The No. 2 Oregon Ducks opened up their highly anticipated 2026 season with a nail-biter against Boise State at Autzen Stadium. The Broncos found early success in their rushing game, leaving the Ducks with little response for the ground game combination of running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gains. For the Ducks, who are moving on to their second game of the season on the road against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, Sep. 12, what are three takeaways from this narrow victory that can be used for future contests?Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) warms up before a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect1. Protecting Against The RunThat's the biggest improvement takeaway needed for Oregon. With Boise State boasting veteran leadership in a solidified offensive line along with backs that are either used to the Ducks' defense (Gaines) or have talent to continue penetrating the defense (Riley), the Broncos punched in 18 first downs (same as Oregon), but more pertinent, punched in 2-3 fourth down attempts, in which Oregon got none of their three opportunities. For the Ducks, bolstered with a veteran defensive line, how can chemistry come together to win that battle in the trenches, in which Boise State got a fraction of the yards per play and were still able to make those runs count.2. Jeremiah McClellan Rising Up To Potentially WR No. 1One of the shining spots for the Ducks during this game was the connection between Dante Moore and wide receiever Jeremiah McClellan. McClellan hauled in a team-high 150 yards off 6 carries with one touchdown, and often felt like a drive-saver in the first through third quarters.Could McClellan become the leader of thos stacked depth receiver room, or does senior Evan Stewart need more time to adjust to in-game play?3. Penalties, Penalties, PenaltiesFor the first game of the year, Duck fans can hope that the 10 penalties for 90 lost yards equates to a lesson learned for Oregon. Seven of those penalties arose from the defense, with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against safety Peyton Woodyard and defensive lineman Bear Alexander. Four defensive penalties cost the Ducks 15 yards a piece, compared to all three offensive penalties totaling to 15 yards lost. Can the Ducks clean things up on the defense, and find chemistry in a veteran-laiden room?Check below for a play-by-play rundown of the game. The latest plays lie at the top.DUCKS WIN 34-26FOURTH QUARTERQ4 00:00 - Oregon runs out the clock on the final play of the game. Q4 00:05 - TIMEOUT Oregon before the Ducks' fourth down with two yards to go.Q4 01:37 - TIMEOUT Boise State after Oregon's first play.Q4 01:41 - TURNOVER ON DOWNS after Oregon defensive back Na'eem Offord forces the incompletion. Ducks take over on the 31-yard line.Q4 01:47 - After an incomplete pass, Broncos call TIMEOUT before fourth down and 10.Q4 01:51 - Third down and 10 yards to go for the Boise State offense.Q4 02:00 - TWO MINUTE TIMEOUT. Boise State completes an 18-yard pass for a first down before the timeout. Ball is on the 31-yard line.Q4 02:24 - Oregon punts, and Boise State starts its drive with the ball on the 13-yard line.Q4 02:32 - Moore is sacked by Boise State, and the Broncos call their first timeout of the half to stop the clock before fourth down and 15.Q4 03:36 - Oregon center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu commits a snap infraction before a key third down. Receiver Dakorien Moore is also in the injury tent.Q4 05:41 - Boise State punts to Oregon. Evan Stewart muffs the punt but recovers the live ball. Ducks retain possession.Q4 06:47 - Matayo Uiagalelei sacks Madsen for a loss of 8 yards and a third down.OREGON 34 - BOISE STATE 27Q4 07:51 OREGON SCORES - Dante Moore sends a 62 yard pass to Dakorien Moore who delivers the ball signed & sealed to the endzone, giving a prompt answer to the Broncos. Kick is good. 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:52. Dakorien was only at 26 yards the entire game prior to this pass.OREGON 27 - BOISE STATE 27Q4 08:45 BOISE STATE SCORES - Canaan Moore kicks a 36-yard field goal for the Broncos to tie it up. This scoring drive went 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:04.Q4 09:18 - Boise State is going deep into Duck territory, but needs a third down conversion on the UO18. With an overthrow from Madsen, the Broncos his fourth down 4-yards to go.Q4 12:10 - Full media timeout for an injured player Sire Gaines. He's picked up a lot of the run game for the Broncos. Gaines is in the injury tent.Q4 13:51 - Aaron Flowers called for a pass interference, giving the Broncos a first down at the 47 yard line.OREGON 27 - BOISE STATE 24Q4 14:49 OREGON SCORES - Gage Hurych kicks a 44-yard field goal to put the Ducks above the Broncos. Oregon clocks in 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:31 on that drive.Q4 14:53 - Jeremiah McClellan is called for an incomplete pass in the endzone. Ducks will attempt a field goal.Q4 - Boise State players are dancing to "Shout" as Oregon players converge on the sidelines.Boise State with a cheeky strategy: enjoying the Ducks’ tradition of “Shout”Oregon & Boise State are tied at 24 entering the 4th quarter.