The Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning got back on track at home this week, defeating the former No. 20-ranked Northwestern Wildcats, 34-26.

Through the first seven games of the 2026 regular season, the Ducks went 4-3 while losing star quarterback Dante Moore and parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. However, despite all the odds against them heading into Week 9, the offense finished with 441 total offensive yards, thanks to the likes of quarterback Dylan Raiola.

While the former Nebraska Cornhuskers’ transfer dominated in the passing game, the run game had a new face emerge on Saturday night in freshman running back Brandon Smith.

Prior to Oregon’s Week 9 contest against Northwestern, the Ducks’ run game was in desperate need of extra juice. The sophomore running back duo of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. have struggled to replicate their freshman year production to kick off the season, which has played a factor into the lack of overall offensive production this season. Luckily for Lanning’s squad, the Wildcats’ defense entered Saturday’s matchup as one of the worst run defenses, paving the way for big performance on the ground.

But instead of the sophomore tandem leading the charge in the run game, it was the true freshman.

Smith finished the night with eight carries for 82 rushing yards and one touchdown, while also tallying four receptions for 32 yards through the air. The Fresno, CA native provided multiple big-time gains, including a massive 35-yard run by breaking off a slew of tackles.

With assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson stepping in as the team’s offensive coordinator, his rich history of producing a stout run game was a sign that Oregon’s running backs could take on a bigger role on offense. Clearly, this was the case in Week 9, as the Ducks ran the ball 28 times with four different running backs. And despite having a total of 24 career carries before squaring off against Northwestern, Smith led the team in rushing attempts and rushing yards.

In order for Oregon’s run game to continue its hot stretch for the rest of the season, Smith should be a key piece of the rushing attack. The running back room lacked a playmaker who can consistently break off big-time plays on the ground, but the true freshman proved on Saturday evening that he is fully capable of becoming the explosive runner.