Dan Lanning on Bo Nix: Don't have to make plays that aren't there

Oregon didn’t look like they deserved to be on the field with Georgia in Week 1. There were a lot of reasons for this, but plenty of the blame falls on starting quarterback Bo Nix. A transfer, Nix struggled with turnovers, leaving Ducks head coach Dan Lanning in a difficult position.

For Oregon to be successful, Bo Nix needs to get better. Dan Lanning the Oregon staff knows that full well. While addressing the media, Lanning spoke about where he wants to see his quarterback improve going into the second week of the season.

“Not turning the ball over,” Dan Lanning said. “You know, obviously that’s a big piece.”

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“That’s where it starts. Operate within the framework of the offense. You don’t have to create any plays that aren’t there for you to make. You just have to take the ones that are sitting in front of you. I think when he did that, you know, we were effective at times on offense,” Dan Lanning continued.

“When you operate outside the system, you know, it’s going to struggle at times. I think that’d be for anybody.”

While he was at Auburn, Bo Nix had similar issues in his game. He often tried to do too much with the ball, which could create negative plays. Going forward, Dan Lanning needs to find a way to keep him playing within the scheme.

Dan Lanning won’t measure Oregon against Georgia

As the defensive coordinator for Georgia’s national championship team, Dan Lanning knows how talented the Bulldogs are. The Ducks won’t play a better team all season. So, he doesn’t want to measure his team against them.

“You know, now we know where we stand compared to the pinnacle of the sport,” Dan Lanning said. “And now, we know what we need to aspire to get to over the course of the season and even beyond that. I don’t know if I’ll spend a lot of time really talking about them.”

“Georgia is a complete team. I’ll be impressed if there’s a lot of teams that are better than that team out there in college football. Right now, they’re certainly kicking on all cylinders. I know talking to Coach Smart after the game, he reminded me of his first season, when he was down 31-0 at halftime to ole miss at an away game, and that’s a part of it. But that’s certainly not our goal. Our goal is to get better this week. You can’t live in the past. But you’re also not pointing at other teams. You’re really looking at yourself and how you can improve.”