Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Drops Honest Truth About Playing In Husky Stadium

The Oregon Ducks are set to head to Seattle to play their Northwest rivals, the Washington Huskies, for Thanksgiving weekend.

Ahead of the road trip, coach Dan Lanning expressed his gratitude for his Oregon team and the Ducks players who continue to step up through injury woes. Lanning also addressed how the team prepares to handle the emotions of a rivalry game and playing in an intense environment at Husky Stadium.

What Dan Lanning Said Before Washington Game

oregon ducks dan lanning washington huskies rivalry offensive line charlie pickard jamari johnson devon jackson kenyon sadiq — Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning smiles before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Opening Statement:

“All right, good practice today from our guys. Thankful for the opportunity to get to work with them. This week is obviously Thanksgiving. So this is an exciting week. Thankful that I get the opportunity to visit with you guys today.”

The Message to the Team Ahead of Playing at Husky Stadium:

“I think it starts with the truth. It's one of the best environments that we'll get to play in. I think it's obviously special, especially for this game. There'll be a lot of chaos within this game, but it's kind of like walking into a middle of the storm – there’s calm within that chaos right in the middle of it, so we have to go attack it, be ready for that moment. These guys are excited about that opportunity. We like playing in hostile environments. This would certainly be one this weekend.”

Balancing Playing with Aggression but Not Crossing a Line:

“I hope we learned some lessons from this past week. That was an intense matchup as well, and hopefully that prepared us for some of the moments that will show up in this game. You're counting on your guys to play with great discipline and execution and not let the emotion overtake what's important in the moment.”

Blending the Intensity of a Rivalry Game with the Treatment of Its Just Another Game:

“I think everyone knows how important this is. I think when you play your best is whenever you're able to level set and realize, hey, there's some emotions that exist, right? But ultimately, you win by executing like it is just another game. So, there's truth on both sides of that, but emotional play into this game for sure, the key is our focus.”

What Offensive Lineman Charlie Pickard’s Meant to the Team:

“A lot of confidence in Charlie, nobody prepares harder. He's a guy that we trust always. Obviously, we've used him on punt all year. He's been able to fill in a lot of situations, and it was special for him to do that on senior day as well. So really proud of his effort and execution.”

What It Means That Charlie Pickard Stayed When He Could’ve Had Opportunities Elsewhere:

“I think he's a great representation of what it means to be a part of Oregon, and this place means a ton to him. It's more than just a school. It's a place that he has a lot of pride in, and we're grateful that he made the decision and decided to be here with us.”

How Many Reps the Offensive Line Combo on the Kenyon Sadiq Touchdown Got in Practice:

“They certainly probably did last week. But not many, right? Not many. And we try to create a lot of variety in practice for moments like that. Those guys are prepared for that moment, but they certainly have had some reps throughout the season looking like that. And those are the reasons you prepare for those moments.”

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If Defensive Back Jadon Canady Gets Enough Credit for His Production:

“I'm not sure how much credit he's gotten, but I'll say this: Jadon has been a really integral piece of what we do, and did an unbelievable job last week, in the last several weeks. He plays with physicality. He's a great cover guy. He makes things tick for us. So certainly, we're grateful that he's on our team. He's done an unbelievable job.”

How Much Emphasis Was There to Improve the Rushing Attack Entering the Season:

“That's a piece that we've wanted to be a part of our DNA since we got here, that we want to put it on the Jumbotron that we're about to run the ball, and you still have to stop us. I feel like this year is maybe the year of all years where it's shown up, and we've been able to do that,” Lanning said.

“You're gonna play some tough teams where it's tough to do that, and that's when you have to be able to win outside. But the fact that we've been able to prove in multiple games that we can win multiple ways with the ball in the air or running in the grounds been great.”

Tight End Jamari Johnson’s Impact:

“Jamari is an impact player. He's an impact player for us. He really has been all season. We've certainly been able to showcase that more the last few weeks. It makes it tough to defend us.”

How Linebacker Devon Jackson Can Be an Asset:

“We did a high-speed drill today, and Devon hit a really high speed. So grateful to be able to have him back. He's the kind of guy that could track a guy like this down.”

Trying to Limit Demond Williams Jr.’s Ability to Scramble:

“You always have to know where he's at. It's hard to take away a player like that with his speed. It's hard to have guys on the field that have the speed to match his ability. So, we have to do a great job in our rush lanes, have great vision of him and that certainly is difficult with his ability to scramble.”

What Broadcaster Gary Danielson Means to Him Ahead of His Last Conference Broadcast:

“Huge fan of Gary. He's obviously been doing it for a long time. You don't do it that long if you're not good at what you do, and he's extremely good at what he does. He does a great job of telling the story of what's happening out in the field, and it's an honor for a guy like me to get the opportunity to be around a guy like Gary and their crew,” Lanning said.

“And we've had him several times this year. I don't really ever go back and watch the TV copies, but just getting to be around him in the meetings, spend time with him, it's been a lot of fun and a pleasure to be around a guy that's really a legend for as long as he's been doing it.”

What He’s Thankful for Specifically with This Oregon Group:

“Just thankful for the opportunity to coach these guys, to represent the school. It's an unbelievable opportunity that we all have. And you know, if you can't find an opportunity to be thankful for being at this place with the people that we get to work with, it's pretty special.”