In the leadup to a rivalry game with as much impact as this one has, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn’t dilly-dally around the importance of this game Saturday against the Washington Huskies.
“No love lost. That’s really clear. There is no love lost in this game and that’s exciting — it makes games like this fun,” Lanning said. “It’s been exciting for me because this game means something to people.”
Of course, Lanning's Monday night press conference couldn’t have ended without a question regarding the rumors circulating around Oregon’s coaching staff (specifically Lanning and OC Kenny Dillingham) and their possible departure to the newly vacant Auburn head coaching job.
Lanning didn’t mince words about his future with the Ducks.
“I think there’s a problem in society today, with people looking for what’s next and where there's an opportunity and the reality is, the grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene and I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me,” Lanning said. “I’ve got an 11-year-old that’s lived in eight states, the last thing I want to do is leave.”
Lanning’s message was reassuring, to say the least. He also hinted at former coaches who’ve left Oregon and experienced much less success than they enjoyed in Eugene.
“I think history shows that this is a great place to be and not a great place to leave. I want to be here," he said.
The first-year head coach is facing an opposing coach in Kalen DeBoer who is also new to this rivalry after moving up from Fresno State.
“There’s a lot of respect on my end for [DeBoer] and the job that he’s done. That being said, this is a game we want to win and I know how important it is for all Ducks fans” Lanning said.
A lot of the questions were about Washington’s offensive production this season and specifically, quarterback Michael Penix.
Though Oregon leads the Pac-12 in total offensive production in terms of yards (4,685), the Huskies are far and away the top passing team in not just the conference but the entire nation with Penix averaging 370.2 passing yards per game.
“[Penix] has a really good understanding of the offense and how they operate,” Lanning said. “They take a large number of shots downfield consistently throughout the game. As much as any team that we’ve played.”
Here were five other takeaways from Lanning's comments Monday night ...
