After suffering their first loss of the season to the Indiana Hoosiers, the Oregon Ducks face a harsh reality: finish the regular-season undefeated with six straight wins or face the possibility of missing the College Football Playoff and not even giving themselves a chance to accomplish their ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
That starts with correcting what went wrong against the Hoosiers, something that head coach Dan Lanning has stressed all week.
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Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was sacked six times after being taken down just once through the first five games. The Oregon secondary struggled against Indiana’s passing attack, specifically against the strength and body control of Elijah Sarratt on the outside. Kicker Atticus Sappington missed his third kick of the season in a costly moment near the end of the first half.
And to cap it all off, per Lanning’s own words, the Ducks were out-prepared.
Their first opportunity to bounce back comes against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, losers of three straight in conference play. But that’s not to say the Scarlet Knights don’t have talented players as well as the home field and time zone advantage, as the game will be played in New Jersey.
With their CFP aspirations on the line in Week 8, here’s five questions that Oregon will have to answer when they take on Rutgers on Saturday.
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What’s the Ducks’ Response Coming Off a Loss?
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
We’ve seen how a highly-ranked team’s first loss of the season can negatively affect them — and fast. Just look at the Penn State Nittany Lions, who went from No. 3 in the country when they faced the Ducks to 3-3, unranked and having fired head coach James Franklin in the span of two weeks.
While that’s unlikely to happen to the Ducks, as their leadership is undoubtedly much stronger, there’s still the possibility of an emotional letdown. Oregon is significantly better than Rutgers and should roll. But expecting to come in and dominate and actually dominating are two different things.
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Behind their home crowd, with a major travel advantage and having an extra day to prepare due to their Friday night game in Week 7, the Scarlet Knights enter with a leg up on all the intangibles.
The Ducks have to squash any hope that Rutgers has early on, or else doubt can quickly creep in.
How Does Dante Moore, Specifically, Bounce Back?
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore looks toward the scoreboard as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Through five games, Moore put himself in the conversation and then cemented himself as one of the top quarterbacks in college football. But against Indiana, he looked unrecognizable.
With immense pressure in his face that the Ducks seemingly weren’t prepared for, Moore simply didn’t see open receivers down the field. Once it was clear that he’d be under siege in the pocket, his eyes dropped to looking at the pass rushers and not downfield — a big no-no at the quarterback position.
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These types of faults plagued him during his true freshman season at UCLA. And while they seemed to be all but eliminated from his game, they showed up in big ways against the Hoosiers.
Moore is now in a spot that he hasn’t been in this season and didn’t succeed in during his time with the Bruins: having to rebound and excel after a rough performance.
At UCLA, the subpar efforts were strung together. With the Ducks, who have national title aspirations, that can’t happen. How Moore responds to the loss against one of the worst pass defenses in the Big Ten, Rutgers, is one of the biggest stories for Oregon.
Can the Secondary Contain WR Ian Strong?
Sep 19, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Ian Strong (9) reacts after a catch during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It’s no secret that the Ducks’ secondary had trouble with Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who finished with eight catches for 121 yards and the game-leading score in the fourth quarter.
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Now, Rutgers’ passing attack is nothing like Indiana’s, but it’s no slouch, either. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is a mid-tier Big Ten passer with a strong group of wideouts headlined by Ian Strong, who has a similar frame as Sarratt, measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds.
Strong isn’t a burner, but he excels thanks to his physicality at the point of attack and with tremendous body control, also staples of Sarratt’s game.
This is the perfect opportunity for Oregon’s secondary to correct a clear deficiency from last week.
Who Joins the Tackling Party Alongside Bryce Boettcher?
Sep 13, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) intercepts a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Having recorded three consecutive games with ten or more tackles, Bryce Boettcher is playing the best football of his career. But he’s going to need some help at some point.
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Fellow linebackers Jerry Mixon and Devon Jackson combined for just five tackles against Indiana — simply not good enough. They’re both talented, but have yet to take the next step. While it would be nice for them to do so in the back half of the regular-season schedule, the answer to who will help Boettcher may come from another position altogether.
Safety Dillon Thieneman was second on the team with eight tackles against the Hoosiers, consistently finding himself near the ball. That’s nothing new for the former Purdue standout, who registered over 100 tackles in his first two seasons before transferring to Oregon in the spring.
Often operating at the depth of the linebackers, Thieneman is likely to be Boettcher’s biggest help in the tackling department. The hope is that it’s enough, with the potential emergence of either Jackson or Mixon as gravy on top.
Who’s the Lead Running Back?
Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
It feels like we’re beating a dead horse here, but Oregon’s staff has a tough dilemma on their hands of determining how to feed four mouths in the backfield. You know the names: Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar, Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison.
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Each have had starring roles. Last week, it was Davison who led the team in carries (eight) and yards (59). Hill, who was the star the game prior against Penn State, received just three carries and was on the field for less than ten snaps. Each back has a skillset that can be used in specific times in the game, but phasing out Hill after his 82-yard performance in Week 5 was a rather puzzling move from the staff — and a sign that they haven’t yet figured out how to best maximize this group.
While it’s virtually impossible for each back to receive ten-plus carries, some type of balance has to be struck. Against a mediocre Rutgers rushing defense, who eats for the Ducks out of the backfield?
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 questions Ducks will have to answer in Week 8 against Rutgers
