LOS ANGELES - Following a turbulent start to the season, the No. 20 Oregon Ducks needed to make a statement Saturday as they traveled to Los Angeles for a matchup with a No. 12 USC Trojans squad .
A loss would have made it extremely difficult for the Ducks to secure an at-large bid in the College Football Playoff, while a win would send a strong message about the state of Oregon football. It was the latter.
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (left) shakes hands with USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Ducks defeated the Trojans 41-27, keeping a decade-long winning streak against the Trojans alive and extending that streak to five straight wins.
The Ducks' backup quarterback, Dylan Raiola , stepped up big after Moore's injury, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon also got key contributions from several players who stepped up when the Ducks needed them most.
Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola belongs at the top of Oregon's winners list after the way he stepped into one of the biggest moments of the season.
Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Raiola entered the game in the second quarter after starting quarterback Dante Moore went down with an injury , and he did not have much time to settle in. He was thrown into a road game against a ranked USC team, but he found a way to deliver.
Raiola finished 19-of-25 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, ultimately helping Oregon pull away for a 41-27 win over the Trojans.
The moment carried even more weight for Raiola given his history with USC. The last time he played at the Coliseum, Raiola was Nebraska 's starting quarterback and suffered a season-ending broken leg against the Trojans. Nearly a year later, he returned to the same stadium and found himself in a completely different situation, this time wearing an Oregon uniform and finishing what he started.
Raiola showed the kind of poise Oregon needed after losing Moore and immediately gave the Ducks confidence that the offense would not fall apart without its starter. His first touchdown pass came on his first drive, connecting with Evan Stewart before flashing a "5" in honor of Moore.
For Oregon, having a quarterback with starting experience at the Power Four level waiting behind Moore proved to be massive.
Oregon's run game was another major winner coming out of Los Angeles. After the Ducks struggled to consistently establish the ground game against Boise State and Oklahoma State, there were still plenty of questions surrounding Oregon's offensive line and rushing attack entering the USC matchup.
Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Those questions started to disappear Saturday. Oregon finished with 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, with Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. providing a strong one-two punch throughout the game.
Davison set the tone early with a 45-yard run on Oregon's opening offensive snap. Hill went on to become one of the biggest difference-makers as the game went on.
Hill finished with 63 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He also caught four passes for 105 yards, including a 62-yard catch-and-run that set up a touchdown and a 28-yard reception on a crucial third down later in the game.
That gave Hill 168 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 19 touches. When Oregon needed to regain control after USC tied the game at 27 in the fourth quarter, the Ducks were able to lean on their run game rather than putting everything on Raiola's shoulders.
After missing the previous two games with an injury, Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson was still considered a game time decision heading into the matchup with USC, but he came back and immediately made an impact.
Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson hurdles USC cornerback Jontez Williams as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Johnson led Oregon in receiving with seven catches for 119 yards. One of his biggest plays came on a third-and-9 when Raiola found him for a 34-yard gain, which flipped the field and kept an Oregon scoring drive alive.
A quarterback coming off the bench needs players around him who can make life easier, and Johnson provided exactly that. His size and ability to make contested catches gave Raiola a dependable option when the Ducks needed to move the chains.
Considering Johnson had barely played over the previous two weeks, his return could not have come at a better time for Oregon.
The battle up front was always going to be an important part of Oregon's matchup with USC, and the Ducks answered several questions about their line play.
Oregon's offensive line had struggled to consistently create movement against FBS opponents earlier in the season, while the defensive front was still looking for a way to consistently disrupt opposing quarterbacks. Against USC, both sides had their moments.
An Oregon cheerleader celebrates a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The offensive line gave Raiola enough time to settle into the game after entering for Moore, while also helping Oregon produce 138 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
On the other side, the defensive front helped Oregon make things difficult for Jayden Maiava . USC finished with 120 rushing yards and converted just two of its 11 third-down attempts.
The Ducks also came up with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
USC linebacker Desman Stephens II is going to be remembered for one of the most controversial and consequential moments of the game.
With Oregon trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Dante Moore scrambled toward the USC 12-yard line before beginning his slide. Stephens delivered a hard hit as Moore went to the ground, where his shoulder made contact with Moore's head and neck area.
Oregon wide receiver Messiah Hampton shoves off USC linebacker Desman Stephens II after a late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Stephens was seen celebrating with teammates immediately afterward while Moore remained down on the field, which drew a strong response from Oregon players and fans.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning called the hit "clear as day targeting" after the game and said it was a "shame" that it happened to a good player.
On Sunday, USC announced the team suspended Stephens for one game.
Saturday's loss added another difficult chapter to USC coach Lincoln Riley's tenure. The Trojans had home-field advantage, a top-20 matchup in front of their fans and a chance to make a statement of their own against Oregon. Instead, USC dropped to the Ducks for the fifth straight time.
For the last few seasons, there have been plenty of reasons given for why Riley has not yet been able to get USC back to the level expected of the program. The roster needed to be rebuilt. The defense needed to be fixed. USC was adjusting to the Big Ten. Riley needed more time to build the team in his vision. But at some point, the excuses start to run out.
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Riley has had the resources to build this program. USC has continued to bring in high-level talent, has significant NIL resources and entered this season with 15 returning starters. The Trojans also made major changes on the defensive side of the ball, bringing in new coaches in an effort to address one of the biggest problems of Riley's tenure.
And yet, USC still could not get past Oregon.
Oregon's secondary might seem like an odd choice for a losers list after a 41-27 win, but there were enough concerns in Los Angeles to keep an eye on moving forward.
USC threw for 326 yards, and freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt emerged as a major problem for the Ducks. Dixon-Wyatt finished with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, and repeatedly found openings in Oregon's coverage.
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (17) catches a thirty-one yard pass for a touchdown against Oregon Ducks linebacker Jerry Mixon (6) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Ducks' defensive front ultimately helped cover up some of those issues by creating pressure on Maiava, but Oregon can't expect that to happen every week.
The secondary gave up several big plays and allowed USC to move the ball through the air even as the Ducks were doing a good job limiting the Trojans on the ground. That is something Oregon will have to clean up.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oregon as Seven Biggest Winners and Losers From Oregon's 41-27 Win Over USC .
