Husky Stadium has not sounded like this all season. With the 118th chapter of the Washington–Oregon rivalry set to unfold, a deafening crowd packed the building -- one that has witnessed more than a century of iconic moments between the two programs.
Despite Washington’s historical edge in the series (63-49-5), the external expectations were lopsided: every analyst on ESPN College GameDay and the CBS Sports pregame desk picked No. 6 Oregon to roll into Seattle and leave with a win.
The Huskies’ start did little to shift that narrative. Their opening drive stalled quickly after an 8-yard sack of Demond Williams Jr. forced a three-and-out, and while Washington’s defense held early -- stuffing the Ducks’ first two runs and forcing a 3rd-and-7 -- Oregon made the first explosive play of the day. Dante Moore dropped a perfectly placed 35-yard pass into Washington territory, setting up what ultimately turned into a field goal and a 3–0 Ducks lead.
Oregon’s defensive front continued to control the opening quarter, immediately racking up its second sack of the game and pressuring Williams into another third-and-long. Another punt followed. But Washington’s defense kept the game within reach.
After another punt after the Huskies’ offense flashed briefly on a 22-yard burst from Adam Mohammed, true freshman defensive back Dylan Robinson delivered a huge play for the Huskies, knifing into the backfield for a sack to cause a second-consecutive Oregon three-and-out.
An Oregon unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing punt gifted Washington premium field position, and Mohammed again provided a spark with consecutive first-down runs. But the Huskies again came away empty when Williams forced a throw into double coverage and Jadon Canady intercepted it in the end zone.
Oregon capitalized. The Ducks marched deep into Washington territory, and after narrowly avoiding a disastrous 4th-and-1 loss via a timeout from Dan Lanning, they dialed up a speed option that sprung Noah Whittington for 17 yards inside the five. Two plays later, Moore punched in a one-yard score to push the lead to 10–0 -- despite both teams posting nearly identical yards per play at that point.
Washington wasted another strong field position opportunity on the following drive, undone again by misses from Williams, including an underthrow to Omari Evans on third down that was overturned to an incompletion after review. The Ducks answered with a methodical 12-play, 62-yard march that bled the clock, though Washington stiffened near the red zone to force a field goal. 13–0 Ducks.
With 3:18 remaining, the Huskies needed a spark, and they finally found one. A defensive pass interference helped jump-start the drive, and the Dawgs chipped away to move into a first-and-goal situation.
Oregon's defense stood tall to force a third-and-goal with 13 seconds left, but Williams delivered his best throw of the half, finding Denzel Boston for a touchdown, their first connection of the game, to cut the deficit to 13–7 heading into halftime.
Still, Williams has heavily struggled through the first 30 minutes of the game, missing several windows to take advantage of an otherwise stout Oregon defense. He has just 65 passing yards on 8-of-14 efficiency, including an interception. He also hasn't made his usual impact with his legs, only totaling five yards on four carries.
However, Mohammed has been a spark plug on the ground for Washington, averaging 10 yards-per-carry for 50 total rushing yards. He's been the bright spot for a Huskies' offense that is just 2-for-6 on third-down conversions with 134 total yards.
Meanwhile, Moore has been solid for the Ducks at quarterback. He is 10-for-16 for 111 passing yards, with several pinpoint passes to control the game. Washington is holding Oregon's run game in check though, as the Ducks' running backs have combined for just 60 yards on 16 carries.
Oregon will receive the second-half kickoff, holding a lead that has felt sturdy for most of the day, but still entirely within Washington’s reach as the rivalry’s latest chapter heads into its deciding stretch.