With just under two minutes to play at Iowa leading 15-10 the Oregon defense forced a 4th and goal at the 3 for the ball game.
The Hawkeyes came out in a spread formation with an empty backfield, five-wide, two receivers to the short side, three to right.
It was a perfect set up for a quarterback draw, Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski's favorite play at the goal line. He's scored an NCAA-leading 12 touchdowns this year, tops among QBs.
The Ducks countered with a light box, just three down linemen and one inside linebacker, the other seven defenders spread out with the receivers. At the snap, Teitum Tuioti, spying on the quarterback, gets tangled up with the defensive end and has no chance to make the tackle.
Gronowski scores easily. The design of defensive play is almost diabolical in how faulty it is. Tosh Lupoi had to know with the game on the line, fourth and goal inside the 3, that's what Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester would run. The alignment telegraphed it.
The physical pain I had knowing that our LB play has been so mid that we had to have Tuioti (goat) be the QB spy. https://t.co/HRKzzFxBiT
— 🦆 B1G Duck Energy 🦆 (@B1GDuckEnergyy) November 11, 2025
Oregon's response manufactured adversity in a way that couldn't have been but seemed almost intentional. It was comically bad defensive playcalling.
The play also echoed a fateful decision made in spring. At that time the Oregon staff made a deliberate and conscious decision not to pursue a linebacker in the portal, a playmaking stud who could fill gaps and flow to the ball, an impact defender to anchor the defense.
"If I'm having to go to the portal, you know, what's that say about me as a coach when it comes to development?" Brian Michalowski said in April.
Injuries slowed that development. Oregon really doesn't have a playoff-caliber backer to stop a play like this. It's a glaring flaw in their defense. Odd, too, in that elite linebacker play was a hallmark of Dan Lanning's national championship-winning defense at Georgia.
In the loss to Indiana, Duck fans saw how impactful next-level linebacker play could be. Hoosier linebackers Aiden Fisher and Rolijah Hardy combined for 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, confounding Dante Moore with pressure and simulated pressure.
The Ducks don't have anyone performing at that level. There's no one capable of stopping a quarterback draw when everyone in the stadium knows that it's coming.
In the end Oregon won anyway, with a clutch drive by the offense and a superb performance by kicker Atticus Sappington, who drilled three field goals in the pouring rain, the last in the final three seconds.