Tag: dan lanning

Is this 2024 Oregon Ducks defense the best in program history?

Is Oregon’s defense in 2024 the best the Ducks have every seen? Let’s dive into the numbers…

When Dan Lanning was hired as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks in December of 2021, there was an idea that he would bring the dominant Georgia Bulldogs defense with him to Eugene.

As the defensive coordinator of the Bulldogs’ historic 2021 championship team, fans conjured up ideas of hard-hitting, SEC-style fronts that could punish opponents and dominate the trenches up here in the Pacific Northwest.

In reality, the 2022 season saw an Oregon defense that struggled, giving up 27 points per game. Things got a lot better in 2023 as Lanning got more of his players into the system, but it’s in 2024 that we are truly starting to see that dominance on the defensive front take hold.

Through eight games this year, the Ducks have already pitched one shutout, and are giving up just 15.6 points per game. They’re allowing 173.8 yards per game through the air, 123.5 on the ground, and are sacking the quarterback at a rate — three times per game — that we haven’t seen since 2011 in Eugene.

Here’s a look at how all of those things rank nationally in 2024:

Points Allowed Per Game: 15.62 (10th)
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 173.8 (17th)
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 123.5 (40th)
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 297.2 (12th)

It’s clear that the Ducks have one of the best defenses in the nation this year, led by Jordan Burch, Derrick Harmon, Jeffrey Bassa, and Jabbar Muhammad, among many others.

After watching this unit for eight games, though, I wanted to dive in and see how it stacked up against some of the best defenses in program history.

There have been some historic defenses to set up shop in Eugene. Most recently, the 2019 unit led by Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jevon Holland put up some impressive numbers. There have also been dominant units in 2013, 2012, and 2010.

Of course, you can’t talk about defense at Oregon without mentioning the “D-Boyz” in 2007, and the Gang Green Defense in 1994.

So how do those units stack up against this 2024 squad? Let’s nerd out.

To do this, I have broken the numbers down on a per-game basis and a season-long basis to protect against the fact that more games were played in different seasons.

Editor’s Note: I really wanted to include the 1994 Gang Green Defense in this breakdown, but the NCAA didn’t officially start keeping record of stats like sacks and tackles for loss until 2000, so it felt incomplete. Therefore, we are focusing on the 21st century for this exercise. 

For reference, the 1994 defense allowed just 16.3 points per game, 205.4 passing yards per game, 112.4 rushing yards per game, and 317.8 total yards per game. They also had 20 interceptions in 13 games. They were great, and deserved to be remembered as one of the best defensive units in program history.

No. 5 — 2012 Oregon Ducks

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Record and Result: 12-1 Fiesta Bowl Champions

Points Allowed Per Game: 21.6
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 229.2
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 149.9
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 374.2

Total Sacks: 28
Sacks Per Game: 2.2
Total Tackles For Loss: 83
TFL Per Game: 6.4
Total Interceptions: 26
INTs Per Game: 2
Total Fumble Recoveries: 14
FR Per Game: 1.1

Analysis: The days of DeForest Buckner, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Kiko Alonso, and Boseko Lokombo. This was a fun time to be a Duck. While this Oregon defense allowed more than 20 points per game, they were incredibly oportunistic when it came to turnovers, intercepting two passes per game. They had one shutout on the year, a 49-0 beatdown over Arizona, and it all culminated in a 35-17 win over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl.

No. 4 — 2007 Oregon Ducks

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Record and Result: 9-4 Sun Bowl Champions

Points Allowed Per Game: 23.6
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 249.2
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 132.8
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 382.0

Total Sacks: 38.5
Sacks Per Game: 2.9
Total Tackles For Loss: 122
TFL Per Game: 9.4
Total Interceptions: 20
INTs Per Game: 1.5
Total Fumble Recoveries: 13
FR Per Game: 1

Analysis: The “D-Boyz.” This is a unit that acts as a foundation of my youth. With guys like Patrick Chung, Water Thurmond III, Nick Reed, Jairus Byrd, and T.J. Ward, this unit had unlimited star power. The stat that stands out from this group is the tackles for loss — 122 in the season, and 9.4 per game. That’s incredible, and something that we can largely thank Reed for, with his 23 TFL in 2007 alone.

