No. 6 Oregon will host USC in Autzen Stadium for the first time since 2015 on Saturday night, as the Ducks look to keep their Pac-12 Championship Game and College Football Playoff hopes alive.

UO is currently the highest-ranked one-loss team in the CFP rankings, and the Ducks will put an 8-1 overall record on the line against one of the nation's top offenses and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams. Oregon has not faced USC since a 31-24 win in the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game in Los Angeles, and the last time USC visited Eugene was a 48-28 UO victory on Nov. 21, 2015.

Brothers Lead Ducks Past Cal
Bo Nix matched his career-high with six total touchdowns and Tez Johnson, his adopted younger brother, erupted for 255 all-purpose yards to lead the Ducks to a dominant 63-19 win over California last week in Eugene. Nix completed 29-of-38 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns while also running for two scores, his second six-TD performance in as many games against Cal in his career. Johnson set career-highs with 12 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and also added a career-high 75 yards on punt returns in his most dynamic performance as a Duck. Casey Rogers forced a fumble on a sack and provided the pressure on another turnover for the defense, which held its opponent to no more than one offensive touchdown for the sixth time this season.

Let's Talk About Bo
Bo Nix has played his way firmly into the Heisman Trophy conversation while leading the Ducks to an 8-1 record. The most experienced quarterback in NCAA history with 56 career starts, Nix leads the nation with a historic 78.1 completion percentage while ranking fourth in passer rating (180.14), fourth in passing touchdowns (25) and seventh in passing yards per game (302.6). The fifth-year senior has also rushed for five scores to rank third nationally with 30 total touchdowns, and he is seventh among all FBS players with 8.40 total yards per play. Nix is the only FBS quarterback with at least 25 passing touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions, and he is the first FBS quarterback since at least 2000 to complete at least 78.0 percent of his passes through a team's first nine games with at least 300 pass attempts.

Last Time Vs. USC
Oregon has not faced USC since the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game, a 31-24 victory in Los Angeles to secure the program's second straight conference title and fourth since 2011. Multiple current Oregon defenders made an impact in the victory, headlined by Jamal Hill with a pair of interceptions and five tackles. Brandon Dorlus had three tackles and a sack, Mase Funa made six tackles, and Keyon Ware-Hudson finished with four.

A Win Would...
» Be the Ducks' seventh straight at home and 30th in their last 31 games at Autzen Stadium.
» Improve UO to 6-0 at home for the first time since 2021.
» Be Oregon's third straight against USC, fifth in the last six meetings and eighth in the last 11.

Balanced Dominance
The Ducks have proven to be one of the most balanced and efficient teams in the nation. Oregon leads the country in scoring offense (47.4 PPG) and ranks 11th in scoring defense (16.0 PPG), and is one of just three teams (Georgia, SMU) in the top 20 for both total offense (2nd, 538.7 YPG) and total defense (18th, 301.7 YPG). The Ducks are one of four teams in the top 15 for both rushing offense (11th, 208.11 YPG) and rushing defense (13th, 97.11 YPG), and one of just two (SMU) in the top 15 for both sacks allowed (2nd, 4) and sacks (T-15th, 28). Oregon owns an overall grade of 93.9 from Pro Football Focus, best in the Pac-12 and No. 5 in the nation.

All About The Ball
Oregon has committed just four turnovers so far this season, tied with Penn State for the fewest in the nation. The Ducks made it until Week 9 before losing a fumble, and until Week 10 before committing multiple turnovers in a game. UO is the only team in the nation with two-or-fewer fumbles lost and two-or-fewer interceptions thrown. Oregon's defense has come away with 12 takeaways, headlined by four in its Week 2 win at Texas Tech and three last week vs. California. The Ducks' plus-8 turnover margin is tied for No. 10 in the country, as is its 0.89 turnover margin per game, and they have won the turnover battle in six of nine contests. An emphasis on the ball has been a trend under head coach Dan Lanning, after Oregon ranked 15th nationally with a plus-9 turnover margin in his first season in 2022. In 22 games under Lanning (18-4), UO has committed just 16 total turnovers with 32 takeaways (+16) and has lost just five fumbles.

Ducks Open CFP Rankings At No. 6
Oregon was the nation's highest-ranked one-loss team in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2023 revealed last week, coming in at No. 6. The Ducks were one of six Pac-12 teams in the initial top 25, along with No. 5 Washington, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 18 Utah, No. 19 UCLA and No. 20 USC. UO earned its 35th all-time CFP top-25 ranking, and 20th top-10 ranking. The Ducks will learn their updated ranking ahead of Saturday's showdown with USC on Tuesday night.