Everything Dan Lanning said ahead of Oregon's trip to USC
· Yahoo Sports
The stage is set for an all-important Big Ten clash at the Coliseum. For the winner, expectations will soar. For the loser, plenty of questions without easy answers.
The Oregon Ducks hoped to begin to answer some of those questions in an 84-0 blowout win over Portland State on the heels of an upset loss on the road to Oklahoma State. While the Ducks had few negatives in the win, the competition will be drastically different this week against the USC Trojans, which are eager to get over the hump in the rivalry.
Visit chickenroadslot.lat for more information.
Dan Lanning understood that although the Ducks performed as they should against the Vikings, this is the week to prove that the Ducks are still contenders. USC won a shootout on the road against Rutgers, so the blueprint is available for Oregon's offense to succeed, but can the Ducks execute on the road?
Lanning provided good and bad injury updates on a few key Ducks, and broke down what USC does well and how the team is focusing on themselves to earn a big win to open conference play.
Here is everything Lanning had to say on Monday before the Ducks travel to Los Angeles to take on USC:
Opening Statement
Dan Lanning: "Alright, hopping into it. We had a good day of attack today. Obviously, want to always take the time to thank our fans for Friday. They were unbelievable. They do a great job and allow us to get a jump on USC. Obviously, this will be a really big challenge this week. Coach Riley's teams are always really hard to stop offensively. I think they've become pretty dynamic when it comes to special teams. Obviously, I know they had the fake against them in the last game, but they're doing some stuff different there. That's a challenge. New coordinator on defense as well with coach Patterson, who provides a myriad of looks that are challenging to prepare for. Then they have a team that has a lot of talent as well. The environment, I'm sure, is going to be unbelievable there at the Coliseum. My first time getting to play down there since we've been at Oregon, been there in the past as a GA, but it can be a really special place, and that's what we're anticipating: their absolute best. But we look at this roster that they have; they have a lot of great players that are playing at a high level. Obviously, it starts there with their quarterback, and then they have some dynamic pieces around him. So this will provide a really good challenge for us. Our players are certainly focused and excited about this matchup. It's a great way to start off Big Ten play for us, and looking forward to the challenges that present."
Takeaways From Portland State
Question: You said on Friday night that that's what it was supposed to look like against a team of that caliber. When you look at the tape from that, and there's that level of talent disparity, what do you actually take away that's meaningful from that performance?
DL: "There are still things that are for us to start to clean up, but I always think back to past experiences for us. Fox Crader's a guy starting for us right now. At tackle a year ago, he got 10 reps in a Montana State game. And then a couple weeks later, he's starting against USC. That's what you get. You get game experience. That's the first college game for a lot of players in our program. The opportunity to evaluate that, and then there's things that we were attacking from the previous week that we said, 'Hey, we have to be better at.' Regardless of who you're going against, you get the opportunity to see, OK, are we doing that at a higher level? I think penalties are something that still showed up first in the second half. In the first half, we had two. I think that's some of the details and stuff that we wanted to attack. That's where that showed up. Some creativity and some stuff in our run game, I thought, showed up better, but it's going to be different when you face the opponents that we're going to face in the Big Ten. But more than anything, experience. There are some guys that got their very first snaps of their career here at Oregon in that game, and that's really valuable for us."
Pass Rush
Q: How would you characterize the pass rush the past few weeks and how can that improve, and how important can that be against the (USC) offense?
DL: "Do you know how many snaps we played on defense in the last game? 37 snaps. Do you know how many passes there were? Around 20. Dropback passes? Six. I think we hit the quarterback three times. So when you look at it, like how many pass rush opportunities are there? Are you efficient? We got a sack basically off of the fact that they had a penalty for throwing it out of bounds. We got a sack with Aydin Breland. We hit the quarterback multiple times. They did cut protection, right? They did eight-man play action protection. So I don't think there's a huge concern looking at that game. There's a rush plan, and there weren't a lot of opportunities to rush, right? Especially when you're talking about 37 snaps on defense, it's a little bit different. This game will be a great game to be able to assess that and see what it looked like. It wasn't there in the Oklahoma State game, and then, similar, they had some good protection (and) adjustments that they were able to do. They moved the pocket at times as well, and we were close on the quarterback, but didn't finish. We had times we had to cover, and he scrambled in that game. So I don't think there's room for concern yet. When there's a bunch of opportunities and we're not taking advantage of opportunities, I think that's where there's concern. And then there have been some guys that have shown some really good rush reps throughout the year. Whether it's Bear in the Boise State game, Matayo in the Boise State game, I think Nas has gotten close to the quarterback several times. What did show up in that game is we had batted balls multiple times, which is, to me, just as much of a measure of pass rush. When you have batted balls and those lead to interceptions, I think that's a way you can impact the quarterback when the ball is coming out quick."
