Saturday’s 56–10 rout of Rutgers was about as stress-free as it gets for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. By midway through the third quarter, Dante Moore had already diced up the Scarlet Knights for four touchdowns and earned the right to kick back on the sidelines. But the real surprise came when it was time to hand over the offense. Lanning sure gave that chance to someone who, as he put it, “earned it in practice.”

Instead of Austin Novosad or Luke Moga jogging out to finish the job, it was former walk-on Brock Thomas who took the reins. Thomas guided the Ducks through the final 17 plays, completing 3 of 4 passes for 45 yards and tacking on a 15-yard run. Thomas’ accession from being just another depth piece to QB2 wasn’t accidental.

Lanning made it clear on his Monday presser. “Over t

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