EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is looking to end the streak against Washington. The top-ranked Ducks, now 11-0, have lost three consecutive games to their Pacific Northwest rivals since Lanning took over, despite Washington’s struggles this season. As Oregon gets ready to face the Huskies, Lanning knows it’s time to change the narrative.
“All right. Hope our fans are excited to make an impact,” Lanning opened during his press conference. “This will be a fun game for us. I think we had a really good first practice here today, kind of hopping into Washington. Certainly, a team that has some talent and really well-coached team.”
Lanning expressed respect for Washington head coach Jed Fisch, noting, “You know, I got a lot of respect for Coach Fisch and the job that he's done and had an opportunity to go against him before. And I think he always does a good job with his team. I think you can see that with this group here.”
As the Ducks aim to remain undefeated, the matchup against Washington comes with its challenges. Washington has turned to a redshirt freshman quarterback in recent weeks, and Lanning has taken note of his skills. “Yeah, he's a guy that can operate,” Lanning said. “He has, you know, great athleticism, but he can make great throws as well. I think you see that show up, you know, so I don't see a huge change in their system. They're both guys that can operate the system. I think he just becomes a threat from a run game standpoint, what he can do with his legs. He's very athletic. You have to be aware of where he's at at all times. And, you know, then Rogers as well has been a guy that's won a lot of football games and can throw the ball really well, too. So, they do a good job matching their scheme to those guys, you know, traits and skill set.”
Oregon’s defense will also have to contend with running back Jonah Coleman, who has emerged as a major threat for the Huskies. “Yeah, I told our team earlier, I think this is as talented a back as we've seen besides Jeanty earlier this season,” Lanning said. “I think they're both very comparable. You know, he's a guy when he gets to the second level, he looks for contact. You know, he breaks more tackles probably than anyone else we've seen as well. Like a lot of yards after contact, he's a great one-cut runner and stop-go, right? Like you see acceleration for him at the second level. So really talented player. It's going to take our best effort to get him on the ground.”
Washington has used multiple quarterbacks throughout the season, and Lanning acknowledged the challenges this poses. “Well, I think this is a team that's played multiple quarterbacks throughout the season,” he said. “So, we've seen a little bit of both guys. And they've had times where they've actually had both guys out there on the field at the same time. So, I don't know that it presents a huge challenge. Either way, we were going to prepare for both because they've utilized both throughout the season.”
The Ducks had a late bye week, a rarity in college football, and Lanning made sure his team took full advantage of the time off. “Yeah, first we just started by looking at ourselves, right, evaluating where the areas that we can improve, what are our strengths, you know, finding ways to be able to lean into those strengths,” he explained. “And then, you know, getting our legs back, getting ourselves back, you know, attacking the weight room. You know, we saw great jumps in our numbers in the weight room this past week, whether it's our, you know, squat power numbers or just our speeds on the field. So, I think that those are all positives. We're going to go in this game, you know, playing really fresh at the end.”
When asked about motivating his team after losing the last three games to Washington, Lanning emphasized, “You know, it's always about performance, right? It's always about what we're able to do on the field. So again, I think I've said it several times, motivation is overrated, right? Like our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. You know, since the beginning of the season, we talked about playing our best football at the end of November. Well, we're there, right? So, this is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team.”
Washington's pass defense has been one of the more effective ones in the country, and Lanning acknowledged their strengths. “Yeah, really sound. You know, I think they have a great understanding of what the strengths and weaknesses are of every defense that they call. And because of that, they can play into those strengths or weaknesses. And they do a good job changing it up. They can play, you know, zone. I think that they're just extremely well coached.”
Lanning also spoke about his relationship with Washington's head coach, Jedd Fisch, and how it impacts the rivalry. “Yeah, I mean, I think anybody that steps out on the field, they want to have opportunities to go win, right? And he's a competitor, I'm a competitor, but that doesn't mean you can't respect the job that he's done or the success he's had in his career.”
