Evan Stewart trusted Dan Lanning had his back — long before the Oregon coach showed it after Stewart’s long-awaited and bumpy return to action Saturday against Boise State.
It was the senior receiver’s first game since the 2024 Big Ten Championship, and he caught eight passes for 72 yards. But two miscues as the team’s punt returner helped keep Boise State, a team Oregon otherwise statistically dominated, in the game longer than it should have been.
The first mistake was calling for a fair catch on a punt Stewart fielded at Oregon’s 3-yard line in the first quarter. It wasn’t a huge problem for the Ducks, who used a 50-yard reception by Jeremiah McClellan to quickly get out of danger…