DSC Inside Read: 3-2-1 — Northwestern Look Back, Oregon State Look Ahead

 

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED AGAINST NORTHWESTERN

1. Oregon can win “bare-knuckle” games.
   Northwestern slowed the tempo, chewed possession (32:17 TOP), and forced Oregon into a limited-possession grind. Instead of panicking, the Ducks leaned on efficiency—7-of-11 on third down, zero penalties, and two key interceptions by Bryce Boettcher and Jerry Mixon. As Dan Lanning said afterward, “Ultimately those takeaways and being able to score early and play some good defense early…allowed us to come away with the win.”

2. Explosives change everything.
   The Ducks weren’t dominant snap-to-snap—Northwestern actually ran for 178 yards—but Oregon’s nine explosive plays for 215 yards told the story. Dierre Hill Jr.’s 66-yard touchdown sprint early in the third quarter broke the game open, and Dante Moore’s off-platform darts to Malik Benson and Kenyon Sadiq kept drives alive. As Moore put it, “Overall, we came out with the win. It wasn’t the best look…we’re gonna learn and better our mistakes.”

3. Finishing is the next growth step.
   Oregon pitched a shutout for three quarters before yielding two late touchdowns, including a 79-yard run. Lanning was blunt: “I thought we lacked a little killer instinct there at the end. Our standard can’t change.” The Ducks will grade well on discipline and situational ball, but those final possessions will loom large in practice this week.

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TWO QUESTIONS GOING INTO OREGON STATE

1. Will Noah Whittington be healthy enough to return?
   The Ducks’ run game has been functional by committee, but Whittington’s burst and consistency were missed against Northwestern. Oregon averaged just 3.5 yards per carry from Jayden Limar and 2.0 from Jordon Davison before Hill’s lightning strike. Getting Whittington back would restore balance and reduce the load on Moore in a hostile rivalry setting.

2. Can Oregon State’s pass game create problems despite their record?
   The Beavers are 0–3 but have averaged 304 passing yards per game, with six touchdowns through the air. They’ve moved the chains more with passes (41 first downs) than runs (19). Oregon’s secondary has thrived on interceptions—four in the last two weeks—but this matchup will test whether the Ducks can both pressure the quarterback and stay disciplined against volume passing.

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ONE KEY MATCHUP

Oregon’s defensive playmakers vs. OSU’s turnover issues.
The Beavers have thrown five interceptions in three games, and opponents have returned them for over 100 yards. Oregon has forced four interceptions in the last two weeks and thrived on “ball production,” as Lanning called it. If Boettcher, Mixon, and the back end can bait throws again, Oregon should tilt field position and bury a team already struggling to finish drives (just 7 red-zone TDs in 12 trips).

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Bottom Line

Northwestern forced Oregon to win with patience, efficiency, and takeaways. Oregon State’s statistical profile suggests a very different test: a pass-heavy offense with no real ground threat and a defense that gives up 424 yards per game. Expect Oregon to re-establish its run game early, let Moore build rhythm on play-action, and lean on a defense that’s becoming defined by interceptions.

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