Notable quotes in Dan Lanning's weekly press conference before the USC Trojans game
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The Oregon Ducks are coming off an impressive win last Friday, but they have no time to reminisce on the game. They play the No. 17 ranked USC Trojans this week in a game that will likely determine the Ducks’ fate as it pertains to the College Football Playoff.
The Trojans’ dynamic quarterback Jayden Maiava poses a serious threat to an Oregon defense that has been solid overall, but shown a few cracks in deep ball coverage and the run game. It just so happens that Maiava is a master at both, so Tosh Lupoi will need to have his unit locked in on the details.
One thing we’ve learned about Dan Lanning in his time in Eugene is that he is well aware of the challenge facing his team and he’ll do anything to overcome the obstacle. Let’s take a look at what he had to say about his team’s recent win and the tough battle they have ahead of them on Saturday.
Opening Statement
Lanning: They are really talented and well-coached. They will present a great challenge for us. Obviously an exciting weekend for us as well with Game Day coming in. Our crowd always does an unbelievable job showing up there and showing up to the stadium as well for our game. Excited to see that all come to fruition and for us to get to enjoy some of those moments.
Terrific Tight Ends
Q: How valuable is Jamari Johnson
Lanning: He's had an unbelievable attitude. Roger as well has made some big plays, obviously made an especially big catch. But Jamari, we're really satisfied with what he's been able to do for us in the program. He's playing at a really high level and doing some really good things. That whole tight end unit is doing a great job. That's a credit to Coach Mehringer and all those guys.
Star Signal Caller
Q: How does Dante Moore benefit the offense moving forward?
Lanning: It's certainly a huge benefit. I said it Friday but I'll say it again, that Dante had a great game but there were some unbelievable catches and great pass protection and a lot of pieces that go into that. When all those things click, when your quarterback plays like he did in that game, I think that's a great representation of the entire product of the offense. Guys making unbelievable catches, quarterback putting the ball in the right spots, guys protecting the quarterback – all those things have to take place – Great schemes from the coaches. It's awesome when you have those things rolling.
No-Fly Zone
Q: How can you stop USC’s receivers?
Lanning: I thought we played a complete game in a lot of ways. There's certainly some moments we want to have back. But looking at what USC does, Makai Lemon is as good as they come, Ja'Kobi Lane does a nice job outside. I think this is one of the best receiving cores we've seen since we've been here. Their quarterback is playing at a really high level as well. They have schemes that challenge you. They do a good job moving guys around and make it tough to figure out where they're at. It's a real challenge for us but one we'll embrace.
Test for Finney
Q: How do you defend Makai Lemon?
Lanning: Lots of preparation and film study, recognizing what he's good at, and being aware of where guys like that are on the field at all times. I think you always have to have an awareness of where he's at.
Swiss-Army Knife
Q: How unique is Lemon’s game?
Lanning: I think a lot of times you see the best players are able to make an impact on special teams. He's obviously one they utilize there. But yeah, he's a dynamic player and that's certainly a challenge.
Always Stay Prepared
Q: Will you be treating these last two games like playoff games?
Lanning: The only thing that matters for us this week is USC. If we continue to do our job, the rest of it takes care of itself.
Defensive Test
Q: How well do you think USC’s offense is playing?
Lanning: Yeah, we're playing an offense that throws for 300 and rushes for 200, so it all matters. But this will still be a physical football game. I think physical football teams win. That's certainly gonna matter in this game. But they challenge you in all ways with what they're able to do offensively.
Freshman Phenom
Q: How have you seen Jordon Davison grow from earlier in the season?
Lanning: We always talk about don't wait for your opportunity, be ready for your opportunity. Jordan is a great example of a guy who has been ready for his opportunity. Everything we've thrown at him, he's handled very well. I've said he's an intelligent player. We can throw basically anything at him and he can attack it. He's proven to be a dynamic back for us that can help us running the ball, protecting, blocking – he does it all. He's a jack of all trades.
Trojan Horse
Q: What makes the Trojans’ rushing attack so effective?
Lanning: With the passing attack that they have, the combination of both, you feel like you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. You can't steal one and do a really good job against one and not be good against the other. They are one of the few teams in college football that do a good job of running the ball out of spread formations. It's not always spread to throw it and condense to run it – they do a good job of both. They get guys on different levels and ultimately they do a good job of hitting seams and getting vertical.
Marked Improvement
Q: Why do you think your pass defense has improved since earlier in the year?
Lanning: I think growth just overall as a program. Certainly personnel is a big piece of that. We have good players. I think schematically we've gotten better as coaches too of putting guys in good situations. We have to be aware that we've played in some rain games too where it's difficult to pass the ball. I think all those things contribute. But our players certainly take pride in it and that's a big piece of it.
Shuffling the Pieces
Q: How did your guys handle the offensive line change?
Lanning: I thought they handled it well. We'll continue to move guys around to figure out where our best five are and see how it fits – especially at this part of the season when people are banged up you gotta look at different options there.
Dynamic Quarterback
Q: What makes Jayden Maiava so effective?
Lanning: He's not given enough credit, for one. He's more athletic than people realize. He throws the ball well. I think he keeps his eyes downfield even when the rush is imminent and coming close, and does a really good job. He can certainly beat you with his legs in the run game. He's a complete quarterback, plays with toughness. He's a wants-to-go-get-it guy, he wants to compete until the end and shows up consistently for them.
Money Zone
Q: How do you maintain efficiency in the red zone?
Lanning: I think it starts with protecting the ball. That's an important place that this team is advantageous when it comes to creating takeaways. That's something we have to do a great job of. And ultimately focus on our assignments. USC does a great job there, obviously we have to do a great job there. It's really more worrying about us than them.
Love the Thrill
Q: How much do you enjoy a high-stakes matchup like this?
Lanning: The challenge is always fun. This is certainly a team that is a challenge. They play really good football. These moments are fun. Obviously when College Game Day is coming to come see you twice, there's a reason. It speaks volumes about our fan base, it speaks volumes about our program and their program as well. When you get opportunities like that, that's something you want to take advantage of.
Bear Attack
Q: How have you gotten the most out of Bear Alexander?
Lanning: Bear deserves the credit for what he's done. We've certainly coached Bear and he's been super receptive and worked really hard to be the best version of himself. I think he's come here and found the best version of himself. But he deserves the credit for what he's helped with Coach Tuioti, Coach Lupoi coaching him along the way. Taking that coaching and executing at a high level. We've always talked about 'What do the reps look like? Not how many of the reps.' I think Bear has recognized that and has made an impact on our team in a positive way.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Notable quotes in Dan Lanning's press conference before USC Trojans
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