No. 8 Oregon at 3-3 Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. PT from SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, TV on the Big Ten Network.
From @GeauxDuck, a great fan follow on X, here's a checklist of Oregon priorities for their bounce-back matchup against Rutgers that holds up really well:
Things Duck fans want to see at Rutgers:
1. 2 RB rotation (Not 5!)
2. Shots downfield
3. DE’s more disruptive
4. OL dominates
5. Offense converts on 3rd down
6. Get Sadiq/Moore the ball…
1. 2 RB rotation (Not 5!)
It feels like Oregon has been a little cute and experimental over the first half of the season-- playing winning football, but playing with a sort of "everybody gets a trophy" mentality. They've tried so hard to be multiple and varied and balanced. Now it's time to put their foot on the neck of an outmanned opponent.
While the Ducks have a deep stable of capable running backs, it's time to focus on the best of the best and get that running game into high-RPM efficiency. Make them stop it. Blow them off the line. If the team can get 5, 6, 7 yards a crack on first down, take it.
From everything Duck fans have seen, this is Oregon's new thunder and lightning:
RB1 and RB2… PLEASE pic.twitter.com/eElPrggVLh
— Geaux Ducks (@GeauxDuck) October 18, 2025
2. Shots downfield
Run game efficiency sets up the play-action pass, the most devastating explosive weapon in the game. Rutgers can't cover Dakorien Moore, Malik Benson and Kenyon Sadiq, especially not all at one time. The goal and the prediction should be a minimum of eight explosive plays.
3. DE’s more disruptive
Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti ought to eat today. The Rutgers offensive line has given up 20 sacks, worst in the Big Ten, and the Scarlet Knights throw the football 35 times a game. Young Concrete enters the game with four sacks, Tuioti 2.5. It's time to ramp up the pressure and force some bad throws.
4. OL dominates
Not all sacks are the offensive line's fault, but this is indeed a game where the Oregon offensive line should dominate. Rutgers surrenders 4.87 yards a carry on the ground. Their pass rush is one of the least effective in the Big Ten with nine sacks in 163 pass attempts.
Iapani Laloulu and the Duck o-line took the offense's struggles against Indiana personally. This week the junior center said about the Hoosiers' six sacks, "I take ownership of every one of them. That's under us. Me as a leader too, I have to learn from that."
"Obviously, as an offensive line, you don't want to see something like that, but I know my guys and coach [A'lique] Terry and the Law Firm are going to get it right and focus on what we've got to learn."
Laloulu is showing leadership and accountability. In truth the pass protection struggles resulted partly from faulty play design, partly from Dante Moore's difficulties recognizing pressure and stepping up in the pocket to make throws, partly from running back errors picking up the blitz, and partly due to breakdowns by the line.
Dan Lanning emphasized that the team worked on their response to pressures and simulated pressures this week in practice. Rutgers will no doubt try to duplicate some of the successes they saw on film, but it's highly likely the Ducks are better prepared, in addition to the fact the Scarlet Knight defense doesn't have the talent and tenacity of the Hoosier Front 7.
It's an opportunity to get right and elevate the standard.
5. Offense converts on 3rd down
Against Indiana, Oregon converted just 3-14 on third down. Credit a great Indiana defensive plan for part of that struggle, but some of the responsibility has to be assigned to some timid third down play calls and hideous execution. The Ducks were 3-4 on fourth down, but it's a risky strategy to go conservative on third down in hopes of moving the chains with a high leverage gamble.
With the weapons Oregon has on offense, they shouldn't face 14 third downs in a game, and they shouldn't struggle to convert at least half the time. Move the ball, move the chains, and attack.
6. Get Sadiq/Moore the ball…
Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq are two of the most dangerous weapons in college football. They have been criminally underutilized over the first six games of the season.