Dan Lanning Says Oregon Ducks Defense Has A Higher Expectation
By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 The Game
Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning came to Eugene with a reputation of a defensive-minded coach, as he was the defensive coordinator for a national championship team at Georgia. But in year one, the Ducks struggled on the defensive side of the ball. They were No. 100 in the nation in yards given up per play and were No. 110 in passing yards given up per game.
Still, Oregon finished 10-3 in Lanning’s first season and won the Holiday Bowl.
The UO coach joined the Bald Faced Truth with host John Canzano and said his defense has a higher expectations for next season.
“When you talk about learning a new defense, it takes time,” Lanning said. “It’s hard to play great defense and it takes great communication. Year two there’s certainly a level of expectation to perform at higher level there for us and I think we will.”
One of the things Lanning said was going to be really important is pressuring the quarterback.
“More then just disrupting is just affecting the quarterback,” he said. “There’s a lot of ways you can affect the quarterback beyond just sacks. Whether it’s disguising coverages, or getting your hands up and batting balls, disrupting the timing of receivers running routes. You know just applying pressure.”
One of the biggest bright spots of last season was quarterback, Bo Nix. Lanning thinks Nix was trying to prove something last season.
“You’re talking about two completely different years,” he said. “Year one, he was coming in and I don’t want to say falling in line, but he was like you know I’m gonna sit back and earn my stripes by the way I work. My attention to detail and prove it on the field.”
Lanning is excited about year two and how it will be different, “Year two you walk in to a completely different experience. You know he’s a proven commodity, he’s done a phenomenal job for our team. Now you’re walking around and you got a voice.”
Listen to Lanning’s full appearance here, and don’t miss John Canzano deliver the Bald Faced Truth weekdays 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.
