EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning addressed the media Wednesday, providing insight into the team's progress and preparation for the upcoming game. After another week of practice, Lanning emphasized the importance of continuing to improve and fine-tune certain areas of the team's performance.
“All right, good work today,” Lanning said. “Still got some stuff that we can continue to improve on, but I've changed it up a little bit here during the week to challenge ourselves competitively, finish off with a red zone period there to finish.”
Lanning highlighted the importance of details that surfaced during film study, though he didn't identify any major issues. “There's plenty that we can work on,” he said. “It might be a tweak in the scheme. It might be an improvement of what's hurt us, what we need to continue to work on. But I wouldn't say there's glaring things.”
One area of focus was the performance of offensive lineman Poncho, whose review was positive but left room for improvement. “I thought he did some really good things,” Lanning said. “You got to continue to work on snap accuracy, so those details. But overall, I thought it was positive.”
Lanning also touched on the rotation and substitutions in recent games. The Ducks made fewer substitutions in their third game compared to the first two, a move Lanning believes has long-term potential.
“Yeah, I think it's got a chance, right?” Lanning said. “The key is growth. We're not the best version of us yet, and we won't be the best version of us, right? Until hopefully the end of the season, the key is are we getting better today and getting better tomorrow as we continue to progress?”
When asked about the offense's ability to respond to defensive schemes, particularly after Gabriel’s run, Lanning praised the team's accuracy and decision-making under pressure.
“When people drop eight, you're going to be able to find the vacancies in the zone and take advantage of it,” Lanning noted. “You don't be able to hold onto the ball a little bit longer at times and wait for guys to come open.”
As Oregon continues its season, development remains a top priority, especially for players not yet contributing at a high level. Lanning emphasized the critical nature of this week for individual improvement.
“Yeah, it's a huge week for development,” Lanning said. “Development's important in our program, right? It's getting guys playing winning football, so we've spent a lot of time on that.”
Addressing questions on officiating, Lanning revealed that the team had not received clarity from the Big Ten regarding the overturned targeting call from Boise State. As for another controversial penalty involving Devon, Lanning confirmed the team was informed it wasn’t a foul after further review.
Looking ahead, Lanning shared that defensive lineman Ashton Porter is currently dealing with family matters, but hopes remain for his return. Meanwhile, the coaching staff continues to assess wide receiver Gary Bryant’s progress, stating, “When he's back and ready, we'll be able to use him.”
Oregon remains focused on internal improvement as they prepare for their next challenge. While specific details about areas for improvement weren't shared, Lanning noted that every player has an individual plan.
“I really think that's our players' business,” Lanning said. “But every single one of our players has an individual improvement plan this week.”
With an upcoming road game, Lanning dismissed concerns about adjusting to the environment, reminding reporters, “We had a road game last week.”
As Oregon progresses through the season, Lanning and his staff remain committed to ensuring that the team continues to grow and improve each week, a journey he hopes will lead to the team becoming the best version of itself by the end of the season.
