Oregon Coach Credits Spartan QB Aidan Chiles
The Michigan State Spartans will play yet another team ranked inside the top 10 this Friday night when they fly cross-country for a showdown with No. 6-ranked, Oregon.
Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke on his outlook on the game and is quite familiar with the Spartans' head coach.
Since becoming the head coach of the Ducks in December of 2021, Lanning has never faced the Spartans but has competed against former arch-rival head coach, Jonathan Smith.
When Smith was at Oregon State up until last season, he and Lanning battled the past two years, splitting with a 1-1 record. Along with Smith, the Spartans inherited a few Oregon State players who will face the Ducks once more, this time in a Big Ten battle.
“You know, similar pieces; I think they always do a good job of challenging you in the run game, creating different pictures than maybe what you see across college football, they always do a great job of that,” Lanning said. “Defensively, a little bit different than what they were last year at Oregon State but still really really sound, and do some things that challenge you as well.”
Lanning is no stranger to former Oregon State quarterback and current Spartan sophomore, Aidan Chiles. The Ducks head man actually recruited Chiles back in high school before he committed to Oregon State, followed by his transfer to the Spartans along with his head coach.
“One of the biggest things that sticks out is the way he's [Chiles] able to keep plays alive and continue to make things happen with his legs,” Lanning said. “Their average depth of target is way way down field right? They take a lot of shots, they have some wideouts out there that have done a good job winning on the perimeter and he throws a really good deep ball. So, I think those are probably the two things that stick out the most: his ability to connect on deep shots and then his ability to extend plays with his feet.”
Chiles was the backup at Oregon State last season behind starter DJ Uiagalelei and did not see the field in a 31-7 loss to the Ducks. He will receive his first taste of live action against a team that is allowing just over 20 points per game, hoping for a strong revenge performance.
With it being a Friday game, both teams have one less day of preparation which can pose issues for each side. For the Ducks at home, that has not phased them one bit, holding an all-time record of 6-0 at Autzen Stadium on Friday nights.
“Generally, I would always say success points back to preparation right? They're obviously on a short week, we're on a short week as well but our guys came out there again to work today, did a really good job,” Lanning said. “But it's about stacking the next few days as well and continuing to improve. Then, obviously our fans support, Autzen [Stadium] is unbelievable right? When you have the fans that we have, they make a huge impact on that game.”
The Ducks are off to a solid 4-0 start and have dominated their last two opponents by a combined score of 83-27. They previously handled business against Oregon State this season, 49-14, in Week 3.
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