The No. 8 Oregon Ducks dominated the Minnesota Golden Gophers from the opening kickoff on Friday night at Autzen Stadium, earning a 42-13 win to improve to 9-1 on the season. Throughout the season, the Ducks have been dominant in the running game, and that dominance was on full display in the win against the Golden Gophers.
Oregon running back Jordon Davison breaks away for a touchdown run as the Oregon Ducks host the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Nov. 14, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Entering the game, Oregon had averaged just under 240 rushing yards per game, which is among the top 10 in college football. In the win against Minnesota, the Ducks found success in the running game from the start, with Jordon Davison reaching 12 touchdowns on the season in the first quarter, recording two rushing scores.
One of those two scores featured a beautiful 32-yard touchdown run to give the Ducks a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Davison finished the game with seven carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
Fresh off a 118-yard rushing performance in the Ducks’ 18-16 come-from-behind road win over the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes, Oregon’s leading rusher Noah Whittington put together another impressive game against Minnesota.
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Early in the second quarter, with the Ducks up 14-3, Whittington had arguably one of the best touchdown runs of the season, as he escaped several Minnesota defenders to take it 40 yards to the house. On top of the crazy run, Whittington lost control of the ball momentarily in the end zone. After review for being a potential fumble in the end zone and a touchback, the play stood as a touchdown.
MORE: Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore Breaks Down Adjusting Game Plan Amid Injuries
MORE: What Oregon’s New Helmet And Uniforms Say About the Program’s Identity
MORE: How to Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Minnesota In Prime Time On Friday Night
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Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) loses control of the football momentarily during the first half as he scores a touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Whittington finished the game leading Oregon in rushing with eight carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Jay Harris, the Ducks’ fourth available running back, also added a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Between Harris and running back Dierre Hill Jr, the two combined for 10 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Collectively as a whole, Oregon finished the game with 179 total rushing yards.
While not as dominant as it was in the road win against the Hawkeyes, the rushing performance was consistent in a game in which Oregon relied more on its passing game, led by quarterback Dante Moore.
Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, left, talks to Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck after a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Moving into Oregon’s final two games of the season against No. 17 USC at home and Washington on the road in Seattle, the Ducks’ dominance in the running game will be a strength to their offense that will be hard for opposing defenses to overcome.
At times this season, USC has struggled to defend the run, especially in its two losses to No. 10 Notre Dame and Illinois. Coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon team will aim to take advantage of that weakness against the Trojans and look to punish teams with its running game in the playoff, if the Ducks succeed in making it into the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
