Oregon rallies from slow start, thwarts Boise State’s upset bid in season opener
No. 2-ranked Oregon narrowly avoided a season-opening upset, needing a late touchdown to see off unranked Boise State 34-27 in their 2026 college football opener. Despite being heavy favourites, the Ducks trailed or were tied for much of the game before wide receiver Dakorien Moore's 62-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Dante Moore put them ahead for good, preserving their status as a national title contender and extending their remarkable home form against non-conference sides.
The game was tied at 27-27 in the fourth quarter after Boise State, now competing in the rebuilt Pac-12 having moved from the Mountain West, repeatedly matched Oregon's scoring through quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns. The win stretched Oregon's home winning streak against non-conference opponents to 39 games, the longest active run in the country. Oregon next travel to face Oklahoma State, while Boise State host Memphis in week two.
- Oregon beat Boise State 34-27 after nearly blowing their lead
- Dakorien Moore's 62-yard TD catch sealed the win late on
- Oregon extend home non-conference win streak to 39 games
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Oregon's college football season kicked off with the number two team in the country, the Ducks, hosting Boise State, an unranked side that has just moved into the newly expanded Pac-12 conference from its previous league, the Mountain West. Oregon went into the match as strong favourites, given their high ranking and reputation as genuine contenders for this season's national championship.
The game mattered because a loss to an unranked opponent would have badly damaged Oregon's title credentials so early in the season, while a win for Boise State would have been a major upset. Key figures included Oregon's quarterback Dante Moore and receiver Dakorien Moore on one side, and Boise State's quarterback Maddux Madsen on the other, with both offences trading scores for much of the contest.
The result also fed into a longer-running storyline: Oregon's home ground has been a fortress against teams from outside their own conference, a streak now stretching back 39 games without defeat, the longest such run in college football.
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