Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning isn't afraid to sugarcoat anything, much less when it puts his team in a bad light.
After Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy attempted to claim the Cowboys "spend to win," while also trying to take it a step further by suggesting what Oregon's NIL budget looks like, Lanning clapped back on "Wake Up Barstool."
"His numbers were off, Brandon; it was more like $100 million we spent last year. No, it wasn’t, [but] his numbers were off,” Lanning said. “But look, in my position, you’re going to use any fuel you can to motivate your team, right? And sometimes you’re looking for it, and sometimes it just reveals itself. And we had an opportunity to do that."
The Ducks won the game 69-3, as Lanning opted to remain conservative in the fourth quarter with it already decided.
“We didn’t score in the fourth quarter," Lanning said. "You know, it wasn’t a situation where we’re just trying to run up the score. We’re trying to go play good football, winning football, and our guys executed well that day. So ultimately, it was, you know, it was a fun experience for us, but an opportunity to grow and get better.”
Lanning said his players responded well to Gundy's criticism, thus fueling their inner motivation to make a statement on national television.
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“I told our team right before the game that it never requires extra motivation for an opportunity to go out and kick ass, but it never hurts when somebody pours gasoline on the fire,” Lanning told reporters. “I felt like these guys wanted the chance to go prove who they are. I’ve got a lot of respect for coach Gundy, but at his press conference, he’s probably saying, ‘See, I told you so.’ That’s probably what his comment is."
The Ducks are off to a 3-0 start, handling business this past Saturday on Big Noon Kickoff against the Northwestern Wildcats, 34-14.
The Ducks host Oregon State this Saturday, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.