What Urban Meyer Said About Oregon Ducks Offense Under Will Stein

Before the No. 6 Oregon Ducks defeated the Northwestern Wildcats on Sept. 13, FOX analyst and legendary college football coach Urban Meyer raved about Oregon's offense and the Ducks' ability to deceive opposing defenses.

Led by quarterback Dante Moore and offensive coordinator Will Stein, Oregon's offense is among the elite of college football to start the season. Moore is completing 78 percent of his passes while averaging over 10 yards gained per pass attempt.

On the ground, Oregon's younger running backs like Dierre Hill Jr., Jayden Limar, and Jordon Davison have proven themselves as impact players behind Noah Whittington, the Ducks' starter. However, the Ducks' depth is not what impresses Meyer the most.

What Urban Meyer Said About Oregon Ducks' Offense

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes former head coach Urban Meyer in attendance against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"So Oregon, right now is by far, in my opinion, the number one most difficult offense to defend. Why? Number one, great players down the field. Number two, schematically, they're great. Number three, they do something more than I can remember in recent history. They run something called deceptives, more trick plays. A deceptive is you show something and you do something much different," Meyer said on FOX's Big Noon Kickoff before the Oregon vs. Northwestern game.

"Whenever an offense, when we were game planning, I would always carry maybe two to three, think about this, two to three per week," Meyer said. "Against Oklahoma State, Oregon in the first 27 plays ran five deceptives."

The Ducks beat the Cowboys 69-3, and Oregon's offense scored two touchdowns on their first three plays of the game: a 59-yard touchdown rush by running back Noah Whittington and a 65-yard touchdown pass from Moore to freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore.

oregon ducks receiver dakorien moore | oregon ducks on si darby winter

"You're game planning during the week and coaches say, 'Let's run this trick play or deceptive.' I would always ask a coach, 'How expensive is it?" said Meyer.

MORE: Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Addresses Practice That 'Wasn't Up To Standard'

MORE: Isaiah World Reveals How He Went From No. 1 Transfer To Oregon Ducks Enforcer

MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear vs. Oregon State In Autzen Stadium

"And here's what I mean by expensive. Number one is it cheap, is that easy? It's low risk, it's minimal players involved, like a quarterback and receiver. Then you have medium. That's like a reverse, where it takes about a week to get that thing ready and it's a medium risk medium preparation. But then there is the expensive. That usually takes a couple months to get ready, and that's high risk, but it's also high reward. They (Oregon Ducks) run them all," Meyer continued.

Stein has led successful units in the past with veteran quarterbacks like Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, but many had questions about the Ducks with Moore leading Stein's offense. Through three games, Oregon seemingly hasn't missed a beat. On the other hand, the Ducks have yet to play any contests in which they weren't favored by double-digit points.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore Will Stein Urban Meyer Dakorien Moore Kenyon Sadiq Oklahoma State Northwester — Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Oregon's offense hold up against Big Ten defenses like Penn State, Indiana, and Iowa?

Meyer highlighted Stein's abilities to get his playmakers in space whether it be traditional wide receiver screens or a double-reverse into a screen pass to Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq.