What Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Said Before Season Opener Vs. Montata State

EUGENE – It’s officially game week for the No. 7 Oregon Ducks.

Dan Lanning is set to address the media Monday night as the Ducks prepare to play the Montana State Bobcats on Saturday.

What Lanning Said:

dan lanning oregon ducks big ten montana state bobcats dante moore austin novosad will stein quarterback heisman trophy — Nov 19, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks up while going through game notes during the first half against the Utah Utes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Opening Statement:

“Fantastic, exciting week is finally here. I get to go play a football game against a really good opponent. Coach (Brent) Vigen has done an unbelievable job with his team. He's the second-winningest coach in Montana State history," Lanning said.

Obviously, they've competed for championships, and when you watch their team play, you see why they've been so successful, right? Do a really good job disguising coverages on defense, playing with relentless effort. They have some, some guys have had a lot of success, a little bit of continuity. They're good rushers, but some guys that can play football on that side of the ball on offense also have a lot of talent."

"Taco Dowler is a really talented wide receiver. It's been really good in the return game for him as well. Quarterback that we've actually seen before, Justin (Lamson), got it that we played against when he was at Stanford, and sounds like he has good control the offense," he continued.

So some new pieces, some changes, obviously, new coordinators on both sides of the of the ball for them, one that's been there on defense, and then one that's a change there, offensively, so have to prepare for a lot of different things, but excited for this opponent.”

What Makes Montana State’s Rushing Effective:

“I think they present a lot of different pictures that are tough. Their guys play with some physicality. I mean, they have some guys returning up front that have been good players for him on the offensive line, but they're really good at creating hats in the run game,” Lanning said.

“They've always been dangerous when it comes to quarterback run as well, right? And that's something that you know that Justin (Lamson) shown in his passes ability to run. So it's something we certainly have to prepare for.”

On Adding Verone McKinley III To The Staff:

“We really care about the guys that have given so much to this program. Verone is a great example. He was a great player here, went on to have an opportunity in the National Football League, and a chance to keep playing. And I think you realize, hey, I want to still be around the football, and when you can have guys that had great experiences at Oregon, they love this place like we love it,” Lanning said.

“They want to be back here. I'm excited to see what he's going to be able to do for us, and I know that all that'll come with hard work and just finding a way to make our team better.”

How The Team Has Made Itself Better Throughout Camp:

“I said the other day, I think we're ready to hit another team. We're trying. We're ready to hit somebody else other than ourselves. That being said, I think there's a lot of respect for this team that we're about to play, and I think it's a great first team to have that opportunity for so we will take all the days of prep that we can get,” Lanning said.

“It's about us playing to our standard. There's some unknowns about the opponent, because it is game one, and they have some they've had some changes, just like we have. Can you make sure that you make sure that you have sound rules again for your players and let them go execute at a really high level?”

“And the thing that I'm probably most proud of in fall camp is there's not a day where I was like, okay, we didn't get work accomplished today. We got better every day with this team, and they had a level of maturity to go to go do that.”

How He Handles Players Earning Their First Start:

“I haven't really talked about it yet, because the truth is, there's gonna be a lot of guys out there playing for us that haven't played a lot. But you know, what gives you confidence in those moments is that they've had a lot of experience in practice. And that experience, if we've done a good job of making it feel like a game, it's going to carry over.”

On Whether This Game Will Be A Testament To Their Identity:

“Well, I think regardless of result or whoever we are on Saturday, I hope it's not remotely close to who we become, right? And you always talk about becoming the best version of yourselves, and I think we're a long ways away from what we could become, but I think this will be a good starting point to assess exactly where we're at.”

What Makes Offensive Lineman Emmanuel Pregnon Good At His Size:

“It starts with the ability to move bodies. You have to have great size. He has that. He has great strength. I think the intelligence required for offensive line, people don't realize the amount of calls that get made on the offensive line and change when the picture changes,” Lanning said.

“He's handled that really well and but ultimately, he's a fun player to be around. His teammates enjoy him. They play harder for him, but he's athletic, and he's got great size.”

What He’s Been Saying To His Defense About The Bobcats’ Run Game:

“They've had a lot of success. They've out-rushed their opponent, and several of their wins like that a common denominator for them. When they outrush their opponent, they win the game, right? We have to do a great job of rushing more than they're able to rush and stopping the run. We get those opportunities.”

If He Goes Off Of Lamson’s Stanford (2023) Film:

“I mean, you look at that for an evaluation as a player, but you spend a lot more time watching scheme from a coordinator's perspective, and what Montana State did last year on offense. Perspective, as that falls in.”

How To Prepare Against A New Team:

“You prepare for a lot. And ultimately, you try to say, okay, our rules have to play out, right? You get a lot of different things. And you have to say, okay, our rules sound. And if you have sound rules, the rest kind of takes care of itself.”

If Defensive Back Kingston Lopa Offers More Than Others At His Size:

“Kingston was a guy was a great wide out coming out of high school, and obviously also a really talented DB, but he has some athletic traits that aren't common at his position, and certainly help us out.”

Who Starts At Quarterback?

Oregon fans eagerly await seeing their team back in action – and everyone is on the edge of their seats when it comes to the news of the team’s week 1 starting quarterback.

Ducks signal-callers Dante Moore and Austin Novosad have been among those battling for the starting position throughout fall camp. While many presume the redshirt sophomore Moore to be the starter, Lanning and the program have yet to announce who it will be ahead of the first matchup against Montana State.

Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein have praised both Moore and Novosad throughout fall camp.

“We have guys from all over the country that are here to compete to win the job, especially with the history of the position here,” Stein said.

“Seven first round draft picks at quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, the winningest quarterbacks in college football history, or the most starts with Dillon (Gabriel) and Bo (Nix),” Stein continued. “There's a lot riding on there's a lot of, anxiety for everybody else about who's it going to be, but I know the person that we put out there is going to play winning football for us.”

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Novosad told the media at the end of fall camp that he feels that he’s “gone out there and executed the offense” and done the best he can to win the starting job.

Moore, meanwhile, caught the attention of Big Ten Network’s Yogi Roth at practice. Roth applauded Moore’s impressive accuracy and variety of throws.

The Bobcats revealed on Monday that former Stanford Cardinal quarterback Lamson will start on Saturday. Following Lanning's Monday press conference, it's still unknown to the public who will get the starting nod.

Ducks To Extend Streak?

Oregon leads the nation in nonconference home wins heading into the game versus Montana State. The Ducks have won 34 consecutive nonconference games at home, which included a victory last season over what ended up being a College Football Playoff team in Boise State.

A win on Saturday would also extend Oregon’s streak of 20-straight home opening wins to 21. The program currently has 70 wins all-time in season openers at home out of 81 such games.

The Ducks have only played the Bobcats one other time in history, which was a 27-14 win in 1947. Oregon has won its last 15 games at home and has only lost one home game under Lanning’s coaching tenure.