Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Doesn't Hold Back After Comeback Win Over Ohio State

The No. 23 Oregon Ducks found themselves in a 14-0 hole after the first quarter in Columbus. The No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes started the game with a fire lit under them after losing to the No. 20 USC Trojans the week prior.

But the Ducks didn’t fold. Oregon scored 17 points in the second quarter, en route to 38 points unanswered and a 41-28 win.

“Yeah, we're like cockroaches, man. We won't die,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said postgame.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon didn’t give up after losing its third game in Week 8 and watching its College Football Playoff hopes dwindle away. And it didn’t give up on the road in a hostile environment at “The Horseshoe” when down 14.

“Our guys have been battle-tested, so they don't, again, in those moments, they don't blink,” Lanning continued. “And we don't really look at the scoreboard. We just focus on working. And I thought they did that tonight.”

Lanning went on to talk about the Ducks building momentum after a fake punt in the second quarter, limiting Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Dylan Raiola’s resilience.

What Dan Lanning Said

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning yells during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 7, 2026. Ohio State lost 41-28. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Opening Statement:

“A lot of credit to our players for really not flinching, not blinking when you're down 14, and then just keep fighting. In those moments, we said we're gonna let it hang and just go after it. And then, similar to last week, we've proven that we'd be a team that's been in tough battles and battle back. I thought collectively we played really well.”

“I thought we lacked some discipline there at the end. Sometimes it's hard to kind of settle in and figure out what the opponent's doing. And once we were able to do that offensively, I thought we were able to take advantage of some stuff and do some things pretty well.”

“Obviously, the wide receiver is as good as anybody. There's some we gave him for free, and then there's some that you just have to chop up to the game and say that guy's special. So that showed up for him today. But a really talented team, well-coached team by Coach Day, but I just thought our guys got a hold of the momentum and then really didn't let it go until or give it back until the very end of the game there, where they kind of chip their way down the field.”

The Ability to Flip the Game After the First Quarter:

“Yeah, I mean, I think some of their success there early came on third downs, and there was some things that we just didn't do well. We got them to 3-of-3 downs, I think, on that very first series, and you're killing yourself because you're not able to get off the field.”

“We gave up a big play on a complete miscommunication on how we handle emotion, which is not okay. So, when you recognize, hey, we're giving up some of these for free. We're actually doing a good job stopping the run. You start giving up some of those for free.”

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) hugs head coach Dan Lanning during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 7, 2026. Ohio State lost 41-28. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“That's a frustration, but it's easy things that you can fix, and you just don't know how many of those opportunities that you can give up and still have a chance to have success in the game. I thought our players settled in.”

“I thought offensively we found some things, and then obviously, the fake punt sparked a little bit of momentum. Then, there at the end of the half, where we talked about we can kick a field goal there, especially getting the ball out at half, or going for it. I felt like we had a really good call, a couple good calls that we could call, and we were in position to execute.”

Momentum After the Fake Punt:

“Those are things that you talk about as a staff and as a team, and that's a punt we've been working on really since fall camp. And we've had a long history of running fake punts. We just haven't seen a lot of teams that have given us an opportunity where we could potentially hit that.”

“And the fake punts that we've run in the past were runs there to the left, right? We did it with Casey Rogers. We've done it with Jordan Burch. We've done it with Matayo (Uiagalelei) and Teitum (Tuioti). Like those have shown up for us, so we felt like that would be something people would play aggressive to.”

“Obviously, if it didn't work, you guys could have a heyday with me, especially in our own territory. But that's where fakes do work. And we felt like we'd punted a couple times at that point. We'd seen a look, and we felt confident. Hey, it's going to be there. And I don't know how many times we ran that practice.”

“So, when you talk about your players consistently in team meetings and special teams, and then you get an opportunity to go execute on the field, and it has the success that it has. I think it's like everybody's like, okay, we got this, let's go, and it certainly created some momentum and gave us a chance to kind of settle in and even out the score a little bit there earlier, and then get into a rhythm.”

If The Win Is As Rewarding as Anything Else in His Oregon Career So Far:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“I don't know that. Yeah, I don't know that. I had fun tonight. It's fun to coach, man. I've had fun coaching the last few weeks, and like I said, our guys really work really hard. It's not we're trying out our best not to be outcome-based.”

“And I know that if we didn't fake that punt, if we didn't go forward on fourth down there, down tight in the red area, like I would have been flying back, regretting that, knowing that those opportunities are there, so I just feel like we've been a team that's like, let's let it rip, see where the chips fall.”

If He Felt the Momentum Shift:

“Yeah, I mean, we struggled a little bit early with cadence. It's loud. You talk about 102,000 people. Our goal was to quiet them down, and then, obviously, in the fourth quarter they weren't there anymore.”

“So, similar to when we played Penn State, we played in some environments like this before, and we just talked about, like, look, let's make them be spectators. Let's make them be witnesses of what's about to happen. We get to write the story. It's not written yet. So, grab your pen. Let's go to work.”

Jay Johnson’s Play-Calling And If He’s a Long-Term Option:

Oregon assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson looks on as the Ducks warm up as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean, he's been outstanding. I think he did a really good job, and there's some plays that he'll want back from tonight. I think the collective effort, I think the way he's communicated with our quarterback and helped create confidence.”

“And then just the volume we're able to hit on a lot of plays we practiced over and over and over again tonight. But yeah, he's done a great job, and certainly is something that has to be considered.”

Running Towards the Fans Who Made the Trip to Columbus:

“Man, just grateful. Grateful that we'd have a fan base that travels. It didn't look like there was a lot of green in there when the game started, but when you get down and realize all the green that was there, it's pretty impressive that our fans made the trip. It's not an easy trip. Made the trip, and all of them, I promise, will remember this game for a long, long time.”