No. 3 — 2010 Oregon Ducks

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Record and Result: 12-1 National Champion Runner-Ups

Points Allowed Per Game: 18.7
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 217.9
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 128.1
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 346.0

Total Sacks: 33
Sacks Per Game: 2.5
Total Tackles For Loss: 97
TFL Per Game: 7.5
Total Interceptions: 21
INTs Per Game: 1.6
Total Fumble Recoveries: 16
FR Per Game: 1.2

Analysis: There’s no stat from this unit that stands alone, but they are incredibly solid across the board. With just 18.7 points allowed per game, and an average of almost three turnovers per game, the 2010 Ducks also pitched a pair of shutouts in this season. The 2010 defense gets overlooked historically, but with guys like Casey Matthew, John Boyett, Cliff Harris, Brandon Bair, and Spencer Paysinger, it’s clear that this was a championship-caliber unit.

No. 2 — 2019 Oregon Ducks

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Record and Result: 12-2 Rose Bowl Champions

Points Allowed Per Game: 16.5
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 220.1
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 120.3
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 330.4

Total Sacks: 41
Sacks Per Game: 2.9
Total Tackles For Loss: 97
TFL Per Game: 6.9
Total Interceptions: 20
INTs Per Game: 1.4
Total Fumble Recoveries: 7
FR Per Game: 0.5

Analysis: It feels like the 2019 Oregon defense gets overlooked because of how things played out with both the COVID-19 season a year later, and the way that the Mario Cristobal era ended in Eugene, but based on the numbers, this unit was filthy. Allowing just 16.5 points per game is among the best in school history, while the 41 sacks is the most in school history (so far…). Guys like Kayvon Thibodeaux, Troy Dye, Jevon Holland, Deommodore Lenoir, and Thomas Graham Jr. made a statement in 2019, and it led to the Ducks’ last Rose Bowl victory.

No. 1 — 2024 Oregon Ducks

Record and Result: TBD

Points Allowed Per Game: 15.6
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 173.8
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 123.5
Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 297.3

Total Sacks: 24
Sacks Per Game: 3
Total Tackles For Loss: 47
TFL Per Game: 5.8
Total Interceptions: 7
INTs Per Game: 0.9
Total Fumble Recoveries: 4
FR Per Game: 0.5

Analysis: It’s not a complete season, so all of these numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt. But so far, Oregon’s 2024 defense is putting up some incredibly impressive numbers. Giving up 15.6 points per game — second-best in program history, only behind 1992’s 15.3 PPG — with fewer than 300 total yards allowed per game is crazy, and the Ducks are on pace to have the most sacks in program history, averaging three per game. The turnovers aren’t as prevalent as we’ve seen in years past, but this team is shutting opposing offenses down so far, led by the likes of Jordan Burch, Jeffrey Bassa, Derrick Harmon, Jabbar Muhammad, and Bryce Boettcher.

In conclusion…

I will be honest with you, when doing the research for this project, I was hoping that the numbers would lead me to say that there was another defense at Oregon with better production than the 2024 unit. Why? Because simply saying “This is the best team we’ve ever seen” opens up the door to criticism for playing into recency bias. However, the numbers that we see here don’t lie, and they tell us that through eight games, this Oregon defense is on a historic pace.

Of course, we have only seen eight games, so a lot can happen from here to the end of the season, especially when you consider that the team could end up playing as many as 17 games this year with the expanded College Football Playoff. However, I will also point out that the Ducks have made it through the toughest part of their regular-season schedule and won’t face a ranked team until a potential Big Ten Championship Game appearance.

It feels cheap to say that this is the best defense in program history, because the job isn’t finished yet, and there is a lot of football left to be played. If you want to call this statement reactionary, I don’t blame you. But based on the numbers that I’ve laid out, I think we can at least entertain that idea.

If Dan Lanning’s defense keeps putting up similar numbers over the next 6-9 weeks, the 2024 Oregon Ducks defense will go down as the best in program history.

Let’s revisit in January.

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Dan Lanning offers injury update on Jordan Burch ahead of Michigan game

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning provides an update on the injury to Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch.

The Oregon Ducks beat the Illinois Fighting Illini, 38-9, this weekend, improving to 8-0 and reaffirming themselves as the No. 1 college football team in the country. But, the Ducks were once again without star defensive end Jordan Burch who suffered a knee injury in practice before the Ohio State game. He hasn’t played since.

In his press conference following the Ducks win against the Fighting Illini, Oregon coach Dan Lanning offered an update on Burch’s status. He hoped Burch will make his return next week for Oregon’s road trip to Michigan.

