Dan Lanning Avoids Updates For Injured Oregon Ducks

Several notable names on the Oregon Ducks offense missed the team's 18-16 win over Iowa. The Ducks returned to Eugene with their perfect road record intact, but difficult matchups lay ahead and Oregon will want all the healthy bodies it can get.

Coach Dan Lanning shied away from provided updates on tight end Kenyon Sadiq, offensive lineman Alex Harkey and wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore.

“I'm not gonna hop into an update, but if they're ready, they'll play,” Lanning said.

In the coach's Monday press conference, he did speak about making both in-game and pregame adjustments. He also evaluated how several key players stepped up with a depleted roster ahead of the Minnesota matchup.

Nov 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning calls a timeout during the third quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

What Lanning Said

Opening Statement:

“Tight week, quick turnaround for us, but everything's going really well so far this week. Today was really like a Tuesday in our mind, even though it's Monday, kind of having to push things ahead and excited to get the opportunity to play a good team. Obviously, coach Fleck does an unbelievable job. you look at his team. You recognize culture right away,” he said.

“They play really well on special teams. They play for each other. We got some young guys that are out there performing really well, and they have some guys that stand out on film as well. Good scheme and a nice challenge for us but certainly excited to be back in front of our fans this Friday, and it'll be a little bit different with Friday Night Lights. Will make it a fun, fun environment for us.”

How the Players Out with Injury Contributed From the Sidelines:

oregon ducks dan lanning injury dante moore quarterback minnesota gophers iowa hawkeyes dakorien pj fleck big ten college — Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) gains yards after catch during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

“Obviously Dakorien (Moore) wasn't playing, but every time I turned around, he was asking, what's the play call? He's cheering on his teammates. He's encouraging him to hold on to the ball. I'm seeing the same thing from Alex Harkey throughout the game. So just seeing those guys involved, they're there, and they could be spectators, but they didn't make that choice. They made the choice to be out there and coaching the guys on the field, which is awesome.”

What He Learned From Last Season Pertaining to Peaking at the Right Time:

“I think our process is a little bit different when it comes to handling bye weeks, handling recovery. I'm probably a little more conscientious of that now than I have been in the past. And then again, I think you always have to continue to analyze what are your strengths, what are you doing well at the time, and making sure you're leaning in on those as you get later in the season,” Lanning said.

“As a coach, a lot of times you feel okay, we can carry a lot more volume, because these guys have ran a lot of plays. And that's not always the reality, too, right? What can you execute at a high level? What takes away the other, the other team, strengths? So, there's certainly a lot of adaptations that we've had since last year.”

What’s Allowed Their Run Game to be Successful This Season vs. Last Season:

“I think it's that. It's a multitude of things. Every year is different and unique. You try to play to your team's strengths and what they do well. We've also had some games that the environment dictated that we're going to run the ball a little bit more,” Lanning said.

“But really proud of our offensive staff and their creativity in the run game and what they've done, find ways to go run, run the ball, utilize our personnel when it matters, and control games. They've done a really good job there. And then kudos to our players for being able to execute a lot of schemes at a high level.”

Players Playing for Each Other Against Iowa:

“I thought our guys had great composure. And it was kind of each guy had to do their part. It was one of those games where every phase mattered. They all contributed. And guys that were on the field, guys that weren't on the field, were a big part of the final result there.”

How Weather and Injuries Change Gameplan:

“I think you always prepare with every scenario in mind. We do a game day meeting every week that we go through, okay, this guy’s down, who's next up? What's that take off the call sheet? What's that add? How many things can we work out of multiple personnel groups?”

“Depending on this, might normally be a 12 personnel play, but now it's going to be an 11 play. Can different guys do that? So, we try to go through a lot of those scenarios in advance and play a lot of that out. And then sometimes it happens within the game, sometimes it happens before the game.”

Branndon Finney Jr.’s Forced Fumbles:

“I thought, first off, I think is a really good call by coach Lupoi recognizing, again, personnel and what we want to be in those scenarios, something we had talked through. And then being an aggressive run fitter there for Brandon, putting his hat on the helmet. And then guys chasing the ball,” Lanning said.

“Bear chasing the ball, and guys chasing the ball to be able to get it out. So, we want to be a team that attacks the ball, especially in wet conditions those are opportunities you can get it out. And we did that on Saturday.”

Finney’s Development and Growth:

“Well, one, I'd say any recognition coming his way is well-deserved. The guy works extremely hard. I think I've said up here several times how he prepares and how he works. It's not a surprise to see him go out there and have success, and how he works on his craft and the way he attacks in practice,” Lanning said.

“Nobody gets more frustrated than a ball being caught in practice than Brandon does. So, I think he's just a really clear product of a guy that's worked really, really hard, has the talent and the ability – he has that. But when you put those things together, you get a really special player.”

What Make Atticus Sappington the Perfect Player for Big Moments:

“I mean, we have a belief in Atticus, like I said, we try to create moments like that in practice, it's not the same as that as the game, but I'm just really happy for a guy that works really hard to be able to go execute in those moments,” he said.

“And in special teams, we always say it's one play focus. You don't get a second down to go make it right, or a third down to go make it right. It's one play. And he took advantage of his one plays on Saturday and executed for us.”

