Despite entering the matchup as 6.5-point favorites, Oregon’s trip to Kinnick Stadium came with an unexpected setback. The Ducks controlled much of the action from the opening kickoff, dictating tempo and holding Iowa’s offense in check on a rain-soaked afternoon. But amid their defensive dominance, LB Teitum Tuioti’s injury poses a challenge for Oregon’s defensive unit.

Zachary Neel reported, “Teitum Tuioti is now down. That would be a massive loss for this Oregon defense.” Early in the third quarter, Tuioti walked to the sideline after a tough series, raising a few concerns on the Oregon bench. Just one play later, the Ducks’ defense responded in a big way when freshman defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. delivered a huge hit on Iowa wideout Kaden Wetjen, forcing a fumble that Bear Alexander quickly recovered.

For a moment, it wasn’t clear whether Tuioti would return to the game. Before the turnover, Tuioti had been seen on the sideline with his helmet still on, clearly eager to get back in. The commentators even joked that in a game this close, it might take “a broken bone sticking out” to keep him from returning to the field. By the time he stepped off, Tuioti had already recorded four tackles, including two solo stops, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Oregon’s linebacker unit kept the energy high in his absence.

Team captain and Eugene native Bryce Boettcher, a walk-on who also plays baseball for the Ducks, had been one of the most reliable defenders on the field. He stood second on the team with seven tackles, including five solo, along with one sack and one tackle for loss. Junior linebacker Jerry Mixon led the group with 11 tackles, eight of them solo, and half a tackle for loss. With just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter, No. 9 Oregon got the ball back holding a 12-7 lead over No. 20 Iowa.

Quarterback Dante Moore led a composed drive that ended with a field goal, extending Oregon’s advantage to 15-7. Soon after, Tuioti was back on the field, ready to finish what he started. Recently, Lanning had also complimented Tuioti during a press briefing. “Teitum never gets enough credit, man.”Over the season, he has recorded 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a pass deflection, and two forced fumbles, per ESPN.

Coach continued. “He’s an unbelievable player, big-time guy for us on the edge, always does his job, you know, really takes the time and effort to know he’s in the right spot on film. But he’s one of those guys that we trust when he’s out there on the field for us.” The Iowa vs Oregon matchup was an adrenaline-charged thriller, with the Ducks changing the tide in the last three seconds.

Oregon’s three-second nail-biting win leaves Iowa stunned

Oregon’s first touchdown came during the second quarter, when Dierre Hill rushed for a 19-yard touchdown. In the next drive, Gronowski rushed for three yards, attempting to close the gap, 9-7. Another field goal (52 yards) by the Ducks widened the lead. At this point. Lanning’s roster was seemingly winning.

But Iowa’s offense was soon to pick up pace. The Hawkeyes scored a 58-yard field goal and another 3-yard rush TD by Gronowski on 4th & goal. It was a close matchup. With Gronowski’s 3-yard run into the endzone, the Hawkeyes’ faithful had nearly tasted victory. But Oregon hadn’t called it a day.

Over the next 10 plays for 54 yards, Dante Moore steered its offense to another field goal. With three seconds left on the clock, Atticus Sappington kicked a 39-yard field goal on 4th &4, leading the Ducks to their eighth win this season, 16-18.

Ahead of the matchup, Kirk Herbstreit had predicted the Hawkeyes to win 16-15, with a game-winning field goal. For a few moments, the 16-15 bit came true, but Lanning’s offense won’t taste the dust yet. And it was the Ducks whose game-winning field goal turned the tide.

Dan Lanning’s response post-game mirrored Eugene’s sentiments. “That looked like an old-school Big Ten game today, didn’t it?” he said to CBS’s reporter Jenny Dell….And I’ll tell you what. Our resilience, next guy up.”

It was the first time since 1989, the Ducks headed to Iowa. “The guys stepping up. Unbelievable team we just competed with. They had no quit, our team had no quit. It’s kind of like who had it last is going to have a chance. We had a chance tonight,” Lanning said.

Although the Ducks entered Kinnick Stadium with multiple impact players out of the game. Kenyon Sadiq, Dakorien Moore, and Alex Harkey were listed out of the game. Despite that, Moore’s offense put up an impressive game in a close, nail-biting contest.