Oregon Ducks ‘more focused than ever’, head coach says

EUGENE Ore. (KPTV) – Oregon Head Football Coach Dan Lanning started Monday’s media day by proclaiming “Summer is over!” As they prep for their upcoming season, they have adopted a new motto and say they’re focused more than ever.

It’s no secret the PAC-12 has taken on a different look in the past year with teams like USC and UCLA leaving the conference, but what about the teams who are still in the conference? 

We asked Coach Lanning about his thoughts on the most recent team, University of Colorado Boulder, leaving the PAC-12 and he said it doesn’t change a thing.

“Not a big reaction I mean I’m trying to remember what they won to affect this conference. I don’t remember, do you remember them winning anything? I don’t remember them winning anything.”

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Colorado made the decision to leave the PAC-12 for the BIG-10 after the conference failed to construct a media rights deal.

“I’m not concerned about that right now I’m worried about this season right now, so no, that hasn’t been a conversation piece for me,” said Lanning.

According to defensive back Dontae Manning the news didn’t weigh heavy on the team either.

“We move around as if nothing ever happened. We don’t really care about a lot of talk moving and this and that whoever we play whoever’s on that schedule we play them,” Manning said.

Coach Lanning just received a contract extension that will keep him with the Ducks through the 2028 season, with a hefty salary bump and a $20-million buyout. With the recent coach turnover, he was asked why people should believe he is here for the long haul.

“Do you got $20 million?” says Lanning. “It’s not fair in college football in my opinion when a University makes a commitment to a coach, but a coach doesn’t make a commitment to that university. I wouldn’t be here, believe it or not, believe whatever you want, there’s no secret that this is what I want.”

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The Ducks have come up with a new motto this season, ‘Going from Good to Great.’

“If you’re rolling out the exact same material every single year, for your players that can become mundane and then you’re probably not attacking your strengths or your weaknesses,” Lanning explained. “We go back and reevaluate. What are we really good at work and we improve and ultimately we felt like it’s time for us to take that step.”

“It’s the steady leader that the offense needs,” said Quarterback, Bo Nix. “Similar to what it was last year. doing what I did last year, but at a higher, even better scale and figuring that out as I go. What areas can I go from when I was good and what I was capable and where can I go to where my weaknesses aren’t my weaknesses anymore. my strengths are now elite and they’re at the top. I think that as a player as an evaluator as an individual you got a look at yourself and figure those things out.”

The Ducks will play Portland State Saturday, Sept. 2 against at Autzen Stadium

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