Dan Lanning's Oregon is unabashedly aggressive. That attitude fueled dominance vs. Texas Tech
Oregon's offense will need to be better against Indiana, but if the Ducks lose, it won't be because they melt under the spotlight.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Oranges were flying everywhere.
First, quarterback Dante Moore and wide receiver Malik Benson made a couple of soft tosses from the stage to teammates gathered in front of the narrow platform as Oregon celebrated its Orange Bowl rout of Texas Tech on Saturday. Then the Ducks started launching citrus fruit left and right, with Benson heaving one toward the stands, trying to reach his little brothers.
“Obviously, you can see that’s why I don’t play quarterback,” Benson said.
The Ducks soaked in the sunshine, did snow angels in the green and yellow confetti piled on the turf and a few even stopped to sign autographs as they left the field at Hard Rock Stadium after suffocating the Red Raiders 23-0 to advance to the CFP semifinals. Next up is Atlanta and the Peach Bowl against Indiana. The goal is to return to Miami in about three weeks for the national title game.
🍊#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/K9yw9w0hb8
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) January 1, 2026
“This place is amazing. We want to be back, so we got to make sure that we handle business,” outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti said.
To do so, Oregon will need its offense to be a lot better than it was against a talented Texas Tech defense.
One thing is for sure, though: Dan Lanning’s team will never lack confidence. The coach’s unrelenting aggressiveness fuels these Ducks, and it showed Thursday. Oregon went 4-for-8 on fourth down, including a 1-yard touchdown run by Jordon Davison with 16 seconds left in regulation that put a fitting capper on a game the Ducks mostly controlled but couldn’t quite put away.
“I’m grateful that Coach Lanning is aggressive, man,” Tuioti said. “That he takes his shots. But we understand on defense, like, if it doesn’t go that way, man, we’re ready to put out the fire, and that’s what we do.”
Oregon’s dominant defense made it easier to take more chances on offense. The Ducks sacked Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton four times Thursday, with Tuioti recording two. Freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. intercepted Morton twice and Matayo Uiagalelei made probably the biggest play of the game, strip-sacking Morton in the third quarter to set up the Ducks at the Tech 6-yard line. The offense finally cashed in with a touchdown run on the next play by Jordon Davison.
Tuioti also caught a pass for the first time since high school on a play that showcased Lanning’s aggression. On a fourth-and-3 from the Oregon 43 early in the second quarter, punter James Ferguson-Reynolds executed a nice fake, completing a pass to Tuioti for 11 yards.
