No. 2 Oregon holds off Boise State 34-27 on Dakorien Moore's 62-yard go-ahead touchdown

Oregon seizes the lead late on a 62-yard reception

No. 2 Oregon opened its 2026 season at Autzen Stadium by rallying past Boise State 34-27, pulling ahead for good when sophomore receiver Dakorien Moore turned a short pass into a 62-yard touchdown with 7:51 remaining. The Register-Guard reported that Moore caught the throw at the Broncos' 43, stopped at the 38 as two Boise State defenders ran past him out of bounds, and then ran untouched into the end zone to break a 27-27 tie. Oregon's defense then stopped Boise State on its final two drives to preserve the win.

Boise State forces a back-and-forth finish

The Register-Guard detailed a game that flipped repeatedly in the second half. Oregon trailed 17-7 late in the second quarter and 17-14 at halftime before outscoring the Broncos 20-10 after the break. Gage Hurych's 44-yard field goal put Oregon ahead 27-24 at the 14:49 mark of the fourth quarter, before Boise State's Canaan Moore answered with a 36-yard field goal to tie it at 27-27 with 8:45 to play. A 7-yard fourth-and-3 touchdown catch by Boise State tight end Matt Wagner had earlier tied the game at 24-24 with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

Moore, McClellan and Stewart carry Oregon's passing attack

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore completed 28 of 37 passes for a career-best 388 yards and three touchdowns, according to the Register-Guard. Jeremiah McClellan led the receivers with six catches for 150 yards and a touchdown, Evan Stewart added eight catches for 82 yards, and Dakorien Moore finished with six catches for 93 yards, including the decisive score. Tight end Jamari Johnson also caught a 27-yard touchdown as Oregon finished with nearly 500 yards of offense and averaged 7.9 yards per play.

Defensive stand preserves the win

The Register-Guard reported that Oregon's defense recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss while limiting Boise State to 274 total yards. Safety Koi Perich finished with a team-high 11 tackles. CBS Sports noted that the pass rush did not look exceptional until the fourth quarter, when Oregon pinned its ears back to close out the game on Boise State's final two drives.

Sloppy opener exposes lingering questions around the Ducks

Oregon entered the game as a 24.5-point favorite, but the finish was tighter than expected, according to CBS Sports. The Ducks went 4-for-12 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth down, and Jordon Davison's 40-yard rush masked an average of 3.3 yards on Oregon's other 24 carries. CBS Sports also pointed to offseason turnover, with new offensive and defensive coordinators and three new starters on the offensive line, including both tackles, as a factor in the uneven performance. Coach Dan Lanning now has a short week to address the issues before Oregon's next game.