Oregon Ducks Blast Mike Gundy’s Comments Inside Autzen Stadium As Fans React

EUGENE – The No. 6 Oregon Ducks may have been the heavy favorites entering their week 2 matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but coach Mike Gundy’s comments earlier in the week further amped up the Autzen Stadium crowd.

The Ducks played Gundy’s pregame press conference quotes in front of the Oregon crowd on the video board in Autzen before the game... and safe to say it fueled up the crowd. Oklahoma State already had five false starts just one quarter and a half into the game.

What Mike Gundy Said

mike gundy dan lanning oregon ducks oklahoma state cowboys autzen stadium zane flores quarterback nil hauss hejny dante moore — Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy walks the sidelines in the second quarter during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State (OSU) and UT Martin in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gundy told the media earlier in the week that he didn’t think Autzen Stadium would impact quarterback Zane Flores’ play in his first collegiate start.

“I don’t know that it’ll affect him a whole lot,” Gundy said. “I would expect him to function just fine.”

While the Cowboys’ coach made comments on Monday about how his quarterback will play at Autzen Stadium, he made headlines speaking on the Ducks’ budget and the financial disparities between his team and coach Dan Lanning’s squad.

“They spend a lot of money,” Gundy said on the radio. “But they’re a good team. There’s no doubt about it. Our players, we talked about it today before practice, they’re excited about going out there and playing... I think Oregon spent close to $40 (million) last year alone. That was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million."

Later that day, Lanning responded at his pregame press conference.

"I've got a ton of respect for coach Gundy. Ultimately, how blessed are we to be in a place that is invested in winning? If you want to be a top 10 in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't," Lanning said.

"Ultimately, he's a great coach and they've done an unbelievable job, but I want to be a team that is competing at the highest level, and we're really fortunate to be in that situation,” Lanning continued. “I can't speak to their situation. I have no idea what they've got in their pockets over there. I'm sure UT-Martin maybe didn't have as much as them last week, and they played. So, we'll let it play out.”

Gundy went on to say that his comments were “taken out of context” and that he was being complimentary of Oregon and its name, image and likeness (NIL) commitment.

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Autzen Stadium’s Response

Autzen Stadium video board is playing Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s quotes about playing at Oregon… oh my#oregonfootball | @OregonDucks_SI pic.twitter.com/yJTjEIU9MM
— Ally Osborne (@allysosborne) September 6, 2025

Gundy and Lanning spent several minutes chatting at midfield prior to the game. As soon as Gundy appeared on the video board minutes later, the home crowd erupted into boos.

Oregon came into the game off a 59-13 blowout against the Montana State Bobcats in week 1. The Ducks were predicted to defeat the Cowboys by a large margin. Gundy’s comments only added fuel to the fire.

With the Autzen crowd behind it, Oregon scored two touchdowns in only its first three plays. Flores, meanwhile, completed one of his first five passes for 14 yards.

Flores stepped into a starting role after quarterback Hauss Hejny suffered an injury against UT Martin that requires surgery. Flores tallied 136 yards on 65 percent completion after filling in for Hejny last week, but hasn’t gotten off to a very hot start in Eugene as Oregon led 20-0 after the first quarter.

On fourth down, Ducks fans made sure Flores had a nice warm welcome to Eugene. The Ducks fans in Autzen Stadium are making their presence felt in the nonconference matchup.

Safe to say Oregon Ducks fans are welcoming Oklahoma State QB Zane Flores in his first career start. https://t.co/tE54U5YYdL #goducks pic.twitter.com/cfe0XZJnP5
— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) September 6, 2025