Boosting Energy
Q: Over the last week and a half or so, how have you seen the energy, the focus of the guys improve from obviously that low moment they were in at Oklahoma State?
DL: "When you know what practice is supposed to look like, and it looked much more like what we wanted to look like last week. Now, as a player, every guy in this program's goal is to get better. And when they see, OK, we improved in operation, we improved in execution on the field because of the way we practiced and what we did, it makes them want that even more at a higher level when you walk into practice this week. This is a game that doesn't take anything for our guys to get excited for. We've got several guys that are from the area getting to go back home. This is a significant game against a really good team, an undefeated team. So that challenge in itself, I think, is going to lend toward really good practices and making sure that we do a good job as coaches of putting together a good plan."
Jayden Maiava
Q: You mentioned the quarterback first. What makes (Maiava) so good, and then secondly, how do you think he's even grown since the last time you guys played him last November?
DL: "One, he gives his wide receivers a chance. There's some unbelievable catches that were made in the Rutgers game, but he puts the ball in places where they have a chance to go make a play on the ball, and a lot of times your back's to the ball as a DB; you really struggle when it's in a tight window to be able to do that. He can extend plays with his feet, but he always keeps his eyes downfield. He's a guy that can scramble to throw and have success, and then he's obviously athletic enough to be able to run as well. And you know, it's if you look at quarterbacks in Lincoln's system, they've always had success, but he's certainly had success. He's been there now a number of years, where it's going to allow him to be the best version of himself."
USC's Rushing Attack
Q: King Miller, just the assessment of him at running back, and it just seems like they're a little bit more physical this year up front too, as well with their run game.
DL: "Yeah, a little bit of scheme variation that's different than what they've done in the past, but certainly a good runner. I think their offensive line is as good as it's been since I've been here. As far as the pieces that they have up front, some guys that have played for them for a number of years now that have really grown into themselves, and they have backs that run the ball really well. I think that's always the identity of a good team for Lincoln: their ability to rush the ball at a high level."
Stopping an Explosive Passing Attack
Q: Building off the question about Maiava, USC is obviously utilizing the explosive air attack a little more. It's something that you saw earlier on in the season against Oklahoma State and Boise State, the explosive air attack. What's the message from a defensive standpoint, especially in the secondary, as you progress to go up against an explosive pass game?
DL: "Do your job, eye discipline. Can't panic when the ball's in the air. We have to do a good job of that this week. Certainly, last year when we played them, that showed up a good amount. We were able to do a decent job against the run game, and then the ball started getting thrown down the field. We had some pass interference calls. We have to try to create that in practice because they do a really good job of that. But more than anything, do your job, have eye discipline, and then put yourself in a position to be able to make a play on the ball."
Injury Update
Q: Curious if you'd be willing to give an update on Jeremiah McClellan and Kendre Harrison, and also where Jamari Johnson is at going into the game.
DL: "Feel good about Kendre, and Jamari was out there today. Both those guys, I think, will get more and more reps throughout practice as we go throughout the week, and should have availability. JMac's going to be down for a little bit of time. Broke his foot. There in pregame, kind of a weird deal. Fortunately, he's a tough guy, and certainly somebody that we relied on and will rely on in the future. So it's just a matter of when we can be able to get him back."
Q: What's the confidence level with Messiah Hampton and what he's played, and that receiving room and responding to JMac's injury.
DL: "He stepped in in a game where he was going to have a role in that game regardless, but his role grew quick. Because right before pregame, you're anticipating JMac being able to go out there, and then Messiah goes out there. But that confidence built, you know, good example. He was able to make and make some plays for us the week before, and it's been built throughout fall camp and some of the things he's done. So it's always been about strength in the numbers for us. That showed up at the tight end position for us in our last game with Jamari down. You're always going to see different pieces to the puzzle, but I think Messiah did a good job in the role that he was in this last game."
