The No. 20 Oregon Ducks have had a very rocky start to the 2026 season after entering with such immense expectations and national championship aspirations.
And while all of that is still in front of them, their margin for error is extremely slim. On Saturday night, after coming off an 84-0 win over Portland State, they’ll face a legitimate test when they travel to Southern California for a showdown with the No. 12 USC Trojans.
Dan Lanning Announces Devastating Injury News
Ahead of Saturday night’s matchup, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning spoke to the media and announced some devastating injury news for the offense.
Third-year wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, who has stepped into a much larger role this year within the Ducks’ offense, has broken his foot, according to Lanning, and is now out indefinitely.
The injury happened during warmups before the Portland State game, and he ultimately didn’t play.
Oregon WR Jeremiah McClellan is out indefinitely with a broken foot, Dan Lanning announced tonight. The injury happened warming up for the Portland State game Friday.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 22, 2026
McClellan’s 2026 Season
While it’s only been three weeks and McClellan only played in the first two games, he had a massive Week 1 performance against the Boise State Broncos.
He hauled in six receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown against Boise State before adding 20 yards on one reception against Oklahoma State.
Nonetheless, Oregon has lost a weapon for quarterback Dante Moore, which now puts more of a burden on Evan Stewart and sophomore star Dakorien Moore.
Looking at Oregon vs. USC
USC enters this game undefeated, but the Trojans haven’t really been tested yet, while Oregon already suffered a loss to Oklahoma State.
If the Ducks lose this one, it’ll be their first Big Ten loss, but it would also raise questions about whether they can make up enough ground to remain in the College Football Playoff race, even if it is only four weeks into the season.
Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Announces Devastating Injury News Before USC Game