Dan Lanning, Oregon players talk win over Montana State ~ Duck Sports Central

EUGENE, Ore. — For Dan Lanning and No. 7 Oregon, Saturday’s season-opening 59-13 win over Montana State was less about the scoreboard and more about setting a standard.

“Always fun to see Autzen full, right? Our fans were great as always,” Lanning said. “I think a lot of things went right and our way today. There’s even some moments where we made mistakes and still had success. I was really proud of the fact that we got to see a lot of players in the game today.”

From the first play — a 35-yard burst by senior running back Noah Whittington — the Ducks established their identity. Oregon rushed for over 250 yards and controlled both lines of scrimmage, a focal point of the game plan.

“In their six losses that they’ve had over time, Montana State hasn’t outrushed their opponent,” Lanning said. “That was going to be an important factor for us. That showed up today, and those guys blocking on the edge were a big piece of that.”

Dante Moore Sharp in Debut as QB1

Quarterback Dante Moore, in his first start since taking over the reins of the offense, delivered an efficient, poised performance. Moore completed passes to ten different receivers and avoided turnovers, earning praise from Lanning for his decision-making.

“He was sharp,” Lanning said. “He knew where to go with the ball. He was decisive with his reads. He was able to make some checks. We had a simple plan and a plan we could execute at a high level, and he went out there and executed it really well.”

Moore’s own focus was on composure and trusting the system.

“As a quarterback, it feels great when other people catch the ball and we’re using everyone as a unit,” Moore said. “We’ve got great guys who can make contested catches, make plays with the ball in their hands, and it makes it easier for me to just put the ball out there and let them work.”

One of the defining moments came late in the first half when Moore led a two-minute drill that ended with a touchdown pass to Malik Benson.

“We practiced two-minute so much,” Moore said. “One timeout, one minute — we’ve repped it over and over. It just felt great to execute like that in a game situation.”

Running Backs Shine Behind Dominant O-Line

Whittington, who earned the start after an impressive fall camp, set the tone early and finished with 92 yards on 11 carries. Freshman Jordon Davison added three short-yardage touchdowns, validating the depth Oregon has in its backfield.

“I’m not surprised at all by Jordon,” Whittington said. “When we get down by the goal line, nobody’s stopping him. He’s a big, bad man and he runs with a lot of power.”

Lanning said managing a room loaded with playmakers will be one of the staff’s challenges moving forward.

“When you have a lot of talent, where do you give those snaps?” Lanning said. “It takes guys being selfless and saying, ‘I want to see everybody eat and the team eat.’ Ultimately, that’s going to create a lot of success for us.”

Defense Controls the Line of Scrimmage

On the other side of the ball, Oregon’s defense suffocated Montana State’s ground game, holding last season’s top rushing offense to just 1.7 yards per carry. The interior line, led by A’Mauri Washington, was particularly disruptive.

“We went out there with one goal — stop the run,” Washington said. “If we can make them one-dimensional, we control the game. That’s always the standard.”

Washington credited preparation for the success.

“We looked at their split-zone play, we talked about it, we had the right calls, and we executed,” he said. “Week two should look better than week one. We’ve got the dudes in our room to really separate.”

Receivers Showcase Depth and Unselfishness

Benson, a transfer who quickly developed chemistry with Moore, scored his first Oregon touchdown and made a statement about the depth of the position group.

“Just shows our selflessness,” Benson said. “When one guy makes a play, everybody’s just as happy as if they made it. That’s the kind of receiver room we have.”

Lanning highlighted true freshman Dakorien Moore’s physicality, praising his pancake block that sprung Gary Bryant Jr.’s touchdown.

“He’s blocking the wrong guy, but he’s blocking his ass off,” Lanning said, laughing. “That’s what’s exciting, that we can make full-speed mistakes and still do an unbelievable job for our team.”

Lessons Learned and Bigger Tests Ahead

Despite the lopsided score, Lanning emphasized growth over complacency.

“It’s important that we continue to grow,” Lanning said. “This is one step in the right direction, certainly a better start than what we had last season. But it’s just one game.”

Oregon now turns its attention to a marquee Week 2 matchup against Oklahoma State, a team Lanning says will present a far different challenge.

“This next opponent will have had more time to prepare for us,” Lanning said. “We’ve got to be ready for that. It’s one day at a time. How can we be the best version of ourselves today?”