Oregon HC Dan Lanning Defends Player's Punch After UCLA HC's Complaint
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Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney saw the tape differently on a play that ended with Nico Iamaleava suffering what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury.
Bob Chesney argued Ducks defensive lineman Bear Alexander threw a punch at Nico Iamaleava when the quarterback was falling to the ground during the Bruins' 17-15 win over Oregon on Saturday.
Chesney called the play "egregious" and said that play shouldn't be allowed to happen in football. He was upset that Big Ten officials missed the punch.
When speaking to reporters on Monday night, Lanning explained what he saw of Alexander's punch. Per ESPN, Lanning argued that Alexander was trying to punch out the football and not trying to injure Iamaleava. He added that the punch wasn't the cause of the knee injury.
Still, Lanning said the punch was "late" and not performed the way he was coached to knock out the football. Lanning said he didn't like the way the action played out, but he wants to make sure his defenders stay aggressive in trying to hunt for turnovers.
Oregon does not plan to punish Alexander for the punch in the same way that Desman Stephens II was suspended by USC for one game after he celebrated a hit on Dante Moore that ended in a concussion for the quarterback.
One key difference between the two actions was that Alexander was not running around the field celebrating after the punch on Iamaleava.
Oregon's defense played well enough to earn the win over the Bruins. However, six turnovers by the offense led to the upset on Saturday. The Ducks now have two losses on the season and face pressure to win out to make the College Football Playoff.
Lanning needs his defense to be ultra-aggressive because the offense has not been on the same page for much of the season.
What's next for Oregon?
The Ducks will next face a 5-1 Nebraska team that gave Indiana all it could handle on Saturday. Oregon is unsure if Moore will return to quarterback against Nebraska. If he does not go, it's not set in stone that Dylan Raiola will get the start against his former team.
The Ducks need to go with a quarterback that gives the team their best chance to win. It’s crucial Oregon starts building momentum before playing Ohio State and Northwestern in a few weeks.
The margin for error is completely gone after losses to Oklahoma State and UCLA.
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