Urban Meyer reveals what he admires about Dan Lanning, Oregon program

Game recognizes game. On Friday, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer raved about Oregon HC Dan Lanning and his Ducks staff.

“He deserves the props, and so does the coaching staff,” Meyer said. “I went to visit him last year, last spring, I walked away saying, ‘That’s arguably the best coaching staff I’ve watched work.’ They have consistency. Their coordinators are both back for the past three years.

“But then the one thing that impresses me about Dan Lanning — every time I talk to him, which I talk to him quite a bit, he always closes with, ‘Hey, what can we do better? What do you see? What are other people doing out there?’ And when I watched him closely, the way they teach their players, they have GoPros on their heads. They have these big screens that they’re doing the walk-throughs. So they’re very creative and he pushes his staff to be the best at what they do.”

Lanning’s innovative approach to the game has led to astounding results. In his first three seasons at the helm of the program, Lanning led Oregon to a 35-6 overall record. Additionally, he guided the Ducks to the Big Ten Championship last season and the College Football Playoff.

Despite only returning five total starters from last season, Oregon looks like they haven’t skipped a beat this season. The Ducks are 2-0 this fall and have defeated their opponents by a combined 128 points.

Most recently, Oregon steamrolled Oklahoma State in a jaw-dropping 69-3 blowout. In the win, Oregon racked up 31 total yards of offense, almost three times more than Oklahoma State’s 211. Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was impressive, completing 16-of-his-21 pass attempts for 266 yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception.

Oregon’s defense was equally impressive. The Ducks squeezed two turnovers out of Oklahoma State, both of which were interceptions they returned for scores. Moreover, they only allowed Cowboys QB Zane Flores to complete seven of his 19 pass attempts.

The loss was the largest margin of defeat for Oklahoma State during head coach Mike Gundy‘s 20-year tenure. Oregon’s success isn’t an accident. Instead, it’s the result of Dan Lanning’s endless effort to lead the program to unprecedented heights.

On Saturday, Oregon will look to build on its momentum as it squares off against the Northwestern Wildcats at 9 a.m. PT. The game will air live on FOX.