Though it may not have been the sharpest performance for the offense, the Oregon Ducks‘ defense and special teams led the way for the team during its 26-14 victory over the rival Washington Huskies to finish the 2025 regular-season.
Timely plays were made all game long, with wide receiver Malik Benson‘s 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter ultimately putting the game out of reach.
Meanwhile, the defense hounded Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., putting him under duress for much of the day and forcing him into a pair of interceptions, one near the red zone. While they allowed a 100-yard rusher for the Huskies, only 14 points were put on the board for the Huskies — a mark that is going to result in a lot of Duck wins.
But what put the team over the top was kicker Atticus Sappington and the special teams unit, as both teams scored two touchdowns but it was four field goals that proved to be the difference.
Here’s our weekly report card, complete with a grade and analysis for every position group after Oregon’s Week 14 victory over Washington.
Quarterbacks
Grade: B+
Dante Moore fought through some early struggles with his accuracy, including throwing a pass right to a Huskies defender that should’ve resulted in an interception, but his timely playmaking brings up his grade here. Offensive coordinator Will Stein hadn’t asked Moore to run much this season, but with Washington’s edge defenders crashing in to stop the run, Moore capitalized with several positive gains and a touchdown from a yard out. Combine that with a number of clutch completions to move the chains and 297 total yards on the day, and the Ducks‘ signal caller earns a near exemplary grade.
Running Backs
Grade: C
It was arguably the worst day of the season for Oregon’s trio of standout running backs, as none of Noah Whittington (17 carries, 47 yards), Dierre Hill Jr. (six carries, 29 yards) and Jordon Davison (nine carries, 24 yards) managed to break free for any sort of explosive plays. And while part of that can be explained as the Huskies selling out to stop the run and the offensive line not being able to open up holes, the running backs have to be held accountable for averaging just 2.5 yards per carry. The trio did combine for five catches out of the backfield, holding them out of C- territory. Expectations are sky high for this group and they didn’t live up to them on Saturday.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Grade: A
Once again, the Ducks’ pass catching core stepped up in the absence of starters Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. When those players were injured, it seemed like each of Benson and Jeremiah McClellan would be punching above their weight as the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers in the offense. That wasn’t so against the Huskies, as Benson had his first 100-yard game as a Duck on five catches including an incredible catch over the middle that he took to the house for a 64-yard game-sealing touchdown. McClellan caught three passes for 78 yards while backup tight end Jamari Johnson also caught three passes for 60 yards. Especially considering that star tight end Kenyon Sadiq was limited to just 11 yards on four catches, this was an impressive day for this group.
Offensive Line
Grade: C+
The run game not being up to par is a huge reason that this grade isn’t a B. Though they allowed just two sacks, with one on Moore because of a surprise corner blitz, the offensive line held up well in pass protection. But it’s difficult to look past the mere 2.5 yards per carry, as this unit has routinely opened up holes in the running game this season. That expectation wasn’t met.
Defensive Line
Grade: B
The defensive line put together an intriguing performance on Saturday. They were aggressive from the jump in the pass rush department, repeatedly hurrying up quarterback Williams, forcing him outside the pocket and ultimately into two interceptions. They ended the game with four sacks, with Teitum Tuioti contributing 1.5 takedowns. That aspect of the defensive line, which featured pressures from each of A’Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander and others, was excellent. But the Huskies found success running the ball as the game went along, finishing with 154 rush yards and 4.7 yards per carry. Backup running back Adam Mohammed had 105 yards on 14 carries. Against a more superior team, that number could surpass 200 yards rushing — something that could be fatal in a playoff game. Settling on a B seems right considering the highs and lows of this group.
Linebackers
Grade: B-
Bryce Boettcher was one of many to provide pressure on Williams, coming away with a couple would-be sacks before Williams slipped away. Still, he finished as Oregon’s top tackler with 10, including five solo. Jerry Mixon and Devon Jackson had just four tackles between them, a mark that just isn’t good enough for a pair of supporting linebackers. They’d stepped up in the run against Iowa and Wisconsin extremely well, but that wasn’t the case against the Huskies. Boettcher carries this unit — much like every other week — to a solid, if unspectacular grade. If not for him, it would be much lower.
Secondary
Grade: A
The safety duo of Dillon Thieneman and Aaron Flowers combined for 12 tackles, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, providing a nice baseline for this unit. But it was their pass defense downfield that stuck out. Washington’s top receiver Denzel Boston was held to four catches for 25 yards. He did score a pair of touchdowns in the red zone, but his impact was heavily limited for the most part. That was because of sticky coverage by cornerbacks Brandon Finney Jr., Ify Obidegwu and Na’eem Offord, who continues to see more time. Slot corner Jadon Canady has shown out in recent weeks and did again, climbing the ladder for a crucial interception in the end zone. Though they won’t get an A+ for allowing two pass touchdowns, it was still a standout day for the secondary.
Special Teams
Grade: A
Last week, the point was made in this piece about the special teams adding points to the scoreboard during Benson’s long punt return score. This week, that rung true once again. Without four Sappington field goals that resulted in 12 points, the score would’ve been 14-14. At the end of the day, Sappington’s leg — which included a career-long 51-yarder — proved to be the difference.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks’ Week 14 report card featured mix bag of grades
