Coming off of a massive win against the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road a week ago, and getting themselves back into the College Football Playoff mix, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks had a lot to prove this week against the Michigan Wolverines, going up against one of the best defenses in the nation, with a new play caller at the helm.
The Ducks did not disappoint.
Oregon ran away with a blowout victory, 31-7, completely stifling Michigan's offense while putting up more points and yards than any team has so far this year against the Wolverines. It was an impressive performance, but one that might be more encouraging because of what it may lead to than anything else.
A lot still needs to break the right way for the Ducks in order for a postseason
berth to come to fruition, but should Oregon find its way into the mix to compete for a national championship, they are starting to look like a team that could be able to make some noise.
Before we discuss that potential, though, let's look at some of our biggest takeaways from this game:
The Blur Returns
Oregon's offense continues to click under new playcaller Jay Johnson. Going against one of the best defenses in the nation this week, the Ducks had a day, putting up 467 total yards and 31 points. Prior to this game, Michigan had not allowed more than 332 yards and 21 points to a single opponent.
It wasn't as if Oregon was methodically driving the ball down the field, though, and breaking Michigan's defense. Instead, they took shots early and often, finding that this defense was susceptible to giving up big plays. It became clear on the fourth play of the game, when Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola hit wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan for a 60-yard score down the right sideline.
"We just felt like no one kind of really went after them in a way of 'just attack,'" Raiola said of Michigan's defense after the game. "We wanted to swing first, and we did that early."
The Ducks didn't let up from there, though. They continued to find chunk yards throughout the game, hitting explosive passes of 59, 49, 38, and 22 yards, respectively, on top of McClellan's 60-yarder. Three of those deep balls went for touchdowns, while the Ducks also added a run of 36 yards. In all, Oregon had 10 explosive plays in the game.
Against a defense that had the No. 3-ranked total defense (255.3 yards per game allowed) and No. 11-ranked scoring defense (16.2 points allowed per game) that's not a bad showing. Oregon's offense has been rocky and up-and-down so far this year, but as we get into the meat of November, it's operating as well as we've seen all season.
Dylan Raiola Stays Clean
One of the many reasons that Oregon's offense is clicking at a high level right now is because quarterback Dylan Raiola is seemingly finding a groove. Over the last three games, all wins for Oregon, Raiola has completed 67% of his passes for 934 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. On Saturday, he statistically had his best day of the year, going 20-for-28 with 341 yards, four TDs, and zero INTs.
More important than the numbers, though, is that he's playing cleanly and not putting the ball in jeopardy. We didn't see that a week ago, when Ohio State dropped a pair of interceptions that could have swung the momentum of the game. There was one pass against Michigan that you could argue could have been intercepted, but it would have been an incredible play by the defense, which ultimately was not made.
"For me, this game was all about ending each series in a kick," Raiola said after the game. "Whether that's a field goal, punt, or an extra point, that was my mindset."
While the Ducks ended up punting five times and attempting a pair of field goals, there was only one drive on the day that didn't end on the foot of Bailey Ettridge or Gage Hurych; in the second quarter, Oregon turned the ball over on downs after going for and failing to convert a 4th-and-goal from the Michigan 2-yard line.
"I thought he did a great job of making decisions to not put the ball in jeopardy," Lanning said after the game. "We knew that it could be a defensive battle."
Raiola has not been perfect this year, but over the last three weeks, with the season hanging in the balance, he has been more than good enough to get the job done while allowing the defense to be dominant. That means taking care of the ball, not giving up short fields, and allowing the talent of the team to win out. If this continues going forward, Oregon's season is very much alive and well.
Dakorien Arrives, and Jeremiah Returns
The abundance of weapons that this Oregon Ducks' receiving corps has when fully healthy is downright incredible, and we saw as much on Saturday afternoon in Autzen.
After missing six games due to a broken foot, wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan made his return to the field last week against the Ohio State Buckeyes. It wasn't until this game against Michigan, though, that you could say "J-Mac is back."
