The Oregon Ducks are back, and are set to kick off their season at home against the Idaho Vandals on Saturday at 4:30 PM PT from Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
There's plenty of people that might not be familiar with the University of Idaho football team, but looking past any opponent would be a mistake. Speaking on the Oregon Sports Network, Dan Lanning made his weekly appearance on Wednesday Night on the Oregon Football Coaches Show, and helped preview the first opponent of the season.
Dan Lanning has plenty of respect for the Idaho Vandals
Last year, the Vandals finished second int he Big Sky Conference, going 9-4 overall and 6-2 in their conference. They averaged 32.3 points per game while holding opponents to 22.08 per game.
"They have a lot of different faces on the program now than they did a year ago. But they were really good team for a reason, good on offense, really good on on defense, they do some challenging schemes – I also think they have an identity. And the best teams, to me, always have that. They do what they do, and they do it well, and they do it again and again and again. So it's gonna be a fun team to play," Lanning said.
That identity was a team that ran the ball successfully a lot last season. Stopping the run is going to be the key to getting the opposing offense off the field.
Idaho features some players that grew up in Oregon
Interestingly, the Idaho Vandals have a handful of players that are likely viewing this game as a bit of a homecoming, and may be carrying a chip on their shoulder with them.
"There's a couple guys that played – a quarterback from Lake Oswego up in Portland – that's probably really looking forward to playing in Autzen Stadium. So yeah, you know, I think their coach said that in his press conference the other day about how there's some guys on that team that are really excited for the opportunity to play in Autzen. That should make this a fun environment," Lanning said.
Putting myself into the article a bit here, but I'm very familiar with Lake Oswego. As a West Linn High School graduate, Lake Oswego has long been a league rival and neighboring town to the West Linn Lions, so seeing a Lake Oswego kid in this game on the opposing sideline will be fun.
That quarterback is Jack Layne, a 6'2" quarterback that graduated high school in 2022. Layne, who has been with the Vandals the last two seasons, is taking over as the starting quarterback in season.
In his senior season of high school, Layne threw 44 touchdowns with four interceptions, completing over 72% of his passes for 3,391 yards.
Oregon needs to be themselves and play up to their standard
What we want to see from the Ducks in the first game is handling what should be an inferior opponent with ease. No opponent should be disrespected, but Oregon, the No. 3 team in the country, should look the part of a national champion contender in their first game.
Play fast. Pour on the points. Fly around. Play loose. If Oregon wants to be considered a national powerhouse, then they need to put that on display on Saturday. Let's see Jordan Burch get to Layne. Let's see Jordan James break off some long runs. Let's see Dillon Gabriel look confident and comfortable in his new system in front of his home fans for the first time.
That's what this game is all about. Be great.
Related: Oregon Ducks continue local pipeline with commitment from former quarterback Justin Herbert's alma mater
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on X @JonHelmkamp , as well as follow our main page @AtoZSportsNFL for all the latest news.
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