“He did some limited stuff for us at the end of practice this week,” Lanning said. “We will continue to evaluate him and see what’s best for him, and in turn, what’s best for our team.”

In the Ducks’ first five games of the season, Burch was performing like Oregon’s best defensive player. This season, he has 19 tackles, seven TFLs and five sacks. He has defended four passes and recovered a fumble.

Although Burch’s absence is major, the Ducks’ defense has exemplified the next man up philosophy without him. Sophomore Matayo Uiagalelei (usually a starting edge rusher) has played a large chunk of interior snaps in place of Burch, and he has shined in his adjusted role.

In the three games without Burch, Uiagalelei has made 11 tackles, 4 1/2 TFLs and two sacks while soaking up double teams, which makes an unquantifiable impact on Oregon’s defensive effort.

Burch practicing this past week is a good sign, and if he’s able to practice more next week, he may be ready to go for the Michigan game. If not, he’s expected back sometime in November, according to someone with knowledge of the situation. Hopefully, he’ll return sooner rather than later, but he could be sidelined until Oregon’s matchup against Washington.

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Noah Whittington’s re-emerging performance makes him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington re-emerged against Illinois, making him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.

The Oregon Ducks took on a ranked opponent for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon, and they beat the Illinois Fighting Illini without leaving a doubt. Oregon took control early in the first half and didn’t loosen its grip — walking into halftime up 35-3. After a much slower second half, the Ducks won 38-9.

Oregon’s performance in this game defined a “team win.” On offense, defense, and special teams, every Duck did their job, despite a few mistakes. And while there was no standout performer, running back Noah Whittington is this week’s Ducks Wire Player of the Game.

It’s been a year and a month since Whittington’s devasting ACL tear against Colorado. It was a long road back for Whittington, and at times this season, he hasn’t looked as sharp as he did early in his Oregon career. But this Saturday, Whittington showed he is all the way back. He finished the day with seven carries for 56 yards (8 yards per carry) and a rushing touchdown. Whittington also caught two passes for 20 yards and a TD.

Whittington made the play of the day for the Ducks, scoring on an 18-yard rush in the second quarter. At the end of the run, he had one man to beat on the goal line, and instead of darting to the right or the left, Whittington went straight through the Illinois defender.

“When you get an opportunity to run through a man’s face, there’s nothing better than that,” Head Coach Dan Lanning said after the game.

In the past few seasons, Oregon has adopted a true two-back approach, with the Ducks top two RBs splitting carries. This season, the volume split has skewed towards Jordan James much more than Whittington, but this week Whittington proved he’s still an elite RB.

Next week, the Ducks take on Michigan, the defending national champions. The Wolverines haven’t been nearly as strong this season, but they’re still a good team, especially at home.

Previewing the Illinois defense ahead of Saturday’s game at Oregon

The Illinois defense is a formidable one and should be a good challenge for the Ducks.

The Illinois offense is humming like a well-oiled machine. It’s good and having a good season.

But the Illini wouldn’t be 6-1 and ranked 20th in the country if the defense didn’t step up and play outstanding football.

The unit has held opponents to fewer than 20 points in four of their seven games. The only outlier was Purdue, against whom Illinois won, 50-49, in overtime.

In their only loss of the season, at Penn State, the Illini fell 21-7. It was the lack of offense that lost the game, not the defensive effort.

In short, the Illinois defense is formidable, and the Ducks will need to bring their “A” game if they want to walk out of Autzen Stadium still the No. 1 team in the country.

Illinois is led by linebacker Gabe Jacas, a junior who was a freshman All-American two seasons ago. He leads the team in tackles for loss (7 1/2) and sacks (5 1/2).

According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Illinois’ defense has improved greatly from a year ago.

“You just turn on the film; you see relentless effort from this defense,” Lanning said. “They’re consistently attacking the ball, and you can tell they’re preaching that. That’s something that doesn’t happen by accident.

“They’re doing an unbelievable job attacking the ball. They’ve had eight picks on defense and have caused 10 fumbles on defense,” he said. “They’re a team that swarms to the ball and when you can win the turnover margin, you’re going to have a lot of success.”

Ask Michigan how good Jacas is. In Illinois’ 21-7 win, Jacas had 13 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

Besides Jacas, who looks like an NFL linebacker already, the Ducks need to worry about safety Scott Xavier. He has three interceptions and leads the team in that category.

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Previewing Illinois’ offense ahead of Saturday’s game with Oregon

Illinois’ offense could create some unique problems for Oregon’s defense on Saturday.

