Dan Lanning's aggressive gambles cost Oregon again
Players had heard Washington’s fight song plenty prior to sharing the same field with the Huskies. This past week, they got accustomed to hearing the chainsaw in practices, leading into what ended up being a second rivalry loss this year.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning has done things a little differently all season -- with some of his proclivities warranting more second-guessing than others.
Like going for it on fourth down four times in a game, as he did Saturday against Oregon State -- with the Ducks failing to convert each time (plus a fifth failed fourth down on a botched punt execution).
Lanning hasn’t been a typical head coach in his first year in the role, and he will continue not to be. What makes him great has also proven to be what makes him flawed. He likes to go with his gut even when the odds are against him.
His questionable five fourth-down attempts might very well have been the cause of Oregon’s 38-34 loss to Oregon State on Saturday. While the blame could be pointed in many different directions, it’s clear that Lanning's decisions cost his team the chance to control its own destiny.
“It’s a hurting locker room right now. I feel for the guys in there,” Lanning said after the game. “We’ve been aggressive in our nature and a lot of times its worked for us.”
Lanning’s decision-making has been under scrutiny on more than one occasion. It was his decision to do an onside kick in the first half against Washington. He also decided to go for it on fourth down late in that game at a disadvantageous position on the field.
The results didn't deter him from being even more aggressive Saturday vs. the Beavers.
When you look at the stats, Oregon didn’t play a bad game. The Ducks threw the ball efficiently, ran when needed and won the turnover battle. If Lanning had changed even one of his risky decisions to keep his offense on the field, who knows what the outcome could have been?
The first fourth down try came on fourth-and-3 from the Oregon State 15 early in the second quarter. Instead of going for a short field goal, the Ducks turned it over when Bo Nix's pass to Troy Franklin only got a yar.
Later in the second quarter, Oregon went for fourth-and-13 from the Beavers' 35-yard line rather than punt. Nix was sacked.
And then Lanning dialed up two more fourth down tries on the Ducks' final two possessions.
One was from Oregon's own 29, as Nix took a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 to set up the Beavers with a short field for their go-ahead touchdown. This was clearly the most egregious decision of them all.
The last one came on fourth-and-goal from the Beavers 3, as Nix's final pass went incomplete.
With quarterback Bo Nix playing through an injured ankle, this offense simply isn't the same it once was, making the aggressiveness even more confounding.
“I was better. I think I was able to move in the pocket a little bit more, but unfortunately, I still can’t take off running like I’d like to,” Nix said. “It’s heartbreaking. Losing sucks. But there’s a bunch of ways that you can learn and grow from it.”
Meanwhile, the Beavers ran, ran and ran after Ben Gulbranson’s second interception of the day. The game plan wasn’t hidden, but with ideal field position and an elite offensive line, it didn’t matter. Even when Lanning went with the punting unit, Oregon State impacted the game. A blocked punt and a fumbled snap on a second attempt made it increasingly challenging for Oregon’s defense to step up. The Ducks didn’t have an answer for the Beavers' simple, yet effective offensive scheme.
Each of their final four drives of the game ended in touchdowns.
The Ducks have one final bowl game after officially being eliminated from the Pac-12 championship with Washington’s win in the Apple Cup. Both the offense and defense will have to work in unison if the Ducks hope to end the year with a win.
In the meantime, Lanning might want to reconsider taking so many aggressive gambles.