Dan Lanning provides latest on Andrew Boyle injury

All this season, the Oregon Ducks have been without kicker Andrew Boyle. Boyle has been out recovering from an undisclosed injury. And with just two games left in the season, his opportunities to make a return this season are scarce. But according to Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, those chances may not come at all this season.

As the Ducks prepare for their Week 12 road matchup with the Arizona State Sun Devils, Lanning discussed Boyle’s likelihood to return for the 2023 season and the outlook of his recovery timetable.

“Yeah, you’re probably not going to see Andrew this year, you know. But you don’t put timelines on that. You put benchmarks, and if guys hit their benchmarks, then you’re able to get them back,” said Lanning.

With Boyle out, Oregon has relied heavily on the foot of senior kicker Camden Lewis, with a few kicks by Grant Meadors sprinkled in. Meadors is perfect on the season connection on 4-4 extra point attempts.

Lewis is also perfect on extra points, nailing all 50 of his attempts. However, he’s had his fair share of ups and downs this season. Lewis has connected on 9-14 field goal attempts, or 64.3 of his attempts. Still, one of his biggest misses on the season is possibly the difference in Oregon staying undefeated. Against Washington, Lewis would miss a 43-yard attempt that would have sent the game into overtime.

Lanning doubles down on loyalty to Oregon

With all the vacancies around college football popping up, Lanning has had his name thrown in the mix for a few of those openings. However, Lanning adamantly opposed the notion that he would consider leaving the ducks for a new head coaching job.

When initially asked about his desire and the possibility of coaching elsewhere, the Oregon headman cited loyalty to the program as his reason for staying put. And on Tuesday, he doubled down on that stance and explained the value loyalty has in his life.

“I mean, you are what you do consistently, right? And I’ve been fortunate enough to be around some phenomenal people. And yeah, loyalty means something to me; it’ll always mean something to me,” said Lanning.

While Lanning has openly expressed his verbal commitment to Oregon, it is not like the Ducks are unfamiliar with this exact scenario. Two of Oregon’s most prominent head coaches over the past 10-plus seasons, Chip Kelly and Mario Cristobal, both vowed their commitment to the program before leaving for different opportunities. However, in those two circumstances, opportunity and destination played a significant role.

Kelly left Oregon to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles with control over player personnel — a level of control in which very few NFL head coaches have ever experienced. Cristobal, on the other hand, left for more sentimental reasons. The head coach that Lanning replaced went back home to Miami to be closer to his family and lead the program that he credits for helping to make him into the individual he is today — the Miami Hurricanes.