There will be plenty of time for trick-or-treating in Eugene next week, but the Oregon Ducks will have some business to tend to first on Halloween. The Ducks will host the surging Northwestern Wildcats at Autzen Stadium for a midday matchup.
The Big Ten announced that the Ducks and Wildcats are set to kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT in Eugene on Halloween. The game will stream live only on Peacock. Northwestern is ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll heading into Week 8 with a matchup against Rutgers this weekend.
Coming into the season, a Halloween matchup against the visiting Wildcats didn't seem like a big-time matchup, but head coach David Braun and former Oregon head coach turned Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have the Wildcats rolling with
a 5-1 record this season. Northwestern narrowly missed out on an upset of Indiana earlier this season before taking down Penn State and Michigan State in recent weeks.
Assuming Northwestern remains in next week's rankings, the Wildcats will be the third team that the Ducks will face this season that is ranked at the time of the matchup. Boise State has since broken into the rankings, as did Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys fell out after losing last week.
Halloween showdown vs. Northwestern is set for 12:30 PM in Autzen. #GoDucks https://t.co/FNXPmmb0o6 pic.twitter.com/auxyjQNf15
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) October 19, 2026
Northwestern is led by former Oregon State and Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, who traveled and faced the Ducks in Autzen Stadium in 2024 while with the Spartans. He completed 10-of-17 passes for 154 yards and rushed for another 29 yards in a loss. This season, under Kelly's tutelage, Chiles is completing a career-high 70.5% of his passes with nine touchdowns and no interceptions. He's also rushed for seven touchdowns.
Kelly will return to Eugene as a visitor for the first time since 2024, when he was the offensive coordinator for Ohio State. Northwestern has run the ball very well this season, so the Ducks will have their hands full.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon-Northwestern kickoff time announced for Halloween matchup