@OregonDucks_SI pic.twitter.com/HKWsnI3xns— Ally Osborne (@allysosborne) September 5, 2026THIRD QUARTER: OREGON 24 - BOISE STATE 24Q3 00:31 - Jeremiah McClellan picks up a first down and more with a 51-yard catch off Moore, advancing to BSU24.OREGON 24 - BOISE STATE 24Q3 01:20 BOISE STATE SCORES - Matt Wagner hauls in a 7-yard touchdown from Madsen to punch in the Boise State touchdown. Kick is good. Scoring drive is 8 plays for 75 yards, over 4:16.Q3 03:02 - Na'eem Offord picks off the Broncos, but is called for a pass interference, giving the Broncos a first down and 15 yards.OREGON 24 - BOISE STATE 17Q3 06:00 OREGON SCORES - Jeremiah McClellan gets a reception to the one yard line. The crowd at Autzen boos as McClellan reached for the touchdown. The play is under further review. After review, the call is reversed to an 8-yard touchdown. Kick is good. The drive for the Ducks clocked in 6 plays for 87 yards. Q3 06:41 - Evan Stewart gets a first and goal (and almost breaks away) with a 17 yard catch and advancement to the 8 yard line.Q3 07:40 - Jamari Johnson picks up the 22-yard passing first down with a one yard run to the BSU27.Q3 08:41 - Jordon Davison breaks away for a 40-yard rush to the BSU47. First down.Q3 08:56 - An incomplete from Madsen forces the Broncos to punt. Evan Stewart in the back to receive. Fair catch on the UO13.Q3 - It appears that Boise State is sticking to what works: their run game. With mixed runs from Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, the Broncos are marching up the field.Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; The Duck celebrates during the first half after a touchown by Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectOREGON 17 - BOISE STATE 17Q3 11:30 OREGON SCORES - Oregon ties it up with a 26-yard field goal from Gage Hurych. The drive lasted 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:53.Q3 12:23 - Boise State seemingly picks off Oregon in the endzone, but a pass interference call gives Oregon the first down to continue the drive.Q3 13:03 - Evan Stewart picks up a 39 yard deep pass from Moore to get the Ducks a 1st down on the BSU 26 yard line.HALFTIMESECOND QUARTER: OREGON 14 - BOISE STATE 17OREGON 14 - BOISE STATE 17Q2 00:19 OREGON SCORES - Jamari Johnson punches in a 27 yard touchdown off a pass from Dante Moore. The extra kick is good. Oregon's offensive momentum needed that extra boost into halftime.Q2 00:32 - Oregon calls their first 30-second timeout of the half. The Ducks are second down and one yard to go on the BSU35 yard line.Q2 01:02 - After an incomplete from Madsen to Riley, the Broncos punt to the Ducks with 01:02 on the clock.Q2 01:30 - Boise State calls a 30-second timeout. Their second timeout of the half.Q2 01:36 - Jeremiah McClellan gets a false start penalty for a third down on their own 45 yard line.OREGON 7 - BOISE STATE 17Q2 02:49 BOISE STATE SCORES - The Broncos kick a 29-yard field goal. The scoring drive marks 9 plays for 42 yards, lasting around 4:42.Q2 05:04 - Unsportsmanlike conduct called on Bear Alexander. First down Boise State. Boise State has 2 penalties for a loss of 10 yards. Ducks have 3 penalties for 25 yards.Q2 05:16 - Boise State 30-second time out.Q2 05:48 - Madsen gets the QB keeper first down to keep the Broncos' drive alive. Ball on Oregon's 42-yard line.Q2 05:59 - Oregon is called for offsides and defensive contact for a five yard penalty and a re-do of fourth down.Q2 05:59 - Peyton Woodyard gets an essential pass break-up to force a fourth down.Q2 06:25 - Riley is taken down once more for a third down call.Q2 07:22 - Broncos' Dylan Riley carries for Boise State but is taken down on the Boise 46-yard line for a 1-yard loss and a second down by Teitum Tuioti.Q2 07:30 - A Dierre Hill Jr. rushing attempt isn't enough to get the 1-yard and the Broncos are taking over on the Ducks' 47-yard line. This is the second time this game the Ducks haven't been able to convert a fourth down with short yardage.Q2 07:37 - Another overthrown pass from Dante Moore to bring up the fourth down for the Ducks. It's fourth down with one yard to go and the Ducks are going for it.Q2 09:24 - Dante Moore has a pass that's far overthrown to target Dakorien Moore. Bringing up the second down on a Ducks' drive that needs momentum.OREGON 7 - BOISE STATE 14Q2 10:14 BOISE STATE SCORES - Sire Gaines catches a 38-yard touchdown pass from Madsen for a Boise State touchdown. The kick attempt is good. Fun fact: Gaines' first start for the Broncos came in 2024 against the Ducks in