Oregon football receives a favorable matchup to start the 2025 season. Except Dan Lanning sees a “tough” aspect about Montana State.
Saturday's matchup in Eugene pits a power conference monster against a Football Championship Subdivision foe. Yet the Bobcats have created a proud program that hasn't lost more than four games each season this decade. Plus breezed to a 15-1 mark that ended with a national title game loss to North Dakota State.
So what's the “tough” aspect MSU presents inside Autzen Stadium? Lanning dove into it during his Monday presser.
“I think they present a lot of different pictures that are tough,” Lanning began. “Their guys play with some physicality. I mean, they have some guys returning up front that have been good players for him on the offensive line, but they're really good at creating hats in the run game.”
Oregon's Dan Lanning respects championship vibe Montana State created
Lanning and the Ducks are overwhelming favorites here. Oregon is a 32.5-point favorite to beat the Bobcats per Vegas Insider and FanDuel.
The Big Ten champion head coach doesn't see a massive underdog, though. He respects the title-chasing culture installed by head coach Brent Vigen.
“Obviously, they've competed for championships, and when you watch their team play, you see why they've been so successful, right?” Lanning said. “[They] do a really good job disguising coverages on defense, playing with relentless effort. They have some, some guys have had a lot of success, a little bit of continuity. They're good rushers, but some guys that can play football on that side of the ball on offense also have a lot of talent.”
Montana State will hit Oregon with its vaunted Pro Spread offense. The FCS power will attempt to become run-heavy to wear down Oregon.
Lanning, meanwhile, raved about his Oregon RB room. They'll aim to set a tone on the field. Oregon also features prized five-star freshman Dakorien Moore making his CFB debut. Quarterback Dante Moore is another getting his first chance to hear the Ducks fans in coming over from UCLA. Moore will likely see a barrage of stunts and blitzes featuring Cover 2 looks.
