Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Addresses Bryan Addison Possible Targeting Hit On Terrance Ferguson

The No. 8 Oregon Ducks defeated the UCLA Bruins 34-13 in Oregon’s first conference game in the Big Ten Conference. Oregon coach Dan Lanning addresses UCLA Bruins defensive back Bryan Addison's hit on Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson. Coach Lanning said, " It certainly looked like it had some of the traits of targeting. In my mind, like there was a launch, but I didn't get to see the hit on copy afterwards."

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu (72) during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

 EUGENE- The No.8 Oregon Ducks remain undefeated (4-0) after a 34-13 win over the UCLA Bruins in Oregon's’ first conference opener as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

Overall, Oregon coach Dan Lanning was happy with what he saw from the team. The Ducks saw strong performances from starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wide receiver Tez Johnson and linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who grabbed his first career interception.

 However, the victory did come with an injury concern.

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu (72) during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson suffered a big hit from UCLA's Bryan Addison in the secon quarter and took some time to get up. Ferguson walked off the field on his own power but had to go to the locker room for further evaluation for a head injury.

Ferguson's quarterback and best friend, Dillon Gabriel, had some choice words for Addison after the hit.

Ferguson did not return to the game vs. UCLA. After the game, Oregon coach Dan Lanning said he thinks Ferguson "is gonna be good" after not being able to return to play due to the head injury.

"Precautionary from our standpoint," said coach Lanning, who continued to give his thoughts on if the former Duck Addison's hit was targeting.

"I'll have to watch it on film," Lanning said. "It certainly looked like it had some of the traits of targeting. In my mind, like there was a launch, but I didn't get to see the hit on copy afterwards."

Coach Lanning evaluated receiver Evan Stewart and Jeffrey Bassa's performances and provided insight into the victory.

Oregon will return home to Autzen stadium to face Michigan State Friday, October 4th for a 6 p.m. PT Kickoff  

Oregon's Evan Stewart, center, celebrates a second quarter touchdown at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Sept. 7, 2024. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here is what Oregon Ducks Head Coach Dan Lanning had to say after No. 8 Oregon’s 34-13 win over UCLA:  

Lanning's evaluation of the win:

"Complete game in a lot of ways. Still some things for us in areas of growth. Obviously the turnover at the end of half was not a good look. But, outside of that, I thought our team played really well. Big difference in third downs between our team and their team. Total yardage and a lot of categories we won in a lot of ways. Really proud of our guys performance, but excited about our growth. It's going to be a quick turnaround here for this next week so we have to be able to put this one to bed quick and move on fast."

Lanning on Oregon's defense:

"Complete game in a lot of ways. Still some things for us in areas of growth. Obviously the turnover at the end of half was not a good look. But, outside of that, I thought our team played really well. Big difference in third downs between our team and their team. Total yardage and a lot of categories we won in a lot of ways. Really proud of our guys performance, but excited about our growth. It's going to be a quick turnaround here for this next week so we have to be able to put this one to bed quick and move on fast."

Lanning on the status of Terrance Ferguson:

"Yeah, I think Terrance is going to be good. Just precautionary from our standpoint but he's doing well."

Lanning on Oregon's second half offense:

"Yeah, a couple of those we punched ourselves in the foot. It also started with a really long field, and at the beginning of one of those, it started backed up. But ultimately, I thought the offense had some really shiny moments. We just gonna be able to handle coming out of half and starting fast."

Lanning on Dillon Gabriel's performance:

"I think Dillon had a really positive performance, excluding one play. And I think he's continued to prove to be really savvy quarterback. He did a really good job. One of the things was impressed with Dylan and I the way he utilized his feet when the first answer wasn't there. You know, did a really good job of that. And moving on to the next foot."

Lanning on the offense's ability to attck along the perimeter:

"I think it just, it keeps people honest. And when you're running the ball well, you get some one-on-ones out there. We got to block better on the perimeter. I think that's one thing that's really clear for us. But when you have dynamic playmakers, and we get the ball in their hands and see if they can make one on one tackles, I thought they did a pretty good job of tackling on the perimeter. We got to do a better job blocking."

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) celebrates scoring a touchdown the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Lanning on Tez Johnson's performance:

"Yeah, obviously need to go watch the film. I thought there were some real positives from his game."

Lanning on Jeffrey Bassa's performance:

"I think this is the first week that Jeff's really felt healthy. He had a great week of practice. And because of that, I think his performance really showed up. It's hard to be able to go out there and play on game day when you're not able to practice. He was able to practice this week. Bye week was really big. Certainly a leader for us, understanding what opponents are trying to do, and did a good job of that tonight."

Lanning on Oregon's offensive coaching staff:

"I just think, ultimately, our offense staff does a great job of understanding what their strengths are, and how do we not play to their strengths? Right? We wanted to make some other guys tackle on this game, and for the most part, they did a decent job tackling them. At some point we're going to break some of these runs open even more, and some of these passes open even more."

Lanning on Evan Stewart's role in the offense:

"There were moments we took shots at Evan and the ball might have been slightly off, or he was slightly in a different position, but we're gonna continue to utilize Evan. He can be a dynamic player for us."

Lanning on Jordan Burch:

"Yeah, he's playing like a big time player. Again, I gotta go watch the film, but he's a hard person to block, right? I think he's proving that."

Lanning on Dillon Gabriel's efficiency:

"He's the one making every play. None of these coaches get to go make any of those plays. So Dillon's been extremely efficient all year. I think he's taken what the opponent gives him, but he's got to continue to do that for us."

Lanning on the offensive line:

"I think anytime that you can protect the quarterback and run the ball effectively, that's usually a good night."

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