Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker Tate Romney (3) reacts as the Cowboys recover a fumble by Oregon Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. (6) during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys didn’t just upset the Oregon Ducks over the weekend; they dominated them, and it turns out there was one key reason why.
The final score may have read 39-31, but that was flattering to the Ducks, who were outgained 554 to 281 and had just 12 first downs compared to 25 for the Cowboys.
Then again, it’s pretty easy to slow down an opposing offense when you know what’s coming, as Oklahoma State apparently did on Saturday.
Oregon Was Tipping Its Play Calls Against Oklahoma State
After the game, Oklahoma State linebacker Tate Romney told reporters that the Cowboys picked up on something in film study that helped them throughout the contest.
“We were noticing earlier in the week that their (Oregon’s) offensive line had tendencies that helped us key into run (or) pass and a couple areas we could take advantage of,” the senior said. “And obviously our defensive line was keyed into that. That was one big thing that gave us a big advantage.”
So, what exactly were the Ducks giving away on film?
“Just their offensive line had a few stance indicators for most of the time run/pass,” Romney added.
But it gets worse for Oregon. Not only was Dan Lanning’s team tipping plays, but it’s not even the first time they’ve done so. Indiana linebacker Aidan Fisher said that the Ducks did the same thing in last year’s Peach Bowl, a game that the Hoosiers won in dominant fashion, 56-22.
Not necessarily a new issue for Oregon, here’s a snippet from a chapter on the Peach Bowl in “Unthinkable to Unstoppable.”
👀 https://t.co/b1PNQ9cBuk pic.twitter.com/EHwJ3iVvF3
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) September 13, 2026
“They gave away a lot,” Fisher said of the Ducks. “Some on run down. But passing downs, especially. We knew a lot of the routes they were running, just off of who was lined up where, and where they were lined up on the field.”
Perhaps that explains star quarterback Dante Moore’s struggles in both games.
But if Oregon didn’t notice its tells, or, at least, hasn’t fixed them between then and now, it’s a bad sign for head coach Dan Lanning.