EUGENE – Week 7 marked the first loss of the No. 3 Oregon Ducks’ 2025 season. Despite the Indiana Hoosiers’ 30-20 win at Autzen Stadium, the Ducks still have plenty of season left to play.
The Ohio State Buckeyes won last season’s national championship even though they suffered two regular-season losses, and coach Dan Lanning was adamant about evaluating the loss and improving after the game.
“I don’t think anybody in the organization did the best that they’re capable of today, myself included,” Lanning said postgame. “It starts with me and, again, I thought their plan was better and ours wasn’t.”
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Oregon has six regular-season games remaining and is still very much in the mix to make the College Football Playoff. The loss to the Hoosiers revealed three major takeaways that the Ducks can learn from to get back on track.
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Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Oregon conceded 111 rushing yards to Indiana, including 37 in the fourth quarter.
“Ultimately, we didn’t stop the run when it mattered most,” Lanning said. “We have a better plan to stop the run there at the end of the game.”
Teams have been most successful against the Ducks this season when Oregon fails to defend the run game. In the Ducks’ sluggish first half against the Oregon State Beavers earlier in the season, the opposing team ran for 56 yards in the first half.
Sep 27, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) warms up before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
On the other hand, Oregon limited Penn State’s star backfield duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to only one touchdown in week 5.
It wasn’t the same story against Indiana’s backfield. Two of the Hoosiers’ three touchdowns were scored by running back Roman Hemby.
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MORE: Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dante Moore Reveals What Went Wrong In Loss To Indiana
MORE: Biggest Winners, Losers From Oregon’s Loss Against Indiana
Oregon had a lot of doubters preseason due to it being a much younger team than last season. Time and time again, however, the Ducks’ true freshman have answered the call.
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Even in the defeat, a pair of true freshmen starred – one on defense and one on offense. Running back Jordon Davison led the team in carries (eight) and rushing yards (59).
Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) warms up before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
It may have been the freshman’s first game without a touchdown this season, but he was the lifeline of Oregon’s run game in a game where the running back room struggled.
“We felt like he had a hot hand at one point the game,” Lanning said. “Was running really well. Was falling forward for yards. A good job of doing positive yards. We have success with some of our duo plays, things like that, that he runs really well.”
Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. (4) intercepts a pass intended for Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. (7) during the third quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
On the other side, cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. recorded his first career pick six.
“That’s one of the harder routes to defend in man to man is a crossing route from the opposite side. He did a great job breaking on the ball,” Lanning said. “We had good pressure up front. Great job finishing the end zone and turn that into a touchdown for us.”
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Finney tied the game with his pick-six six but the Ducks weren’t able to score again in the fourth quarter to pull ahead.
Oregon offensive linemen Iapani Laloulu, left, and Emmanuel Pregnon line up as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Oregon did an impressive job of minimizing mistakes in its first five games, including a zero-penalty showing against Northwestern in week 3.
The Ducks entered the week tied for the second-fewest penalties in the nation with 18. Against Indiana, the Ducks conceded seven penalties for a loss of 64 yards. Two of the flags were against Oregon’s offensive line.
Oregon’s Iapani Laloulu, center, leads the team onto the field before the game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Entering the week, the Ducks were also tied for the fewest sacks allowed in both the Big Ten and the nation. The Hoosiers set the tone for the game by sacking quarterback Dante Moore on the first snap.
“They had a good rush all day where our protection wasn’t clean,” Lanning said. “We can get better in that area.”
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Oregon went on to concede six sacks in the game for a loss of 35 yards. As long as the Ducks can get back to protecting their quarterback and playing clean like they did in the first five games of the season, they’ll be a difficult offense to stop.
Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning instructs his team from the sideline against the Indiana Hoosiers during the third quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Lanning and his leaders made one thing clear after the game: the Ducks aren’t going to let one loss define them.
“Got a chip on our shoulder,” linebacker Bryce Boettcher said. “We can use it as fuel or be down on ourselves. So, we’ll go to the doctor tomorrow, learn from it, and then back to work.”
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.
