7 major takeaways from Oregon Ducks’ incredible 2OT win over Penn State in Happy Valley

The biggest question surrounding the Oregon Ducks through the first four weeks of the regular season had to do with how good they were. With dominant, blowout victories over inferior opponents, it was clear that the Ducks were talented, but how would Oregon stand up against the best of the best? Moreover, how would they perform in a road environment against one of those dominant teams?

Saturday night provided the answer, and for Dan Lanning’s squad, it was nothing but positive.

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The No. 5 Ducks stunned the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley, going to double-overtime in an instant classic that will go down as one of the best college football games of the year, and one of the biggest wins in Oregon history. It is Lanning’s first win against an AP top-five team on the road in his career, and a win that set the Ducks on the inside track to get back to the Big Ten Conference Championship and hold a spot in the College Football Playoff once again.

The game featured ups and downs, a dominant defense, an offense that found a way, and some poise from a young team that did not blink in front of a crowd of 111,015 in Beaver Stadium. It was as impressive a win as we’ve seen in the Dan Lanning era, and one that Duck fans will remember for quite some time.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the night:

Death By A Thousand Cuts

Dan Lanning always has a message for his team going into a game. Whether it’s being “the bull” against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Week 2, or creating their own juice against Northwestern, Lanning has proven to be a master motivator at Oregon.

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This week, he message was simple: Beating Penn State wasn’t going to be done with one knock-out punch, but rather a series of tiny cuts given throughout the night, until a final haymaker was landed.

We saw that play out in real time. The Ducks didn’t have explosive plays; only two rushes went for over 20 yards, and four pass plays totalled more than 20 yards. Instead, it was a methodical game plan on offense where the Ducks routinely had third-and-manageable, and then fourth and short. And they consistently went for it, converting five of their seven 4th down conversions.

Cut, after cut, after cut.

One of those cuts came on a 4th and one play in the fourth quarter, where true freshman RB Jordon Davison took the ball eight yards to the house. The camera found Lanning on the sideline making a throat-slashing motion to his team, seemingly signalling that the game was over. He would later explain, after the game, that it was instead a gesture that they had cut Penn State again.

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Despite the Nittany Lions clawing back and forcing overtime after 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, the Ducks continued to find ways to hurt their opponent. Ultimately, Lanning said they hit the jugular with the Dillon Thieneman interception in the second overtime period.

Game over. Fight over.

It wasn’t done in one fell swoop, but rather a culmination of a thousand cuts that left the opponent on the mat. A masterful game plan.

Defense, Take a Bow

There were very few questions about Oregon’s offense coming into this game. With an average of 50 points scored per game and a long list of elite skill-position players led by Dante Moore, the Ducks were expected to be able to put up points on Penn State’s vaunted defense. The Ducks’ defense, however, was in for a test against Penn State’s rushing attack, led by Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton — the best rushing duo in the nation.

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They passed that test with flying colors.

The Nittany Lions rushed for just 139 yards on the night, 92 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime. The game plan was to make Penn State QB Drew Allar beat you with his arm, and Oregon did a good job of forcing him into those situations. All credit to Allar, who played a solid game and made some timely throws, but ultimately, the defense was able to step up and take over this game. Penn State had just 276 total yards on the day, and went 6-for-15 on third down.

It was a masterful day for Tosh Lupoi and his squad, one that deserves praise and credit from the Oregon fan base.

Dante Moore, Ladies and Gentlemen

If the biggest question on defense was about the ability to stop the run, then the question on offense was about Dante Moore’s ability to handle the pressure of playing in front of 111,000 people and deliver when the lights got bright.

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Again, he aced it.

Moore was spectacular in this game. His numbers may not have been jaw-dropping — 29-for-39, 248 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT — but his ability to control the game, stay composed, and operate from start to finish, even when the pressure mounted, makes this undoubtedly the best game of his career.

It wasn’t only Moore’s arm that was impressive, but his ability to get out into space and run was one of the most impactful things in the game. Moore finished the game with 10 rushes for 35 yards, which, again, doesn’t scream dominance, but when you consider that a majority of those keepers resulted in big conversions of third or fourth down, it was invaluable. Talk about cuts to the defense.

Going into the weekend, Moore was garnering hype as one of the best QBs in the nation and a strong contender in the Heisman Trophy race. After the game, he now leads the Heisman race, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and appears to hold the crown as the top QB in the nation. Ultimately, Dan Lanning said it best after the game.

