Ducks Make First Trip To Champaign Since 1993 - University of Oregon Athletics

The Matchup
Oregon at Illinois
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
12:00 p.m. PT | Big Ten Network
Gies Memorial Stadium | Champaign, Ill.

Oregon Ducks (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: NR/25
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (William Jewell College, 2008)
Record at Oregon: 52-10 (5th Season)
Career Record: Same

Illinois Fighting Illini (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten)
AP/Coaches Rank: NR/NR
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (Iowa, 1992)
Record at Illinois: 40-29 (6th Season)
Career Record: 137-87 (18th Season)

TV: Big Ten Network
Play-By-Play: Chris Vosters
Analyst: Jake Butt
Sideline: Brooke Fletcher

Radio - Oregon Sports Network
Local: KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene) | 105.1 FM The Fan (Portland)
Sirius: 133 | XM: 197
Play-by-Play: Jerry Allen
Analyst: Mike Jorgensen
Sideline: Dusty Harrah
Pre-Game Show: Joey McMurry

Series History vs. Illinois
Overall: Oregon leads 3-1
In Eugene: Oregon leads, 2-0
In Champaign: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 38-9 (10/26/24, in Eugene)
Current Streak: Oregon W3

First Trip To Champaign Since 1993
Oregon will make its third road trip of the year and second of Big Ten play this week, traveling to Champaign to face Illinois for the first time since 1993 and the third time in program history. The Ducks own a 3-1 lead in the all-time series with the Fighting Illini, having won the past three matchups after a 38-9 win in Eugene on Oct. 26, 2024. Oregon is 19-2 in Big Ten play since joining the league in 2024, including 10-0 in conference road games.

A Win Would...
» Be Oregon's fourth straight over Illinois and first in Champaign since 1993.
» Make UO 20-2 in conference play since joining the Big Ten, including 11-0 in Big Ten road games.
» Improve the Ducks to 18-2 in conference road games under HC Dan Lanning, and 20-3 in all true road games.

Ducks Bounce Back With Gritty Win
The plot was full of twists, turns and potholes, but in the end QB Dylan Raiola and the Ducks got their storybook finish. A gritty UO defensive effort that just needed a bit of support offensively got it in the nick of time last Saturday. Oregon scored its only touchdown against Nebraska with 28 seconds left in the game at Autzen Stadium, a 4-yard pass to TE Jamari Johnson from Raiola after he entered in the fourth quarter to take on his former team. Over one-third of Oregon's total offense on the night came on the epic 20-play, 82-yard scoring drive. That gave the Ducks a badly needed, 17-14 victory over the Cornhuskers in their second game without injured starting QB Dante Moore. Raiola entered with the Ducks down 14-6 to open the fourth quarter, and led a 17-play, 69-yard drive to a field goal, the third of the night by K Gage Hurych. The UO defense then forced a three-and-out, setting the stage for Raiola and the UO offense to convert twice on third down and twice on fourth down during the 20-play touchdown drive. Following the touchdown, Raiola found WR Hudson Lewis for the 2-point conversion, and the UO defense kept the Cornhuskers from getting into field goal range in the final seconds. OLB Teitum Tuioti led the defensive effort with 2.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks, and DB Ify Obidegwu had an interception.

The Road Less Traveled
Oregon has played one of the most challenging schedules in the nation through the first half of 2026. Three of Oregon's first six opponents are currently ranked inside the Associated Press top 25, including wins over No. 16 USC and No. 21 Boise State and a narrow loss to No. 9 UCLA, the only remaining undefeated Big Ten team. Oklahoma State, which gave Oregon its first loss of the season in Week 2, is the first team just outside of the top 25. UO is scheduled to play two more teams currently in the AP top 25 - No. 24 Northwestern (Oct. 31) and No. 3 Ohio State (Nov. 7).

Road Warriors
The Ducks have traveled very well under HC Dan Lanning, sporting a 19-3 record on the road since 2022. Oregon is 17-2 in conference road games under Lanning, including 10-0 in Big Ten road games since joining the league in 2024. UO won 12 consecutive games on the road beginning with a 35-6 win at Utah on Oct. 28, 2023, a streak that was the longest in the nation before Oklahoma State defeated the Ducks on Sept. 12, 2026. Oregon's .864 winning percentage on the road since 2022 is tied with Ohio State for the second-best in the nation, trailing only Georgia (16-2, .889), and its 15-2 record (.882) on the road since 2023 is the best in college football.

Hurych Named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week
K Gage Hurych became the first Duck this season to earn a weekly honor from the conference office, being named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after accounting for nine of Oregon's 17 points against Nebraska. Hurych was 3-for-3 on field goals to improve to 9-for-9 on the season, and he is also 19-for-19 on extra points. That makes him one of just seven FBS kickers still perfect on both field-goal and extra-point percentage this season with at least nine field goal attempts.

Numbers to Know
-6 - Oregon leads the nation in fewest punt return yards allowed with minus-6 on six returns.
1 - C Iapani Laloulu has given up just one sack through 49 career games, keeping the quarterback upright on all but one of 1,448 career pass-blocking opportunities.
2.6 - Over the last four games, UO is holding teams to just 2.6 yards per rush - the seventh-best rate nationally in that span.
3 - Oregon is making its third-ever trip to Champaign - first since 1993 - and has won the last three meetings vs. Illinois.
6 - DB Ify Obidegwu is T-3 in the Big Ten and T-14 nationally with six pass breakups this season.
6.0 - OLB Matayo Uiagalelei is No. 2 in the Big Ten and T-11 nationally with 6.0 sacks, including at least one in each of the last five games.
12 - 12 different Ducks have combined for 27 total offensive touchdowns this season.
15-2 - Oregon is 15-2 on the road since 2023, good for an 88.2 winning percentage that is the best in college football in that span.
20 - OLB Teitum Tuioti became the eighth player in program history to reach 20.0 career sacks with a career-high-tying 2.0 last week vs. Nebraska.
21 - RB Jordon Davison has rushed for 21 touchdowns in just 20 career games, including six in the first six games of 2026.
24.5 - OLB Matayo Uiagalelei is tied for fourth in program history with 24.5 career sacks, just five shy of the all-time record.
25.88 - Oregon ranks No. 3 nationally in opponent third-down percentage at 25.88%, allowing just 22 conversions in 85 attempts.
30 - The Ducks lead the nation in 30-plus point games since 2022 with 48, two more than any other program (46, Georgia).
38.5 - Since HC Dan Lanning took over in 2022, Oregon leads the nation with 38.5 points per game and 311 touchdowns.
40 - DB Koi Perich leads Oregon with 40 total tackles, which ranks fourth among all defensive backs in the Big Ten.
67 - P Bailey Ettridge has had two 67-yard punts - the 10th-longest in UO history - this season, against Oklahoma State and UCLA.
100.0 - K Gage Hurych has yet to miss a kick in 2026, going 9-for-9 on field goals and 19-for-19 on extra points.
113 - Oregon has won 113 consecutive games when allowing 14 points or less following their 17-14 win over Nebraska in Week 7.