Dan Lanning searching for high-level execution from young Oregon running backs

New Ducks coach Dan Lanning walked into a situation that could have afforded him some real comfort on the offensive side of the ball if not for untimely departures. But with Travis Dye transferring to USC and CJ Verdell off to the NFL Draft, the first year coach lost a couple workhorses in the backfield and has had to rely on some young Oregon running backs.

He hasn’t had a real chance to evaluate them yet, not after facing one of the nation’s top defenses last weekend.

Defending national champion Georgia put the clamps down on Oregon, limiting the Ducks to just three points in a 49-3 beatdown and holding Oregon to a combined 140 yards rushing on 31 carries.

Coming out of Week 1, it’s still unclear exactly what Oregon’s plan at running back might be.

“I want to see us execute at the highest level at back,” Lanning said. “If we have five guys that can do that that’s certainly better than having one guy that can do that. Right?”

Running back competition ongoing at Oregon

If there’s a telling stat from last week’s game against the Bulldogs, it’s that Auburn quarterback transfer Bo Nix was the team’s leading rusher. He recorded eight carries for 37 yards.

Only one running back, freshman Jordan James, saw more than four carries. Three others thought to be in the mix for the starting job — sophomores Sean Dollars, Byron Cardwell and Noah Whittington, a transfer from Western Kentucky — combined for 11 carries.

The youth of the Oregon running backs obviously jumps out, though Lanning doesn’t seem to view that as a hindrance.

“I think I’ve said it here several times: If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” he said. “I don’t care how old you are. What do you do in the game? That’s what it’s about. What you do in practice equates to what you do in the game. If you do it in practice, it’s going to carry over to the field.”

Who can handle that remains to be seen. Lanning should get a better view in front of his first home crowd this weekend against Eastern Washington, prior to the final non-conference game against BYU in Week 3.

He’s open to riding a bell-cow back or splitting the carries thoroughly, from the sound of it, depending on how his players perform.

“You get in a rhythm, you get in a focus within a game,” Lanning said. “If we have that, that’s fine. I want to see all our guys eat.”