There is a standard for Oregon Ducks football. It was set ever since Dan Lanning took over as head coach prior to the 2022 season, as he's put the program back on the map as one of the best in all of college football. To open 2026, the Ducks were ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, only falling behind the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Here's the most significant fact coming out of Week 1 for Oregon: they secured a victory and head into Week 2 against the Oklahoma State Cowboys with a 1-0 record. But Lanning was the first to voice after the game that the Ducks weren't good enough in any aspect of their overall play, operation and execution on Saturday, and that there is much to clean up.
Ducks fans surely feel similarly, as home games have routinely
been blowouts over the last 12 months. For a team with national title aspirations, a 34-27 win over the Pac-12's Broncos was not expected and shouldn't be celebrated too hard. It was a shaky win, and much less than impressive.
The high standard that has been set by Lanning and from a national perspective lays the groundwork for the ensuing grades in this week's report card that will go position-by-position, as the Ducks came away with the win but have much to clean up and improve upon moving forward.
Quarterbacks
Grade: A-
Dante Moore started slow, but locked in coming out of halftime and finished with a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Once he knocked off the rust, Moore was lights out, repeatedly finding open receivers and quietly racking up a boatload of passing yards by game's end. His arm talent was on full display, as he had a laser over the middle to tight end Jamari Johnson for a score and a beautiful pass to wide receiver Dakorien Moore that resulted in a 62-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. Moore was composed and clutch, leading the Ducks through the finish line.
Running Backs
Grade: C
The raw stats don't tell the full story for the running backs. Aside from Jordon Davison's 40-yard long and Dierre Hill Jr.'s 10-yard long, Oregon's running backs totaled 76 yards on 22 carries, good for 3.5 yards per carry. Sure, the long runs are apart of it, but Davison and Hill had trouble consistently churning out positive yards on the interior. That's partly on the offensive line getting stone-walled at the point of attack, but Davison and Hill will have to produce more tough runs in the future.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Grade: A-
I can't be too hard on the Oregon receiving core, as they were apart of Moore's career day through the air. Jeremiah McClellan was right there with his own career day, recording six catches (tying for a career-high), 150 yards (career-high) and a touchdown. Dakorien Moore (six catches, 93 yards, touchdown) and Evan Stewart (eight catches, 72 yards) had solid performances as well. But there were a couple untimely slip-ups on perimeter blocks and through the air, most notably McClellan's drop on a beautifully scripted double-pass from Stewart in the end zone. Tight end Jamari Johnson also joined the party, showing strong hands on his touchdown receptions. The aerial attack was what won the game for the Ducks, and the receiving core was a significant part of that.
Offensive Line
Grade: C-
It was unknown what combination of linemen would trot out to begin the game, and the group switched a couple times throughout the game with center Iapani Laloulu as the staple at center. But at no point was the group good enough. As a whole, the run game averaged 4.8 yards per carry, a mark that is below expectations. There were simply too many runs in which Hill or Davison were met behind the line of scrimmage, disallowing the backs to even get going. On the bright side, they only gave up one sack, though it came on a pivotal third down late in the fourth quarter. As a whole, there is a lot to improve upon for this group, with Lanning and Co. still potentially rotating guys next week too.
Defensive Line
Grade: C+
The theme continues: the Ducks' defensive line just wasn't good enough, and far from the standard that is expected of them. They finished the game with three sacks (one apiece from Teitum Tuioti, Matayo Uiagalelei and Bear Alexander) but the run game was problematic at times. Though the Broncos had just 93 rush yards, they rather consistently churned out positive gains on early downs, keeping themselves ahead of the chains and taking the pressure off of quarterback Maddux Madsen on later downs. Touted as one of the top defensive lines in the nation, this group just wasn't as disruptive as they could've been.
Linebackers
Grade: C+
The Ducks' linebackers didn't pop during the game, with members of the secondary instead providing help on many of Boise State's runs. Devon Jackson led the group with five tackles and Jerry Mixon had three, with only one combined tackle between the two coming of the solo variety. They gang tackled in the middle of the field, but there wasn't the normal sideline-to-sideline play of Bryce Boettcher. The ceiling isn't nearly as high with this year's linebacking core, and that showed on Saturday.
Secondary
Grade: B+
It was a solid day for the Oregon secondary. Safety Koi Perich made his presence felt in his debut, leading the team with 11 tackles while cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. tied for second with eight tackles. For the most part, coverage was sticky in man-to-man coverage, with several Broncos having to make spectacular catches to complete the play. While they can certainly play better, there were shades of Oregon showcasing themselves as one of, if not the best secondary in the nation.
Special Teams
Grade: C
With Stewart muffing a punt, I just can't give the Ducks anything close to a "B" for this effort despite the kicking games executing rather smoothly. The muffed punt resulted in a Boise State touchdown on the next play, turning the game for the Broncos and digging the Ducks in an even deeper hole. Aside from that, kicker Gage Hurych had a solid debut in nailing both of his kicks and punter Bailey Ettridge averaged 48.0 yards per boot and downed all three inside the 20-yard line. But considering the muffed punt directly led to seven points, a "C" grade is fitting here.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Week 1 Report Card: Ducks win, but receive middling grades
