antidote to the rat poison, the steady dose of praise and adulation that comes during 14 days without a game and a 5-0 record. Cracking the Hoosiers starts with answering the bell.