The No. 6 Oregon defense struggled to contain Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen in the first half of the Ducks’ 2026 season opener on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

That changed in the second half, however, when No. 2 Oregon’s (1-0) defense finally corralled the Broncos (0-1signal-caller to hold on for a 34-27 win.

“We did a much better job of caging the quarterback in the second half,” Oregon coach  Dan Lanning said after the Week 1 victory. “I thought we rushed with power, but also some awareness there in the second half. And I thought coach (Chris) Hampton did a good job with that one of some pressures too to give those guys some opportunities.”

Hampton’s Pressure Packages Paid Off

Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton’s halftime adjustments paid dividends in the second half against Boise State.

“Yeah, I thought one, we in the first half we didn’t do as good a job really handling their quarterback on movement. You know, he scrambled in the tacklebox to gain some yards. I’m guessing he was close to one of their leading rushers at least in the first half”

The Broncos built a 17-14 halftime lead thanks in large part to Madsen’s mobility, which allowed him to grind out 20 crucial rushing yards on six carries to tie Boise State running back Dylan Riley for the team lead.

Hampton’s unit responded, sacking Madsen three times for 15 yards among defensive tackle Bear Alexander and edge rushers Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei.

Tuioti was arguably the most disruptive force along Oregon’s defensive front, registering four quarterback hurries and a pair of tackles for loss.

But it was Uiagalelei’s sack of Madsen that provided the biggest spark on defense, thwarting a Broncos’ fourth quarter drive immediately after wide receiver Dakorien Moore found the end zone on a 62-yard pass from quarterback Dante Moore to give the Ducks a lead that they’d eventually hold onto.

Oregon shut down Madsen on the ground in the second half with the fifth-year senior rushing once for -15 yards to bring his net total to just five yards. Riley led the Boise State backfield with 50 yards, followed by running back Sire Gaines at 39 to bring the team total to 93 rushing yards.

The Rise of Dylan Williams

One of the biggest positives on defense was the play of linebacker Dylan Williams. The junior entered the season with just eight games under his belt and a total of seven tackles (1.5 of them for a loss) and .5 sacks.

Saturday against Boise State he made the most of increased playing time, pressuring Madsen into two two tackles and .5 tackles for loss.

“I’m proud of Dylan’s growth, man,” Lanning said of Williams. “He’s a guy that stuck through it, right? He’s had limited opportunities up until this year, but I’m anticipating Dylan having a big year for us and growing from the moments that he had today.”

The moment came as little surprise for Lanning.

“He’s certainly earned it in fall camp,” Lanning continued on Williams. “He’s working extremely hard, put himself in position. He’s made a lot of plays in fall camp, and there’s certainly moments today as you’re watching as a coach like us continue to figure out how to get that guy on the field and utilize his skill set.”

Williams and the Ducks defensive front gets its opportunity to develop further in Week 2 when No. 2 Oregon travels to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State (0-1).

The Cowboys are coming off a 24-10 opening-weekend loss to Tulsa in a game where they rushed 37 times for 127 yards on the ground, led by sophomore running back Caleb Hawkins’ 79-yard performance.

Oklahoma State starting left tackle Jacob Sexton was carted off the field with an apparent leg injury during that game where he was then placed in an aircast.

Kickoff is at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.