Dan Lanning apparently has two different standards for dirty plays, depending on whose quarterback takes the hit. When USC’s Desman Stephens II delivered a late hit on Oregon’s Dante Moore, he called it disgusting. But when Bear Alexander appeared to punch UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava in the helmet, Lanning suddenly had an explanation. Despite admitting the punch was late, the Oregon coach refused to discipline his player, leaving furious fans wondering whether his outrage only matters when the Ducks are on the receiving end.
“I think Bear was trying to take a ball shot,” Dan Lanning said, via Oregon Updates. “You know, we were pretty aggressive about when the quarterback’s running there’s opportunities that the ball’s loose. Obviously it’s late. And it’s not the way it needs to be done. It wasn’t executed the right way.”
The replay tells a troubling story. Nico Iamaleava is already going down when Alexander swings his right arm and strikes the quarterback around his helmet and chin. Yet the officials never threw a flag.
“Bear knows that and I think he feels bad about that,” Lanning continued. “It’s one of the first things he said to me. He goes, ‘I wasn’t trying to hurt the guy.’ And I don’t think that’s how he got hurt. I think it was actually on a lower extremity. But yeah, you don’t want to see it play out like that but you want your players to be aggressive and trying to punch the ball out.”
Lanning’s distinction about the injury has some merit. The footage does not establish that Alexander’s punch caused Iamaleava’s reported ACL tear, which is expected to end his season. Alexander and Oregon linebacker Jerry Mixon were both involved in the tackle, during which Iamaleava’s left leg became trapped beneath the defenders. The quarterback immediately showed signs of pain. But the injury’s cause doesn’t erase questions about the apparent blow to his head.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney wasn’t interested in making excuses. On Monday, he revealed that Iamaleava had complained on the sideline, “They keep punching me in the face.” After reviewing the footage, Chesney delivered a sharper assessment.
“When you see it, it’s certainly egregious,” he told reporters. “It shouldn’t be a play that’s allowed to occur in this sport and it’s a shame that it was missed.”
That criticism only intensified the backlash against Oregon after Lanning confirmed Alexander would not face internal disciplinary action. Despite acknowledging the punch was late and improperly executed, the coach decided against punishment.
One frustrated fan wrote, “So no punishment for hitting a downed player in the neck. @CoachDanLanning LOVES trash behavior.”
Another predicted conference intervention, writing, “Big Ten is going to take action if your coach doesn’t. This is getting embarrassing..”
With Oregon declining to suspend Alexander and no Big Ten punishment announced as of Monday night, the defensive lineman remained on track to face Nebraska on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Others accused the Ducks of protecting their own rather than addressing the incident. “You guys are embarrassing yourself trying to cover this up. I normally root for Oregon when y’all aren’t playing my school, but you’re really looking bad here,” one fan posted.
Another went straight for Oregon’s championship history: “0 class, 0 accountability, 0 National Championships.”
But perhaps the most damaging criticism came from a fan who remembered Lanning’s own words. “Disgusting, no accountability after running his mouth last week,” the fan remarked.
Just two weeks earlier, after USC’s Desman Stephens II delivered a late hit on Dante Moore on September 26, Lanning had condemned the play without hesitation.
“Our guys respect the game,” he said. “I don’t think you’d ever see that from our players. I don’t think you’d ever see that from our coaches. It’s a disgusting play.”
USC didn’t stop at condemning Stephens. The linebacker was ejected for targeting and subsequently suspended for one game, while Lincoln Riley publicly called his actions unacceptable. Stephens also apologized after celebrating while Moore received medical attention. Alexander, meanwhile, received no in-game penalty and won’t face internal discipline. Although the incidents weren’t identical, the contrast in consequences has only strengthened criticism of Lanning’s response.
Now those words are coming back to haunt him. USC punished Stephens, while Oregon has decided against disciplining Alexander. For fans accusing Lanning of hypocrisy, that difference raises an uncomfortable question about whether he holds his own players to the same standard he expects from opponents.
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