Dan Lanning has turned Oregon into a team that doesn’t just survive non-conference tests - it usually handles them with force. The Ducks’ only non-conference loss under Lanning came against Georgia in his first game in charge, a 49-3 thumping in Atlanta to open the 2022 season. Since then, Oregon has stacked up a strong run of wins outside the conference, and with Boise State coming to Autzen Stadium on Sept. 5, it’s a good time to revisit some of the biggest ones.
Lanning’s overall record in Eugene sits at 48-8, and a lot of that shine has come in these early-season matchups. One of the loudest statements came in 2025, when Oregon rolled past Oklahoma State 69-3 at Autzen Stadium in its second game of the season.
The Cowboys finished 2025 at 1-11, but a 66-point win over a Power Four opponent still landed like a hammer. In the Ducks’ win over Oklahoma State at Oklahoma State last September, quarterback Dante Moore was sharp in his second start, going 16-of-21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ducks and Cowboys are set to meet again in 2026, this time in Stillwater, and the source material points to a more dangerous Oklahoma State team this time around. Eric Morris, the former North Texas Mean Green coach, is now leading the program, and quarterback Drew Mestemaker is coming off a season in which he led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Even so, Oregon enters that matchup as an 18.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, which makes the 2026 meeting look like another possible early-season trap.
One of the best road wins of the Lanning era came in 2023, when Oregon went to Lubbock and beat Texas Tech 38-30 in a wild Week 2 showdown. Former quarterback Bo Nix carried the offense, throwing for 359 yards and two touchdowns on 32-of-44 passing. Former Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa put the finishing touch on it with a pick-six that sealed the victory.
That season had plenty of drama after the Texas Tech win, with Oregon falling twice to Washington and coming up just short of the College Football Playoff. Nix still finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist, alongside Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He ended the year second in the country in passing behind Penix, piling up 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Lanning’s first season also featured a sharp response to that opening loss to Georgia. Oregon bounced back with a 41-20 win over top-15 BYU at Autzen Stadium, and Nix once again played a central role, completing 13 of 18 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. That win helped set the tone for a 10-3 season that ended with a 28-27 Holiday Bowl victory over North Carolina.
Another standout came in 2024, when Oregon edged Boise State 37-34 in a Week 2 thriller at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks survived on a last-second field goal, and the game featured big-time performances from both sides.
Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty, one of the Heisman Trophy finalists in that matchup, rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel answered with 243 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks kept moving through a season that ended with a Big Ten title and an undefeated regular season before a 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Boise State also made the first 12-team CFP and later lost 31-14 to Penn State in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl. Now the Broncos return to open the season against Oregon, and the Ducks are listed as 24.5-point favorites by DraftKings Sportsbook. Whether that game delivers the same kind of fireworks as the 2024 classic remains to be seen.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Got Another Reason To Believe This Team Is Different
Oregon is heading into the 2026 season with a national spotlight it has earned, not inherited. The Ducks open at No. 2 in the AP poll and, according to ESPNs Top-100 college football players, they also have eight players on the list, more than any other FBS team. That kind of depth is usually what separates contenders from the pack, and it starts with quarterback Dante Moore sitting at No. 11, followed by defensive tackle AMauri Washington at No. 16 and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. at No. 24.
What makes the number even more striking is how much star power it hints at on both sides of the ball. Oregon is not leaning on one elite name to carry the burden, and that gives the Ducks a different kind of credibility as the season approaches. The rankings are only a snapshot, of course, but for a program trying to prove it can stay at the front of the sport, this is the sort of recognition that suggests the roster is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
Which Former Ducks Survived NFL Cuts And Who Didn't
NFL teams have trimmed down to their 53-man rosters for the 2026 season, and the latest round of cuts offered a familiar snapshot for Oregon fans tracking the league. The Ducks were well represented among the survivors, with quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Bo Nix both making their teams, while all seven Oregon players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft also stuck on rosters after the preseason.
Not every former Duck found a landing spot, though. DJ Johnson and Troy Hill were among the veterans who were cut, and former Oregon running back Noah Whittington was let go by the Houston Texans after signing as an undrafted free agent. The rookies who did make it out of camp have given Oregon supporters some early reasons to pay attention, especially linebacker Bryce Boettcher and safety Dillon Thieneman, whose preseason work helped them keep their places, even as the full picture of this years Ducks-in-the-NFL group continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Gabriels NFL Debut Just Hit A Frustrating Early Roadblock
Dillon Gabriels first NFL season has already been forced into an unexpected pause, with the Browns planning to open the year by placing the former Oregon quarterback on injured reserve because of a back injury he sustained in the preseason finale against New England. The move, finalized as Cleveland trimmed to its 53-player roster, means Gabriel will miss the first four games even after turning in a strong performance in that last preseason outing.
For Gabriel, the timing is especially frustrating because the injury arrived just as he was trying to finish camp on a high note and secure his place in Clevelands quarterback room. Rookie Taylen Green made the team as the third quarterback, leaving the Browns to navigate the early part of the season without Gabriel, who said the preseason brought plenty of challenges but also gave him encouragement from how he played before the setback. [Read more 🡒]