Oregon’s Shocking Upset at Penn State Reveals a New Rival No One Saw Coming

In the heart of State College, the atmosphere was electric, charged with anticipation and raw emotion, setting the stage for a college football duel that would be etched into memory. Amidst the thunderous roar of a massive crowd clad in white, one figure emerged, carrying the game’s destiny under his arm—Dillon Thieneman. With an interception that came out of nowhere, this junior safety didn’t just stop a play; he ignited a seismic shift, rallying the Oregon Ducks’ defense like a seasoned commander marshaling his troops toward victory—and toward the fiery Penn State student section. What followed wasn’t merely a celebration; it was a statement, a masterclass in grit, strategy, and sheer willpower that transformed a tense battle of attrition into a thrilling spectacle of resilience and audacity. This was a night where every calculated risk, every fourth-down gamble by Coach Dan Lanning, paid off in spectacular fashion, culminating in a win that shook Beaver Stadium to its core. For those who witnessed it, the tale of this double-overtime thriller is more than a game recap—it’s a vivid reminder of sports’ unpredictable magic and the heroes who rise when it matters most. LEARN MORE

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — Every group has a leader, a captain, someone driving the mass forward, a person paving the way ahead.

The football — the football, the one that ended it all — tucked underneath his left armpit, Dillon Thieneman filled that leader role Saturday night.

His game-ending interception just seconds old, Oregon’s junior safety led his fellow defenders the length of the football field here, from one end to the other, marching the Ducks defensive unit — the real star of this show — like a general does an army, toward their destination: the Penn State student section.

“What now!?” they screamed toward the mass of white shirt-wearing humanity as they approached the group of students.

“Let’s hear it!” they said aloud.

“What you got?!”

“Come at us!”

This writer found himself trapped between the two — a scary position, let me tell you — caught between full-padded, very large, exuberant 19-23-year-olds, and angry, booze-fueled, bottle-throwing students.

But this is how it ended. This is how the Oregon Ducks beat the Penn State Nittany Lions, 30-24, in a battle that turned, very quickly, from snoozefest to boomfest — a flurry of fourth-quarter points and a scintillating overtime that had Oregon coach Dan Lanning claim it to be the “best” game he’s been a part of.

It was that good.

A 3-3 tie. A 17-3 Oregon lead. Back to a 17-all tie. And then not one, but two overtimes.

A nighttime White Out of more than 111,000. A top-six showdown in a league that’s claimed the last two national championships. Eight fourth-down attempts (Oregon converted five!).

Oregon players celebrate their second overtime win over Penn State during their NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

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And one incredible interception on Penn State’s very first double-overtime play, which came after the Ducks themselves scored on their very first double-overtime play.

His interception is the thing of legends.

Thieneman extended his 6-foot frame high into the air — he was 7-foot on this play — captured the pass, fell to the ground in the fetal position and then, as if shot from a cannon, the Purdue transfer ran. He didn’t know why or really where, but he ran. And everyone else followed him.

He ran right for this writer, directly toward the students who’d taunted him all game.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said afterward.

The Ducks rushed the field. Their coach, Dan Lanning, embraced his quarterback, Dante Moore, who threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

“Let’s go home!” Lanning screamed to the heavens and raced toward the Oregon fan section, raising his arms into the shape of an ‘O’ as Ducks fans roared from the upper reaches of this goliath of a stadium.

The crowd did nothing to shake his guys, Lanning said. He prepared them for this all week — a tight game, a loud stadium. He used the old motto of “death by a thousand cuts.” Cut them here and cut them there. And again and again. Until, he says, came the jugular: the interception.

The Ducks, in nickel for one of the rare times Saturday, brought a linebacker blitz. Thieneman filled the blitzer’s zone and expected the tight end wheel route based on previous red-zone film of Penn State’s offense.

Lo and behold, he got it. As PSU tight end Luke Reynolds raced down the sideline, Thieneman slipped into his zone, swiveled around his head and there, in all of its glory, was the football.

“I thought ‘I got to get that,” he said.

He made the leap, the pick and then the dash.

Beaver Stadium went quiet. A whitewashed White Out.

“We said the White Out was going to be a white canvas for us today,” Lanning said.

Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images — Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. (James Lang-Imagn Images)

(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)

For a while there, they were painting a masterpiece. Before it mounted consecutive touchdown drives to force overtime, Penn State’s offense had 114 yards and three points. In fact, the fans here booed the lackluster performance at least a half-dozen times across a comedy of errors.

Dropped passes. Misfires from quarterback Drew Allar. A punt from the Penn State 36-yard line that bounded into the end zone for a gain of 16 yards.

From the student section, the chants began: “Fi-re Frank-Lin! Fi-re Frank-Lin!”

An absurd suggestion? Of course.

But a decade of pass-game ineptitudes and inconsistencies has this fan base a nervous wreck.

Afterward, Franklin says he understands the “narrative” around his program. He’s 4-21 against top-10 teams in his time here.

“We’ve got to find a way to win those games,” he said. “I get that and I take ownership and I take responsibility.”

In the other locker room, a celebration ensued.

Oregon didn’t just win a road game against a top-five team. It did it with authority. A ruthless defense. A flashy enough offense. And a coach who continues to illustrate how big of cojones he’s got.

Lanning went for it, in every which way. Fourth- and-1 when a chip-shot field goal could give you the lead? Lanning went for it. Back-to-back fourth downs on their opening possession? Go and go.

How about the decision to throw deep on fourth-and-1 from midfield in the second half? The 20-yard completion resulted in a touchdown a few plays later.

The defensive-minded Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein — a combination for an opponent to have a disaster.

“We were really clear before the game, regardless of the result, all of our goals are in front of us,” Lanning said. “We are coming here to win the game, coming here to be aggressive.”

Thieneman got the final one of those “cuts” that Lanning referred to afterward. The jugular. He sliced into the air, captured that ball and then, well, then he came running right for me.