Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Delivers Bold UCLA Bruins Comparison

After a triumphant week for the No. 15 Oregon Ducks, beating the then-ranked No. 12 USC team on the road and without starting quarterback Dante Moore, it’s back to the drawing board for coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Oregon has a bye before hosting a No. 23 UCLA team that may be more dangerous than anticipated.

In fact, Lanning compared the Bruins to last year’s Indiana Hoosiers team, which went from an unexpected contender to playing for a national championship. But while the Ducks are riding high after a statement win in Los Angeles, Lanning made it clear Oregon doesn’t have the flexibility to hang on to the high of its latest victory.

Oregon Ducks UCLA Bruins Dan Lanning 2025 Indiana College Football Playoff Bob Chesney Big Ten comparison — Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart celebrates with fans after the Ducks’ win as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"We're about to play a UCLA team that reminds me a lot of Indiana from last year ... And let's just be honest, we're not remotely close to what we need to be,” said Lanning. “We can't spend a week talking about (the last) game."

Comparing UCLA to last year’s national championship Indiana team is certainly a bold comparison, but there are similarities that Lanning clearly sees. On top of that, the Ducks can’t afford to be satisfied with what they just accomplished.

If Oregon wants to continue working toward its goal of bringing the program its first-ever national championship, there is still plenty of work to do. That goal remains well within reach, but Lanning knows the Ducks have to continue pushing themselves to improve each week rather than looking back at their latest statement win.

Why Dan Lanning Sees Indiana in UCLA

Comparing this UCLA team to last year’s Indiana team may seem like a stretch. But when looking at how both programs were built, the comparison starts to make more sense.

Both teams entered the season with relatively low expectations before quickly changing the conversation. Indiana did it last season under coach Curt Cignetti after he brought a number of players from James Madison with him, and UCLA is following a similar blueprint under Bob Chesney, who took over after Cignetti’s departure from JMU.

Chesney has brought several familiar faces from Harrisonburg with him to Westwood, including linebacker Trent Hendrick, pass rusher Sahir West and running back Wayne Knight. Much like Cignetti did at Indiana, Chesney was able to bring players into a new program who already understood his expectations, system and style of play.

The results have also been similar early on. Through four games, both teams were 4-0 and had quickly established themselves as teams capable of making noise in the Big Ten. UCLA is averaging 44.8 points per game and 486.5 yards per game while averaging 7.4 yards per play. The Bruins have also forced 10 turnovers and converted those takeaways into 59 points.

Indiana was even more dominant statistically through the same point last season. The Hoosiers averaged 54.8 points per game and 510 yards per game while allowing just 8.3 points per game.

But the bigger similarity may be the way both teams have quickly gone from being overlooked to becoming legitimate problems for the rest of the conference, and Oregon knows firsthand what can happen when a team like that is overlooked.

The Ducks lost to Indiana twice last season, including a home loss in Eugene before the Hoosiers went on to make their run to the national championship game. Now, Oregon has another opportunity to avoid a similar situation when UCLA comes to Autzen Stadium.

Oregon is still in position to compete for a College Football Playoff spot, but a home loss to an undefeated UCLA team could have major implications for the Ducks’ postseason hopes. Lanning knows the Ducks cannot afford to spend the bye week looking back at what they accomplished against USC when another potentially dangerous opponent is waiting on the other side.

Dan Lanning Identifies Two Areas Oregon Needs to Clean Up

Even after a statement win over USC, Lanning knows there are still areas Oregon needs to improve. During the bye week, he pointed to one area on each side of the ball that he wants to see the Ducks clean up before returning to action against UCLA.

On offense, Lanning wants Oregon to be more efficient on first down, particularly when running the football. On defense, he wants the Ducks to do a better job of getting stops on second-and-long.

Those may seem like small areas in a team averaging 47.5 points per game and 7.21 yards per play, but they can have a major impact on how consistently Oregon is able to sustain drives and get off the field.

The first-down issue is particularly interesting because Oregon has actually been one of the most explosive offenses in the country through the first four games. The Ducks are averaging 47.5 points per game, which leads the Big Ten, and quarterback Dante Moore has helped keep the passing game moving with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions.

But Oregon cannot rely on Moore and the passing game to consistently overcome inefficient early-down runs.

The Ducks have earned 96 first downs this season, with 56 coming through the air and 33 on the ground. When Oregon is able to stay ahead of the chains on first down, the offense has plenty of ways to attack a defense. When those plays result in minimal gains, however, the Ducks are more likely to find themselves in obvious passing situations on the following downs. That is where Lanning wants to see more consistency.

On the other side of the ball, Oregon’s defense has also been effective overall, allowing 22 points per game while holding opponents to 3.6 yards per rushing attempt. But Lanning identified second-and-long as an area where the Ducks need to do a better job of getting off the field.

Oregon has allowed opponents to make enough plays in those situations to keep drives alive or make the ensuing third down much more manageable. For a team with championship aspirations, those small details can become more important as the schedule gets tougher.

Oregon has already shown it can score points and make big plays on both sides of the ball. Now, with a bye week providing extra time to reset, Lanning has made it clear that the Ducks need to become more consistent in the areas that can turn explosive performances into complete ones.

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