Oregon head coach Dan Lanning expressed excitement as his team prepares for a road challenge against Illinois. "Excited to get back at it," Lanning began. "Certainly a fun road trip for us and the opportunity to go play a road opponent in the Big Ten." Reflecting on the previous game, he said, "I'm pleased with the way our guys performed and excited the way they were able to handle [it]." He added that the team has already begun preparing for the upcoming matchup: "They've already started attacking this week."

Lanning praised Illinois and head coach Bret Bielema, stating, "Coach Bielema's done an unbelievable job there at Illinois. He's a guy that I've followed throughout my career, even back to his days when he was at Iowa and Kansas State and Wisconsin as a young defensive coach." He continued, "What he's been able to do there at Illinois is really impressive. I've always felt like watching his teams, they have a clear identity. They don't beat themselves. They play really hard. I think all those things show up with this team as well."

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Lanning emphasized the challenge Illinois presents. "They're playing really good football right now," he said. "Certainly a fun challenge for us. And again, expecting our fans to make an impact on this game, make our environment really special like they have all season. I think that'll be a benefit to us as we step out on the field on Saturday."

Reflecting on Oregon's recent shutout win, Lanning shared his thoughts on the defensive performance. "Sure, the shutout felt really good on Friday night," he said. "We had some really good moments... more proud of some guys upholding the standard when they got their opportunity to play." However, he acknowledged there is always room for improvement: "There’s plenty of things, though, that... looking at that game that we can go attack and improve on."

Asked about Illinois' improvement from last season, Lanning pointed to their ball security and defensive prowess. "They're doing an unbelievable job attacking the ball and protecting the ball," he said. "Their quarterback's thrown one interception this season. I think they've had eight picks on defense and 10 fumbles on defense, so they're a team that swarms. When you can win the turnover margin, you're going to have a lot of success." He also noted their physicality: "They've outrushed several of their opponents. When you can win the physical battle up front... they're really sound in special teams, do a really good job in special teams, have dynamic returners." Lanning emphasized that Illinois is "playing really complementary football."

Lanning also touched on Illinois' wide receivers, especially Pat Bryant. "I think they're really talented," he said. "They do a good job of utilizing their tight end, so they have a good passing attack." He added, "One of the things they probably show they can do the best is throwing the ball over the top... They do a really good job on the nine ball and the fade ball. Those guys adjust to it well, and they take shots down the field, which makes it a challenge."

When asked how Illinois' offensive approach under [Barry] Lunnie differs from their time at UTSA, Lanning said, "You see flavors that fit... Obviously, they both come from a similar tree." He added, "There’s some pieces there that there's a little bit of carryover from what Will does for us and what Barry's doing there for them. But I also think there are some identity pieces that you can say, okay, you can see that that's coming from the head coach."

Lanning also discussed Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer's growth. "I just think he's a guy that causes a lot of issues with his athleticism and his ability," he said. "He's been able to extend plays. He's got great feet so he can run... But he's been a good decision-maker. You don’t get to this point in the season and only have one interception and be a bad decision-maker." Lanning added, "I think they do a really good job calling a game for him and allowing him to play within the system. And then he does a great job with his feet when those opportunities are taken away."

Regarding injured Oregon players like Terrance Ferguson, Jordan Burch, and Matthew Bedford, Lanning stated, "We'll wait until the week goes here and how the week goes to see where those guys are at and if they're available for us this weekend."

On Illinois' offensive line, Lanning said, "They’ve proven to be a physical team that's interested in making sure that they can establish a run." He continued, "They do a great job of keeping balance, even when they've had a hard time establishing it... and that’s been something that’s created a lot of success for them."

Lanning also praised Illinois' defense, particularly EDGE Gabe Jacas, who was named Conference Defensive Player of the Week. "If you just turn on the film, you see relentless effort from this defense consistently," Lanning noted. "They're consistently attacking the ball, and you can tell they preach it. That’s not something that happens on accident."

When asked about Oregon's number one ranking, Lanning downplayed the importance. "It’s really simple for us when our messaging hasn’t changed the entire year," he said. "You don't sit halfway through a meal and say you're done eating when there's still a lot of food left on the plate. We're at the midpoint of the season. We're not done yet."

Lastly, Lanning was asked about a new term circulating in the program, "blur." With a chuckle, he replied, "I think we’d have to pull out Webster’s dictionary here to figure out the context... But for us, it’s a deep ball that’s connected, right? And I don’t know where it started, but whenever we connect on one, that’s what we pull out."

Lanning closed with a personal reflection on his longtime friendship with Illinois Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Robbie Discher, whom he’s known for over 20 years. "We never lived together, but we’re really good friends, went to college together," Lanning said. "He went to high school with my wife, so certainly have known Robbie for a long, long time."

As Oregon prepares for the next challenge, Lanning’s message remains clear: there’s still a lot of work to be done.