EUGENE, Ore. — It may not be fall in Eugene, but fans piled into Autzen Stadium for the annual spring game to get their first glimpse at the highly anticipated 2026 Oregon Ducks football team. You could not have asked for a better day in the place that never rains, with clear skies and 60-degree weather; it was a perfect day for the Ducks to showcase their new squad.
Eugene welcomed familiar faces with Tez Johnson and Deommodore Lenoir representing the Fighting Ducks (White) and Penei Sewell and Kayvon Thibodeaux serving as the head coaches for the Combat Ducks (Black).
“You’re trying to paint a vision for what it’s going to be like when you come play at Oregon,” Head Coach Dan Lanning said of what it means for the program for people to see the NFL alumni come back and players from last year get drafted. “I think that paints a great picture, this is a great weekend for Oregon and Eugene to be on display.”
With the Ducks being split in half, all eyes looked toward the Combat Ducks squad, who had veteran quarterback Dante Moore leading the way for the offense. A season ago, Moore had 3,565 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, propelling him to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country in 2025. After deciding to forgo the NFL draft to stay in Eugene, many around the country expect him to be a Heisman front-runner this upcoming season.
To start the Combat Ducks' first drive, Moore came out firing, finding Dakorien Moore twice in a row for 25 yards, leading the charge down the field. Dakorien Moore is coming off one of the most impressive freshman seasons in the nation a season ago, and he is showing no signs of slowing down heading into his sophomore year campaign. Dante Moore closed off the opening drive for the Combat Squad, finding tight end Jemari Johnson for a 10-yard touchdown pass, putting the first points of the ball game.
”It’s built a lot more than it did last year,” wide receiver Dakorien Moore said on the development of the relationship with his quarterback. “Last year, he brought me in, making sure I was with the older guys, just seeing the potential in me, but this year he already knows what I can do.”
Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola started the second drive for the fighting Ducks squad, and on his third pass, responded quickly to Moore’s touchdown pass with one of his own, firing a strike to redshirt senior Evan Stewart for a 76-yard touchdown.
“I just saw a guy who enjoys playing football,” Lanning said of Raiola. “I saw him light up in his face…Overall, I was just excited to see Dylan play out there with some joy and some passion.”
After the first drive for the Combat Ducks, Dante Moore exited the game and was replaced by redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr., who immediately found Dakorien Moore for a 20-yard gain down the field, which placed the Combat Ducks in field goal range, where they took the lead 10-7.
After a shutout drive by the Combat Ducks’ defense, out came Dante Moore for the second time of the afternoon with less than two minutes left in the half, trying to put some points on the board. This is where the defense for the fighting Ducks came alive, sacking Moore twice in a row, putting a quick end to his second drive of the game. With 30 seconds left, Brock Thomas and the Fighting Ducks' offense came onto the field, and Thomas found Evan Stewart on back-to-back plays. Stewart is already looking like he is in mid-season form, racking in 100receiving yards before the end of the half. His catch put the Fighting Ducks into field position with just two seconds left in the half. They tied the game 10 -10.
“This has been Evan’s best spring since I’ve been here,” Lanning said of Stewart, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. “When you have someone that’s not there for a while, and you don’t get the opportunity to do it, you're really hungry when you come back. I’ve seen maturity from him, I’ve seen him really level up in execution.”
Coming out of the halftime break, Raiola and the Fighting Ducks came onto the field, and once again Raiola fired a long ball down the sideline, finding his receiver for a 30-yard gain and instantly flipping the field. Despite the long ball, the Fighting Ducks had to punt away to Thomas and the Combat Ducks.
To end the game, the Combat and Fighting Duck offenses struggled to get anything going, up until the fourth quarter when Thomas found Dakorien Moore for a 60-yard touchdown. It proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the Combat Ducks with a final score of 17-10.
“It felt amazing, just to be out there with the fans,” Moore said on what it means to play in the spring game in front of the crowd. “Last year it was kind of a little bit of jitters, first game in the stadium, but this year I was just trying to have fun.”
To finish the day, Dante Moore went 7-for-11 with 57 yards and one touchdown with a passer rating of 137.2, but the Nebraska transfer had the best day from any QB, going 7-of-13 with 146 yds and a touchdown with a passer rating of 173.6. Both quarterbacks utilized their star wide receivers, showing the Ducks' offense is something to watch out for in 2026.
“Starting with the entrance, we had the Harley on our side, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard something so loud,” Raiola said of his experience playing his first game as a Duck. “Everything that’s happened since last November to now, god could not have put me in a better place.”
The Ducks now head into summer ball and fall Camp, awaiting their first game and home opener against Boise State on September 5th.