Dan Lanning Addresses Jeremiah McClellan's Absence Amid Injury Concerns

The No. 21 Oregon Ducks secured a historic 84-0 win at Autzen Stadium over the Portland State Vikings to bounce back from a Week 2 loss. The Ducks saw 12 touchdowns from 10 different players, while setting the largest margin of victory in Autzen Stadium history.

While it was an uplifting showing on multiple fronts, Oregon fans did experience concern in the injury department. With players like tight end Jamari Johnson already dealing with injuries, receiver Jeremiah McClellan joined the list of players missing in action.

Oregon wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan walks on the field in a boot as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

McClellan was seen wearing street clothes and a boot on the sidelines with crutches. After the win, coach Dan Lanning revealed that McClellan sustained a knock in pregame.

“Yeah, you know, got tweaked in pregame,” Lanning said. “Have to get an evaluation to see what exactly what that looks like. I don't know right now at this moment.”

Lanning also dove into the overall performance of his team, including the freshmen, during his postgame press conference.

Everything Dan Lanning Said

oregon ducks portland state vikings autzen stadium big ten dan lanning dante moore dylan raiola drew mehringer — Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning | Darby Winter

Opening Statement:

“They're outstanding, unbelievable as always. Obviously, the result of this game is somewhat to be expected. We have a better team, and no disrespect for Portland State, but that's what that's the way it should look like when you execute the way we're supposed to execute.”

“And against that team, I think we scored on every drive, excluding one on offense. I think we got to stop on every drive on defense. Ultimately, still some things to clean up. We had two penalties in the first half, and you come out in the second half.”

“We had penalties again that showed up that could have hurt us in a real competitive situation. Obviously, that wasn't the case tonight, but ultimately, there was some good response.”

“There could be some good film to coach off of, and then we had a lot of young guys who were able to get in there and contribute and get kind of get wet out there and experience what it's like to play in a football game in front of an unbelievable crowd and some amazing fans.”

Shaking Off the Loss With a Big Result:

“Yeah, I mean, I'm glad that we were able to hop out on the field on a Friday. You know, stress doesn't disappear, pressure doesn't disappear, but you create that again with expectations and what we want to be able to do.”

“I think you saw examples of how we're able to execute at times, and then also this isn't completely a measure of the games that we're going to have to face and what we're going to have to do in the future with the teams that we'll face.”

Mood in the Locker Room With a Big Game Next:

“Well, they enjoyed this win, but eyes sat and hungry for what's next and what's in front of us. Obviously, got a really competitive USC team that's got talent across the board, and we've always had good battles with them in the past. So, I know our guys are anxious to get to work and start attacking on them.”

Advantage of Playing the Young Guys in the Second Half:

Oregon tight end Kendre Harrison, right, dives over Portland State safety Dionte West for a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“One, it creates an unbelievable experience for players to see how they operate in a game mode. You know, sequence of calls, operation, the whole nine yards, what they're capable of. One, it allows you to make sure the guys are able to be healthy as you continue throughout the year and create depth and experience.”

If It Was Clear From the Sideline They Executed At a Higher Level:

“Yeah, that's the measuring stick, right? And I think there was moments where I saw in the first half we didn't line up in the right formation at times, where our eyes were in the wrong spot on defense. But as a whole, I'd say it was a much higher percentage of guys doing the right thing consistently in this.”

“And then obviously the matchup was also a benefit as well. So, when you have a better player across from a player that's not at that same level, you're going to be able to win that matchup. But are you doing the right thing? And I saw our guys do that at a higher clip, but I want to go evaluate the film to make sure what I saw is true.”

Better Preparation and Leadership This Week:

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning cheers on his team as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean it's easy to be a leader when you're comfortable, right? And the score looks like it does, but I do think the preparation was better this week. I thought guys, you know, stepped up to the table. I thought there was a standard that was established and set. It's got to carry over now for us. It's got to be something that leads to future success.”

Seeing Players Score Their First Career Touchdowns:

“Some of your favorite moments are seeing guys that don't get recognized day in and day out that you see work their tail off day in and day out, go out there and execute plays. You know, in games like this, Brady Bidwell getting that touchdown was a huge moment for everybody on our sideline, right?”

“Because of how hard he works, what he's done, obviously what his dad means to this program, and the fact that it wasn't just an easy catch either. The fact that he got clobber-knocked right when he caught it, that's pretty awesome to be a part of that moment and to see the sideline get to be a part of that. There's a lot of moments like this in this game.”

“Cole going down and making the tackle on kickoff. You know, we've talked about moments like that a lot, to see that show up in a game. That's a special moment to create. So, all of our players, it's fun when players get to enjoy the success of their teammates out there on the field.”

