Five Biggest Winners and Losers Following Oregon's Win Over Northwestern

A win amid upheaval

Oregon entered the Halloween matchup with three losses, despite opening the season ranked No. 2 and expected to contend for a national championship. Northwestern had been picked 13th in the Big Ten preseason media poll but arrived ranked No. 20.

The Ducks were favored by 3.5 points at home, according to DraftKings, and won 34-26. The victory followed the loss to Illinois and a week in which Oregon dismissed offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, lost Dante Moore for the rest of the season and saw freshman receiver Messiah Hampton arrested Friday.

Smith makes his opportunity count

True freshman running back Brandon Smith had his strongest performance of the season. He rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt.

Smith also caught four passes for 32 yards, totaling 114 yards from scrimmage. In his first four appearances, he had 125 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, so he nearly matched that yardage in one game against Northwestern.

Raiola leads passing attack

Quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns. His performance showed Oregon could make explosive plays through the air without Dante Moore, who is out for the season.

Sophomore receiver Dakorien Moore caught two touchdown passes and finished with 128 receiving yards. The showing gave Oregon reason for optimism at quarterback, though it did not erase the challenges of replacing Moore.

New play-caller, unresolved concerns

In Johnson’s first game calling plays, Oregon scored 34 points and passed for 336 yards. Raiola, Dakorien Moore and Smith all contributed, but the victory also exposed areas that still need improvement; the account does not specify them.