Oregon’s stumble against Oklahoma State left everyone shocked. However, if anyone had seen the Ducks play Boise State in Week 1, the loss in Week 2 was anything but surprising. Even former Ohio State head coach acknowledged it, while also noting that Dan Lanning has managed to turn things around.
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“Oregon, three weeks ago, I watched the Oklahoma State game, and that was as bad as I’ve ever seen an Oregon team play,” Meyer said on the Triple Option podcast on October 8.
For a team that was in national championship conversations, the Oklahoma State loss was a gut punch. However, good teams are also identified by how they respond to setbacks. In Oregon’s case, an opportunity arrived when it had to travel to the Coliseum to take on an undefeated USC.
“We had Coach Lanning on, and obviously, we have great respect for him. They got a little juice after their win at USC, a win where Dylan Raiola came off the bench and won and played not well, but played great,” Meyer said.
Now, in Week 6, Meyer expects the Ducks to carry on the momentum from their USC win into their UCLA matchup.
“I think you’re going to see an inferno in Eugene, Oregon, and that’s going to see the old Oregon show up and get a win,” Meyer added while predicting the Ducks’ upcoming home game against UCLA.
Much of the discourse around Oregon has changed over the last two weeks. Very few people are now talking about how Oklahoma State QB Drew Mastemaker torched Lanning’s defense and produced an upset for the ages. On top of that, the Cowboys made Dante Moore look clueless at times by following the game plan Indiana used against him last season.
Oregon managed only 101 yards of offense in the first half, compared with Oklahoma State’s 353. Overall, Moore recorded only 191 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, the offense failed to protect their signal caller, resulting in him being sacked 4 times. On the other hand, Mestmaker jotted 426 total yards and 3 touchdowns. In the post-game press conference, even Lanning took the fall for the performance.
“We did not perform at any level that was winning football,” Lanning said on ESPN on September 15. “Sometimes you’ve got to learn hard lessons through hard performances, and this is by far the worst performance that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Oregon jumped right back to form by defeating Portland State 84-0. But that was a non-conference win. The real test was facing the Trojans, a team Lanning has yet to lose against. The streak continued as the Ducks beat the Trojans 41-27 during a game where they lost their starting QB to injury.
Fortunately, Lanning had Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola to call upon, who threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns to lead Oregon to a famous win.
“Every guy on the sideline had faith in him,” Lanning said about Raiola. “He was ready for his moment… When his number was called, he was ready and able to execute. So, really proud of that.”
Raiola is expected to start Oregon’s Week 6 game. And just like USC, the Bruins are coming with an undefeated record (4-0). In its last game, UCLA humiliated Maryland 54-3. But having learned his lesson against Oklahoma State, Lanning won’t take the Bruins lightly.