The recruiting battles on the West Coast often come down to two familiar programs: the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans.
On the field, the Ducks have owned the series, winning the last five matchups, including a 41-27 win on Saturday night at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Oregon lost its starting quarterback, Dante Moore
, early in the game, but rallied to finish strong in the second half and seal the big victory.In doing so, the Ducks flexed their muscles in front of plenty of recruits that both Oregon and USC are pursuing. As questions surround Lincoln Riley and his standing with the Trojans, it was also a massive recruiting win for Oregon on the road in Los Angeles.
Dan Lanning is always recruiting, and he made sure to send a message with the win
to the recruits that were watching from the sideline.
"3-0 against these guys," Lanning said after the game. "I guess if you're a good football player in the area, you should come to Oregon. Or you can stay in LA and go to a Chris Brown concert."
Oregon missed out on key recruits the past two cycles as some opted to stay closer to home with the Trojans. USC has retaken control of the region in recent years after the Ducks created a pipeline to Eugene from Los Angeles. Lanning isn't going to stop trying, however, and a win in the heart of the beast could be enough to sway some decisions.
Lanning also noted the crowd turnout for the big game, in direct comparison to USC's prior three home games, which featured several empty red seats.
"I've watched three of their TV games," Lanning said. "I haven't seen a game packed yet, but we were here; it was packed tonight. So I guess when the Ducks show up, that's how you fill up the Coliseum."
Lanning upset USC fans last season when he claimed in a pregame speech that the Trojans were living off their history. Ronnie Lott was on the field on Saturday night for the Trojans, but he didn't play a snap, and Lanning's harsh, yet accurate, comments about USC were proven true once again.
Now, Lanning is hoping Oregon's statement win in Los Angeles can translate to recruiting wins in the future.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning takes parting shot at USC following road win
