MADISON, Wis. — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning praised his team’s resilience following a gritty 16-13 victory over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. In a game defined by physical play, key defensive stops, and a balanced approach down the stretch, Lanning commended his players for their ability to adapt and come through in critical moments.
“But the word you keep hearing is resilient,” Lanning opened. “I think that's what showed up tonight for our team. It didn't look the way that we scripted it, but I'm really proud of our guys down the stretch there, when it mattered, and being able to take advantage of the opportunity there from I thought they came and performed. We talk about the most physical teams got a chance to win this game. I thought we were the more physical team, certainly in the second half. We were able to establish a run where it mattered and win third down. That was going to be a big piece of this game. We were better on third down than they were. So we can open it up.”
Oregon led early, but a scrappy Wisconsin defense, particularly their standout secondary, kept the Ducks from taking full control. Dillon Gabriel went 22-for-31, throwing for 218 yards but failing to notch a touchdown. Despite moving the ball effectively in the opening half, Oregon settled for two field goals and found themselves trailing 10-6 at halftime.
Lanning addressed the turning point late in the game—a fourth-and-nine scramble by Gabriel, who connected with Terrance Ferguson to keep the drive alive. The Ducks ultimately took the lead with a late field goal by Camden Lewis.
“I don't know about risk overthinking,” Lanning said of the fourth-and-nine play. “We basically said, if we saw the look that we thought we liked, we would, we would run it and we didn't, and we would take a delay of game and punt. We were in the look that we liked, and then they actually checked out of that, you know, the look that we liked. But our guys did a good job executing the scramble drill. Let's credit to T Ferg, credit the offensive line and Dillon for taking advantage of that opportunity.”
The game also featured a unique moment in the third quarter during Wisconsin’s traditional “Jump Around” celebration. Lanning described the mindset behind the team’s participation: “We had a mindset when we entered that game what that song was going to mean for us, and what our reaction was going to be to it. Kind of like Pavlov's dog, right? When you hear that song, it means it's time to go. Didn't know what it would look like in that moment, but that, you know, that was what we were looking for from our team.”
When asked if that moment gave the team the extra energy to win, Lanning emphasized the full scope of the game: “There was a lot of moments stacked up in this game that were the difference, right? It's always about the next play for us. It came down to, you know, every single play mattered tonight. So I don't know if it was that moment, but, you know, I know I love that team that's in that locker room right there. I know they fought their ass off tonight for a tough, tough game against a Wisconsin team that came ready to play. They played some great D tonight and they stifled us. They held us back there, but for us to do just enough to win, you know, I'm really pleased with the guys in that room.”
With the Badgers leading 13-6 in the third quarter, Lanning made an aggressive call to fake a field goal. Though it ultimately came up short, Lanning stood by the decision: “That and knowing it'd be a long field for them, we felt like the look was there. I mean, they had three to the side. I think we got tripped up, and we're about a half yard short. You know, you could certainly take the points there within a touchdown still cost you and you'd lose. Now, obviously, a field goal ties it, but you know, we've been aggressive before. We were going to be aggressive in that moment.”
The Oregon defense responded in the fourth quarter with several key stops, holding Wisconsin to just four rushing yards in the final period. Lanning pointed to Matayo Uiagalelei’s late-game interception as a crucial turning point: “I think everybody's taking notice of what kind of player Matayo is. The entire front put on, you know, did a great job tonight. And Matayo certainly has shown the ability to be a great player for us. He gets better and better every single week, and he'd be the guy to tell you that it's about the people around him, it's about the coverage that existed on that play to create that. It's about the batted ball that was in the air that he took advantage of. So, you know, we didn't have any takeaways in this game until that play. And that one certainly was a big one.”
Uiagalelei’s interception sealed the victory for Oregon, capping a defensive effort that embodied the physicality Lanning preaches. Wisconsin managed just one conversion on 12 third-down attempts, a testament to the relentless Ducks defense.
“We can handle critical moments. We can handle when it's tough, you know, and at some point that experience is going to pay off for us. It certainly paid off for us tonight, you know, going through some of that before. It paid off tonight,” Lanning said, praising his team for their resilience.
Jordan James also played a pivotal role in the win, rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown. Lanning was quick to recognize his performance: “Yeah, proud of him. I think he broke 1,000 yards tonight. And again, we felt like coming out of half that we had to establish that run. And, you know, he had some great runs, you know, tonight. And there were some big holes up there. There were some wide outs out there on the perimeter, blocking the tail off. There was O lineman pushing piles. But Jordan ran hard tonight.”
Despite trailing in the second half, Oregon’s defense held firm, with players like Jamaree Caldwell stepping up in critical moments. “Yeah, he's doing good. In fact, he was laying down, he didn't realize we had interceptions, so I told him that. Fired him up. Obviously, you know, that was such a huge play by him, but I think he's doing good. Batted balls matter, right? Mattered in that moment. Really big play by him,” Lanning said.
The Ducks now head into their bye week with momentum, and Lanning intends to use the time to rest and regroup. “We play the schedule the way they give it to us, right? So they gave us a schedule. We get a bye now, haven't had one in the one in a long time. So we'll take advantage of that opportunity to take steps forward. There's definitely some growth moments coming from this game that we can build off of and capitalize and hopefully propel us into the last bit of the season.”
The victory in Madison gave Oregon an 8-0 record in their inaugural Big Ten campaign, solidifying their standing atop the conference. With a season filled with close calls, Lanning emphasized the importance of being able to win in tight situations. “We're a physical football team, right? And that's what we're gonna hang our hat on. Like, that's the part that's gonna matter the most at some point that's gonna pay off. And it paid off tonight. It's not always gonna be easy. I've been a part of, like, unbelievable teams that always had games that were close in moments. At some point in the season you're gonna have a tight game. This was a tight game tonight, but that physicality mattered, right? And our DNA trait showed up.”
Oregon will look to carry that physicality into the final stretch of the season, with eyes set firmly on a playoff run.