Before the season, it was generally accepted that Illinois had all of the pieces for a special year offensively. The only question was whether those pieces would fit to create a winning puzzle.

So far, those pieces have fit perfectly.

The Fighting Illini (6-1) are ranked No. 21 in the latest US LBM Coaches poll and coming off an impressive, 21-7, victory over Michigan. Two of those wins were in overtime and could have easily gone the other way.

Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer is having a great season with his a 66 completion percentage, 15 touchdowns and one interception. But it’s not like Illinois passes and then passes some more. Altmyer is averaging 215 yards per game. In his last two games, against Purdue and Michigan, Altmyer had a season high with 379 yards (Purdue) and a season low with 80 yards (Michigan).

Altmyer has two weapons at wide receiver he focuses on: Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin. Oregon coach Dan Lanning says they’re equally talented on both sides of the field.

“Those guys are really talented players and they do a good job at utilizing their tight end,” he said. “They have a good passing attack and one of the things they show they can do the best is throwing the ball over the top.”

The top tailback is Kaden Feagin, who averages 61 yards a game and has scored three touchdowns.

When’s the last time Oregon Ducks ranked No. 1 in the nation?

How have the Ducks fared when ranked No. 1 in the nation? Here’s a deep dive.

Events worked out well for Dan Lanning over the weekend. The No. 2 Oregon Ducks took care of business with a 35-0 blowout on the road against Purdue on Friday night, and the No. 1 Texas Longhorns lost, 30-15, to the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs. 

With those results in the books, the Ducks have moved up in the rankings. They are No. 1 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and Associated Press Top 25.

When was the last time that this was the case? It’s been a few years.

Oregon Ducks AP Top 25 History

Oregon last held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 in 2012. After a 10-0 start, the Ducks moved up to No. 1 in the nation with a game against the No. 14 Stanford Cardinal on tap. Veteran Duck fans know what happened next: Oregon lost to the Cardinal at home, 17-14, in overtime. The Ducks fell to No. 5 in the rankings after that.

Before 2012, Oregon found its way to the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll for several weeks in 2010. After a 6-0 start to the year, the Ducks moved from No. 2 to the top spot, and they stayed there for the rest of the regular season. Despite a 12-0 season, the AP moved an undefeated Auburn team ahead of the Ducks in early December, following a blowout win over South Carolina.

Auburn and Oregon met in the BCS National Championship game; the Tigers won 22-19.

Oregon Ducks Coaches Poll History

Similar to the AP Top 25, Oregon last held the top spot in the coaches poll in 2012 after their 10-0 start. They dropped out of that spot to No. 5 after their loss to Stanford.

Before that, it was in 2010 that the Ducks first held a No. 1 ranking in the coaches poll. A 6-0 start to the year elevated the Ducks to the top spot in the coaches poll, and they held that spot until December when, like the AP Poll, they were dropped to No. 2 despite the undefeated season.

Oregon is 6-1 when ranked No. 1 in the nation, with top-25 wins against USC and Arizona. Its loss came in 2012 to No. 14 Stanford.

This week, the Ducks will have a top-25 matchup. The No. 1 team in the nation faces No. 21 Illinois at home on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT.

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Dan Lanning named to Dodd Trophy midseason watch list

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning was named to the Dodd Trophy midseason watch list.

Through the first half of the 2024 college football season, there are few teams that have been as good as the Oregon Ducks, and few coaches who have been as impressive as Dan Lanning.

He did just have the NCAA change a rule midseason because of his success, after all.

On Thursday morning, the midseason watch list was released for the Dodd Trophy, which “celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.”

Lanning is one of 20 coaches to be named to the watch list and still have a chance to win the prestigious coaching award at the end of the year. He is also one of four coaches in the Big Ten to be on the watch list, joining Illinois’ Bret Bielema, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and Penn State’s James Franklin.

The Dodd Trophy winner will be announced in December during the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

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3 Keys to Victory for Oregon against Purdue

The three most important things for the Oregon Ducks to do against the Purdue Boilermakers to ensure a win.

The Oregon Ducks have a short week after their historic win against the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 12th. The Ducks are going on the road to West Lafayette, Indiana, where they’ll take on the Purdue Boilermakers this Friday evening.

Purdue has looked like the worst team in the 18-team Big Ten for most of the season, but last Saturday, they looked like a new team against Illinois, losing to the Fighting Illini in overtime, 50-49.

