Oregon football's Dan Lanning talks Minnesota, short week prep, and run game
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Following Oregon football's 18-16 win at Iowa, coach Dan Lanning spoke to media Nov. 10 about the Ducks' upcoming game against Minnesota on Nov. 14 at Autzen Stadium.
The Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will look to win their fourth-straight game against the Gophers (6-3, 4-2), who are coming off a bye week.
Lanning was asked about a slew of injuries to stars like tight end Kenyon Sadiq, right tackle Alex Harkey and receiver Dakorien Moore but said he wouldn't provide an update this week.
"If they're ready, they'll play," Lanning said.
Lanning talked more in-depth about the matchup against the Gophers, the short week of prep and what makes Oregon's run game so effective.
Oregon football's Dan Lanning talks short week of prep before Friday game vs. Minnesota
The Ducks have just one Friday night game this season, this week against the Gophers, coming back from a grueling slugfest against Iowa on the road while Minnesota had a bye week to rest.
Though the game will be played in the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium, Lanning recognized the challenges the Ducks will face on a short week by essentially removing a practice from their weekly plan and putting the Iowa game to bed as soon as the Ducks landed in Eugene over the weekend.
"It's a little adapted and a little adjusted because of time and making sure that you're able to get your players back from a recovery standpoint," Lanning said. "So it's a little bit different. Guys have to be able to do more mentally than just physically, then you kind of catch back up right around now."
Dan Lanning speaks highly of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and Gophers' program
Fleck, the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, is known for his sayings and often eccentric behavior.
Lanning said he has met with Fleck several times since the Ducks joined the conference and has "a lot of respect for him and his program."
"He's an unbelievable human, has a cause, believes in what he believes in," Lanning said. "You watch his team play and you can see it on film. The energy they play with and how they do things. I think he's just a guy that does it the right way and has been very consistent with his message and how he attacks."
The Gophers also boast one of the top defensive fronts in the conference. Lanning said Fleck and his staff do a good job of mixing up their looks and are especially dangerous in passing downs like 3rd-and-long. Minnesota also features a redshirt freshman quarterback in Drake Lindsey, who has passed for 1,743 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Lanning was complimentary of the young QB and said that he plays well beyond his years under center.
"He can make a lot of the throws, I think he's a true passer," Lanning said. "He's got the ability to make those throws. He gives his wideouts an opportunity to make a play down the field. He's going to give them a chance and ultimately he's executed pretty well in that. They pass the ball successfully and a lot of that starts with him."
'You try to play to your team's strengths': Dan Lanning says offensive staff has done good job of developing run game
Though Oregon almost certainly won't finish with an 1,000-yard rusher in the regular season, the Ducks' run game is one of the best in the country in a number of categories.
Oregon ranks sixth in the country in rushing yards per game (239.7) and second in yards per rush (6.36), with Noah Whittington averaging 8.1 yards per carry, Dierre Hill Jr. averaging 9.3 yards per carry and Jordon Davison averaging 6.8.
All three have over 400 yards rushing on the season, with Whittington leading the way with 551 total rushing yards through nine games.
"It's a multitude of things," Lanning said of the run game. "Every year is different and unique. You try to play to your teams 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. I'm really proud of your offensive staff and their creativity in the run game to find ways to be able to run the ball and utilize our personnel when it matters and control games."
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on Bluesky and X.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon football's Dan Lanning talks Ducks' game vs. Minnesota
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