Oregon’s ugly trip to Stillwater didn’t just knock the Ducks down in the rankings. It also sparked a blunt critique from one of their own.
Former Oregon edge rusher Bryson Young made it clear he didn’t like what he saw in the Ducks’ 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State, and he didn’t stop at frustration. Young posted video of himself getting a midnight lift in response to the upset, then dug into the film and pointed to what he saw as a core problem in Oregon’s defensive execution.
“The defensive end should be responsible for the quarterback,” Young added. “It’s hard to watch and I hope they get it cleaned up.”
Young focused on one sequence against Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker, arguing that Oregon’s eye discipline broke down and opened the door for the quarterback to escape. He said the basic assignment, something taught in winter and spring workouts, was not handled the way it should have been.
“This game was insanely hard to watch. Off the bat, I always watch this defense,” Young said, before identifying that a basic defensive assisgnment that gets learned in the winter/spring months gets blown up by Mestemaker.
On the play Young highlighted, he said edge rusher Teitum Tuioti chased the running back and tried to shut down the dive look, but the quarterback lane was left vulnerable. From Young’s view, that’s exactly where Oregon has to be sharper against option looks and RPO-heavy attacks.
The criticism lands at a time when Oregon had reason to feel good about its edge group. Before the season, the Ducks brought back Matayo Uiagalelei and Tuioti, a pair that was widely regarded as one of the nation’s most dangerous defensive tandems. But the Oklahoma State loss showed how quickly offenses can target the edges when the contain isn’t there.
That issue is already shaping up as a live one for Oregon’s next stretch. Portland State may not bring much of a track record against the Ducks, but the Vikings will likely test the outside and see how Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton respond.
The challenge doesn’t stop there. USC comes to Eugene on Sept. 26, and the Trojans are built to attack on outside zone runs and with quick passing.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava is off to a strong start three games in, while King Miller and Waymond Jordan are giving USC a backfield that keeps growing. Add in underneath target and tight end Mark Bowman and freshman wideout Trent Mosley, and the Ducks are looking at another offense that can stress the edges.
After that, Oregon still has to deal with more firepower, including Ohio State with quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, plus UCLA under new coach Bob Chesney and quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
For now, edge contain is the issue staring Oregon in the face after Week 2, and Young is already making it plain that he’ll be watching closely to see whether the Ducks clean it up.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Oregon Win Looks Even Bigger After Lannings Admission
Oregons rocky start has made an early-season win over Oklahoma State look even more significant in hindsight, especially with Dan Lanning now acknowledging how much the Ducks have had to sort through since then. The preseason buzz around Oregon was enormous, but the on-field results have not matched it, and the Ducks have already been knocked down in the rankings after a close win and a loss.
Lanning put the responsibility on himself when he pointed to a lack of leadership as part of the reason the team stumbled out of the gate, while still expressing confidence in both the players and the coaching staff. For Oregon, the bigger question now is less about what the outside expectations were in the summer and more about how quickly the Ducks can settle into the kind of consistency that makes that Oklahoma State result feel like a foundation rather than a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duck Pushes Back As Dan Lanning Panic Starts Again
The chatter around Dan Lanning picked up again after Oregons loss to Oklahoma State, but one familiar voice moved quickly to temper the reaction. Former Ducks player and analyst Geoff Schwartz pushed back against the panic, pointing to Lannings overall success in Eugene and arguing that criticism should come with accountability, not a rush to judgment every time the Ducks stumble.
Lanning, for his part, did not dodge the issue after the game. He acknowledged mistakes in his postgame comments and made it clear Oregon has work to do as it moves forward. For a program with expectations as high as Oregons, the margin between concern and overreaction can get thin fast, which is why the next stretch will say plenty about whether this becomes a brief wobble or something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Debate Just Got Uncomfortable For Oregon Fans
Dante Moores first season with Oregon has already taken on an uneasy edge after a challenging start and a loss to Oklahoma State, and now the conversation around the quarterback has drifted well beyond the usual September noise. Moore entered the year with first-round draft buzz hanging over him after being projected that way last season, which only adds more weight to every shaky drive and every setback the Ducks take on offense.
NBC Sports analyst Joshua Perry stirred the pot on the Zack Gelb Show by floating a scenario no Oregon fan wants to hear: that Moore might fake an injury if the struggles continue in order to protect his NFL Draft stock. It is an uncomfortable debate because it puts Moores long-term future against his immediate obligation to keep playing, and it leaves Oregon with a storyline that can linger as long as the offense keeps searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]