The No. 6 Oregon Ducks have several notes for improvement going into their first road game of the season at Boone Pickens Stadium against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
However, one of the highlights of the day came from the wide receiver corps, with junior Jeremiah McClellan pulling in 150 yards and a touchdown and sophomore Dakorien Moore hauling in a game-winning 62-yard touchdown to cap off Oregon’s efforts.
Dakorien Moore Shares Thoughts On Receiver Off Season Preparation
That success for McClellan and Moore (plus senior Evan Stewart’s 72-yard receiving haul for his first game back after a season away from the game) comes after an entire season of off-season effort, which Moore explained during a Wednesday media availability.
“Of course, you’ve seen a lot of plays that we’ve been making. It’s not really surprising to us, being that we’ve seen the hard work and all the things that we’ve done without the cameras on for those plays to happen. But just the offseason work, the extra work that we do,” Moore said.
Rooted In Connectivity
For this Oregon crew, connectivity is a point of strength, which college football analyst Yogi Roth highlighted after attending one of Oregon’s practices prior to the start of the season. Moore went into detail about keeping team chemistry top of mind as several of Oregon’s athletes had a jet-setting summer with some of the top players going to Tokyo, Japan, Las Vegas, Nevada, and beyond.
“I know it was one time me, Dante [Moore], J-Mac [Jeremiah McClellan], Stew [Evan Stewart], JJ [Jamari Johnson]- we’ve all… Away from this facility and away from Oregon in general, making sure we stay close to each other because we know where our end goal is,” Moore said. “So just making sure our connection is the tightest. Other than that, it’s just us going out there, making plays, and doing what we do best.”
The “end goal” Moore referenced is perhaps the “chase history” mantra that quarterback Dante Moore shared during Big Ten Media Days. Though Oregon’s first win 34-27 at Autzen Stadium against the Boise State Broncos left much to be desired from an offensive effort, strikes of promise from Moore like his 62-yard receiving touchdown brings light through more challenging moments like Stewart’s two questionable punt receiving errors on specials teams.
Dan Lanning Shares What “Un-Selfish” Football Looks Like
That connectivity between receivers translates on the field, with several hands getting the ball. Coach Dan Lanning shared post-game, after the Ducks’ first win, that though Oregon had plenty to work on heading into their next match-up against the Cowboys, the receiver corps’ off-season work showed some of the highlights in an otherwise lesson-filled game.
“One, I think credit is deserved. I thought [offensive coordinator] Drew [Mehringer], again, called a really good game from a standpoint of finding opportunities to either create a double move or work crossing routes on certain coverage looks,” Lanning said. “I thought guys were in sync. They played unselfish ball. It seemed like the ball was distributed pretty evenly, and guys took advantage of those opportunities.”
There’s plenty of talented receivers on this Oregon squad, making target distribution quite the task, but Moore’s comments on connectivty feels like the correct mentality to have in a room filled with stars.
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