QUACKING THE CODE: OREGON TAKES DOWN PENN STATE ON THE ROAD IN DOUBLE OT

Matti Tenney - October 1, 2025 

In a rematch of the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game, Oregon walked into one of the most hostile environments in college football and showed that last season wasn’t a fluke in a statement win. That statement? The Ducks are legit. In front of more than 111,000 fans dressed in white, the No. 6 Ducks stunned No. 3 Penn State 30–24 in double overtime, a victory sealed on a dramatic interception that capped a night of momentum swings, clutch plays, and the kind of tension that defines championship contenders. 

The game was propped as one of the premier matchups of the early season, and it lived up to the hype. Oregon’s defense set the tone early, forcing punts and limiting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar to checkdowns through much of the first half.

Penn State’s defense showed up too, as the Nittany Lions were able to keep Heisman-hopeful quarterback Dante Moore out of the endzone. The two teams traded field goals, Atticus Sappington drilled a 42-yarder for Oregon, and Ryan Barker answered with a 49-yard boot for Penn State. This left the game tied 3–3 at halftime. 

Coming out of the break, Oregon looked poised to take control. Running back Noah Whittington appeared to fumble near the goal line, but a controversial replay review overturned the call and gave the Ducks new life. On the very next play, Dante Moore fired an 8-yard strike to Dierre Hill, Jr. to put Oregon up 10–3. The Ducks extended their advantage early in the fourth quarter when Jordon Davison bullied his way into the end zone on 4th and 1 from eight yards out, giving Oregon what looked like a commanding 17–3 lead. 

But Beaver Stadium is never short on drama. Penn State, desperate to keep its Big Ten championship and playoff hopes intact, found life late in the fourth. Allar connected with Devonte Ross on a deep 35-yard pass to flip the field, then hit him again for a 7-yard touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining. The Nittany Lions had clawed all the way back to tie it 17–17 and send the game into overtime, depending on the sea of white pom-poms to help them throw the Ducks off their game. 

In the first overtime, Penn State struck first. Running back Kaytron Allen muscled his way in from four yards out to give the Nittany Lions their first lead since the second quarter. But Oregon didn’t flinch. Moore, calm under pressure (around 120 decibels from the crowd), found Jamari Johnson on a 2-yard play-action shovel pass to tie it at 24 apiece.

That set up the decisive second overtime. Oregon opened with Moore once again delivering in the clutch, this time escaping a collapsing pocket and lofting a 25-yard touchdown to Gary Bryant Jr. to reclaim the lead. With the score at 30–24, the Ducks’ defense had the opportunity to finish the job. They didn’t just finish, they slammed the door. On Penn State’s very first play of the second overtime, Allar dropped back to pass, threw towards the sideline and first down marker, only to have Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman jump the route and take the Ducks to 5-0. The Ducks’ sideline poured onto the field, their upset secured in front of a stunned white-out crowd. After the game Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning said “That crowd didn’t make a single play… Our players made plays today.” 

For Oregon, the win was as much about composure as it was about talent. The Ducks outgained Penn State 424–276, including 176 yards on the ground, but the game still hinged on late execution. Moore, in just his first season as the full-time starter, finished 29 for 39 passing for 248 yards and three touchdowns, adding 35 rushing yards to keep drives alive. His accuracy and poise against one of the nation’s top defenses may have been the biggest storyline of the night. 

On defense, Eugene native and Houston Astros draft pick Bryce Boettcher led the Ducks with 12 tackles, while Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei each recorded sacks to keep pressure on Allar throughout. And of course, Thieneman’s game-ending interception will live on highlight reels alongside Kenny Wheaton’s “The Pick” and any time De’Anthony Thomas touched the ball. 

Penn State, meanwhile, will look back on missed opportunities. Their offense sputtered for much of the first half, finishing just 4 for 14 on third down and converting only once in the red zone before overtime. Allar completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns, both to Ross, but his late interception defined the night. Kaytron Allen led the rushing attack with 61 yards and the overtime score, yet the Lions could never establish rhythm against Oregon’s aggressive front. 

The victory pushes Oregon to 5–0 overall and 2–0 in Big Ten play, giving the Ducks a marquee road win that will resonate in the College Football Playoff race. For Penn State, now 4–1, the loss is a gut punch that could complicate their path to the postseason, though with a long conference slate ahead, redemption remains possible. 

Beyond the numbers, though, this was about Oregon proving it belongs among the sport’s elite in its second season as a Big Ten member. Since joining the conference, Oregon has remained unbeaten in the regular season, losing only in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State in last year’s playoffs. Winning a double-overtime thriller in front of a record-setting crowd on the road doesn’t just add a notch in the win column, it sends a message. A message that rings from Seattle to New Brunswick: the Ducks are here to win. They didn’t just survive the white-out, they silenced it.

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