EUGENE, Ore. — No. 7 Oregon delivered a statement performance Saturday, beating No. 15 USC 42–27 to all but extinguish the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes. The Ducks (10–1, 7–1) seized control early and held off a stubborn USC rally at Autzen Stadium.
Quarterback Dante Moore threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns, while Noah Whittington ran for 104 yards and added a late 9-yard score to seal the win. Kenyon Sadiq hauled in six catches for 72 yards and both of Moore’s scoring passes.
USC’s Jayden Maiava passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns — two to Makai Lemon — but the Trojans (8–3, 6–2) were unable to overcome Oregon’s balance and depth.
A key turning point came just before halftime, when Malik Benson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, putting Oregon ahead for good.
On the ensuing drive, linebacker Bryce Boettcher punched in a 1-yard touchdown to give the Ducks a 28–14 cushion at the break.
The Trojans stayed in it midway through the third quarter when Maiava connected with Lemon on a 4-yard pass, but Moore responded with a 28-yard strike to Sadiq to extend Oregon’s lead.
In the fourth, USC reached the red zone again after back-to-back pass interference calls against Oregon, and Maiava found tight end Lake McRee for a 9-yard touchdown; their two-point try failed.
With 5:30 left, Oregon’s Whittington powered into the end zone to make it 42–27, draining the clock on a disciplined, clock-consuming drive.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning praised his team’s resilience: “We know they were going to throw some punches … I was really pleased with the guys being able to hit the reset button and saying, ‘Let’s go again.’”
Meanwhile, Moore, acknowledging the emotional stakes on Senior Day, said, “At the end of the day … you can’t let emotions take over … with the emotions come negativity.”
The win strengthens Oregon’s playoff resume and sets up a crucial season finale at Washington next week. For USC, the loss likely ends their postseason dreams — but coach Lincoln Riley remained defiant: “We had some penalties … we were gutsy … but in the end we were just a couple of plays short.”