Dan Lanning has never been one to hide his emotions. And the Oregon football coach made it very clear how he was feeling after the Ducks' emotional 41-27 win at Southern California on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The game, which was hard-fought, also saw his star quarterback Dante Moore leave the field in an ambulance after a late hit by USC linebacker Desman Stephens II. Backup Dylan Raiola came on in relief of Moore, passing for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Speaking after the game, Lanning unloaded on USC, saying L.A.-area players who are considering the Trojans may instead think of Oregon
instead.
"I guess if you're interested in winning football games and you're from this area, go to Oregon. If you want to go Chris Brown concert, you should go here," Lanning said as he finished his postgame news conference.
Dan Lanning with a mic-drop moment at the end of his postgame press conference after beating No. 12 USC on the road. pic.twitter.com/K3AY7QsApd
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2026
Lanning also took a shot at USC and its fans who were a notable storyline earlier in the season for their inability to fill up the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
"I've watched three of their TV games. I haven't seen a game packed yet, but we were here, it was packed tonight," Lanning said. "So I guess when the Ducks show up, that's how you fill up the Coliseum."
Of course, Lanning also spoke at length about Stephens' hit on Moore. Though he said he didn't see any celebrations from the USC linebacker on the late hit — for which several neutral observers criticized him — he did call it a "disgusting play." Several of his players also inferred Stephens' hit was intentional.
"There's a reason targeting exists in football, and that's as clear as day targeting," Lanning said. "It's a shame that happened to a good player when, in my mind, that certainly could have been avoided, so it's disappointing.
"It's a disgusting play. You don't want to see it happen. It's disappointing that it happened.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Lanning trolls USC with savage recruiting jab after Oregon win
