Tag: Eastern Washington Eagles

11 notable quotes from Dan Lanning following first career win at Oregon

“I haven’t even thought about it, I’m already thinking about BYU,” Lanning said when asked about getting his first career victory at Oregon.

It took a week longer than he likely hoped it would, but head coach Dan Lanning is on the board as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. With a 70-14 dominant victory over Eastern Washington, the 36-year-old can officially say that he’s tasted the sweet joy of victory inside Autzen Stadium. There’s no turning back now.

While Lanning’s first win came with a couple of notable statistics — it took Chip Kelly 14 weeks to record 70 points at Autzen, and QB Bo Nix became the first Oregon player to throw for 5 touchdowns since Justin Herbert did so in 2019 — it doesn’t mean a whole lot in terms of the season-long look at things. The Ducks may have beat an FCS school, but they still have to prove how good they are against another Power 5 opponent. Fortunately, that chance is coming this next weekend as BYU travels to Eugene.

Before we start looking at that matchup, though, let’s revisit Saturday’s butt-whooping. Here are some of the most notable quotes from Lanning on Saturday night:

Photo Gallery: Oregon dominates EWU through smoky skies in 2022 home opener

Photo Gallery: Oregon dominates Eastern Washington 70-14 in the 2022 home opener inside Autzen Stadium.

Not only was it nice to see the Oregon Ducks football team dominate someone else, but it was also needed.

For the first time since Nov. 27, 2021, a span of three games, Oregon came out victorious with a 70-14 win over Eastern Washington.

Bo Nix threw for 277 yards and five touchdowns and receiver Troy Franklin set a personal best of 10 catches for 84 yards and a score.

While the attendance number of 47,289 may be a bit disappointing for head coach Dan Lanning’s debut, the lack of air quality due to the local wildfires probably had some people stay inside and watch the game on the Pac-12 Network.

But for those that braved the elements, it was a good time had by all as Autzen Stadium once again proved to have one of the best atmospheres in college football.

Oregon Ducks Player of the Game: Quarterback Bo Nix

Dan Lanning got a much needed blowout victory in his Autzen Stadium debut, thanks in large part to our Ducks Wire Player of the Game: Bo Nix.

Dan Lanning is officially 1-0 at Autzen Stadium, and Oregon Ducks fans can breathe a little easier after the team blew away the Eastern Washington Eagles, 70-14, on Saturday evening.

While a lot of players had excellent performances – hard not to when you put up 70 – the Ducks Wire Player of the Game goes to the man under center, quarterback Bo Nix.

Nix completed 28 out of 33 passing attempts, throwing for 277 yards and five touchdowns in an all-around dominating performance in the first half.

Ty Thompson (5-7 for 63 yards) and Jay Butterfield (1-1 for 1 yard) each got some action while the game was well out of hand, thanks to a nearly perfect performance from the Auburn transfer.

Nix spread the wealth, tossing two touchdowns to tight end Terrance Ferguson and one each to Troy Franklin (who was a perfect 9-for-9 receiving) Byron Cardwell, and Cam McCormick.

Obviously there is a (very) wide gap between Eastern Washington and Georgia, it’s hard not to be encouraged seeing how well Nix bounced back in his first game at Autzen Stadium.

BYU will represent a far more comparable opponent, making Nix a very intriguing player to watch in Week 3.

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HIGHLIGHTS: Every touchdown and big play for the Ducks against Eastern Washington

A look at every touchdown and highlight play for the Oregon Ducks vs. Eastern Washington.

There weren’t many highlights to come by for the Oregon Ducks in week 1 against the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs. Fortunately, a new week is here.

The Eastern Washington Eagles are on the docket for Dan Lanning and the Ducks in their first home game of the 2022 season. Under a smoky sky in Eugene, the Ducks look to exploit a less-talented FCS school to get back on track.

With only three points put on the board last week, the Ducks hope to live in the endzone on Saturday.

Are you away from a TV and looking to see all of the highlights from the game? We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to see, updated throughout the game.

