Joey McGuire Reveals Impression of Oregon Coach Dan Lanning

MIAMI - Ahead of the Capital One Orange Bowl matchup between the No. 5 Oregon Ducks and the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders, the head coaches for both programs sat down for a joint press conference in preparation for kickoff.

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire had quite the opening speech regarding his "fanboy" stance towards Oregon coach Dan Lanning.

Texas Tech's head coach Joey McGuire talks a Red Raider fan after returning to Lubbock on Dec. 6, 2025, hours after winning the Big 12 Championship against the BYU Cougars in Arlington, Texas. | Mateo Rosiles/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Man, we’re really excited and honored to be here. I’m kind of one of those guys that can fan boy really easy over great coaches, and I’m a huge fan of Dan’s. I watch a lot of his stuff that he puts out on social media or anytime there’s a press conference. I don’t have a lot of hobbies, but that’s one. I pay attention to a lot of coaches around the nation, especially guys that are doing it right,” McGuire said.

Lanning and McGuire Chatter About Team Similarities

Though Lanning is typically short with conversation when it comes to press events, it appears that him and McGuire are getting along prior to the Orange Bowl game. Both coaches detailed chatter behind the scenes about comparing both of their squads.

"We were talking earlier, it's like looking in the mirror," McGuire said. "You've got great defenses. You've got explosive offenses. I think both of our offenses probably produced the most explosive plays in college football this year."

"And he's right, when you watch it," Lanning said. "Something we've talked about since we arrived here is our ability to create explosive plays and eliminate explosive plays. When you look at both these teams, they're two of the best in the nation at doing that, creating explosive plays, and certainly two of the best in the nation at eliminating that."

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads practice as the Oregon Ducks practice at Barry University ahead of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks practice at Barry University ahead of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McGuire Praises Dante Moore

Another dose of praise from the leader of the Red Raiders arrived for Oregon starting quarterback Dante Moore. McGuire stated that the sophomore under center is one of the best quarterbacks Texas Tech faces "all year long", pointing specifically at the way he uses his legs to extend plays and gain yardage.

"But whenever you turn on the tape, he's as accurate as anybody that we've played or really more accurate whenever he throws the deep ball," McGuire said. "He's got great skill around him, but he throws a great deep ball. I just love his story. So you know he's a mature person and he's really grown because there's not a lot of people in this day and age that would sit behind -- especially at the quarterback position, sit behind people... There's not a lot of people that do that. They don't want to sit; they want to play right now. He redshirted and grew as a quarterback."

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks off the plane as the Oregon Ducks arrive in Miami, Florida on Dec. 29, 2025, ahead of the Orange Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I just think he's dynamic. Whenever you see him, he just continues to make plays. Whenever it's time to make a play with his feet, he makes a play with his feet, makes a play with his arm. He's tough, and just watching what they do offensively schematically, he also has a high football IQ because he can really digest what they do and play at a really high level," McGuire added.

The Ducks kick off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida at 9 a.m. PT.