Coach Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks walked into Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois as big favorites, but wound up losing 21-10 shortly after top receiver Evan Stewart was hit with a DUI charge. Oregon faced a wide receiver crisis as Messiah Hampton and Jalen Lott were ruled out before the game, leaving Dylan Raiola to pick up the slack at quarterback.
The Ducks faltered in the second half, failing to score a single point and allowing Illinois to gain control of the game. Afterward, fans began lighting up Ducks head coach Lanning on social media as they questioned the future of his program.
“This entire season has been coaching malpractice by Dan Lanning,” one fan said. “They wasted a top-level defense and talented offensive skill players by keeping/promoting bad offensive coaches. There's got to be a clean slate for Oregon next year on offense.”
“Dan Lanning on the hot seat for sure,” another said.
“Dan Lanning is one of the biggest frauds in America,” former LSU national champion Breiden Fehoko wrote. “He rode Kirby Smart's cottails into a head coaching job.”
“Warning, field storming in Illinois…Dan Lanning is officially on the HOT SEAT,” another wrote.
Article Continues Below“Dan Lanning is the west coast James Franklin. Said it last year,” another added, comparing him to Virginia Tech's head coach and Penn State's former head coach.
Lanning has been without his top QB Dante Moore in recent weeks, but fans are having a hard time forgiving his loss to Illinois, especially considering how abysmal the offense was in the second half.
Moore has been dealing with a concussion suffered in the first half of the USC game on September 26. Raiola had 246 yards passing against the Illini, but it wasn't enough as he lost his duel to Illinois freshman Michael Clayton II, who threw two touchdown passes for Bielema's 4-3 Illini.