Copyright The Oregonian
EUGENE — Oregon’s first trip to Iowa as a member of the Big Ten is shaping up to be one of the biggest games at Kinnick Stadium in the last 15 years. The No. 9 Ducks will take on the No. 20 Hawkeyes on Saturday (12:30 p.m., CBS) in front of 69,250, which will be Iowa’s 27th straight sellout and its first featuring a top 10 visitor since 2022. Dan Lanning is expecting friends and family to make the trip from Richmond, Missouri to Iowa City for the first top 25 matchup at Kinnick Stadium since Oct. 9, 2021. However, they may be among the few in green at Kinnick Stadium, which has one of the narrowest sidelines in the country with fans within arm’s reach of players, pink visiting locker rooms and the Iowa Wave to neighboring UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, a tradition that began in 2017. “This environment, it’s a great one,” Lanning said. “They do it the right way; obviously with the children’s hospital, pink locker rooms. There’s a feel to this one and it means a lot to the people in Iowa. They turn out really well for this game, so I’m expecting a great crowd.” Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman played at Iowa while playing for Purdue in 2023. He said the closeness of the crowd to the field can be “a little annoying,” but enjoys the feeling of a whole stadium being against you as a visitor. “I like how close it is and how loud it can get, the atmosphere they create there,” Thieneman said. “I think it’s a really cool experience.” Latest Ducks news Oregon debuts lower in College Football Playoff rankings than AP, coaches polls Oregon RB Noah Whittington finds payoff after years of perseverance, pain and adversity Oregon women’s basketball opens season with victory There’s a lot at stake for both teams, which are both technically still alive in the Big Ten race and more importantly, contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Hawkeyes are 17-3 in November at Kinnick Stadium since 2015 and this will be the first ranked clash at Iowa in November since 2010, a 20-17 Ohio State win. The magnitude of the matchup is not lost on Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who called it a “special and rare” opportunity. “Any time you get a chance to go against a premier team, which these guys are, it’s a great measuring stick,” Ferentz said. “This is a great environment at Kinnick, anytime there’s a marquee matchup and we have had a few of them over the last couple of decades and it’s always special. “I know Oregon’s going to be ready and I know they’re good. I know our crowd’s going to be ready and the thing we have to focus on is making sure we’re ready to go because it’s going to take every bit of our best performance to have a chance to win this game.” No. 9 Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) vs No. 20 Iowa (6-2, 4-1)