With Oregon now the only undefeated team in the FBS, Lanning knows what is at stake. “I think any time in college football, it's the consistency, right, throughout the year of, you know, what it takes to be able to win tight games, you know, games that maybe have a little bit bigger, wider spread in them,” Lanning said. “But ultimately being able to play consistent football throughout the season is tough.”
Oregon’s quest for perfection continues, but the Ducks’ focus remains on the immediate challenge at hand. “Ultimately it's about this game, right? The next game is the most important game,” Lanning emphasized. “So, we prepare very similar to what we would every week. The difference is you have two weeks. So, the last week was about preparing for ourselves, what can we improve, and then this week is really going to be about Washington.”
With a senior class that has seen both the highs and lows of Oregon football, Lanning wants to send them off the right way in what could be their last game at Autzen Stadium. “Yeah, it's going to be their last, you know, potentially their last opportunity to play here in Autzen,” he said. “You want to make sure you send them off the right way. And, you know, the later you get in your career, the faster and faster these seasons go and these moments go. And I think that'll be a surreal moment for all those guys stepping on the field, getting an opportunity to enjoy their senior day.”
Oregon also took advantage of the bye week to recruit. “Yeah, I think regardless of where bye week is at, it's about your ability to take advantage of the time that's allotted to you,” Lanning said. “So, you know, if it was earlier, I think we would have tried to do the same thing. But ultimately, we always want to take advantage of every moment. And there's a little bit of chaos in college football right now with where things fall, whether it's signing day, whether it's portal windows, and all those things have changed a lot. So, I think all of us are learning how to adapt. But you certainly don't let moments like the bye week go by that you don't take advantage of that time.”
As Oregon gears up for what they hope will be a run to a national championship, Lanning knows it will take every player, every moment of preparation, and a laser focus on execution. “Yeah, it's a great opportunity,” he said. “I think college football rivalries are extremely special. You know, I think that's one of the things that make this fun. The excitement that surrounds the fans, the alumni, the people that have been a part of games like this for a long time. It means a lot to us, certainly. Ultimately it is another game, right? It's the next game. And you don't get out there playing with emotion, it's about execution over emotion. So, these games are going to have emotion, that's the way these games are played, but that's not what's going to lead to success on the field. It means a lot to us, certainly.”
With several players who have been with Lanning since the beginning, he expressed gratitude for their contributions. “Yeah, I'm very proud of those guys, and I'm really more than believing in me, I'm really proud of them for believing in themselves and what they could create,” Lanning said. “It's a player-led team. Those guys have done an unbelievable job of setting our culture and creating what we've been able to accomplish so far this season.”
With the game against Washington approaching, Lanning knows his team must be ready for anything, including Carson Bruener’s play at linebacker. “Yeah, just active player. I think he's one of the guys you talk about, you know, great linebacker plays. Those guys are able to make the people around him play better, right? Like a good quarterback can't be a good quarterback unless he does a great job of making sure the wideouts are on the same page. I think what you see is a defense that has 11 guys playing the same call, right, at the same time. That sounds easy, but it's not as easy as it looks at times. You see a group that communicates well together and plays well off of each other and solves problems, and he's definitely one of those guys.”
When asked if players Jordan Burch and Marcus Harper would be back, Lanning said, “Uh, yeah, I think time will tell just like I've always told you guys, when guys are ready to be out there in the field, we'll see them.”
As Oregon approaches their final stretch of games, the Ducks are preparing for the mental and physical challenges ahead. “Yeah, ultimately it's about this game, right? The next game is the most important game. So, we prepare very similar to what we would every week. The difference is you have two weeks. So, the last week was about preparing for ourselves, what can we improve, and then this week is really going to be about Washington.”
Oregon’s quest for perfection continues, but the Ducks’ focus remains on the immediate challenge at hand. As Lanning said, “It's about execution over emotion.”
