Oregon followers trying to find a shiny spot the morning after the Geese’ upset loss to unranked Oklahoma State could wish to keep away from the web. The Geese fell to 1-1 after shedding to a Cowboys program that had not overwhelmed an FBS opponent in 21 video games, and Oregon’s No. 6 AP High 25 Ballot rating is definite to tumble.
What went so fallacious for the Geese in Stillwater? Not a lot went proper, however one significantly uncharacteristic drawback has plagued Oregon via its first two video games: penalties.
Geese coach Dan Lanning’s groups have sometimes ranked among the many most disciplined within the nation however that can’t be stated about this Oregon staff via two video games. The Geese averaged round 5 penalties per sport in every of the final two seasons, however that quantity has jumped to eight.5 via the primary two video games of 2026.
The defeat marked Lanning’s first loss to an unranked opponent and Oregon’s first in opposition to an unranked staff since 2021. Here’s a nearer take a look at the Geese’ expensive penalties and what Lanning stated about the issue after the loss.
Dan Lanning On Expensive Penalties: ‘Onerous To Clarify’
After the Geese dedicated 10 penalties in a slender season-opening win over Boise State, Lanning acknowledged execution and self-discipline wanted to enhance.
Nevertheless most of the similar points adopted Oregon to Stillwater… and this time, the Geese didn’t escape with a victory. In a number of short-yardage conditions, penalties pushed the Geese again and erased any momentum that they had.
Oregon dedicated seven penalties for 66 yards in its beautiful 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State. The overall was not outrageous by itself, however a number of flags arrived at vital moments, leaving followers scratching their heads are preparedness and self-discipline.
“Yeah, it is onerous to elucidate. We have now to return and watch the movie to see precisely the place the lapses are. Once more, once you play a staff that is explosive like that, and we knew they had been going to go quick and create one-on-ones, we have now to go see who was executing and who wasn’t,” Lanning stated.
“We’ll return and watch that movie and discover the fellows who’re ready to try this at a excessive degree for us. In some methods, I believed we had been higher from a penalty standpoint. It is a loud setting. The objective is to take the setting out of it. We did not take the setting out of it due to the way in which we performed the sport. And that created a few of the penalties that existed,” Lanning stated.
Essential Face Masks Penalty
Arguably the largest penalty got here after Oregon had taken its first lead of the sport.
The Geese led 31-30 after a 38-yard landing go from quarterback Dante Moore to receiver Evan Stewart early within the fourth quarter. Optimism crept in that the Geese may be capable to sneak out of Stillwater with a very-ugly win.
Oklahoma State responded by driving to Oregon’s 45-yard line, the place the Cowboys confronted fourth-and-4. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker’s go fell incomplete and the Geese would have gotten the ball again with a one-point lead. As a substitute, Geese sophomore Brandon Finney was penalized 15 yards for a facemask.
The automated first down saved Oklahoma State’s drive alive and 6 performs later, Mestemaker rushed for a 10-yard landing, flying via the air into the tip zone in what may make a top-10 SportsCenter play, to place Oklahoma again in entrance, which finally sealed their win.
The facemask penalty induced some controversy as there was not a assessment and the printed didn’t present any replays. It was not clear to Geese followers that the decision was something however a “make up name” from a earlier facemask penalty that will have been missed. Lanning introduced that decision up as one which value the Geese in an enormous approach.
“I do know we had a facemask on the fourth down,” Lanning stated. “I’m positive in the event that they known as it, I’m positive it was proper. However there are moments in there the place it’s like, man, there have been some actual alternatives to get off the sphere or keep on the sphere that basically value us.”
Oregon additionally dedicated two delay-of-game penalties on the subsequent possession, bringing to gentle the shortage of fresh operation that troubled the Geese in Oklahoma.
The penalties had been hardly Oregon’s solely concern, however 17 penalties in two nonconference video games is tough to miss as a troubling pattern. The Geese had been outgained 554-281, transformed 0-3 on fourth-down makes an attempt and allowed Oklahoma State to manage possession for practically 37 minutes.
In an eight-point defeat, the flags put a magnifying glass on each different mistake within the upset. For the second straight week, Lanning was left answering questions on Oregon’s self-discipline. The distinction this time was that the Geese didn’t have a victory to melt the priority. As a substitute, “Shout!” performed over the audio system in Boone Pickens Stadium as Cowboys followers stormed the sphere.
It’s a lengthy season that’s removed from over however now, Oregon faces urgency to reset earlier than Massive Ten Convention play begins. With a brief week of preparation, the Geese host Portland State at Autzen Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 18.
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