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

If He’s Coaching More Freely And Comfortable:

“Yeah, probably.”

How Taking Risks Has Sparked a Resurgence:

Oregon outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei makes a catch on a fake punt as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, just like what you say you're going to do and what you do, I think that carries over. And when everybody has a great feel for the plan, which we have a team that had a great feel for what our plan was going into this game, and then there's moments like that that are like, oh yeah, that's what we said we were going to do, and it showed up. I think that creates some belief.”

Areas Where He’s Grown That Showed Up Against Ohio State:

“Yeah, none that I would share, but I've grown a lot, right? I think our team's grown a lot, but yeah, none that I would share. Sorry.”

Early Injury Update on Edge Rusher Teitum Tuioti:

“Yeah, not right now. We'll wait to hear from our medical staff. I know he's tough, so I'm praying for good news there.”

Explosive Plays From Running Back Dierre Hill Jr., Receiver Dakorien Moore:

Nov 7, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) celebrates his touchdown catch with quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean, the one-handed catch by Dakorien that's like everybody being really in sync because we called a run. It was actually an RPO, right? And I think Dylan saw that he was one-on-one outside and made an outstanding catch. I've seen that catch a million times at practice.”

“And Dierre is just that guy that continues to push and run hard. And we saw with the kick return last week that it's going to take more than one person to get him down. So proud of his effort there.”

Pointing to the Scoreboard After the Scuffle:

“I'm not interested in talking to their team. We're just going to score.”

Quarterback Dylan Raiola’s Resilience:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, talks to Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola before a touchdown play as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I'm just proud of a guy that's dealt with the adversity that Dylan's dealt with throughout the season and then being in position to execute. I knew early in the week that he had prepped really, really hard, and our whole team knows that. There's times where we try to play the game before the game.”

“We're going through video copies, and he's calling out the coverage before. There's no overlay that tells him what the coverage is, but he's recognizing the front of the coverage based on their alignments, where they're at, and calling it out. And I think our players hearing that and then seeing the execution in the game really, really helped us.”

Limiting Ohio State Receiver Jeremiah Smith:

“Yeah, it's a little disappointing with the finish, but on the same note, you're playing a different brand of defense at that point at the very end to say, look, we're just not going to give them a chance to be able to come back and have success in this game. We had some other guys in that you want to make sure that they're playing towards the standard.”

“But I mean, I thought our defense did an outstanding job. I think credit to Coach Hampton and the defense staff. They're great examples of the most important trait is winning the game. There's gonna be some frustrating moments in there, but they coached to win the game there at the end. And obviously, we gave up a couple cheap ones.”

“I mean, they came out hot, scored 14 early because of some of our mistakes, and then they really didn't have any success there until the end, when we were playing a little bit more bend but don't break type defense. So, yeah, really proud of the job they did.”

“I thought we controlled the run early, and then it was like, okay, how can we just eliminate this number four? And he's a hard guy to eliminate. We had some tools, and at times it was really effective. And then there's some times that we'll look back and say we could have executed better.”

Offensive Line Protecting Dylan Raiola:

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 7, 2026. Ohio State lost 41-28. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, the quarterback sack stat is a stat that always gets attributed to the offensive line, as it should, but it's a quarterback stat. It's a protection stat, it's a game plan stat, and I thought all those things kind of came together to say, okay, hey, we're comfortable with you just burning the ball there if it's not there.”

“And quarterback throws an incomplete pass instead of takes a sack. We're going to bump in protection here. We know this is a longer developing route. We're going to make sure that we have seven or six guys in protection to give us the opportunity. So, I thought it was a collective effort of all those things kind of come together.”

“Dylan's doing a good job of having two hands on the ball in the pocket, and there's a couple plays that we'll look at and say that was close. But overall, our offensive line I think is really starting to understand who they are and what our strengths are.”

Dylan Raiola’s Maturity Amid Briefly Losing the Starting Job:

“Yeah, I'm just I think his confidence is an all-time high right now, which is awesome. But he also just has to remember you're a play away from losing some of that. And right before the fake punt, that was close to being an INT. There's moments in there that we have to go assess and say, okay, how would this look different?”

“And where can we grow and learn? I think the thing that he's done a good job of is not riding the external expectations or the way of what people think of him. More so, really, internally processing: okay, where can he be better? How can he improve? And there's gonna be some stuff that he did that was outstanding tonight. And then there'll be a couple things where he's like, ‘Okay, I can definitely be better there.’”

The Journey Going From Their Home Fans Leaving Early to Forcing Ohio State’s Fans to Filter Out:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning celebrates with fans as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Well, I'll say this: Coach Day is an outstanding coach, and I said this to our team earlier. I showed like some of the press conferences from this week of them, and I said, ‘Guys, that was me. That was me two weeks ago. Like, you guys felt that in our building, and it's hard, really, to overcome because what you do in those moments, you just try harder and harder and harder to fix things, and you can't fix everything.’”

“I think that's one thing that we were able to settle back in because he does a really good job. His teams are always hard to beat. We were on the other end of a butt-whooping like this at the Rose Bowl, and I mean that certainly resonated with me.”

“So, I know how good of a job they do, and I know it's hard when you change what you think you're going to be throughout the year, and somebody gets injured. It takes a while to kind of figure that out. In college football, you just don't have time to do that. We had some learning pains went through some growing pains ourselves, and figuring out, okay, how do we become the team that we want to be? And I feel like we saw glimpses of that tonight.”

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google