QuickTake:

Everything you need to know as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings.

A players-only meeting after the second game of the season is not something that generally happens when things are going well.

Things aren’t for the Oregon Ducks.

But for a team whose coach spent this week harping on a lack of leadership following Oregon’s 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State, a behind-closed-doors session may be a step in the right direction.

“I feel like every team needs it just to communicate, debrief and talk about the thoughts everybody is having in their heads,” Ducks quarterback Dante Moore said. “There wasn’t much screaming going on. It was just trying to get on the same page with everybody. I feel like it was very important because we needed it. What we said in that meeting has helped carry over into this week, and we’ve been attacking it every day.”

Getting on the same page will be key for an Oregon team piling up penalties, missed assignments and mental errors.

But this is still the same Oregon team that was picked No. 2 in the preseason. There’s talent there. They’ve shown it before.

Now comes the execution, even if it’s against a Portland State team that lost 81-7 the last time it came to Autzen.

But these Ducks know firsthand that a prior year’s score is meaningless.

“I’m not going to get into details of what we talked about and when we met,” linebacker Devon Jackson said. “But we met and we talked about it, and we had those conversations, and things will definitely be different from here on out.”

Here’s what you need to know to get ready for the game.

How to watch or listen

When: 7:30 p.m. (Pacific time) Friday, Sept. 18
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
TV channel: Big Ten Network
Radio: KUJZ 95.3 in Eugene; 105.1 The Fan in Portland

Who’s playing?

Opponent: Portland State (0-3; 1-11 in 2025)

Depth charts/rosters: Oregon roster; Portland State roster.

Portland State player to watch: Quarterback Gabe Downing

This isn’t Bruce Barnum’s Portland State Vikings.

But so far in the Chris Fisk era, one could only tell by the lack of viral quotes and carnival-like antics, such as the time Barnum promised to pay the bar tab — and delivered — for fans at one PSU home game.

Fisk’s Vikings are 0-3. Granted, that’s a loaded 0-3, with losses to a pair of top-10 FCS teams in North Dakota and UC Davis, plus a trip to San Diego State of the Pac-12.

The Vikings haven’t seen much go well, especially with a defense allowing more than 43 points per game.

But PSU can throw the ball.

The Vikings are averaging 260.3 passing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the Big Sky, and Downing has started the past two games. The junior threw for a career-high 280 yards against San Diego State and followed that with 233 yards and three touchdowns against North Dakota. He has completed 59.3% of his passes for 513 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions this season.

That’s at least worth paying attention to after Oregon gave up 554 yards at Oklahoma State, including 317 through the air.

Oregon player to watch: Center Iapani Laloulu

Could this week’s player to watch be Dante Moore?

Definitely.

It could also be Oregon’s receivers or any of the defensive linemen who didn’t produce a sack last week.

And while you can’t point to Oregon center Iapani Laloulu as the source of the problems along the offensive line, he is the guy most responsible for helping solve them.

Because through two games, it hasn’t been up to Oregon’s standard.

Oregon rushed for just 90 yards against Oklahoma State, Dante Moore was sacked four times and the Ducks went 0-for-3 on fourth down. Through two games, Oregon is averaging only 104.5 rushing yards, which ranks 16th in the Big Ten.

And things are only going to get tougher with the season-ending injury to guard Trent Ferguson.

The Ducks are still young at tackle, and the true test really won’t come until next week at USC.

But Laloulu’s job is to make sure no one else on his line cares about that.

“Nobody likes losing,” Laloulu said. “I don’t like losing, but you know, I got to remain cool and calm because right now, currently, that is our resume. That is what we are right now, based off what we just played and how we showed up this past Saturday. But the good thing about it is that God gives us another day, another opportunity. We have the rest of the season to go, and that starts in practice.”

Reads to get ready for the game

In case you missed any of this week’s coverage:

Learn more about Portland State

Watch the Inside Look

Listen to the Traffic Report

Tyson Alger covered the Ducks for The Oregonian and The Athletic before branching out on his own to create and run The I-5 Corridor. He brings more than a decade of experience on the University of Oregon sports beat. He has covered everything from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy-winning season to the Ducks’ first year in the Big 10.