In the final edition of their 129-year rivalry before taking a season off in 2026, No. 6 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) fought its way past Oregon State (0-4) in a 41-7 win — but not without mistakes that defined both sides. Oregon, though, displayed an ability to bounce back from overthrows and busted plays. The Beavers, despite scoring a first-quarter touchdown on their lengthy second drive, saw their mistakes lead to multiple punts and a loss.

Ducks signal-caller Dante Moore (305 passing yds, 4 TD, 53 rushing yds) turned in a strong performance despite missing on multiple throws. Oregon’s defense, meanwhile, held Beavers deep-shot artist Maalik Murphy (68 passing yds, 0 TD) to a 28 percent completion rate on the afternoon. The Ducks put up 585 total yards, including 280 on the ground, and held the Beavers to just 147.

Both quarterbacks — known for their ability to spin the ball deep with finesse — missed receivers on shot plays on their first drives. The difference? Moore rebounded with a touchdown to Dakorien Moore later that drive, while Murphy’s third down incompletion left the Beavers punting for the first of eight times on Saturday. 

Junior Jayden Limar got the start at running back for the second week in a row, which he promptly took over the left side for 22 yards on the first play of the game. Oregon would’ve had a touchdown on the next play, but Moore overthrew an open Malik Benson split wide right. 

Instead, the Ducks would have to wait a few more plays — Moore steadied himself with quick completions to Gary Bryant Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq before lofting a back-shoulder ball to Dakorien Moore near the 5-yard line. The redshirt freshman promptly dragged Beavers cornerback Jalil Tucker into the endzone for the Ducks’ first points.

“What makes him good is that he catches it, right?” head coach Dan Lanning said. “He’s been a guy that can win one-on-one…if he can beat you over the top, he’ll beat you over the top. If you’re even, he’ll beat you back shoulder.”

Murphy’s biggest play of the game came in the first quarter on a coverage bust with Oregon State set up inside the 25-yard line. Nickel Jadon Canady recovered to make the tackle, but set the Beavers up on the 1-yard line, and veteran running back Anthony Hankerson punched it in.

“We came in saying that we can’t allow teams to be able to move the ball like that to start, and we got to stay in rhythm offensively,” Lanning said. “We lost a little bit of that, but we got it back.”

It was Hankerson and second-string back Salahadin Allah, instead, who drove the Beavers’ offense down the field with 42 combined yards in the first quarter, including two rushes over 10 yards on the touchdown drive.

After a Week 3 matchup with Northwestern where Oregon was outrushed and gave up a 79-yard score, the Ducks’ defense made a stand on Saturday and held the Beavers to four yards on three attempts to open the second quarter, in a drive that ended with another Murphy overthrow nearly intercepted by safety Kingston Lopa.

“We just started playing our brand of football, getting knocked back, winning, getting off blocks, not letting guys win one on ones, and then finishing to the ball with relentless effort,” Lanning said.

Eugene native Bryce Boettcher had nine first-half tackles (“that boy crazy,” Teitum Tuioti said) in a game that he said all week meant more to him. That fire came out, he said, and boosted Oregon’s defense, which allowed just 25 rushing yards in the final three quarters.

“That’s just flow state,” Boettcher said. “You just see ball — obviously you have to know the play call and communicate, but it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Moore overthrew his receiver again the next time out but rebounded with three accurate cross-hash throws — one, a 9-yard completion to Benson, got the Ducks out of third-and-8 while the next, 31 yards to Benson set him up to find Sadiq in the opposite corner for the score.

Oregon’s offense continued to display an ability to perform under clock pressure. With less than two minutes left in the first half, the Ducks got back-to-back 7-yard carries from Dierre Hill Jr. and Limar before Moore scrambled for 28 yards and found Dakorien Moore’s back shoulder again near the goal line for 23. True freshman Jordon Davison, offensive coordinator Will Stein’s go-to goal line back, drove it home from three yards out and put Oregon up 21-7 at the half.

Out of the break, the Beavers got nothing moving on offense.Moore returned and missed Bryant underneath on Oregon’s third down, but with the punt team on the field, Australian punter James Ferguson-Reynolds read a retreating punt coverage unit and held on for a 21-yard gain.

“I had a bit of fun there,” he said. “(I) thought I was a bit of a football player for five minutes. I just saw some space and took it.”

Seven plays later, Moore found Jeremiah McClellan, who beat his man off the line on third down for the redshirt freshman’s first Oregon touchdown. He flashed a wide smile in the press conference when he got the chance to talk about it.

“It felt amazing to go out there and score a touchdown with the Ducks,” McClellan said. “You know what I’m saying? To hear all the fans yelling, and being excited with my brothers out there…it just felt amazing.”

The Beavers’ last-chance efforts, a first-down play-action shot to receiver Zack Card that became yet another overthrow and a rollout with backup quarterback Gabarri Johnson that got his receiver rocked by Daylen Austin and Dillon Thieneman short of the sticks, left them in a 24-point hole at the end of the third quarter.

Moore and Bryant slammed the door on their rivals with a 49-yard touchdown connection off a 1st-and 10 jet action. A Johnson fumble inside Beavers territory, recovered by Bear Alexander, closed the afternoon — though Moore remained in the game and led Oregon to a field goal before Brock Thomas kneeled it out.

Oregon travels to face No. 2 Penn State (3-0) in Happy Valley next week. Kickoff is set for 4:30 PM Pacific Time.