No. 6 Ducks Host USC For First Time Since 2015

The Matchup
#6 Oregon vs. USC
Saturday, November 11, 2023
7:30 p.m. PT | FOX
Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Ore.

#6 Oregon Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12)
CFP/AP/Coaches Rank: 6/6/6
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 18-4 (2nd Season)
Career Record: Same

USC Trojans (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12)
CFP/AP/Coaches Rank: NR/RV/RV
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (Texas Tech, 2006)
Record at USC: 18-6 (2nd Season)
Career Record: 73-16 (7th Season)

TV: FOX
Play-By-Play: Tim Brando
Analyst: Spencer Tillman
Sideline: Josh Sims

Radio - Oregon Sports Network
Local: KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene) | KFXX-AM 1080 (Portland)
Sirius: 133 | XM: 197
Play-by-Play: Jerry Allen
Analyst: Mike Jorgensen
Sideline: Dusty Harrah
Pre-Game Show: Joey McMurry

Series History
All-Time Series Record: USC leads, 38-22-2
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 31-24 (2020 Pac-12 Championship Game)

Ducks Host USC Under Autzen Lights
No. 6 Oregon will host USC in Autzen Stadium for the first time since 2015 on Saturday night, as the Ducks look to keep their Pac-12 Championship Game and College Football Playoff hopes alive. UO is currently the highest-ranked one-loss team in the CFP rankings, and the Ducks will put an 8-1 overall record on the line against one of the nation's top offenses and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams. Oregon has not faced USC since a 31-24 win in the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game in Los Angeles, and the last time USC visited Eugene was a 48-28 UO victory on Nov. 21, 2015.

Brothers Lead Ducks Past Cal
Bo Nix matched his career-high with six total touchdowns and Tez Johnson, his adopted younger brother, erupted for 255 all-purpose yards to lead the Ducks to a dominant 63-19 win over California last week in Eugene. Nix completed 29-of-38 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns while also running for two scores, his second six-TD performance in as many games against Cal in his career. Johnson set career-highs with 12 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and also added a career-high 75 yards on punt returns in his most dynamic performance as a Duck. Casey Rogers forced a fumble on a sack and provided the pressure on another turnover for the defense, which held its opponent to no more than one offensive touchdown for the sixth time this season.

Let's Talk About Bo
Bo Nix has played his way firmly into the Heisman Trophy conversation while leading the Ducks to an 8-1 record. The most experienced quarterback in NCAA history with 56 career starts, Nix leads the nation with a historic 78.1 completion percentage while ranking fourth in passer rating (180.14), fourth in passing touchdowns (25) and seventh in passing yards per game (302.6). The fifth-year senior has also rushed for five scores to rank third nationally with 30 total touchdowns, and he is seventh among all FBS players with 8.40 total yards per play. Nix is the only FBS quarterback with at least 25 passing touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions, and he is the first FBS quarterback since at least 2000 to complete at least 78.0 percent of his passes through a team's first nine games with at least 300 pass attempts.

Last Time Vs. USC
Oregon has not faced USC since the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game, a 31-24 victory in Los Angeles to secure the program's second straight conference title and fourth since 2011. Multiple current Oregon defenders made an impact in the victory, headlined by Jamal Hill with a pair of interceptions and five tackles. Brandon Dorlus had three tackles and a sack, Mase Funa made six tackles, and Keyon Ware-Hudson finished with four.

A Win Would...
» Be the Ducks' seventh straight at home and 30th in their last 31 games at Autzen Stadium.
» Improve UO to 6-0 at home for the first time since 2021.
» Be Oregon's third straight against USC, fifth in the last six meetings and eighth in the last 11.

