After the Oregon Ducks were upset by Oklahoma State last weekend, the players held a meeting to air out their concerns.
Quarterback Dante Moore said the player-led meeting was needed to get everyone “on the same page” going into the rest of the season.
As a result of the 39-31 loss in Stillwater, Oregon tumbled down the rankings from No. 6 to No. 21. The team that was being looked at as a possible national champion in the preseason was now facing tough
questions.
Oregon (1-1) wraps up its nonconference slate Friday night when the team hosts lower-division Portland State. After that, the Ducks are on the road for their Big Ten opener against No. 12 Southern California.
“I feel like every team needs it, just to communicate, debrief, talk about the thoughts everybody’s having in their heads,” Moore said about the meeting. “Wasn’t much screaming going on. It was just trying to get on the same page with everybody. I feel like it was very important because we needed it. And I feel that what we said in that meeting helped carry over into this week, and we’ve been attacking every day.”
Devon Jackson, without going into details about the gathering, said, "Things will definitely be different from here on out.”
Oregon opened the season with a mostly lackluster 34-27 victory over Boise State, although Moore threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns. Against Oklahoma State, he threw for 191 yards, including two second-half touchdowns after the Ducks had trailed 24-17 at the half. It was the Ducks' first regular-season road loss since 2023, snapping a 12-game winning streak.
Coach Dan Lanning called the loss “by far the worst performance” the Ducks have had since his arrival in Eugene. And he called out the team leadership, even his own.
“I’ll tell you, at this point, there’s been a lack of leadership — myself included. It starts with accountability, but it’s got to show up," Lanning said. "Again, you can’t talk about it. You’ve got to see it. We haven’t seen it to this point."
Moore acknowledged the team's leaders have fallen short in the past two games.
“But I kind of feel like we’ve been looking in the mirror, find out who we truly are, and I feel as a team we’ve grown these past couple days ever since the Oklahoma State game,” Moore said. “Been more vocal, been more connected. But these things happen in life, and you appreciate them because it just molds you better as a team.”
Lanning suggested special teams was the only aspect of the Ducks’ performance that was up to par. Among the concerns was first down execution, both on offense and defense, and penalties.
Oregon ran for just 90 yards against the Cowboys and finished with 281 total yards offense — compared to Oklahoma State’s 554. The Ducks are 0-6 on fourth down conversions through their first two games.
Oklahoma State (1-1) went 1-11 last season and lost its opener to Tulsa 20-10. The Cowboys were 23 1/2-point underdogs.
In the aftermath, Oklahoma State's players and coaches have said that the Cowboys defense knew whether the Ducks were going to run or throw on any given play because of Moore's footwork. Linebacker Tate Romney also said the offensive line provided tells.
“In general, you have tendencies. At times, they’ll show up. We have to do a better job disguising that, for sure," Lanning said.
It was also revealed that Moore was dehydrated and needed IVs afterward, saying “I was going through a little tough time at the end of the game."
The game at home against Portland State gives Oregon the chance to recalibrate ahead of conference play.
“A lot of times, when you’re focused on where you have to improve, the best thing you can do is go right back to work," Lanning said. “I’ve been pleased with that process so far. There’s still some time left this week to be able to go do that, but having the turnaround Friday will be a big positive for us from that standpoint.”
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