After witnessing a “disgusting play” that left his quarterback injured during Saturday night’s game at the Coliseum, Oregon coach Dan Lanning had some pointed remarks to share.
Lanning took the opportunity to poke fun at USC’s fans and its football culture after his team improved to 3-0 against the Trojans and their coach, Lincoln Riley.
“Three wins against these guys,” he said, seemingly out of nowhere, after his team’s 41-27 victory. “So, if you’re into winning football games and you’re from this area, you might want to check out Oregon.”
“And if you prefer going to a Chris Brown concert, this is your spot.”
His comments weren’t entirely off-base, given that Brown had performed at a nearby venue the night before.
The Ducks and Trojans have clashed frequently over recruiting, with USC managing to secure some recent top recruits, including the highly-rated Class of 2026.
Lanning didn’t stop there; he took a jab at the sellout crowd of 75,500, which was a season high for the Trojans after they’d been criticized for low turnout in earlier games.
“I’ve watched three of their televised games,” Lanning noted, “and I haven’t seen a packed house yet, but we showed up tonight, and it was full. So I guess when the Ducks come to town, that’s how you fill the Coliseum.”
In the closing moments of the game, it was mostly Ducks fans who were loud, particularly as backup quarterback Dylan Raiola dazzled after taking over for Dante Moore.
Moore, however, had to leave the field in an ambulance before halftime after a hit that involved a Trojans linebacker, Desman Stephens II, who struck him with a forearm to the head while he was sliding.
Stephens was penalized for targeting and ejected, which led to a tense situation on the field with players and coaches coming close to a confrontation.
“It’s a disgusting play,” Lanning commented. “Such things shouldn’t happen, and it’s disappointing to see.”
He mentioned that Moore was showing some signs of recovery but refrained from discussing whether Stephens should face additional consequences.
“I’ll leave that to our conference and let Coach Riley determine what to do with his team. I mean, there are rules to address situations like this.”
