Dan Lanning Not Overlooking Oklahoma State, Praises Drew Mestemaker Ahead of Matchup

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Oklahoma State's season-opening loss to Tulsa might have changed some of the national perception surrounding the Cowboys. It apparently hasn't changed Dan Lanning's.

The Oregon head coach had plenty of praise for Eric Morris' offense and quarterback Drew Mestemaker ahead of Saturday's matchup in Stillwater, despite Oklahoma State scoring only 10 points in its season opener.

“I don't necessarily put a ton of stock into they didn't win the game,” Lanning said.

Instead, Lanning pointed toward Morris' track record.

“You look at the scheme, and it's been effective everywhere he's been, whether it's Incarnate Word, whether it's Washington State, whether it's North Texas, and now at Oklahoma State,” Lanning said. “They've created a lot of points wherever they've been.”

Lanning has experienced Morris' offense firsthand. During Lanning's first season at Oregon in 2022, the Ducks faced Washington State while Morris was the Cougars' offensive coordinator and Cam Ward was his quarterback.

Washington State led Oregon 34-22 with less than seven minutes remaining before the Ducks rallied for a 44-41 victory. Ward threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Lanning remembers the challenge Morris presented.

“He does a lot of stuff that's disruptive on offense, that's tough,” Lanning said. “He can create explosive plays.”

The results weren't nearly as impressive in Morris' Oklahoma State debut.

The Cowboys produced 368 yards and 28 first downs against Tulsa but scored only 10 points in a 24-10 loss. Four turnovers and multiple failed scoring opportunities prevented Oklahoma State from turning sustained drives into points. Lanning noticed those missed opportunities.

“They had the ball down at the goal line. They were about to punch it in to have a score, and they don't get it,” Lanning said. “They had some costly turnovers that happened throughout the game. The score could be completely different given a couple different situations.”

Oklahoma State's massive roster turnover also caught Lanning's attention. With 91 newcomers on the roster, the Cowboys entered the season with almost an entirely new team trying to implement Morris' system.

“When you have 91 new players, I imagine that's tough to get that figured out in a short amount of time, especially when you don't see what it looks like until you really get on the game field,” Lanning said.

One player Oregon already knew plenty about was Mestemaker. Mestemaker revealed during the offseason that Oregon was among the programs showing interest in him when he entered the transfer portal following a prolific season at North Texas.

Lanning clarified Monday that he never personally spoke with Mestemaker, although he acknowledged Oregon's staff could have been aware of or communicated regarding the quarterback's availability.

Regardless of how serious Oregon's pursuit became, Lanning didn't hesitate to praise the Cowboys' quarterback.

“Drew is an unbelievable player,” Lanning said. “You see his arm strength show up.”

Lanning specifically highlighted Mestemaker's ability to make deep throws, saying the quarterback can stand flat-footed and throw the ball 60 yards.

Mestemaker's first Oklahoma State start didn't resemble his 2025 production at North Texas. He completed 29-of-49 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against Tulsa while also losing a fumble.

But Lanning knows what Mestemaker and Morris accomplished together last season. Mestemaker threw for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns as North Texas produced the nation's highest-scoring offense.

Now the pair gets an opportunity to show that production can translate to Oklahoma State against one of the country's top teams.

The challenge became even more difficult Tuesday when Morris announced starting left tackle Jacob Sexton will miss the remainder of the season with a broken leg. Oklahoma State will have to replace its starting left tackle while attempting to protect Mestemaker against an Oregon defense that presents a significant step up in competition.

The Cowboys enter Saturday needing a much different offensive performance than the one they produced in Tulsa.

Lanning, however, doesn't appear interested in judging Oklahoma State solely on one game.

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