their 37-34 win, the first win the Ducks have in the series history against Boise State.Q2 10:24 - The Broncos muff a 37-yard punt and seemingly recover that punt on the Ducks' 38-yard line. Call is confirmed. First down Boise State.Q2 11:13 - An incomplete from Madsen puts the Broncos in fourth down, with a kick return to the Ducks.OREGON 7 - BOISE STATE 7Q2 11:17 OREGON SCORES - Jordon Davison, known for being the short-yardage back, gets the one-yard touchdown for Oregon. The 8 play, 50-yard drive took just under 4 minutes for the Ducks. Score is tied. A timeout is called on the field.Q2 11:49 - Jeremiah McClellan once again gets a dart from Moore for a 9-yard first down to the BSU 9-yard line.Oregon receiver Jeremiah McClellan was not messing around in Ducks warm ups 💥📣#goducks https://t.co/LuYtx2sffk pic.twitter.com/IHkaLScGLx— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) September 5, 2026Q2 13:45 - Dante Moore finds Jeremiah McClellan for a first down on the BSU26 yard line.FIRST QUARTER: OREGON 0 - BOISE STATE 7Q1 0:38 - Oregon outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti sacks Madsen to force fourth down on the last play of the first quarter.Q1 2:15 - Moore’s pass to Evan Stewart falls incomplete. Fourth down forces Oregon to punt.Q1 4:10 - Moore finds Oregon receiver Jeremiah McClellan for a 50 yard pickup down the sideline.Q1 - During Boise State's second drive of the game, Maddux Madsenis sacked for a loss of 2 yards at the ORE49 by Bear Alexander.Q1 - Oregon turns over on downs during the drive after.OREGON 0 - BOISE STATE 7Q1 11:09 - TOUCHDOWN BOISE STATE. Madsen finds Boise State receiver Cam Bates wide open in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown, capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive from the Broncos offense. Boise State leads 7-0.COIN TOSS: Oregon wins the coin toss and differs to Boise StatePREGAME- Oregon plays a tribute to late country music icon Dolly Parton and her 1970's song "Eugene Oregon" with a video tribute and butterfly logo in green and yellow.The Oregon Ducks with a very classy tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton, highlighting the 1970’s song she wrote about her time in Eugene, Oregon 🤍🦋@OregonDucks_SI #oregonducks #dollyparton pic.twitter.com/5GC3dOX4io— Ally Osborne (@allysosborne) September 5, 2026- The Oregon Duck's entrance appears to be a "Flat Stanley" reference, with the Ducks rushing into the tunnel after his blanket uncovered the true mascot. Appears to be a reference to 2025's "head-losing" first game entrance.Flat Stanley, The Oregon Duck 🦆https://t.co/LuYtx2sffk pic.twitter.com/O0yBpHiApQ— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) September 5, 2026- Freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott not spotted with pregame workout receiver corps.- Iverson Hooks, senior UAB wide reciever transfer, is in street clothes during pregame warmups. Hooks is not working out with the receiver corps.OREGON TEAM CAPTAINSWEATHER CONCERNSAccording to Bronco Nation News writer B.J. Rains, the charter for the Boise State team had to fly to Portland, Oregon to land after rains in Eugene, Oregon prevented a safe arrival at the Eugene Airport. Busses were sent to Portland International Airport to take the Broncos to Eugene, with an estimated time of arrival for the team projected to be Friday night at 9p.m. PT.AccuWeather reports that precipitation in Eugene the day of the game is at 55 percent. The forecast calls for a 71 degree high and 50 degree low with, "Intervals of clouds and sunshine with a thundershower."Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) warms up before a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectUNIFORMSThe Oregon Ducks will wear a combination of the "Generation O" "Mighty Oregon" and "Gang Green" uniforms for a classic green, yellow, and white look to match the "stripe-out" game theme and as an ode to the programs' right past.DEPTH CHARTS One of the storylines coming out during game week between the Broncos and the Ducks is the lack of releasing a depth chart. The Broncos originally promised a two-deep chart for their trip to Autzen Stadium. Upon finding out the Ducks would not be releasing their own depth chart, the Broncos reportedly changed their plans and opted to also not release their own charts.Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMATCH-UP HISTORYThe Boise State Broncos hold the upper-hand in the match-up history between these two former and current Pac-12 Conference teams, with a 3-1 record. Oregon clinched the first ever victory in the series with a narrow 37-34 win in Autzen Stadium as the second game of the 2024 season.Prior to the Ducks' single win in their saga with the Broncos, they took losses in Las Vegas, Nevada (2017), Boise, Idaho (2009), and first at home (2008).Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow