Oregon
5 major takeaways from Oregon Ducks’ 51-34 CFP win over James Madison
Ignore the scoreboard. Ignore the stat sheet. Ignore the litany of things that Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi, and Will Stein said after the game.
This was an ass-kicking by the Oregon Ducks, who beat the James Madison Dukes 51-34 on Saturday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Anyone who tuned in could see that. It doesn’t take advanced stats or high football IQ to see that the Ducks were the better, more talented team, and for the better part of 60 minutes, they did what they wanted to on the field.
Sure, giving up 34 points and over 500 yards of offense to a Group of Six team may not qualify as “championship-level” football to Lanning and his staff. However, if you’re going to mention what Oregon gave up, you have to also mention that those numbers were achieved by the Dukes late in the third and fourth quarter, when Oregon had literal fourth-string guys out there on the field.
Regardless, the standard is the standard in Eugene, and that wasn’t met for half of the game on Saturday. Ultimately, though, the Ducks won and will now move on to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the quarterfinals of the CFP. Before we preview that game, though, let’s further dive into this one and see what we can take away from the blowout.
A Pissed Off Dan Lanning
If you want to look at things in a positive manner — which Oregon fans often do not, for some reason — then the result on Saturday night is just about as perfect as you could ask for. The Ducks destroyed their first-round opponent with a zero-stress game from start to finish, knocked whatever rust there may have been off, and left with a pissed off head coach who will be demanding better from his players for the next 10 days leading up to the quarterfinal matchup vs. the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Sounds pretty great when you put it that way, doesn’t it?
There were a lot of positives to take away from the day, but ultimately, it’s the way that Oregon finished that left Lanning calling this game “bigger sweet” after the game.
“The second half, as a team, we didn’t play the way we needed to be able to play,” Lanning said. “You’re going to find moments like that when you have a big lead to be able to choke somebody out. We didn’t do that.”
While the Ducks didn’t choke JMU out, and instead gave up a 99-yard touchdown drive late in the 4th quarter that allowed the Dukes to cover the 21.5-point spread, it was still a convincing enough win to give Oregon hope for the remainder of the CFP. When the starters were on the field, and the Ducks were clicking, they looked as good as any team we’ve seen in the nation this year, and one that can give a great game to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl.
Couple that with a pissed off Dan Lanning who wants more, and you might have a perfect storm brewing in Eugene.
No Rust to be Found
Coming into this game, there was a question about how the Ducks would deal with the rust that likely built up during the three weeks since their last game in the end of November. A year ago, during Oregon’s 25 days off between the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl, we saw Oregon lose a step, which proved fatal against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
If there was any rust that accumulated this year, it was not noticeable against James Madison.
The Ducks’ offense was a freight train early in this game, scoring on average a touchdown every four plays, and displaying an efficiency that we haven’t seen since the Chip Kelly era of Oregon football. At one point late in the second quarter, the Ducks had 34 points on 21 plays, with an average of 16.6 yards per play, 15.0 yards per carry, and 19.9 yards per completion. A few plays later in the third quarter, they took it up another level.
I thought we might see a drive or two stall out in the first quarter of this game because of the rust, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, Oregon became the first team in CFP history to have five different players score five touchdowns on the first five drives of the game.
Rust wasn’t a factor here, to say the least. It will be interesting to see if Texas Tech can say the same thing 10 days from now.
Oregon’s WR Duo
Oregon’s WR health has been in question all year long, but on Saturday night, they finally got good news on that front. Both Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. — Oregon’s two leading WRs who have been out since the beginning of November with injuries — suited up and got into the game for the Ducks. Of course, neither had a massive impact — Moore had one catch for five yards, while Bryant didn’t record any stats — but it was a great opportunity for both to knock some rust off and get back into the game before the stretch run of the playoffs.
There’s been an idea that, if Oregon could get healthy at the right time this year, they might be dangerous. Well, they appear to be healthy, with Evan Stewart potentially returning next week as well, and it’s coming when they need it the most.
