Oregon Rallies Past Top 25 Northwestern in 34-26 Victory

Oregon defeated No. 20 Northwestern 34-26 on Saturday in a game decided by a fourth-quarter push. The Ducks overcame a 20-13 halftime deficit to secure their third Big Ten win of the season.

Freshman running back Brandon Smith carried the offense after Jordon Davison left the game with a leg injury in the first half. Smith rushed for 82 yards and scored the touchdown that put Oregon ahead for the first time. He finished with a 2-yard carry on fourth-and-goal to make the score 27-23.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola started for the second straight week in place of Dante Moore, who is out for the season. Raiola completed 22 of 31 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns. He threw a 10-yard score to Dakorien Moore with 49 seconds left in the first half and a 75-yard strike in the fourth quarter. Moore finished with 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns, marking his first 100-yard game in college.

Raiola also connected with Jamari Johnson for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The offense averaged 15.3 yards per pass attempt. Coach Dan Lanning praised the team's effort, calling it their closest match to a complete performance this year.

Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles threw for 281 yards and a touchdown while running for 93 yards and another score. His late second-quarter run was his 10th of the season. The Wildcats kicker Jackson Kleather was 4 of 5 from the field, missing a late fourth-quarter attempt.

Lanning noted that the defense forced field goals instead of touchdowns. He said the team held Northwestern to six points in the second half. The Ducks fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Oct. 25 after losing to Illinois. Assistant Jay Johnson now handles play-calling.

Raiola said the team got back to its DNA after falling behind. Oregon travels to No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday. Northwestern hosts Iowa in the same timeframe.