Oregon coach Dan Lanning caught up late in the BYU-Baylor game last Saturday night, for obvious reasons.
The No. 25-ranked Lanning Ducks host the No. 12 Cougars on Saturday at Autzen Stadium (1:30 p.m. MDT, Fox) and he was understandably trying to get a glimpse of BYU ahead of the ranked teams showdown.
“Yeah, crazy game. I was hoping they would play eight or nine overtime, wear them out. But obviously there were two very good football teams fighting each other and it could have gone either way,” Lanning said during his weekly press briefing Monday night in Eugene, Oregon.
“They’re a good team. They have great players at every level. We highlighted a few of these guys today in our scouting report. They have NFL talent on their roster. They’re playing really good. Lots of returning starters, lots of continuity there too. – Oregon coach Dan Lanning on BYU
“I think good teams find a way to win and obviously (BYU) managed to do that. So kudos to them. I was able to catch the end of that one.
On Saturday, Oregon beat FCS Eastern Washington 70-14 in Autzen, and Lanning said he was pleased with the crowd, but expects more this weekend. Perhaps he took note of the raucous, sold-out crowd of 63,470 in Provo that played a part in BYU’s 26-20 victory.
Baylor committed four false starts amid the noise and cacophony of LaVell Edwards Stadium; Thousands of BYU fans took to the field to celebrate the Cougars’ first win over a top-10 team since beating No. 1 Miami in 1990.
“Obviously (we’re) really excited to play against a really good BYU team. They’re really talented. About as excited to go play them as I am to see our fans in the seats,” said Lanning: “It will be a great game where they can make an impact.”
Autzen stadium with 54,000 seats; last Saturday’s attendance was announced at 47,289.
“I know they’re going to be ridden harder, more intense, next week. I think it’s the kind of game where the Autzen crowd can have a really big impact on the game,” Lanning said. “But this team is a really talented team that we are about to go play. The more I watch their film the more respect I have for them and the way they play the game with a certain level of physics and violence which is fun to see on film and I know it will be a fun game for our players.”
Lanning, who served as defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Georgia from 2019-2021, was briefed on BYU’s last visit to Oregon in 1990. That game came three weeks after BYU upset Miami. The Cougars took a No. 4 seed in Autzen and were defeated 32-16.
“I haven’t heard much about this game, but I can’t wait to go back and find this movie,” he said.
Here’s more of what Lanning had to say about BYU and Saturday’s Week 3 game:
• On the advantages of BYU with its missionary return program and having players who are “24 and 25”: (BYU said last year that the average age of its players was 21 years and 4 months; the average age of players on this year’s roster is 21.78).
“I never really thought about it from that angle. They definitely have older guys on their team because of that. I don’t know if it will necessarily give them any benefit other than that they might have some maturity because of it. We’ll see.”
• On what BYU QB Jaren Hall brings to the table:
“They were one of the most explosive offenses in terms of getting the ball on the pitch and distributing the ball on the pitch. They really extend the field. Hall does a great job distributing the ball. He throws a good ball. He also has the ability to run. So he presents challenges with his ability to scramble. I’d say he’s a quarterback looking to throw it and keeping his eyes on the field.
• On BYU’s size and physique on display against Baylor:
“They’re a good team. They have great players at every level. We highlighted a few of these guys today in our scouting report. They have NFL talent on their roster. They’re a good team. They’re playing really well. Lots of returning starters, lots of continuity there too.
• On what Oregon will be looking to do offensively against BYU after Baylor has just 289 total yards:
“BYU has a very good defense. I think they feature some really unique looks. They are not a cookie-cutter defense. They do a lot of different things and I think that showed up. Obviously, I think Coach (Jeff) Grimes made some really good plays. It was kind of a defensive battle until the end of the game there and even then it was still about goals on the field – tit for tat.
“They are doing a very good job. There are certainly similarities (between) Baylor and us, what they do in defence. (BYU) did a good job controlling the passing game and stopping the run.
Cougars on Air
No. 12 BYU (2-0) vs. No. 25 Oregon (1-1)
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT
Autzen Stadium
Eugene, Oregon
TV: Fox
Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM
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