Dan Lanning has a silver lining to take away from Oregon’s win over Wisconsin that fans should be satisfied with
The Oregon Ducks showed a ton of grit in their sloppy win against Wisconsin.
In a game that was anything but pretty, the Oregon Ducks found a way to get it done. Battling through wet conditions, missed opportunities, and costly penalties, Oregon managed to outlast Wisconsin in a gritty, hard-fought win on Saturday.
Sloppy win
From the start, it was clear that the Ducks would need to adapt. The slick field and relentless Badger defense made for an ugly offensive rhythm early, but Oregon responded with toughness and composure down the stretch.
“It became really apparent early in this game what kind of game it was going to be, and we had to figure out a way that we could run the ball effectively,” said head coach Dan Lanning after the game. “I think after that 99-yard drive, we really saw that. Our guys took that by the horns and found a way to be able to attack—that’s a good defense.”
That drive proved to be the turning point. With the passing game limited by weather and Wisconsin’s front, Oregon leaned heavily on its ground attack, grinding out yards and controlling the clock. Lanning praised the unselfish play and focus of his team, particularly under challenging circumstances.
“We had some really unselfish play from our players,” Lanning said. “I thought they were engaged the entire game, and it was really clear that it’s going to be hard to be able to throw in some of those conditions. Saw some guys step up when their number was called.”
One of those players was backup quarterback Brock Thomas, who stepped in when starter Dante Moore went down with an injury. Lanning said he was impressed with the poise and preparation Brock displayed.
“For Brock to come in and perform the way he did, really excited for him to be able to do that,” Lanning said. “I know the players were proud of him.”
The Ducks’ defense was also a major factor, holding Wisconsin in check for much of the afternoon. “They played lights out today,” Lanning noted. “They did a really good job of controlling Wisconsin, excluding that last score by them.”
Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Oregon committed nine penalties, several of which wiped out potentially game-changing plays. “The nine penalties is troublesome—we’ve got to be better there,” Lanning admitted. “There were some penalties on some big plays that could have been difference makers for us.”
Despite the sloppy execution, Lanning said he was proud of the team’s resilience and the energy from the Oregon faithful.
“Fans were unbelievable,” he said. “Ty Burrell kicking us off with Shout there in the third quarter was pretty awesome—something you couldn’t ignore.”
At the end of the day, it wasn’t about style points. It was about toughness, grit, and finding a way to win in difficult conditions.
“I’m proud of how our players played in a tough environment, in a tough situation,” Lanning said. “They were able to just take advantage of every opportunity in front of them.”
The Ducks may not have delivered their cleanest performance of the season, but they showed the kind of resilience championship-caliber teams need when the conditions — and the opponent — make everything harder.