The major change for the Boilermakers was at quarterback. Ryan Browne started in place of former Texas QB Hudson Card who was injured. Browne threw for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 69.2 percent of his passes, accenting Purdue’s best offensive day of the year.

Below are my three keys to victory for Oregon this weekend. If the Ducks can do these three things, I think they’ll be in great shape to move to 7-0.

Neutralize Ryan Browne

Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Purdue found something last week with Ryan Browne at quarterback instead of Hudson Card — who was in the concussion protocol. Browne is starting again this week even though Card may have medical clearance. It will be up to Oregon’s defense to decide if Browne’s success from the pocket is temporary or Purdue’s new normal. If the Boilermakers passing game is successful, Oregon may be in for a dogfight.

A jump-started offense

Purdue isn’t close to Oregon in terms of skill, but they still have upset potential, especially as the home team. The best well to quell a Boilermakers’ upset bid? A hot start. If the Ducks can drive down the field quickly on their first possession and punch in seven or eight points, it should take the wind out of Purdue’s sails and put Oregon in firm control of the game.

Dominance in the Middle 8

The “Middle 8” (the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half) has been a big focus for Dan Lanning in his time at Oregon, but it hasn’t been a strength for the 2024 Ducks. In games like this with lopsided opponents, the Middle 8 is often where the better team takes control, and if they don’t — as we saw with Alabama and Vanderbilt earlier this year — it can mean bad news for the favorite.

‘The Lanning Rule’: NCAA issues 12-man substitution rule change following Oregon vs. Ohio State

The Lanning Rule has been born.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have been the talk of the sporting world the past couple of days following their 32-31 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes, not only because of what took place on the field but also what came after the game.

Recruiting wins? Yes. National relevance and respect? Those are there, too.

Rule changes? Apparently.

On Wednesday, the NCAA issued a new rules interpretation on how to handle a penalty for 12 players on the field in the final two minutes of either half. If the defense has 12 players actively participate in the down, the offense can choose, along with the 5-yard penalty, to have the game clock reset to the time that had been displayed at the snap.

This comes after the Ducks were flagged for 12 men on the field with 10 seconds left against Ohio State on Saturday night, The Buckeyes accepted the 5-yard penalty, but could not recoup the four seconds that were drained from the clock during the play.

After the game, speculation arose whether Lanning and the Ducks purposefully committed this penalty to drain time off the clock. Lanning was asked about it on Monday night during his weekly press conference, and he all but confirmed it was intentional, without exactly saying those words.

 

Now the NCAA is changing the rule. Because of this, many fans want to call it the Lanning Rule going forward.

There will likely be many legacies the Oregon coach leaves behind when his time in Eugene is done, and we can add this to the list.

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Dan Lanning seemingly confirmed Oregon had a genius intentional penalty during win over Ohio State

This was an amazing exploitation of the illegal substation rule by Lanning and Oregon’s staff.

The Oregon Ducks secured a massive victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes, which was a massive resumé booster for head coach Dan Lanning.

While the game had some amazing moments and some low points as well, one of the takeaways was the coaching performance from Lanning. Some may recall the bold onside kick to help get the Ducks into scoring position, but the most memorable takeaway happened as a decision on the sideline.

Late in the game, Oregon was whistled for a penalty after having too many players on the field. It seemed innocuous at first but it was actually incredibly helpful.

The basic concept is simple: Oregon’s defense was on the field with 10 seconds remaining on the clock. Lanning called a timeout and instead of putting 11 players back on the field, 12 took the field instead.

The idea is that with an extra defender out there for Oregon, the Ohio State offense would have lots of difficulty gaining any significant yardage at a 12-to-11 disadvantage.

Of course, the Ducks knew they would get a penalty for this violation after an illegal substitution. But the real purpose was to make the clock tick some more during the time Ohio State had to attempt a play against the defense with an added player.

Suddenly, with only six seconds remaining in the game, the Buckeyes had time for just one play. This did not go well for Ohio State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.

OREGON – OHIO STATE: Will Howard’s baffling decision to scramble as time expired in was hard to watch

When asked about the decision, Lanning spoke about it. He all but confirmed:

“There was a timeout before that. We spend an inordinate amount of time on situations. There are some situations that don’t show up very often in college football. But this is one that obviously was something that we had worked on. So you could see the result.”

This was an amazing exploitation of the illegal substation rule by Lanning and Oregon’s staff. Brilliant work!

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