Rivalry Game
Q: Speaking to the rivalry, you know the tenor of it over the years, under your tenure, how have you viewed the intensity of it and how it's obviously grown during your time?
DL: "It's as intense as it gets, right? We talk about two teams that are competitive, that want to be really good, that have great talent. It means a ton to the fan base. I think it's only grown, like you said, in my time since I've been here, that it means a lot to our team. The biggest thing is: can you focus on the game and not the occasion? Try to be in the moment and focus on your preparation, your execution. But this is certainly a big game."
Not Just Another Game
Q: How much do you acknowledge that this is a pretty big game, a ranked opponent, and what's at stake for conference startup conference play, and what a second loss could mean for this team, or what a win would mean for this team? Do you embrace that? Do you talk about that, or is it just another game?
DL: "It's certainly not just another game. We don't talk about all the scenarios that play out. We worry about the things that we can control. How can we go out here and perform the best that we want to be able to perform? But do we think this is a big game? Absolutely. Do our players realize that? Absolutely. It's Big Ten play. That's different, right? All that matters. We don't go through all the what-if scenarios. We go through, OK, how do we prepare to be the best version of us for this game?"
Gary Patterson's Defense
Q: You mentioned the different defensive coordinator for them. What is it that he does that's different from past USC teams, and is there anyone that's kind of similar, either that you played this year or in past years at Oregon?
DL: "I won't get into great detail what he does. I don't want to necessarily know what we're working on, but I think obviously Gary's had a long storied history as a defensive coach; he does a phenomenal job. I think part of what makes it different now than what he's played with in the past, he's got a really good front right there at USC that's disruptive, and they do a lot of different line games and things like that. The way he's able to match patterns is always a challenge. You're looking for wrinkles, but it's tough to be able to handle that. And then again, the variety of looks and how he's able to get calls into his guys fast and execute, all that really shows up. I think the biggest thing anybody who watches coach Patterson coach, you see a guy coach with passion and energy. Usually, you've heard me say it before, but players take on that presence of you as a coach. They take on that same personality, and you see his players playing with that personality."
Carl Williams IV is Back
Q: Any update on Carl?
DL: "Yeah, Carl should be back for us this week."
Studying Tape
Q: We talked about the talent discrepancy that you saw on Friday and the talent that you're going to be seeing on Saturday. When it comes to preparation and self-scouting for you guys, how much weight do you put into using footage from Friday's game, or do you guys look more toward the footage from the first two weeks of the season?
DL: "Usually, we watch a game and kind of put it to bed, but you use it for the remainder of the year as something that you can teach off and grow. What do we focus on when the talent's not the same? We focus on is our footwork right? Is the speed of this play being executed the right way? Will that work against better competition? That's a lot of what we graded going into that last game. 'Hey, the location of this ball as a pass, is this going to be one that can be completed against the DBs that we're going to see in this league?' So you evaluate it from that standpoint, but you're pretty self-aware of, OK, the reality that there's a difference in what it looks like. Most of the time, as you get to this point, now you're really watching opponent film more than anything."
USC's Impact Freshman
Q: You referenced the improved defensive line play. What makes Luke Wafle so effective as a freshman? Because a lot of coaches have said either side of the line it's hard to make an impact, just how physical it is. What's allowed him to be a difference maker for them so early?
DL: "I don't know Luke extremely well, but he seems like he's a guy that takes it really seriously. I've heard about his diet. I've heard about his focus. You see the way he plays. He's looking for contact at all times. He's got great athleticism and strength, and it shows up. You feel his presence on the field. So I can't speak about him in depth, other than you don't know where he's at when he's on the field."
Jalen Lott Update
Q: Is there an update on Jalen Lott and his timetable for recovery?
DL: "Started practicing with us this week. I don't know that you'll see him in this game."
Not Running Up The Score
DL: "For the record, I did ask (Portland State's coach) twice if they wanted 10-minute quarters in the third and fourth. He said no."
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Everything Dan Lanning said ahead of Oregon's trip to USC