Dan Lanning Talks Senior Night, Penn State, More
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke with media following Oregon’s resounding 49-21 win over the visiting Washington Huskies to discuss not getting complacent, getting his first win over Washington, and more. Below are the most notable questions and quotes from Lanning’s press conference as well as my thoughts at the end.
Opening Statement:
“That was a fun one. Excited for those 31 seniors who worked so hard and who’ve been here since we got here. I was proud of our fans tonight, I thought they showed up and made an impact. You come to Oregon for moments like that. Record-setting night for Terrance Ferguson as well as the defense.”
On a record-tying sack total for the defense:
“We didn’t think we’d have that many opportunities to rush the passer and we talked about taking advantage of the moments we did get. Proud of our guys for doing that.”
On what it meant to have Tez Johnson back from injury:
“The minute he was down he was ready to be back out there. We have unbelievable trainers here but glad to see him make an impact.”
On how the team stayed focused enough to go undefeated:
“We’ve said it but playing your best ball when it matters most is critical. Everyone can recognize college football is hard and it’s tough to be consistent so that shows the character of our team.”
On getting his first win over Washington:
“It meant a lot. I think about that every morning and night so it’s nice to think about a win.”
On the connection of this team:
“We’ve talked about connection a lot but I think this is the most connected team we’ve had. Our guys play unselfishly and celebrate each other’s successes so that really sticks out to me with this group.”
On playing Dante Moore over Austin Novosad at quarterback to end the game:
“Dante had four games while still redshirting so giving those guys both opportunities but preserving that was to our benefit.”
On Matayo Uiagalelei‘s development:
“He’s pretty good isn’t he? The guy plays with relentless effort and Matayo’s showing that killer instinct right now. He’s become one of the hardest players in the sport to block.”
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On if he’s taking time to appreciate an undefeated regular season:
“I always feel like you can stop to celebrate when the season’s done. In our world you don’t get the opportunity to be satisfied. We don’t care what anyone else thinks and that’s what it takes.”
On what he’s seen from Penn State:
“We’ve been able to watch them a little bit but not to pay attention too much. They do a great job utilizing their personnel with an elite tight end and quarterback. Looking forward to taking a deeper dive into them.”
On peaking at the right time late in the season:
“I’ve never been upset with being good early but I think this was our most complete game. There were a lot of opportunities for young guys to develop and it’s about playing consistent football at the end of the season. We have a team that’s gotten better each week and that sets us up for success.”
Linden’s Take:
Well. 12-0 isn’t bad. The Ducks capped off a perfect regular season in tremendous style against Washington and now move on to Penn State for the Big Ten Championship.
He wouldn’t necessarily admit it but it seemed like this meant a lot to Lanning after the brutal losses to the Huskies over the last two seasons, in addition to achieving an incredible milestone. This is a special Oregon team and the sky’s the limit for what it can accomplish in the conference championship and beyond.
