Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his team wait in the tunnel before running out onto the field before the Sept. 23 game against Colorado.

Oregon’s ability to stop the run was a strength on an otherwise challenged defense last season. This season, the No. 6 Ducks are performing at an elite level and could end up as the best in program history.

Oregon (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) enters Saturday’s game (1 p.m., Fox) at Arizona State No. 11 nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (95.1) and tied for 17th in yards allowed per carry (3.22), up from 31st and 74th, respectively, last season. Since 1952, the oldest program records that exist, UO’s season-best was in 1989 (101.8 rush ypg.).

Oregon coach Dan Lanning attributed the improvement to better talent and execution.

“We’ve got more depth, more guys that can play at a high level,” Lanning said. “If you have good run defense it doesn’t really matter, if you have horrible pass defense. If you great pass defense it doesn’t really matter, if you have bad run defense. We have to be balanced from that approach. If you can take away a team’s running ability, it makes them play left-handed and lets you play a lot differently.”

Oregon is one of 13 teams allowing under 100 rushing yards per game, including four in the Pac-12. When only considering games against winning teams, UO is one of just eight teams to still be as stout against the run. Besides Utah in 2020, the last Pac-12 team to allow less than 100 rushing yards per game against winning teams was Stanford in 2013.

Improved pass rush, which has produced 31 sacks compared to 18 all of last season, has been a contributing factor in Oregon bolstering its run statistics. However, even if all 261 yards opponents have lost on sacks were added back, Oregon would still be 34th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game.

The past three games against Utah, Cal and USC, the best rushing attacks on Oregon’s Pac-12 schedule this season until next week’s meeting with Oregon State, underscore how improved UO is.

The Ducks allowed a combined 281 rushing yards over the past three games. Utah, Cal and USC average a combined 526.26 rushing yards, meaning Oregon held them to 53.4% of their collective output.

“I think it’s taking a lot of pride in it, is the first step,” defensive tackle Casey Rogers said. “We were definitely humbled the last time we played Oregon State towards the end of that season. We thought we were pretty good and all season last year we played the run very well and then kind of got humbled in that last game. That kind of set the tone for this season of how much we want to take pride being not just good in the run game, but elite. I think that’s what you’ve seen this year, we have a bunch of older guys who this is their last chance so you have no choice but to be elite in the run game.”

Rogers is one of six seniors in the front seven of Oregon’s defense, with nose tackle Popo Aumavae returning from an injury that kept him out all of last season and Jamal Hill moving from safety to linebacker. UO also added Jordan Burch and Jestin Jacobs via the transfer portal, moved Bryce Boettcher from safety to linebacker and freshmen Blake Purchase, Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei see significant snaps at outside linebacker.

Aumavae said the players are more comfortable in the second year in Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s defense.

“We’re able to maneuver things off of it, whether it’s a little adjustment in-game or on the sideline,” Aumavae said. “I think it’s being able to understand what we’re bringing to the table. We have a call menu no matter what, and everybody goes through that, everybody understands this is what we’ll run in this situation. I think it’s being able to understand and being in the second year in this defense.”

Arizona State (3-7, 2-5) may not be the opponent to break Oregon’s trend of dominance. The Sun Devils average 100.8 rushing yards with six games under 100 yards, slightly less against ranked teams, and partially due to allowing 28 sacks.

“When you stop the run you earn the right to rush the passer and that’s what we’ve been trying to do this whole year,” Rogers said. “Any team that we know is run heavy, it’s make them one-dimensional, take out the run. They try to throw the ball it might not be their forte. Against these passing teams, if you make them abandon their run game, now you know they’re one-dimensional. All they’re going to do is try to get it to their receivers and you can set up your defense schematically the way you want to.”