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Oregon outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti did everything within his power to keep the Ducks’ fleeting College Football Playoff hopes alive on Saturday against Illinois.
Unfortunately for the senior, his career game went for naught as Oregon (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) fell 21-10 to the Fighting Illini (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) at Gies Memorial Stadium.
Tuioti established a career high for sacks to pace an Oregon defense that kept the Ducks in the game for as long as it could.
Tuioti’s performance wasn’t enough to prevent Oregon from dropping its first conference road game (10-1) since joining the Big Ten in 2024.
The senior set a new personal best with 2.5 sacks, surpassing the 2.0 sacks he recorded against Texas Tech in January’s Orange Bowl and last week against Nebraska, giving him a combined 4.5 sacks in the last two contests.
His eight tackles (four solo) tied him with linebacker Devon Jackson for the team lead. Tuioti also forced a fumble on the final play of the first quarter, the fourth of his career, to bail out Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, who had lost a fumble on the preceding play.
Yet the Ducks’ offense repeatedly failed to capitalize, despite outgaining Illinois 426-314 in total yards and benefiting from a defense that forced eight Illini punts.
Illinois used 21 unanswered points to beat Oregon, which ran up 21 first downs on 73 offensive plays. But a 4-for-15 performance on third down and three missed field goals from placekicker Gage Hurych (52, 53 and 47 yards) proved impossible to overcome.
Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes might be all but dashed, but Tuioti continues to make a strong case for national recognition this upcoming postseason.
Tuioti entered the 2026 campaign as a Walter Camp first-team preseason All-American, earning spots on the Lombardi Award and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year watch lists.
The 6-3, 263-pound senior was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2025 after racking up 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
He’s kept that momentum going with 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss through seven games, pushing his career sack total to 22.5, one behind defensive ends Matt LaBounty and Kenny Rowe for No. 7 on the Ducks’ all-time list.
His 2.5 tackles for loss against Illinois also bring his career total to 35.5, just half a tackle for loss shy of legendary Oregon defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Oregon struggled to produce points against Illinois, not yards.
Running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. were a focal point of the Ducks’ offense. Davison rushed for 92 yards, his most since gaining 102 yards against Wisconsin nearly a year to the day on Oct. 25, 2025.
He also scored Oregon’s lone touchdown on a two-yard run on the game’s opening drive.
Fellow running back Hill Jr. tallied 94 total yards (83 rushing yards, 11 receiving), for a Ducks team that has yet to have a 100-yard rushing performance this season.
Oregon returns home to Eugene next week to face a No. 24 Northwestern (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) team coming off a 42-14 win over Rutgers (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten).
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