Reeling Oregon Ducks remain positive, committed to the grind

EUGENE — The 2026 season is on the verge of completely unraveling for the Oregon Ducks. One more loss, and any shred of postseason hopes would be extinguished.

Yet even after two upset losses and falling out of the rankings — despite starting the season at No. 2 — the Ducks (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) remain focused, together and committed to salvaging the season.

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“One thing I really love is the way the people in the locker room have been responding to this adversity,” sophomore cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. said.

After his team’s 17-15 loss to No. 12 UCLA on Saturday, Oregon coach Dan Lanning said the team would be measured by how it responds moving forward.

On Wednesday, he said the team has elevated its work ethic and embraced accountability.

“I’ve been proud of the way that they’ve worked,” Lanning said. “I don’t see a lot of hanging heads, right? I think that’s challenging, too, especially when you’re young, to not lose a little bit of gusto and not lose a little bit of belief.”

The Ducks, who host Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday, responded well to adversity following a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State on Sept. 12. Oregon won its next two games, including a 41-27 win at USC on Sept. 26.

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That victory seemed to give the Ducks a fresh start. But two weeks later, they lost to the Bruins and dropped out of the rankings.

Now, Oregon must run the table to have a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff, which seemed like a given for a team that returned most of its starters from last year’s semifinal squad.

It’s not uncommon for teams with grand expectations to unravel in tough times. So far, that hasn’t happened.

“The team is very connected and maintains its composure whether we’re winning or losing,” punter Bailey Ettridge said. “We haven’t let the losses last week and against Oklahoma State bring us down. I think we’ve handled them well.”

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Wide receiver Dakorien Moore said the team is filled with players who came to Oregon to win and be great. He added that the team’s goals remain attainable, and team leaders have worked to encourage togetherness and mutual trust.

“If you can’t trust your teammate, then everything ain’t going to form in the way that it’s supposed to,” he said.

This also means trusting the process, the plan and the team’s goal to get better instead of blaming one another.

“Everybody knows what we want to attack this next week, being that Nebraska is a good team,” he said.

The outside noise has been deafening. To say that many Oregon fans have melted down on social media would be an understatement.

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Virtually all of the players have social media accounts. Moore said he is active on social media but ignores negativity.

Finney said he isn’t very active on social media and doesn’t care what people say outside the program.

“Why would I let your opinion inflict me or my thoughts on my performance or my thoughts on our performance,” he said. “Because people are going to be there when you’re doing good, when you’re bad; when you’re doing bad, they’re going to leave you.”

For that reason, the team lives by the motto F.E.B.U., which stands for “Forget Everyone But Us”.

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“F.E.B.U. is a true statement that we all follow,” Finney said. “… Just back to work. We got to figure out what we did wrong, go to the doctor, and just get back to work.”

Fifth-year linebacker Devon Jackson said before the season that his main goal was team-driven — winning the national title.

He is no longer looking that far ahead.

“At the end of the year, what happens, happens, but I promise if we focus on the day and focus on one game at a time, we will be okay,” Jackson said.

On Saturday, the Ducks’ defense played one of its best games of the season, while the offense played its worst without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who remains in concussion protocol.

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On teams that lack closeness, such a contrast can cause issues. But that is not the case with Oregon.

“I mean, we’re all in this together,” Jackson said. “It’s not like, the defense won the game and offense lost, or special teams won or lost. We all lost together and we all win together. So, we got each other’s back no matter what.”

Jackson said that after Saturday’s loss, he and senior center Iapani Laloulu talked for 20 minutes about the team. He told Laloulu that he didn’t care what was going on with the offense; the defense had its back.

“I wouldn’t trade that group with anybody else in the country despite what other people may think,” Jackson said. “And we’re going to continue to lean on each other because it’s we all we got and we all we need.”

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Realistically, Oregon can’t expect much sympathy from outsiders. The Ducks have top-notch facilities, infinite uniform options, a roster with an estimated payroll of $50 million, and a coach who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, as Lanning did after beating the Trojans.

Many in the football world certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Oregon fall.

“Ain’t nobody going to feel sorry for us,” linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei said. “So just came back in the next day with the mindset ready to work.”

. . .

Oregon (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) vs. Nebraska (5-1, 2-1)

• When: Saturday, Oct. 17

• Time: 8 p.m. PT

• Where: Autzen Stadium

• Latest line: Oregon by 7

• Radio: Oregon Sports Network

• Stream: You can watch this game live with Fubo (free trial), or with DIRECTV (free trial). If you are out of free trials, you can also watch this game with Sling (cheapest streaming plans that include live sports). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.

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