3 keys to victory for No. 24 Oregon Ducks against Eastern Washington

The Oregon Ducks will take on the Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday. Here are three keys to victory for Dan Lanning’s home debut.

The first week of action for the Oregon Ducks in the Dan Lanning era did not go to plan. While it’s not a shock the Ducks fell to the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs, the way in which they were mercilessly picked apart has many Oregon fans feeling very nervous for the rest of the season.

A game against FCS opponent Eastern Washington should help remind fans how talented this roster is, although the Eagles are far from a pushover after putting together an extremely successful run in the Big Sky Conference over the past decade.

Eastern has always had a high-level offense, and while they have a relatively inexperienced quarterback at the helm they do have a pair of quality receivers in Freddie Roberson and Efton Chism III, and an experienced defense that should allow them to at least keep things competitive at Autzen Stadium.

For the Ducks to not only secure a victory but to help ease the anxiety many Ducks fans are feeling, here are three key things Lanning and company will want to do on Saturday afternoon.

Dominate the Trenches

Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Generally speaking, the biggest difference between FCS programs and Power-5 squads like Oregon is the size and strength of the big guys up front.

Eastern has always had talented skill position players, but Oregon is bigger, stronger, and more skilled on both the offensive and defensive line and that needs to be very, very evident on Saturday.

Pounding the ball on the ground while the offensive line opens up holes a semi could fit through is the fastest and easiest way to assert dominance in this football game and remind everyone that this team has dudes and can still be a competitive force in the Pac-12 and nationally.

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Dan Lanning notes where No. 24 Oregon can show most improvement vs. Eagles on Saturday

“I want to walk away and you say, ‘Okay, that offense has an identity. That defense has an identity in that game.'”

One of the glaring keys to the loss against Georgia is that Oregon’s offense wasn’t running very smoothly. For an experienced offensive line, quarterback, and receivers, watching the Ducks stall on nearly every single possession was unexpected, to say the least.

Now with a game against FCS school Eastern Washington at Autzen next on the docket, the Ducks are looking to improve in all things football. It comes down, as usual, to the little things, and that’s what Lanning wants to see Saturday night.

“Just execution. I think that goes on both sides of the ball. But we know they’re a really good opponent,” the Oregon head coach said. “We know they’re going to air it out and throw the ball over the yard offensively. For them, they’ve had a lot of success. There’s some continuity with their head coach.

“But I want to see our guys go play fast. I want to walk away and you say, ‘okay, that offense has an identity, that defense has an identity in that game.’ And again, Eastern’s an elite team, but we’re really focused on us. I want to see those DNA traits show up within that game for us.”

For the elite teams, practicing against themselves is more difficult than the actual game on Saturdays. Oregon was in that position many times in the past. But with a brand new coaching staff learning on the fly, that wasn’t the case in Atlanta. Not by a long shot. Lanning is hoping to change that quickly, beginning with the Eagles.

“The game was harder for us than practice, so we’re trying to figure out how we can create those moments where the practice is harder than the game and we hadn’t done that yet,” Lanning said. So today (Monday) we had a bubble drill and tomorrow we’ll have a bracket drill. We’re going to add some elements where the balls are on the edge. We got to go win on the perimeter, strike disengaged blocks, be the difference or make blocks right to create those explosive plays.”

Oregon saw what it’s like to win on the edge and create explosion plays. You win with scores like 49-3. Except now the Ducks want to reverse that score in their favor.

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Who are the top 25 highest-rated players in Madden NFL 23?

Here’s a look at the full top 25 rated Madden 23 players. You can probably guess who, but there’s one Iowa Hawkeye that made the cut.

Ultimately, it’s bragging rights more than anything else. Still, there’s something about being named as one of the Madden NFL 23’s 99 club members.

If you’re unfamiliar with how Madden NFL 23 works, a 99 overall rating is the highest any player in the game can get. Naturally, it’s a big deal when players are rewarded with that distinction. Four players earned that honor in Madden NFL 23 as you’ll see below.

What about the top 25 players? Who are they, what college did they play for and what’s their rating in Madden NFL 23?

