Dan Lanning Delivers Blunt Critique of Oregon After JMU Victory
In the highest-scoring College Football Playoff game to date, No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 12 James Madison 51–34 at home in Eugene. While the Ducks jumped out to a commanding 34–6 halftime lead, they were outplayed after the break, getting outscored 28–17 in the second half. Still, their dominant start proved enough to secure the win.
With the victory, Oregon now turns its attention to the Capital One Orange Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal showdown against No. 4 Texas Tech on Jan. 1. Both programs enter the matchup with identical 12–1 records and a spot in the CFP semifinals on the line.
Despite earning the program’s first CFP win since Jan. 1, 2015, head coach Dan Lanning made it clear he was far from pleased with the overall performance.
“We didn’t play our best football,” Lanning said after the game. “We gave the ball away too many times and didn’t play well defensively. It really was two different halves. We were strong early, but the second half wasn’t good enough. We’re capable of much more.”
Offense dominated throughout the contest, with both teams surpassing 500 total yards. Oregon finished with 514 yards, narrowly edging James Madison’s 509. The Dukes actually won the turnover margin 2–0 and recorded more first downs, making the box score suggest a much closer game than the final result. Even so, JMU fell short of becoming the first Group of Five team to pull off a CFP upset.
When asked what the Ducks will emphasize heading into the Orange Bowl, Lanning kept it simple.
“Improvement,” he said. “That’s it. We’ve earned another opportunity, and now we need to get better.”
Oregon and Texas Tech previously faced off on Sept. 9, 2023, when the Ducks escaped Lubbock with a 38–30 win behind a standout performance from quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns.
This time around, Oregon will be counting on a similar showing from quarterback Dante Moore. Moore threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns against James Madison, but his two interceptions both led directly to scores for the Dukes.
The Capital One Orange Bowl is set for a noon ET kickoff on Jan. 1.
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