EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The Ducks held their ninth practice Saturday with a scrimmage. Following the scrimmage, Dan Lanning spoke with media and offered a candid assessment of his team's latest scrimmage, praising the competitive nature and physicality on display but emphasizing the need for continued improvement across various aspects of the game.

"All right, good competitive scrimmage, good physicality," Lanning said. "You know, guys out there tackling, running to the ball, blocking hard. Thought all that showed up."

Despite these positives, Lanning noted there were still several operational areas that needed refinement. "I think there's a lot of things operational that we can clean up and improve, whether it's pre-snap penalties, shift motions, handling those the proper way. Plenty to work on, but saw a slight improvement on where we want to be."

The head coach highlighted the ongoing development required as the team moves forward. "Definitely a lot of place for us to grow moving forward," he added.

When asked about the performance of the quarterbacks and the offense's ability to generate explosive plays, Lanning acknowledged there was room for growth. "We were limited from an explosive play standpoint. We want to be able to see some more of those," he said. However, he also praised the offense's third-down efficiency compared to the defense. "I thought the offense did a much better job on third down overall in comparison to the defense and having some success there, but it's a little give and take."

Lanning also touched on the decision-making of his quarterbacks, stating, "Yeah, pretty good. We had one turnover on the day, didn't create as many there overall. But I thought we protected the ball well."

As for standout players, Lanning refrained from making any definitive judgments before reviewing the film. "Yeah, we gotta go watch the film here ASAP, right? Get a ride up on where we need to grow as a team, right, on every side of the ball. And then figure out where we're at and what we need to attack moving on."

He noted that Dylan, likely referring to a key player, was progressing within the system. "Yeah, I think he's operating in the system. He understands, again, what we want to be able to accomplish, and he's getting more and more comfortable as we go."

Lanning also discussed the pace of play and operational efficiency, areas he felt needed improvement. "No, it wasn't there today, right? I'd like to see us to be, again, when I talk about operation, that's kind of what I'm talking about. I want to see our pace of play, our getting in and out of the huddle. I want to see that improve."

Despite these critiques, Lanning saw positive signs in the connection between quarterbacks and wide receivers. "I think there's a lot of trust in both parts, right, for those guys to be where they're supposed to be and the ball to be there when they get there. So I think that's in a good spot."

Reflecting on his experience now in his third year with the program, Lanning said, "I don't know that it feels that different. Like, it's time to work, right? And I walk away from these things thinking all the things that we've got to improve and work on, right? So that's where my mindset's at right now."

Lanning's vision for the team remains clear, even as he acknowledges the work that lies ahead. "I certainly have a vision. I don't know if we're there yet, right? But we have talent. We have some ability."

As Oregon continues its preparations for the upcoming season, Lanning's focus remains on fine-tuning the team's performance and ensuring they are ready to compete at the highest level.