Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Evaluates 'Big' Wisconsin Badgers, Coach Luke Fickell's Culture

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are gearing up for their last road game of the regular season, vs. the Wisconsin Badgers. With a perfect 10-0 record, coach Dan Lanning and quarterback Dillon Gabriel aim to keep their momentum strong but know they need to address recent penalty issues as they eye the College Football Playoff.

Nov 9, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team before the start of a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

EUGENE - The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are preparing for their final road game of the regular season. The undefeated Ducks (10-0) will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the Wisconsin Badgers (5-4) on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 4:30 p.m. PT. 

The Ducks enter the matchup fresh off a 39-18 win over Maryland. Despite securing their tenth victory of the season, the Ducks struggled with penalties, committing 12 for 95 yards on the night. 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning is focused on cleaning up these mistakes as the Ducks wrap up the regular season and prepare for the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches a play against Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Monday, ahead of Oregon's game against Wisconsin, Lanning discussed the talent on Wisconsin's roster, specifically the Badgers’ secondary, and provided insight into the status of receiver Tez Johnson and Jordan Burch. 

What Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning Said Ahead of the No. 1 Oregon Ducks’ Matchup Against Wisconsin: 

Opening Statement

"I want to start off by acknowledging a legend passing in the game, and it's always sad to see somebody leave who meant so much to our sport. John Robinson, want to recognize him, obviously a legendary coach, but he got his start right here with the Ducks. Thinking about him and his family, our entire organization tonight. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that it's Veterans Day and how grateful we are for the people that serve this country. With that being said, exciting weekend for the Ducks. Basketball off to a hot start, did really well this weekend, and obviously our football game, we learned a lot of great things from that."

Lanning on Wisconsin Coach Luke Fickell:

"Yeah, I think Coach Fickell’s a great coach. You know, I actually got to play against him when I was at Georgia, and he was at Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl, and he had a really, really good team there. I think he's proven he can develop teams. We came down to a field goal barely to be able to win it. And that speaks to the kind of culture he can create. You see pieces of that coming together for him now at Wisconsin. And I think he's doing a good job."

Nov 2, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell and his wife Amy walk into Kinnick Stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Lanning on Badgers starting quarterback Braedyn Locke:

"Yeah, he has the ability, you know, to make you hurt. I mean, he's a good football player, and you know, it's all based on opportunities and what that looks like. But certainly has that ability back right here."

Lanning on Wisconsin’s Offensive Line:

"Yeah, I mean, they're big, right? It's one of those ones where you look at them and you say, okay, that's what an offensive line is supposed to look like. They have great size up front. They have the ability to move you, you know, but when you look at it, you're like, okay, that's what a Wisconsin offensive line looks like."

Lanning on Wisconsin Corner Ricardo Hallman and Other Programs Not Testing Him:

"Yeah, I think that's probably smart, right, as a football coach, not to throw to a guy that's gonna make a lot of plays on the ball. I mean, how many picks did he have last year? Seven? You know, the guy had seven picks last year. And, you know, why not throw in the other direction? That makes a little bit of sense. That being said, you know, I think it's much more challenging for a defense whenever you can work the entire field. But there's a reason people aren't testing him, you know, because he's a talented player."

Lanning on Oregon’s Penalties Against Maryland:

"Yes, some of them were warranted, for sure, and I wouldn't say that there were, like, egregious ones that were missed. There are reasons, so we can improve in our technique. There's execution that we can do better. And you know, again, on Wednesday last week, we had some in practice, so that usually shows up in the game. So we have to do a good job of addressing it and making sure we eliminate them."

Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning on Wisconsin’s Safeties:

"Well, they're good tacklers. They do a great job disguising coverage, and they have some good mix-ups there. But, yeah, I think this is one of the more talented secondaries that we've seen. I think they play really well together. They understand how to handle adjustments, which I think is always important in football. You see that show up with them."

Lanning on Wisconsin’s Running Back Tawee Walker:

"No, I don't know if he reminds me of anyone, but, I mean, he just plays with a level of toughness and effort. I mean, I think those things show up on film. You know, how hard you play, I think, speaks to how much you appreciate your teammates, and you know that certainly shows up with those guys."

Lanning on Where the Ducks Need to Improve:

"Yeah, I won't get into, like, great specifics, but I think just technique at this part of the season. In a lot of places, you'll trim down and eliminate individual time to work on the fundamentals and technique. And the reality is, this is when it matters the most, right? So we have to be fundamentally sound in scheme, but just as important, how you disengage off a block matters, how you play slot cover matters, right? How you tackle matters. And I think some of those things showed up for us that we could do better."

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson celebrate a touchdown by Johnson as the Oregon Ducks host the Idaho Vandals Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lanning on the Punter Dropping the Ball and What Daylen Austin Could Have Done Differently:

"Yeah, I mean, when they're in the pocket, which is the question there, is like, is he in the pocket? They're protected, right? So we've actually shown a clip before. A couple of years ago, Missouri and Auburn played, the ball snapped over the head, the ball's picked up and kicked, and the guy's still within the tackle box, so he's protected, and the guy hits, you know, hits the punter. And it's a very similar situation we've shown. It's one of those ones that you talk about, but I don't know that we emphasize that enough as coaches, but ultimately, say, go for the ball in that situation. You know, Daylen is close enough to make a play. You know, the coaching point is to go for the ball. I could understand his confusion in that moment, and if he's just a foot left, you know, we're probably not even talking about it, and it looks like a completely different play."

Lanning on the Status of Receiver Tez Johnson, Who Is Getting Out Of His Sling This Week:

"I think he's doing well. We continue to evaluate where he's at, you know, for us, but he's doing well."

Lanning on the Status of Jordan James and Jordan Burch:

"Yeah, continue to evaluate. Get those guys back. You know, right now, early in the week, we'll take a lot off of them, and then see, you know, how they feel. But, you know, I anticipate that we should be able to see them."

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