Wide Receiver Malik Benson’s Blocking:

“Probably the piece that I was most excited to see – and obviously, Malik made some great plays throughout the game with the catch at the end – but to go in there and field punts when he that wasn't necessarily something you're attempting to do in the rain I thought was really impressive. But Malik's been an unbelievable teammate this entire year. He's been an explosive playmaker for us. He's done some things really, really well. Thought he blocked well. I thought he had a good game. I thought he thought he did really well.”

Gernorris Wilson’s Performance at Right Tackle:

“I thought he did some things really, really well. There's certainly some moments to have back. Jumped offsides there early in the game. But overall, I thought he played a complete game to be able to keep our quarterback clean in that game was good. We obviously didn't throw it as much, but I thought Gernorris did a good job.”

Edge Rusher Matayo Uiagalelei’s Performance:

“Ultimately, I thought our run defense did a really good job. We gave up a couple explosives, and it wasn't from that, but Matayo, Teitum (Tuioti), our front, I thought they did a good job up front of controlling guys doing more with less at times. But ultimately, I thought he played a good game.”

How Injuries Influenced 12 and 21 Personnel Formations:

“Ultimately, all a combination of both, you try to figure out who you have early in the season, and also what you like, and we happen to like both. We've been really good. I think we've probably had more 21 personnel sets than any other team in the conference this year, and that goes back to trying to utilize the personnel that we have.”

“Feel really confident about our guys in 12 and really like our guys in 11 too. So, certainly some of that played into when you're down, some people you're going to lean into some of those other groups,” he continued.

Where Dante Moore’s Late-Game Throw Ranks Among What He’s Seen:

“It's pretty high. It was a good one. It was certainly a good one.”

Moore’s Success in the Final Two Minutes:

“Cool, under pressure. I didn't realize this, but this was Dante's first opportunity to actually come back from being down in a two-minute drive – and he said that to me – in his career right, not just in this game, but in his career, which I think's pretty, pretty awesome for him to have that moment. But he's cool, calm and collected, executed at a high level.”

MORE: Oregon's Dan Lanning Addresses Injuries To Dakorien Moore, Kenyon Sadiq, Alex Harkey

MORE: What Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz Said About Oregon Ducks' Game-Winning Drive

MORE: Oregon's Dan Lanning Comments on Officiating in Ducks' Win Over Iowa

What He Liked from Linebacker Brayden Platt vs. Iowa:

“More than anything. I liked what he did in practice. He hadn't been available, and he came out really firing in practice this past week. He's gonna be able to some special teams. He's gonna continue to build, grow and earn a role as a linebacker for us. But he's running to the ball. He's playing like his hair is on fire, and he looks fresh.”

The Size Advantage in the Trenches Against Iowa:

“We felt like we had to have a variety of runs, because nobody has been able to run the ball like that, really, on Iowa this year. So, we thought it was going to take a couple different, type of runs, and really, a lot of them were successful for us, but our guys inside did a really good job.”

How They Combatted Iowa’s Return Game:

“Each week's different, but we felt like, 21 for them obviously could be a game changer in the return game. And I think you ended up with negative return yardage is in punt, and they had what we would call a TFL on kickoff, you know, whenever you're able to pin them inside the 25 so, our kicking game in that area is certainly one, and those guys stepped up.

The Impact of a Long Travel Weekend to Short Preparation Week:

“There's certainly a difference. Generally, on Mondays, we'd spend some time watching the previous game. We'd go through and do corrections. We really put the Iowa (game to bed) as soon as we landed, graded it, put our notes down as coaches, but moved right on to Minnesota, and then you lose a practice.”

“So, we started the day as a Tuesday practice. It's a little bit adapted and a little bit adjusted just because of time and making sure that you're able to get your players back from a recovery standpoint. So, it's a little bit different. Guys have to be able to be able to do more mentally than just physically, and then you kind of catch back up right around now.”

What Coach Fleck’s Brought to Minnesota:

“I've got to get to know him a little bit more, since you know our move to the Big Ten here, and just everything I thought I knew about P.J. is not really what I knew. He's unbelievable human, has a cause, believes in what he believes in. Like I said, you watch his team play, and you can see it on film, the energy that they play with, how they do things.”

“I think he's just a guy that does the right way. And it's been very consistent with his message and how he attacks, he challenges you in a lot of ways, and all phases, prepares the right way. So, just a lot of respect for him and his program.”

Minnesota Quarterback Drake Lindsey:

“It's impressive to have a freshman playing at the level he's playing, and he can make a lot of the throws. I think he's a true passer, right? He's got the ability to make those throws. He gives his wide outs an opportunity to make a play down the field, like he's going to give them a chance,” Lanning said.

“And ultimately, he's executed pretty well in that. I mean, they pass the ball successfully, and a lot of that starts with him. He's a guy that can go through progression. He's able to do things that you would ask a quarterback, that you don't necessarily see from a freshman very often. He's able to do that.”

What Makes Minnesota’s Front Seven Disruptive:

“They do a great job of getting after the quarterback. They pin their ears back, especially when they have opportunities, and do a good job of recognizing. They do a good variety of things on defense, right? There's a lot of change ups, but when they get to advantageous situations the rest of passer, they take advantage of it,” he said.

“So, when it's third and long those, they pin their ears back and they go and they win up front. They create one on ones. They do some different things with their front, they play a variety of coverages, but those guys up front have really made a tick for the guys in the back end, and obviously they've created some negatives.”

Getting Creative with Offensive Playcalling While Dealing With Injuries:

“You got any ideas, right? Yeah, we'll continue to be creative. Well, I'm sure we'll see some stuff out there that's different.”