Those 4th Down Conversions

We’ve always known that Dan Lanning is a bit of a daredevil. He’s not one to play things conservatively and punt it when there is a chance to be aggressive. If you give him the choice between playing it safe or going for the kill, anyone who has watched him throughout his career knows that the decision will be long before it plays out on the field.

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That was clearly the mentality going into this game, and it ultimately proved to be the difference. Oregon went for it on fourth down a total of seven times throughout the game, converting five of them. What helped that aggressiveness was the fact that the Ducks were rarely faced with a big decision or a big distance to gain on the crucial down. Whether that was part of the game plan or just a coincidence is something only the coaches know, but throughout the game, Oregon seemed comfortable playing for fourth down, as long as it was only a yard or two to gain. When you can comfortably know that you have a good chance to pick that up, it opens the playbook and the game plan. On Saturday, it worked out.

Bear Alexander, Hello!

There are a lot of players who deserve credit on Oregon’s defensive line, but Bear Alexander is one who really stood out. The USC transfer has been steadily improving throughout the season, and on Saturday, he had the best game of his career. The stat sheet will say that he had five tackles and one tackle for loss, but his impact was far greater. Throughout the game, Alexander found himself eating up double teams and making his way into the backfield to apply pressure and destroy running lanes.

For a player who has transferred a couple of times in his career and struggled to find the right fit, it appears that Alexander is finally finding a home in Eugene. He’s playing up to his potential and seemingly improving every week. If this continues, he could be in for a massive year.

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Penn State, Nothing But Respect

If you followed me on Twitter throughout Saturday, then you’ve already gotten a preview of what I’m going to say here. If you didn’t, though, then let me just say this: Penn State is incredible. I’m not talking about just the football team, or the noise, or the stadium, or the white out; I mean all of it.

Oregon fans have it pretty great with Autzen Stadium. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it’s one of the best environments in all of college football. With that being said, I have never experienced anything like I did on Saturday in Happy Valley. The sheer size of the tailgating sprawl spans farther than the eye can see, and the beauty of the whiteout is not done justice on TV or through photographs. The stadium is massive, and the crowd engagement is electric. They just do things right, and it made for a spectacular show.

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The slogan at Beaver Stadium for a white-out is “The Greatest Show in College Sports.” I can confirm. I had high expectations for what this experience was going to be like going into the weekend, and it blew them out of the water. Yes, the ending of the game elevated things quite a bit, but even without that, this was spectacular. Credit to Penn State, their fans, and the hospitality they showed to opposing fans and visitors. I did not hear a single negative review from anyone throughout the weekend.

It’s special when a bucket-list activity lives up to the hype, and in this case, it surpassed it. 10/10, no notes. Pantheon experience.

The Football Gods Change Their Tune

I hesitate to write this, because I don’t want to look too far ahead and get myself into jinxing territory. Believe me, I really debated leaving this takeaway out. But ultimately, let’s go for it. As Scott Van Pelt says, “Think positive, it costs the same.”

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I felt a change of the tide on Saturday night. Not momentum of a game, not a score, not a turning point in the season. I felt what could have been a change of luck, a change of fate. For years, decades, the Ducks have been on the wrong side of some brutal breaks. In 2010, Dyer was down, but he wasn’t, and Oregon lost a national championship. In 2014, the Ducks lost one of their best receivers ahead of the championship game against Ohio State and dealt with injuries. In 2023, the introduction of a 12-team playoff would have set up Oregon for a run to the championship with Bo Nix. In 2024, the 12-team playoff — and some horrific seeding rules — were the reason that Oregon couldn’t make it to the championship game.

The list goes on. 50-50 balls always seem to bounce the other way, and the Ducks are still on the outside looking in when it comes to the championship circle.

On Saturday night, they didn’t win a championship, obviously, but the ball did bounce their way, and they got a fateful call. Noah Whittington, sniffing the endzone, went down, got up, fought for extra yards, and fumbled. The tides turned, and Oregon’s almost sure-handed scoring opportunity turned into a nightmare.

But then the football Gods intervened, and made it so the replay showed that a blade of grass, maybe missed in the mowing cycle, was long enough to touch Whittington’s knee, ruling him down. Call reversed, Oregon ball. The next play? Oregon touchdown.

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Maybe that’s too small an example, but it’s a moment in this season that I will remember, should things play out the way we think they can. This wasn’t a game that Oregon should have won, not after blowing a 14-point 4th-quarter lead and going to double overtime against that team in that environment.

Still, they did. Was it supernatural? Who’s to say? I made note of it, though, and will keep that moment in the back of my mind as we traverse through the rest of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 7 takeaways from Oregon Ducks’ 2OT win vs. Penn State in Happy Valley