He finished the day with four catches for 105 yards, his first of which went for the game-opening touchdown that lit Autzen Stadium on fire. It was an out-and-up double-move that left his defender in the dust, with Raiola floating a moon-shot to him and letting him run underneath and grab it. He did the rest with his legs and announced his return to the Oregon faithful.
McClellan wasn't the only Oregon WR to have a big day, though. Dakorien Moore put together another brilliant performance, hauling in seven of his nine targets for 101 yards and a score, which came right before the half when the Michigan defense lost track of him in the secondary, allowing him to walk in for an easy touchdown before the break.
This is now the second 100-yard game that Moore has had in the last three weeks; he had zero 100-yard outings through the first 18 games of his career.
Moore and McClellan dominated the day for the Ducks, but don't let that make you forget what other players lay lurking among this pass-catching group. TE Jamari Johnson had three catches for 35 yards; Evan Stewart had one catch for 38 yards; and Jalen Lott had one catch for four yards. Oregon's receivers appear to be healthy at long last, and the passing game is benefiting from it.
Matayo Uiagalelei Chases History
Senior defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei had another big game on Saturday, credited with four tackles and a pair of sacks. He is now up to 9.5 sacks on the year, which is one shy of his career-high in 2024, and two shy of the Oregon Ducks' program record, set by Nick Reed at 29.5 during his time from 2005-2008. Going into his final two regular-season games, Uiagalelei's number is 28.0.
"Obviously, you know, that's not the main focus," Uiagalelei said after the game. "The focus is getting wins. But if I break the record or whatever, I think a lot of that goes to Teitum (Tuioti) too; it's not just me. It's really a whole defense. Like, if no one is covering, then they're just going to throw the ball, and ain't nobody going to get no sacks."
It may be looking too far down the road, but imagining Uiagalelei grabbing the all-time record is very cool. He was one of the biggest recruiting wins of Dan Lanning's early tenure in Eugene, choosing the Ducks over the USC Trojans, and has been one of the most impactful players on the defense throughout his time at Oregon. If that results in his name being above the likes of Reed, Ernest Jones, Saul Patu, and Devon Long when all is said and done, it would be a nice feather in the cap for Lanning's tenure.
It's something we will be tracking over the course of the next month or so.
Oregon's CFP Outlook
As I write this, a lot can still play out in the College Football Playoff landscape for the Oregon Ducks as far as Week 11 is concerned. With three losses, Oregon does not control its own destiny and needs a handful of teams to lose in order for a playoff berth to become reality. They seem to be well aware of that, but are not focused on what they can not control.
"Everyone's aware of what could happen, but none of that happens if we don't handle our business," Raiola said after the game. "We just try to take it a week at a time and let everything else play itself out and not worry about other people's results."
While that is the right mindset for players and coaches to have, we on the outside can be open and direct about how much the other results matter. Oregon needs losses from other teams, and some of those losses have already taken place this week. On Friday night, the Illinois Fighting Illini lost to the UCLA Bruins, helping to clear up Oregon's potential path to the Big Ten title game, and the Houston Cougars fell to the Colorado Buffaloes, aiding in the Ducks' potential path toward an at-large bid.
The Ducks also got some help on Saturday morning. Here's a look at some results that took place on Saturday, and how they help or hurt Oregon (I will update this list after Saturday night's action comes to a close):
- No. 4 UCLA 22, Illinois 14 (Helps Oregon)
- Colorado 42, No. 14 Houston 32 (Helps Oregon)
- No. 8 Tennessee 22, Texas A&M 7 (Hurts Oregon)
- No. 9 Indiana 27, No. 18 USC 13 (Hurts Oregon)
- No. 13 Wake Forest 49, SMU 7 (Hurts Oregon)
- Maryland 24, Wisconsin 21 (Helps Oregon)
There are still several games playing out currently and to be played on Saturday night that will impact the Ducks, so make sure to check back when the night is over for a full recap.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 takeaways from Oregon Ducks' dominant win over Michigan Wolverines