Benson and McClellan Make Statements
Despite Moore and Bryant Jr. returning to the field on Saturday, it was still clear that Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan have their roles in this offense, and they aren’t about to give them up any time soon. For starters, Benson was incredible in this game, hauling in five catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. The chemistry that he has developed with Dante Moore has been impressive to see, and his ability to use speed to get over the top of the defense is unmatched. He truly has turned into a game-breaking weapon for the Ducks over the past two months.
Similarly, McClellan has really blossomed and become one of the Ducks’ best possession receivers on the roster. His ability to make tough, contested catches dazzles each and every game, and it showed up once again on Saturday night, as he finished with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Oregon’s offense might be getting Dakorien, Gary, and Evan back in the near future. However, that’s not going to detract from what Malik and Jeremiah can do on the field. Ultimately, it’s only going to make them harder to stop.
Look Out for Dante Moore Draft Buzz
One of the biggest narratives for Oregon this year has been about what QB Dante Moore plans to do after this season: stay in Eugene for another year or head to the 2026 NFL draft.
If he continues to perform like he did on Saturday, then a draft declaration feels like a foregone conclusion.
Moore was magnificent, particularly early on, going without an incompletion until late in the second quarter while spreading the ball around and making big-time plays. In the end, he finished with 313 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-27 completions, while also adding a rushing TD as well. He also had a pair of interceptions that he would want back, but ultimately, it was an impressive performance.
Now, it will be interesting to see how his NFL stock rises because of it. In the first round of the CFP, there wasn’t particularly much great QB play to speak of, with the likes of Carson Beck, Ty Simpson, Trinidad Chambliss, John Mateer, and Marcel Reed all being the biggest names. Moore was far more impressive than that group.
So how will he compare against the likes of Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, and Gunner Stockton? That’s going to be something to monitor. If he looks anything like he did in Round 1, though, the Ducks have a long CFP run ahead of them, and Moore might be off to the NFL in April.
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Nonprofits serving every corner of Oregon — from domestic and sexual violence survivors in Yamhill County to Spanish-language radio listeners in the Columbia River Gorge and families rebuilding in Central Oregon — will share nearly $5.2 million in new grants from the Oregon Community Foundation.
In all, 258 grants will support organizations through several Oregon Community Foundation grant programs, with awards going to organizations serving all 36 Oregon counties. Most of the funding, $4.77 million, comes through the foundation’s Community Grants program and will go to 252 organizations.
“Oregon is full of people working hard to improve the lives of our neighbors across the state, and we’re grateful to our donors for sharing resources to support big ideas and smart solutions,” said Kim Koenig, director of community programs for Oregon Community Foundation.
Community Grants provide general operating support, a flexible funding source nonprofits can use for needs ranging from stabilizing staffing to strengthening programs or maintaining infrastructure. This cycle, the foundation prioritized organizations that have historically experienced underinvestment, including those serving small, rural communities and those that are culturally specific or culturally responsive. Nearly half of the grants went to organizations focused on economic vitality and livability.
Among the recipients is Row River Fire Response, which received a grant to protect residents of the 20-mile Row River Valley in Lane County.
“We started this work in 2022 with a goal of fire protection in the valley, and in 2024, the community came together to create a volunteer fire district,” said Kathleen Istudor, executive director. “Now in 2026, that effort continues to grow as we work to build a main fire station for our volunteers. Along the way, we have come to see how connected we are, not just to each other, but to the land, the watershed and the people beyond our valley.”
Yachats Youth & Family Activities Program will use its grant to support preschool, summer camp, afterschool activities and other programming for families on the North Coast.
“We try to keep tuition as low as possible so that we can ensure services to all families who walk through our doors,” said Kristina Anderson, executive director.
The Oregon Community Foundation also announced additional grantmaking across several focus areas:
Arts and culture: $250,000 to build arts sector infrastructure. In 2022, the foundation established a learning community for arts educators that led to the Oregon Arts Education Collective, a program connecting educators and advocates to cultivate a thriving arts ecosystem across the state. A grant will support the Collective as members develop infrastructure and build coalitions that advance arts and culture.
Arts and culture: $50,000 to preserve and inspire the field of architecture. A fund that advances professional development for design and building professionals will award a $50,000 fellowship through the Van Evera and Janet M. Bailey fund, supporting the Van Evera Baily Fellowship designed and administered by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation.