Balanced Dominance
The Ducks have proven to be one of the most balanced and efficient teams in the nation. Oregon leads the country in scoring offense (47.4 PPG) and ranks 11th in scoring defense (16.0 PPG), and is one of just three teams (Georgia, SMU) in the top 20 for both total offense (2nd, 538.7 YPG) and total defense (18th, 301.7 YPG). The Ducks are one of four teams in the top 15 for both rushing offense (11th, 208.11 YPG) and rushing defense (13th, 97.11 YPG), and one of just two (SMU) in the top 15 for both sacks allowed (2nd, 4) and sacks (T-15th, 28). Oregon owns an overall grade of 93.9 from Pro Football Focus, best in the Pac-12 and No. 5 in the nation.

All About The Ball
Oregon has committed just four turnovers so far this season, tied with Penn State for the fewest in the nation. The Ducks made it until Week 9 before losing a fumble, and until Week 10 before committing multiple turnovers in a game. UO is the only team in the nation with two-or-fewer fumbles lost and two-or-fewer interceptions thrown. Oregon's defense has come away with 12 takeaways, headlined by four in its Week 2 win at Texas Tech and three last week vs. California. The Ducks' plus-8 turnover margin is tied for No. 10 in the country, as is its 0.89 turnover margin per game, and they have won the turnover battle in six of nine contests. An emphasis on the ball has been a trend under head coach Dan Lanning, after Oregon ranked 15th nationally with a plus-9 turnover margin in his first season in 2022. In 22 games under Lanning (18-4), UO has committed just 16 total turnovers with 32 takeaways (+16) and has lost just five fumbles.

Ducks Hold Steady At No. 6 In CFP Rankings
Oregon remains the nation's highest-ranked one-loss team in the College Football Playoff rankings after holding steady at No. 6 in the updated poll released on Tuesday. The Ducks are one of five Pac-12 teams in the top 25, along with No. 5 Washington, No. 12 Oregon State, No. 18 Utah and No. 21 Arizona. UO earned its 36th all-time CFP top-25 ranking, and 21st top-10 ranking.

Numbers To Know
4 - Oregon has committed just four turnovers this season, tied with Penn State for fewest in the nation. UO is also No. 2 nationally with just four sacks allowed.
9 - The Ducks are the only FBS team to have two running backs with at least nine rushing touchdowns each (Bucky Irving & Jordan James).
10 - UO is one of just three teams in the nation (Michigan, Ohio State) to hold opponents to 10 points or less at least five times.
11 - Camden Lewis enters Saturday's game just 11 points away from Royce Freeman's all-time UO record of 384.
14 - Oregon has won 73 straight games when holding its opponent to fewer than 14 points.
16 - Oregon has reached the end zone on each of its last 16 drives into the opponent's red zone.
26 - Troy Franklin has at least one reception in 26 consecutive games, and multiple catches in 22 of his last 23 games.
26.9 - Oregon leads the nation with 26.9 first downs per game, and is also first with 242 total first downs.
28 - The Ducks are tied for 15th nationally with 28 sacks, distributed amongs 17 different players.
30 - Oregon is one of just three teams (Michigan, Texas) in the nation to score at least 30 points in every game this season.
35 - Bucky Irving is tied for the FBS lead in receptions among running backs with 35 (ranks third on team).
47.4 - The Ducks lead the nation in scoring offense at 47.4 PPG while ranking second in total offense at 538.7 YPG.
54 - Troy Franklin enters Saturday's game just 54 receiving yards away from becoming the 12th Duck with 1,000 in a season.
56 - Bo Nix's 56 games started are the most of any other quarterback in NCAA history. He has started every game he has played.
78.1 - Bo Nix leads the nation with a stellar 78.1 completion percentage, on pace to break the NCAA single-season record (77.4, Mac Jones).
88.7 - The Ducks' offensive line leads the nation with an 88.7 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
90.4 - Center Jackson Powers-Johnson ranks second among FBS centers with a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 90.4.
139 - Camden Lewis has made 139 consecutive extra points, the longest active streak in the nation.
15,062 - Last week vs. Cal, Bo Nix became just the ninth player in NCAA history to surpass 15,000 career yards of total offense.