Dan Lanning Gets A Little Testy When Asked About Backup Quarterback Brock Thomas

EUGENE – The No. 6 Oregon Ducks gave a sluggish offensive performance against the Wisconsin Badgers, but still came away with a 21-7 victory.

The Ducks’ defense limited the Badgers to one touchdown, but on the offensive side of the field, starting quarterback Dante Moore suffered a hard hit to the face, and Moore was in the medical tent for much of the third quarter. Backup Brock Thomas got an extended run at quarterback.

Coach Dan Lanning addressed Moore’s injury, as well as Brock Thomas’ performance as the backup quarterback after the win. Lanning was a little testy when questioned about why Thomas has earned the backup role.

What Lanning Said

oregon ducks dan lanning wisconsin badgers dante moore brock thomas jordon davison injury gernorris wilson quarterback — Oct 25, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning encourages players during warm ups before a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are wearing uniforms celebrating the Grateful Dead. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Opening Statement:

“Little bit of a fun environment. Different game than I thought. Our fans were unbelievable. Ty Burrell kicking us off with ‘Shout’ there in the third quarter was pretty awesome, something you couldn't ignore. And it became really apparent early in this game what kind of game was going to be, and we had to figure out a way that we could run the ball effectively," Lanning said.

“I think after that 99-yard drive, we really saw that. You know, our guys take that by the horns and find a way to be able to attack that's a good defense. When it comes to trying to rush the ball against them, it's really difficult. And this became that kind of game. We had some really unselfish play from our players."

“I thought they were engaged the entire game. It was really clear that it'd be hard to be able to throw in some of those conditions. Saw some guys step up when their number was called. Dante got dinged. Think he's going to be in great shape. Was probably in a position he could have gone in," he continued.

“For Brock to come in and perform the way he did, really excited for him to be able to do that. I know the players are really proud of him. To start so poorly on third down offensively and then turn around and finish so strong in the second half, taking advantage of third-down opportunities was big."

“And then defense played lights out today. They did a really good job of controlling Wisconsin, excluding that last score by them. I thought we had some dynamic plays and special teams and certainly some stuff we got to clean up," Lanning said.

“So, the nine penalties is troublesome. We gotta be better there, you know. And there were some penalties on some big plays that could have been difference makers for us. But outside of that, I'm proud of how our players played in the tough environment in a tough situation, and able to just take advantage, every opportunity in front of them.”

Quarterback Brock Thomas’ Performance:

“The way he performed, I guess he went four for four. He handled some tough snaps. It's tough in a game like that. The ball is obviously wet. It's raining, but to be able to get us in some of those checks, he made some tough runs. Thought Brock did everything that we asked him to do in those moments.”

When Thomas Showed He’s Capable:

“Just shows up in practice every day, and we got a lot of quarterbacks that are playing a really high level, but he's been very consistent. He understands the offense. He's been a part of it for a long time. He was a guy who was down there chopping us up on the scout team and earning his stripes, and he's worked really hard, and nobody's earned that more than Brock.”

Fans Worrying About The Backup Quarterback Situation:

“Like our backup quarterback went four for four tonight. We won the game. Like, they should go to our locker room and see them carry Brock Thomas up in the locker room after the game, like our players see it every day in practice,” Lanning said.

“When did Brock come in and not perform well for us this season? He's done what we've asked him to do every time he's come in. So people should stop worrying about it, and they should also know that those other quarterbacks are doing a really good job in practice too. But Brock’s playing well, guys. Watch the film.”

Dante Moore Injury Update:

“I think we could have pushed to get him back in, but he's gonna be good. Yeah, bloody nose. Got hit pretty good. And he looks like he's in great shape now.”

Running Back Jordon Davison’s Performance:

“He's playing well, right? He's playing well. You're going to make sure he gets opportunities in this game again. Set up for the type of physicality needed to run with. I thought he ran really well tonight.”

How Davison’s Finding Success:

“I think the most impressive thing about Jordon is how much he's able to handle. He's a really, really smart player. We do a lot formations, we have a lot of different plays for him to be able to execute those plays at a really high level. You know, when the call comes in, he's doing his job,” Lanning said.

“He's doing what he's asked to do, and that's difficult when you have as much volume as we have, and then to play it the way he plays it. He's a very selfless player. Never heard him ask for the ball once. He's just as excited to go block for his teammates. So, we have a lot of guys on our team like that, but Jordan certainly is showing those characteristics right now.”

