Throughout the 2025 season, Nittany Sports Now will give you a profile of each opponent.
Opponent: Oregon Ducks (4-0)
History: Penn State leads the all-time series 3-2, with Oregon defeating Penn State in the 2024 Big Ten Championship
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Dan Lanning (fourth season with a 39-6 record)
Home Field: Autzen Stadium (capacity 60,000)
The home of the famed “Autzen Zoo.” It is considered by many one of the toughest venues to play in the nation due to having sound reverberate within the valley that it sits in. Lloyd Carr, Lee Corso, and Keith Jackson all have said that it is the loudest stadium they have ever been in.
Autzen played host for the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game in 2011 before it was moved to a neutral site and was a frequent host of the Grateful Dead.
Notable Football Alumni and Moments:
Oregon is considered a new blood because of the success it has enjoyed in the last 30 years.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota is the school’s lone Heisman Trophy winner, capturing the award in 2014 guiding the Ducks to the first ever College Football Playoff national championship game against Ohio State.
The school has sent several quarterbacks to the NFL, notably Pro Football Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin and Dan Fouts. Throughout the years, Oregon has exported quarterbacks such as Mariota, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Chris Miller, and Joey Harrington.
The turning moment for the program came in 1994 against their most hated rival Washington when Kenny Wheaton intercepted a Brock Huard and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. It helped propel the Ducks to their first conference championship since 1957 led by head coach Len Casanova.
The coach that binds the Oregon and Penn State programs is Hugo Bezdek who helped guide each program to their first bowl games. Bezdek guided both programs to the Rose Bowl in 1916 (Oregon), and 1922 (Penn State) respectively.
Key Current Players:
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Dante Moore (Quarterback)
Moore is a former five-star quarterback from Detroit, Michigan who has had a little bumpy start to his collegiate career. Originally committed to UCLA, Moore saw action early in his career but hit the proverbial freshman wall. Following head coach Chip Kelly’s departure, Moore transferred to Oregon and sat behind Dillon Gabriel. So far in 2025, Moore has completed 74.7% of his passes with 11 passing touchdowns to one interception.
Dakorien Moore (Wide Receiver)
After an electric spring game, Moore’s trajectory has only gone for the true freshman to become the second UO freshman to start a season opener, joining Josh Delgado (2019). Overall, Moore and cornerback Brandon Finney became the seventh and eighth true freshmen to start for UO in the season opener in program history. The five-star wide receiver from Duncanville, Texas has demonstrated elite speed and separation that has contributed to his 17.2 yards per reception.
Matayo Uiagalelei (Linebacker)
Uiagallelei led all Big Ten defenders in the 2024 regular season in sacks with 10.5. The 6’5” defender possesses strength and has an elite approach to momentum when crashing the offensive line on a pass rush. The minus on Uiagalelei is he does not bend well and is considered stiff, the opposite of his counterpart Dani Dennis-Sutton.
They Said It.
“It’ll play a couple times. We’ll do everything we can to be prepared for that environment for sure. I don’t love that song.”
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning on preparing for ‘Mo Bamba.’
