The Oregon Ducks (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) rediscovered their groove Saturday, snapping Northwestern’s (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) four-game winning streak with a 34-26 win at Autzen Stadium.

Coach Dan Lanning’s squad overcame a slow first half to finish with 441 total yards and outscore the Wildcats 21-6 after halftime, keeping Oregon's Big Ten championship hopes mathematically alive.

The win offered relief after Lanning fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and learned quarterback Dante Moore (concussion) was unlikely to return this season.

Injuries to running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. put Oregon’s depth to the test and several Ducks stepped up.

Here are three Oregon players whose stock is rising after the victory over Northwestern and three Ducks who are falling.

Three Rising Ducks

Brandon Smith, Running Back

Running back Brandon Smith sparked Oregon’s offense with 82 rushing yards (11.7 per carry) and 32 receiving yards for 114 total yards from scrimmage.

It was his two-yard rushing touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter that put the Ducks up for good at 27-23.

The true freshman entered Saturday with 125 rushing yards and a touchdown, including an 85-yard performance against Portland State.

And with the health of Davison and Hill Jr. in question, it appears the Ducks might not have much of a drop-off in production out of their backfield.

Dylan Raiola, Quarterback

Quarterback Dylan Raiola thrived with Brandon Smith alleviating some of the offensive pressure.

The junior signal-caller completed 22 of his 31 attempts for three touchdowns and 336 yards, his most since throwing for 364 against Akron while playing for Nebraska in 2025.

Raiola ignited the comeback with a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dakorien Moore (128 yards, two touchdowns), cutting the deficit to 20-13.

The duo connected once again with 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 75-yard touchdown strike to put Oregon in control at 34-26.

Raiola’s renewed poise under new play-caller Jay Johnson offers encouragement ahead of Saturday’s showdown at No. 11 Ohio State.

Jerry Mixon, Inside Linebacker

Inside linebacker Jerry Mixon was a constant presence in the face of Northwestern’s creative offense, led by offensive coordinator and former Oregon coach Chip Kelly. 

The senior’s seven tackles tied him for team lead with safety Koi Perich and cornerback/STAR linebacker Brandon Finney Jr., while matching Finney Jr.'s five solo tackles.

While Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles ran for a career-best 93 yards, Mixon and the Oregon defense held the Wildcats run game (175 yards) to 29.6 fewer yards than their 204.6 yards per game season average.

Mixon often gets overlooked by the bigger names on the Ducks’ defense, such as Finney Jr., defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington and outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, despite having more tackles (31, 15 solo, 16 assisted) than those three stars.

Now his versatility against the run and in pass coverage appears to be peaking when the Oregon defense needs it the most. 

Three Falling Ducks

Jordon Davison, Running Back

Running back Jordon Davison exited with a leg injury after just three carries for 17 yards.

With Smith’s emergence and Hill Jr. also injured, Davison’s stock is falling while raising concerns ahead of Ohio State.

Davison leads the Ducks with 436 yards and seven touchdowns, but the ground game has struggled with him and Hill Jr. leading the backfield, ranking No. 90 in the nation at 140.4 yards per game.

Messiah Hampton, Wide Receiver

Wide receiver Messiah Hampton has shown glimpses of his talent during his first campaign in Eugene, hauling in 18 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

But as his teammates found their pace with Johnson calling plays, Hampton was sidelined for the second straight game.

Freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott capitalized with three catches for 61 yards, adding competition for playing time amid Hampton’s availability.

Andrew Olesh, Tight End

Tight end Jamari Johnson caught just two of his seven targets against Northwestern, but he delivered a 17-yard touchdown and the game-sealing first down.

With Johnson receiving the lion’s share of the playing time, tight end Andrew Olesh has seen his role drastically reduced after arriving in Eugene this year via Penn State as one of the most highly touted tight ends in the class of 2025.

Olesh appeared to be finding a place in the offense through the first three games with three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. But he has not caught a pass since Sept. 18 against Portland State.

A sophomore, Olesh has time to develop, but Johnson currently has the position on lockdown.