Offensive Lineman Gernorris Wilson’s Touchdown Reception:

“We knew it was Gernorris or nothing, right? Brock was, he's either throwing that ball for a touchdown or he's throwing it away. So, we felt confident in his decision-making in that moment. It was something we felt like that was a look and a set that we didn't run the ball pretty effectively multiple times this year,” Lanning said.

“So, to be able to have some tendency breakers and play off of that was good. It's looked really good in practice. We ran that play for seven weeks, and now it showed up in a moment where we could use it.”

Thoughts On The Wilson Play:

“It's either him or no one. So, you want that ball to be in a place where it's not necessarily the easiest, one, to catch, but the conditions play a little bit different. But he was open, right? He's wide open, and he did a great job. a great job coming down with it. I've seen that dance in practice a million times, too. I was hoping he would wait to get to the sideline to do. It worked out.”

Deciding To Run The Ball:

“We felt like it was going to be that kind of game. And there was so critical with us being able to start off with the ball. Obviously, we didn't take advantage of the onside kick there to start the game, but to come out in the second half knowing we're gonna get the ball, that was really a big sequence,” Lanning said.

“To flip the middle eight and get 14 points. They're relatively quick at the end of half, and then the seven at the beginning of the second half, when the defense is playing well, you just realized points are critical, but it's okay to use the clock, and we use the clock. Well, today, played the brand of football that was necessary to win this game.”

Adjustments Since Last Season’s Wisconsin Game:

“Two different games. I have to watch the film to see what we adjusted to well. I did think that we struggled to run the ball in that game. We ran it 45 times tonight, right? We said we weren't gonna give up on the run, no matter what. We're just gonna figure out what runs we're gonna be effective. And it took all of them, right, for us to get there.”

Upholding The Team’s Standards:

“I have to watch the film and see what they took away. Like I said, I thought they played some good defense there. Early on, it took us a while to figure out what's going to be successful for us, but we missed some opportunities, I think, early in the game, just a little bit off, here and there. We'll certainly improve and go attack it. Gotta watch the film first.”

Aaron Flowers Being One Of The Captains:

“Just the work he puts in every single week. Aaron's a guy, if you talk about growth in our program, he's probably a guy that's growing more than anybody else. It was tough his first year, going through it, trying to figure out where's his role,” Lanning said.

“And he's just a guy that's worked, worked, worked, worked, and he's become a guy that we really trust, plays really physical at the point of attack, gets people lined up, does everything we ask them to do, and all that works really paying off. And Aaron's playing really good football for us.”

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If Having A Punter Like James Ferguson-Reynolds Gives Them More Offensive Freedom:

“I don't think so. No, I mean, we trust our punter, right? But it doesn't make you call the offense different, knowing that the first gonna be able to go create a play for you on fourth down, necessarily, but he's playing extremely well,” Lanning said.

“I mean, like I said, there's a punting competition today for a little bit of flipping the field back and forth. A great job. Obviously connects on the on the punt fake, if we don't have the holding call too. He's made a lot of big plays for us this season, so we got ton of confidence in him. I don't think that makes us call the offense different, though.”

Adjusting To Weather Conditions:

“We had some bobble snaps. It's tough in that environment, but to be able to control the ball. And they really did a decent job as well, controlling the ball. We got it out a couple times. We just didn't finish with it. So hopefully, in those games, you hope the defense can create them, and offense can protect it. Our offense ultimately did.”

What Worked On The Final First Half Drive:

“I think it starts with how they took the field. We did a coming out period in Wednesday, in practice, so we put the ball to minus one. It's funny how those moments show up in the game. But the guys had a lot of confidence. They had juice and energy throughout and again, I think it was just a bunch of unselfish play throughout this game,” Lanning said.

“I talked about it. Every wide out in games like this, generally, kind of silently start saying, ‘I'm open, I'm open,’ but they don't realize how hard it is to throw. But for us to have some critical completions in that the ball security that showed up, I saw a conscientious effort from our players to cover the ball up,” Lanning continued.

“It was something we didn't feel great about in the Rutgers game. A couple other moments this season, they did a really good job of protecting it, and then just continue to chug forward. And then somewhere in that series, you kind of go from let's go score quick mode to let's eat up as much clock as we can, to not leave the opponent a lot of time. And we were able to do that.”

The Grateful Ducks Experience:

“The gear was awesome. I had the officials coming up to me asking about the swag, so I guess that's a good deal. But yeah, overall, was a cool experience. It introduced me to some music that I didn't realize that I knew,” Lanning said.

“So, I'm a little more caught up on the Grateful Dead now. But pretty cool. This is just a good example of how unique Oregon is, and their ability to connect in so many different ways. And this is a place that does stuff that nobody else does, and we'll continue to do stuff that nobody else does.”