Fresh uniforms motivate players and catch the attention of recruits. For Saturday's Big Ten opener at Northwestern, the Ducks have a updated look and style in the "Generation O" series, yellow helmets with no stripes and a green facemask, a clean-looking white jersey with a green collar and numerals, yellow pants.
Perfect for looking sharp and playing fast. On a day that they're playing an unranked Northwestern team in a 12,000-seat stadium at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, it's a great way to create some of the juice they'll need in a situation where it would be easy to slip into a slow start.
Though this doesn't appear to be a team that will slide that way, a new, fresh look can only help to ramp up the energy. "Look good-play good" is very real for 19/20-year-old athletes, or just about anyone who picks up a golf club, a pickleball paddle or a softball bat. Putting on the uniform is part of the ritual of getting ready.
Oregon dropped some heat 👀 pic.twitter.com/iliLtjapnF
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) September 11, 2025
The game is set for Big Noon Kickoff, the feature game on Fox TV. The pregame starts at 7 a.m. PT while the Ducks and Wildcats kick off at 9. Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft call the action on Fox, channel 12 in Portland, channel 34 in Eugene, available as a basic part of most streaming services.
The solid color yellow helmet evokes the late 90s Akili Smith-era teams, a high-octane offensive unit that upset Washington in 1997, scored 39.1 points a game and finished 8-4 in 1998.
Those Ducks were part of the climb and the creation of an identity built on speed and playing aggressive football. Smith threw for 3,307 yards and 30 touchdowns. Tony Hartley caught 48 passes for 1,015 yards and 10 TDs, a scintillating 21.1 yards per reception. Tailback Rueben Droughns ran for 824 yards in five games before breaking his leg at UCLA, 7.4 yards a carry, best in the PAC-10.
The look and the energy of that team helped create the Oregon brand. It's great how the Ducks honor their tradition while making it new.
On Saturday the Ducks are 27.5-point favorites in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Wednesday Dan Lanning said, "Northwestern does a good job, They're well coached. You see a team that presents some issues, that will be a fun challenge for us, but ultimately excited to get to travel and see how our team performs, not at a home venue with our awesome crowd."
High voltage.
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) September 11, 2025
Game 3 uniform combo for @OregonFootball. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/XezjRrZl0o