To salvage their season, the Ducks’ defense must disrupt Jayden Maiava’s lethal passing attack and find a consistent pass rush to survive a high-stakes Big Ten road test.
After a statement victory over Portland State in Week 3 of the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks will have their hands full this week as the program enters Big Ten Conference play.
Head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks had a nightmare beginning to the 2026 regular season. Oregon nearly escaped a Week 1 upset against the Boise State Broncos, but suddenly fell to quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Week 2, 39-31. The program found its footing last week, but the real test will come on Saturday when the Ducks take on the USC Trojans on the road.
Led by head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans are one of the hottest teams in all of college football to start the regular season. Through the first four games of the regular season, USC averaged 43 points per game and 500.3 total yards per game.
The main catalyst for the Trojans' offense this year has been veteran quarterback Jayden Maiava, who currently leads the nation in passing yards. Unfortunately for Lanning and the Ducks, USC’s strong passing attack could create plenty of problems on Saturday.
Oregon Must Stop Maiava
This season, the Ducks’ defense has struggled to stop both the run and pass game. Oregon allowed an average of 110.7 rushing yards per game through three games, which ranks 10th in the Big 10 Conference.
More importantly, however, the Ducks allowed an average of 199.7 passing yards per game this year, ranking 12th in the Big 10 Conference. Mestemaker and the Cowboys had a complete field day against Oregon’s defense in Week 2, as the former North Texas standout threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns while simultaneously rushing for 109 yards and one touchdown on six carries.
Now, with Maiava and the Trojans seeking revenge for the Ducks’ 2025 victory, Oregon must find a way to prevent another strong quarterback performance in Week 4.
Fortunately for Lanning’s defense, Maiava does not present the same rushing threat as Mestemaker did, which should take pressure off the front seven unit. Still, the USC quarterback threw an FBS-high 1,173 through four games this season, making Maiava a more challenging matchup through the air.
In order for the Ducks to limit the Trojans’ passing attack on Saturday, Oregon must do a better job of applying pressure to the quarterback.
The program’s defensive line accumulated five sacks in the first three games of the regular season, which means star pass rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and the rest of the front four must pressure Maiava, who tends to struggle when facing heat in the pocket.