As you’ll see, the top 25 highest-rated players in Madden NFL 23 span 23 different colleges, comprise all of the Power 5 conferences and even add a little FCS and Division II flair as well.

Fans can probably guess which player it is, but there is one former Iowa Hawkeye that made the top 25 highest-rated players in Madden NFL 23. Let’s take a look at the full list below.

Eastern Washington QB Eric Barriere racks up 600 yards, 7 TDs

Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere threw up some video-game numbers Saturday against Idaho

NFL draft fans haven’t paid much attention to Eastern Washington since Cooper Kupp was dominating opposing defenses for the Eagles, but it’s time for them to return their attentions to small town of Cheney.

That’s because their current quarterback, Eric Barriere just dropped some “NCAA Football 14 on freshman difficulty” numbers against Idaho on Saturday.

Barriere threw for 600 yards and seven touchdowns in a 71-21 victory, with no interceptions.

The 6-1, 210-pound senior is sure to turn some heads in the NFL scouting community after that performance, and with good reason.

Oklahoma gains the commitments of Eastern Washington transfers Tanner and Jacob Groves

Oklahoma basketball picked up two roster additions on Sunday with commitments from Eastern Washington transfers Tanner and Jacob Groves.

Oklahoma basketball has had an offseason of turnover unlike quite any other in recent memory with both the coaching staff as well as the roster undergoing an essential entire overhaul.

In terms of players, it has been a lot more going out than coming in for the Sooners, but new head coach Porter Moser landed himself two very big additions on Sunday night with the commitments from Eastern Washington transfers Tanner and Jacob Groves.

It had been previously reported that Oklahoma had made the final four teams in the running for Tanner Groves, which was significant news given his status as one of the bigger names in the transfer market after his solid season a year ago with the Eagles and his big performance in the NCAA Tournament against Kansas. Now, he has made his next destination official as he’ll be heading to Norman to play under Moser, and he’ll be bringing his younger brother with him.

While Tanner Groves’ 17.2 points and 8 rebounds per game will grab the bulk of the headlines here, younger brother Jacob is a very solid pickup in his own right. In just under 22 minutes per game a year ago, he averaged over nine points per game shooting 55 percent from the field. He has the ability to be a significant contributor right away as well.

With so much turnover from the roster after the end of last season, it has to feel good for Moser and company to have landed two players they can use and one that will certainly immediately be one of the best on the team. It’s especially significant given the position that Tanner Groves plays with his size at six feet and nine inches tall, after Brady Manek left the team to go to North Carolina earlier in the week.

Sooners Wire will continue to provide updates as the roster takes more shape with the Sooners expected to still be in pursuit of more players in the transfer portal throughout the offseason.

Oklahoma makes final four teams in the running for Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves

Oklahoma has found themselves in the final four schools in the running for Eastern Washington transfer forward Tanner Groves.

Oklahoma basketball has a lost a lot in terms of players departing from the team since the end of last season in the transition from former head coach Lon Kruger to new head coach Porter Moser.

But, one very key addition could be on the way for the Sooners. On the same day both Alondes Williams and De’Vion Harmon entered the transfer portal, Eastern Washington transfer forward Tanner Groves has Oklahoma in his final four schools, per Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

Groves burst on the scene to many with his big performance in this year’s NCAA Tournament against Kansas as it became clear that the redshirt junior would be an interesting candidate as someone who could make the jump to a bigger program.

Interestingly, another team to make the final cut for Groves is Oklahoma’s biggest rival in Texas under their new head coach in Chris Beard. Both Beard and Moser are just beginning their tenures in the Red River rivalry, but they already have a big time battle on their hands to try and land the services of the Eastern Washington big man.

Groves seems like a home run pickup for Moser and the Sooners should they land him, given the severe lack of players underneath right now on the roster. His 17 points and 8 rebounds per game would be a very welcomed addition to Oklahoma’s hopes for competing in the stingy Big 12 conference next season.

Sooners Wire will continue to provide updates on Groves as they become available.