Dan Lanning excited for challenge that UCLA brings to Oregon Ducks
Head coach Dan Lanning spoke on the upcoming game against UCLA and the impact it could have on the Oregon Ducks this season.
Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning started his Wednesday press conference by saying he was excited for this upcoming weekend. It will be a busy Saturday from the start with an ESPN College GameDay appearance in the early morning hours. Lanning has challenged fans to come up with the best sign, and the winner will receive two tickets to the game.
One of the signature statements in his coaching career is, “play the game, not the moment”, which he said again on Wednesday. His players over the last six weeks have been dialed into this mindset and it has led to the Ducks putting the opening week loss to Georgia behind them and propelled them back into national respectability, as well as a spot inside the AP top ten.
One of the key strengths for Oregon has been its offensive line. Lanning was asked specifically about TJ Bass but used the moment to tout his players on the offensive side of the ball.
"“The entire front has performed at a high level…doing a good job. (TJ Bass) has done a good job finishing on the edge.”"
The Ducks have given up just one sack on quarterback Bo Nix this season and lead the nation in being able to protect their quarterback.
On the other side of the ball, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has held his own under head coach Chip Kelly. He has been with Kelly since he arrived and will be meeting the Ducks for the third time in his career. Lanning spoke more on the UCLA Defense.
"“They have done a good job. They are sound and are well-coached. They have good vision break on the ball. The coaching shows up.”"
Since the loss to Georgia, there have been some negative tendencies that have shown up for Oregon, Lanning also addressed what was worked on during the bye week,
"“On defense, we want to stand out on third down and do a better job. Offensively being able to handle the pre-snap penalties and finish in the red area. Both of those are really big.”"
There is no doubt, this is a big game in Eugene this week against the UCLA Bruins. He summed up the game simply, “These are games that don’t take a lot of pep talks…guys want to play at high level.”
Oregon and UCLA meet at Autzen Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 12:30 pm Pacific Time on FOX.
All quotes were obtained during Wednesday’s media availability with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.
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