Eugene, 16 September (Patrika English News): Oregon head coach Dan Lanning took a lighthearted jab at Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy on Monday, weeks after the Ducks’ emphatic 69-3 victory over the Cowboys.
Appearing on Wake Up Barstool, Lanning addressed Gundy’s earlier remarks about Oregon’s NIL spending. “His numbers were off, Brandon, it was more like $100 million we spent last year. No, it wasn’t, but his numbers were off,” Lanning joked with host Brandon Walker.
Gundy had previously claimed Oregon spent “close to $40 million last year alone,” suggesting the Ducks would need “a lot of money” to retain quarterback Dante Moore and arguing they should face nonconference opponents with similar resources.
Lanning pushed back, emphasizing Oregon’s performance over financial talk. “We didn’t score in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t about running up the score — we were just trying to play good football, winning football, and our guys executed well that day,” he said.
The Ducks’ coach admitted that Gundy’s comments served as extra motivation: “It never requires extra motivation to go out and kick ass, but it never hurts when somebody pours gasoline on the fire.”
Lanning also praised players who chose Oregon for reasons beyond NIL, citing Bryce Boettcher: “He came here for a backpack and a t-shirt.”
After back-to-back wins — including a 34-14 Big Ten opener against Northwestern — Oregon now turns its attention to rival Oregon State before a road trip to Penn State.