There's plenty of blame to go around at this point for the Oregon Ducks after the team suffered its second loss of the season before Halloween even rolled around. The Ducks came into this season with hopes of winning the National Championship, and wth the amount that was poured into this roster it was a fair expectation.
Aside from all the talent that Oregon was able to bring back to school, the Ducks went out and swung big in the Transfer Portal. The biggest addition the Ducks made was going out and adding the top safety in the Transfer Portal, Koi Perich, after having success with the same formula by adding Dillon Thieneman.
Saturday was one of Koi Perich's best performances of the season, but that was in part due to Nico Iamaleava dropping the ball on the 1-yard line and, another time, floating the ball to him in the endzone. This season, Perich has been far from the difference maker the Ducks were hoping for, and it's part of the reason the Ducks have struggled.
Koi Perich passes up on chance to own up to struggles
On Saturday after the game, everyone was looking for answers as to why this team, and some of the players, aren't playing to the level everyone has expected. When Koi Perich was given the chance to address his struggles, he decided to side step the question.
I asked Koi Perich where the disconnect has been for him so far this year, and why he's struggling to play up to standards:
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) October 11, 2026
"I'm just focused on next week. We had a tough game this week. Just keep on practicing. I know we've got to go to practice. We're gonna get better…
All Koi Perich has to do to earn some support from the fanbase is give a half answer, take some blame, and it'd likely be applauded. Dylan Raiola played the worst game of anyone on Saturday Afternoon, and he still stepped to the podium and took the blame rather than making excuses or pointing toward the future when the season feels lost.
The fans just ask for players who care as much as they do, and sometimes all it takes is speaking that way after a loss. The season is trending toward being a massive disappointment, and eventually the coaching staff is going to have a chance to either do right by some of the players or start looking toward next season.
The coaching staff would be more than justified in starting to start looking toward the future, and playing some of the young pieces. One of the first positions the staff could look at is safety, and with the way Koi Perich has played, no one would be complaining if the staff decided to deal with the growing pains of playing a younger piece.
5-star freshman Jett Washington has already flashed his talent level, and the fanbase is dying to see more of his ability. Trey McNutt signed with the Ducks as one of the top recruits in the country at his position, and playing him may prevent him from transferring after the season.
Koi Perich and the veteran players can point toward the future all they want, but they can't get mad down the line if the coaching staff opts to make the same decision.
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