Economic vitality: $37,500 to support the sector and small businesses. The foundation said these grants will support nonprofits helping communities build and sustain strong local economies, including efforts to expand entrepreneurship, strengthen small businesses and increase access to opportunity.
Housing stability: $30,000 for homelessness response. These grants support research around best practices for organizations helping Oregonians stay housed and regain stability.
Several organizations highlighted in community stories described how grant support can help meet local needs.
Furnish Hope, based in Central Oregon, said it helps people restarting after unexpected and often traumatic events by furnishing homes with donated items.
“We believe that everybody needs a place to call home and that there are people all throughout our community that are working really hard to get back on their feet after something unexpected and oftentimes traumatic has happened,” said Megan Martin, founding executive director. “We’ve furnished over 3,000 homes in seven years. On average, we furnish 50 or more homes each month. Our vision is to see this region transformed by hope. And the vehicle that we use to bring hope to people is furniture.”
In Yamhill County, Henderson House said it provides confidential services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, including emergency shelter, advocacy and culturally relevant support for the Latinx population.
“We were founded and are currently led by survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We are the only domestic and sexual violence confidential victim services provider in Yamhill County,” said Fay Schuler, executive director.
In Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley Mentoring said it connects youth ages 9-24 with trained adult mentors through one-to-one relationships and mentoring circles.
“Our work makes a difference because it addresses a fundamental human need: connection,” said Laura Pinney, executive director.
The Oregon Community Foundation, founded in 1973, said it distributes more than $200 million in grants and scholarships statewide each year in partnership with donors and volunteers.
The foundation said individuals, families, businesses and organizations can work with OCF to create charitable funds supporting causes important to them.
More information is available here.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 3 drawing
1PM: 5-6-3-4
4PM: 2-7-6-0
7PM: 6-7-3-3
10PM: 4-0-2-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has the program built up as a consistent contender, but Oregon’s previous two eliminations from the College Football Playoff, a 20-point loss to Ohio State followed by a 24-point loss to Indiana, adds some pressure onto Lanning’s plate heading into 2026.
While the Ducks’ only three losses in the past two seasons have come at the hands of the eventual national championship winner, Lanning and Oregon are perceived by some as a coach and team who can’t win when it matters the most.
Oregon fans may disagree, pointing to games in 2024 like the Ducks’ regular season win over Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship Game over Penn State. In 2025, Oregon beat Penn State and USC in the regular season before shutting out Texas Tech in the CFP.
However, the Ducks appearing non-competitive in their last games of the last two seasons only adds to the pressure for Oregon to perform in the postseason.
Dan Lanning on Oregon’s Progress in Spring Practice
After Oregon’s spring game on April 25, Lanning spoke about the positives and the negatives with respect to this current roster’s growth.
“Well, I think the intelligence of this group is really high. In the acumen and ability to execute offense and defensive plays is really up there. So they know and understand what we’re trying to do. We’ve got a lot of stuff packaged well that these guys can operate really well.”
“So, I’d say that part’s ahead. We become a much more connected team this spring that’s got to continue as we go through the remainder of this offseason. We got to get stronger. We got to continue to become the physical team that we’ve been here in the past, so there’s a lot of areas still for growth, but I think we’re a really smart team right now and understand what we want to accomplish.”
As mentioned by Lanning, there is still work to be done before the fall starts and even during the season as the Ducks aim to earn a third consecutive CFP berth.
Lanning always seems quick to call pressure a privelege, and the Ducks are quite privileged heading into 2026.
With a more experienced roster, highlighted by quarterback Dante Moore, center Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu, and Oregon’s four starters on the defensive line all deciding to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft and return to school, the expectations have only risen for the Ducks.
The Ducks may have one of the more talented rosters in the country, but the program is also replacing offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, whom Lanning replaced with internal promotions for Drew Mehringer (offensive coordinator) and Chris Hampton (defensive coordinator).
Oregon enters the season with the third-best odds of winning the Big Ten (+290) and the fourth-best odds of winning the national championship (+800), per oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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