Saturday’s spring game saw the Fighting Ducks (white jerseys) defeat the Combat Ducks (black jerseys) inside a mostly-full Autzen Stadium by a score of 24-20. Though Austin Novosad started at the helm for the Fighting Ducks, Luke Moga led the squad with 112 passing yards and one touchdown. Dante Moore led the Combat Ducks with 140 passing yards and an interception.
“(There were) a lot of positives, but certainly some things to improve, and that’s why they call it a spring game,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said postgame.
The Fighting Ducks started out hot on offense. Running back Jayden Limar ran for a nice 1st down early, after which Novosad hit freshman sensation Dakorien Moore for a field-flipping 36-yard gain down the sideline. A few plays later, Limar ran straight up the seam for a 31-yard touchdown run, giving the Fighting Ducks a 7-0 lead.
Dante and the Combat Ducks immediately responded. Dante hit tight end Kenyon Sadiq for a 25-yard completion which took the Combat Ducks to midfield in only a single play. The drive ended with a 45-yard Gage Hurych field goal which cut the Fighting Ducks’ lead to four.
After an exchange of punts, Fighting Ducks running back Makhi Hughes picked up twin 11-yard runs, and redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Moga (in for Novosad) then scrambled for a third 1st down.
Moga attempted to find tight end Jamari Johnson in the endzone, but the pass was broken up by incoming freshman safety Trey McNutt. The Fighting Ducks settled for a 26-yard Andrew Boyle field goal which made the score 10-3 Fighting Ducks early in the second quarter.
Dante was replaced by redshirt sophomore Brock Thomas for the Combat Ducks’ third drive, which stalled out after Thomas was ‘sacked’ by outside linebacker Elijah Rushing.
The Fighting Ducks continued to move the ball offensively, as redshirt freshman receiver Dillon Gresham made a diving reception at midfield, but the drive stalled when Moga was sacked by defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei at the 40-yard line.
Incoming freshman Akili Smith Jr. tagged in at quarterback for the Combat Ducks’ Thomas and quickly connected with fellow first-year tight end Vander Ploog for a 1st down, but a sack by outside linebacker Blake Purchase undid that progress. Ross James’ punt travelled only 12 yards and set the Fighting Ducks up deep in Combat Ducks territory.
Novosad came back in for the Fighting Ducks, but was sacked by incoming freshman linebacker Gavin Nix. The first half concluded at a score of 10-3 Fighting Ducks after Dante was sacked by defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington and Atticus Sappington missed a 46-yard field goal.
Dante and Sadiq hooked up again to start the second half, with Sadiq hurdling a defender on his way to a 1st down. Sadiq led all Ducks with seven catches for 102 yards. The Combat Ducks then converted on the ground via incoming freshman running back Dierre Hill Jr., which put them close to midfield.
However, running back Jay Harris fumbled following a big hit from redshirt freshman cornerback Ify Obigedwu. Purchase scooped up the ball and returned it almost 60 yards for a touchdown, even stiff-arming a pursuing Dante as he crossed the goal line.
“Ify made a big tackle and the ball came out,” Purchase said postgame. “(I) picked it up and just made something happen with it.”
Dante returned to the field with the score now 17-3 in favor of the Fighting Ducks. However, he was sacked on 3rd-and-medium by redshirt sophomore linebacker Will Stratton.
Novosad and the Fighting Ducks took over at their own 18-yard line but a false start from transfer tackle Isaiah World was followed by a sack from junior linebacker Jerry Mixon. The Fighting Ducks punted the ball back to Dante and the Combat Ducks, who began another drive from their own 48-yard line.
Dante eventually found receiver Jurrion Dickey for a 35-yard connection along the sideline which set the Combat Ducks up at the Fighting Ducks’ 6-yard line. Harris then atoned for his earlier fumble by powering into the endzone to make it 17-10 Fighting Ducks late in the third quarter.
Moga came back in but couldn’t move the sticks, which brought Smith Jr. and the Combat Ducks back onto the field at their own 18-yard line. Smith Jr. used his legs to move his Combat Ducks into field goal range. Midway through the fourth quarter, Hurych hit a 54-yard field goal which again closed the Fighting Ducks’ lead to four.
On the Combat Ducks’ next drive, Thomas found Sadiq twice for solid gains and moved deep into Fighting Ducks territory. On 4th-and-four at the 13-yard line, Thomas rolled out and found receiver Justius Lowe at the one-yard line for a clutch conversion. Harris ran in his second touchdown of the game only a play later.
Now behind for the first time, the Fighting Ducks got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining. However, they weren’t behind for long.
After driving his Fighting Ducks close to midfield, Moga connected with Gresham on a slant route over the middle. Gresham cut up the seam untouched for a 56-yard touchdown which gave the Fighting Ducks the lead back at 24-20 with just over a minute remaining.
“He’s continued to make big plays on the field and has done a really good job for us,” Lanning said of Gresham, who led all wide receivers with 96 yards on the day. “… I think we all saw what he was capable of today.”
Low on time and under pressure from edge rusher Teitum Tuioti, Dante rolled to his right and aimed deep downfield for Lowe. The pass was short and fell into double coverage, where redshirt freshman safety Aaron Flowers made a game-clinching interception for the Fighting Ducks.
The Ducks will now enter their summer break and will return to action for preseason camp sometime later this summer. Oregon football will officially return to Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 for Oregon’s 2025 season opener against Montana State University.
