Dan Lanning After Oregon’s Loss to Oklahoma State: ‘We Got Our A— Kicked’
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Dan Lanning didn't need much time to dissect what went wrong for Oregon on Saturday. Oklahoma State was simply the better football team.
After the Cowboys stunned Oregon 39-31 at Boone Pickens Stadium, Lanning offered a brutally direct assessment of a game in which Oklahoma State controlled far more than the final eight-point margin might suggest.
“The score was closer than it really was, because it really wasn’t close,” Lanning said. “We got our a— kicked.”
The numbers back him up. Oklahoma State outgained Oregon 554-281, ran 83 offensive plays and finished with 237 rushing yards in a stunning reversal from its 24-10 season-opening loss at Tulsa.
The Cowboys also held one of college football's most talented quarterbacks in check. Dante Moore entered Stillwater coming off a career-high 378-yard, three-touchdown performance against Boise State. Oklahoma State limited him to 14-of-29 passing for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
For long stretches, even those numbers seemed unlikely. Oregon managed just 39 total yards midway through the first half and had only 17 passing yards late in the second quarter as Oklahoma State repeatedly forced Moore to throw the ball away or settle for underneath completions.
The Ducks eventually found some explosive plays. Moore connected with Dakorien Moore for a 36-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Evan Stewart for a 38-yard score early in the fourth, with the latter putting Oregon ahead 31-30.
It was Oregon's first lead since the opening quarter. It didn't last.
Oklahoma State Had an Answer
Drew Mestemaker responded by leading Oklahoma State down the field and ultimately scoring himself, escaping pressure before launching his body through two Oregon defenders for a 10-yard touchdown.
The score gave Oklahoma State a 36-31 lead. Oregon never scored again.
The Cowboys forced the Ducks into a punt on their next possession, then stopped Oregon on fourth-and-8 from its own 33 on the following series.
After Sam Keltner's fourth field goal of the afternoon extended Oklahoma State's advantage to eight, Oregon's final opportunity ended when Dierre Hill Jr. mishandled a pitch and James Williams recovered the fumble. Oklahoma State never gave the ball back.
That defensive performance was even more impressive considering what Oregon had done to the Cowboys one year earlier.
The Ducks demolished Oklahoma State 69-3 in Eugene last season, producing 631 yards of offense and scoring touchdowns on nine of their first 11 possessions.
Moore threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns that afternoon. Saturday looked nothing like it.
Cowboys Overcome Their Own Mistakes
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Oklahoma State's performance was that the Cowboys didn't need everything to go right to pull off the upset.
Mestemaker threw two first-half interceptions that directly produced Oregon's first two touchdowns.
D'Antre Robinson returned the first 90 yards for a pick-six. Matayo Uiagalelei returned the second to Oklahoma State's 1-yard line, allowing Oregon to score on the following snap.
That's 14 Oregon points created almost entirely by Oklahoma State turnovers. Still, the Cowboys led 24-17 at halftime.
Mestemaker finished with 317 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and another score on the ground. Caleb Hawkins rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Wyatt Young caught five passes for 121 yards and a score.
Oklahoma State also committed only two penalties while controlling the game on the ground and repeatedly keeping Oregon's offense off schedule.
One week earlier, Eric Morris described Oklahoma State's offensive performance against Tulsa as the most embarrassing he'd ever been part of.
Seven days later, the Cowboys produced 554 yards against Oregon and celebrated on the field with thousands of fans after ending their 10-game losing streak.
There were no excuses coming from the other locker room. No attempt from Lanning to soften what happened in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State didn't steal one from Oregon. In Lanning's eyes, the Cowboys simply beat the Ducks. Badly.
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