Receiver Messiah Hampton’s Last Two Games:

Oregon offensive lineman Ziyare Addison, left, celebrates a touchdown by Oregon wide receiver Messiah Hampton as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, Messiah. Yeah, he's done a good job. Again, we went in last week, was able to execute his job at a high level. He's done it consistently through practice. I still think there's some things for him to be able to clean up, but he's proven that he can play winning football for us.”

“Does the job. He's becoming a guy that the quarterbacks trusts. He's going to be where he needs to be, and then works really hard to block on the perimeter as well, so he can play winning football.”

Hitting $550,000 for the Sam Day Foundation:

“Just really through text messages with Lorna. It's pretty awesome to be able to raise that amount of money for such an unbelievable foundation. I'm glad you brought that up. I got to visit with a buddy, Ollie, this morning that's gone back, and this is one of the strongest people I know.”

“But he has cancer again. He's gone back for treatment. So got to visit with him this morning, and he was hoping for a Ducks win today, so I'm glad we were able to get that done. I told him, ‘Hey, we're gonna go win on the field. You will win today,’ while he's getting treatment in Seattle.”

“So, but yeah, to raise money for an unbelievable cause, a lot of things weren't great about last weekend. That was something that was really great and really special to be able to do something special and create a cool moment there. Exhilarating to know that we raised $500,000 for the Sam Day Foundation.”

If They Made Progress in the Run Game:

“Yeah, I don't know if it's a fair measuring stick again based on what we were running against and what it looked like, but I did like some of the creativity that I was able to see from a scheme, and then the execution.”

“I got to see the plays that we ran tonight were the same plays we ran consistently throughout practice, multiple times at a high level. You know, and so when you see that, that's something you're satisfied to see.”

‘When you don't execute it well in practice and then expect it to be done well in a game, you shouldn't be surprised by the result. So, what showed up in practice really showed up in the game tonight.”

Assessment of Quarterback Dylan Raiola’s Performance:

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola hands off the ball to Oregon running back Da'jaun Riggs as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, looked good. You know, based on what I saw, going to go back and evaluate. There may have been one or two plays that could have had back, or even sometimes did the cadence work out the proper way, or did that create a penalty?”

“Some moments like that that we can evaluate. But I thought he threw the ball well. You know, I thought he put it in a position where wideouts could go attack it and make good decisions in the run game.”

Tight End Kendre Harrison’s Injury Status:

“No, I don't have an update right now.”

The Focus Level in This Games Preparing Them for Bigger Challenges:

“It was really focused on us, right? A lot of this week was spent on us. Some good on good preparation, some work that, regardless of who you're playing, this is somewhere we can improve. We attacked some of those moments.”

Improved Execution Between Dante Moore and the Receivers:

Sep 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up before a game against the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I need to go watch the film to be sure. I think there were certainly some moments of high level where guys were on the same page, and they knew where they were going to be at.”

“I also think there's some moments where we probably completed a ball that's going to be harder to complete or it's going to have to be in a tighter window in the future, right? So, I think we should go back and assess those.”

“But I thought again, when you score every single drive, that means you're operating at a pretty high level. There's going to be some things that can be cleaner, though, for sure.”

Turning to So Many Different Players on Offense:

“Yeah, just you have to see if that's something you're able to do continually throughout the season. But every season we've been here, you're going to end up leaning on somebody that showed up in the game tonight that maybe didn't have a huge role at the beginning of the season.”

“So nights like tonight are great for having an opportunity to see what it's what that's going to look like and building trust.”

Big Area of Focus Before USC:

“Yeah, nothing that I’d share.”

Safety Jett Washington’s Performance:

Sep 18, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Jett Washington (24) celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half against the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, Jett's been able to do a lot of that in practice for us as well. I know he wishes he probably had that first missed tackle back right at the beginning. But for him to go come back and make some big plays there, and a lot of those plays again based off the way his teammates around him played, too.”

“Right, tips and overthrows, the opportunity to take advantage of a tip ball. But Jett's going to be a really good player for us, and he continues to grow. He has a great attitude every single day, continues to work, and continues to attack. So, I was glad to see him go take advantage of that opportunity.”

Navigating Branding in College Football:

“I don't put a ton of thought into it, to be honest. This is a great place to stick your brand, though. If anybody wants to give us some money, we'll take it.”

Offensive Lineman Tommy Tofi’s Development:

“Yeah, continuing to grow, right? I know Tommy's going to be a great player for us. You know, he's what we thought he would be whenever he came here. We're very excited about him. But you know, college football is different. He's learned that.”

“He learned that some last week. He's learned it in the early weeks, and he's continued to learn it. But he's going to be a great player here. I'm very excited about where Tommy's headed. Didn't get to watch him exclusively tonight and see exactly what he did, but excited to watch the film.”

The Importance of This Game for the Offense’s Confidence:

“It certainly doesn't hurt.”

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