The Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning will be seeking revenge this weekend against the Northwestern Wildcats after a brutal Week 8 loss.

Unfortunately for the struggling program, the offense has seen its fair share of woes this regular season. Star quarterback Dante Moore sustained a season-ending head injury earlier in the season against the USC Trojans, and most recently, the team announced that they are parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.

Now, with the chance to regain momentum in Week 9 against the No. 20-ranked Wildcats, it’s clear that Oregon’s one-two sophomore running back punch of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. must take control of the contest on Saturday.

Through the first seven games of the regular season, Oregon’s run game has taken a significant step back from last year’s efforts on the ground.

The Ducks averaged 145.4 rushing yards per game this season, ranking 10th in the Big Ten Conference. Both sophomore running backs are averaging 4.8 yards per carry — a dramatic difference from Davison’s 5.9 yards per carry and Hill’s 8.7 yards per carry back in 2025. However, the combination of this week’s matchup and the change of offensive coordinators should lead to a breakout performance from the rushers on Saturday.

This year, Northwestern’s defense continues to struggle against opposing teams’ run games, allowing an average of 152.7 rushing yards per game. The issues on the ground were amplified against the Indiana Hoosiers earlier in the season when senior running back Lee Beebe Jr. tallied 203 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 attempts in the Wildcats’ lone loss of the season.

In addition to facing a weaker run defense this weekend, Oregon’s interim offensive coordinator, Jay Johnson, has a rich track record of establishing a stout run game.

While serving as Michigan State’s offensive coordinator back in 2021, Johnson helped lead the Spartans to an 11-2 record through the likes of star running back Kenneth Walker III. The highly-touted running back finished with 1,636 rushing yards in 2021, paving the way for him to be selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

Johnson’s ability to build an effective rushing attack is a perfect sign for both Davison and Hill entering the second half of the college football regular season. The talented duo could be the key to fully unlocking the offense without Moore, while simultaneously taking pressure off quarterback Dylan Raiola.