Ducks pummel Bobcats in Autzen, look forward to a promising 2025

Three years in, Dan Lanning has created his ultimate roster. The Ducks don't have scrubs; the talent is deep. Freshman shined today.

Dakorien Moore's best play of the day was a block, driving a defender to the ground on a 14-yard touchdown to Gary Bryant Jr.

Dan Lanning said in the postgame press conference, “We were proud of that play… He was blocking the wrong guy but he was blocking his ass off… that’s what I was proud of today; the effort… Dakorien [Moore] is gonna be really special for us…”

Moore caught three passes for 26 yards and ran a reverse that gained 17, one of ten Oregon players to catch a pass. Concerns about the Oregon passing game and depth at receiver seem greatly exaggerated.

In the third quarter on third and 14 running back Jay Harris grabbed a pass from Moore on a circle route and turned it into a 50-yard gain down to the Bobcat 14. Malik Benson caught five passes on five targets, leading all receivers with 51 yards. Kyler Kasper and Austin Novosad hooked up on a 40-yard pass play.

Unfounded too were concerns about Dante Moore's poise, accuracy and decision-making. He operated an offense that scored every time they got the ball (except the last possession) and converted 7-10 times on third down.

Lanning said, “[Dante Moore is] sharp, he knew where to go with the ball, he was decisive with his reads, and was able to make some checks… we had a plan and he was able to go out and execute at a high level”

There were worries before the season about the offensive line and how long it might take a new group of starters to find their groove. The unit didn't have a single penalty in the game, only one play lost yardage, the final snap to kill the clock.

The Ducks passed for 253 yards and ran for 253 yards, 6.5 yards a carry. They were particularly efficient on first down, running 22 times for 198 yards, 9.0 yards per carry. That's insane efficiency.

The challenge now is to keep their heads. They played a dominating game against a very good FCS squad and showed off their depth and talent.

Lanning told the press, “It’s important that we continue to grow, it’s one step in the right direction… it’s just one game, I’m more excited about the growth that goes on moving forward than what happened between now and fall camp."

In four more weeks, they'll play one of the most complete teams in the country in No.2 Penn State. A lot of growing has to happen to be ready for that game, but this was a tremendous down payment.

With the balance and depth on this roster, the Ducks are built for the long haul. The load will be shared; they won't have to wear down one running back. Twelve different guys carried the ball today, led by Noah Whittington, 10 carries for 67 yards.

“Our challenge as a coaching staff… where to give those reps, those snaps… I wanna see the team eat," Lanning said.

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