Oregon HC Dan Lanning and QB Dillon Gabriel open up with transparent quotes following undefeated regular season
The regular season is over, and for the Oregon Ducks, it went quite literally as well as it possible could have – Oregon finished the year as the only undefeated team in the country, they sit atop the College Football Playoffs rankings, they're set to play in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis, and […]
The regular season is over, and for the Oregon Ducks, it went quite literally as well as it possible could have – Oregon finished the year as the only undefeated team in the country, they sit atop the College Football Playoffs rankings, they're set to play in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis, and will have an opportunity to make a run at a National Championship, all in their first year in their new conference.
The undefeated season, only the second time Oregon has accomplished the feat, brings about a certain reverence, an appreciation for the level of dominance and consistency that this team displayed throughout this season, even after a bumpy first two games that are so far in the rear view mirror at this point that any semblance of troubles that those games raised are long out of view.
While it's fair to be appreciative of the season that was, it's also important to stay focused on the task at hand — Oregon still has to win four more games to claim the ultimate prize, with the National Championship Game still seven full weeks away. We're nowhere close to settling this thing.
After their dominant 49-21 victory (which really was 49-14 before the backups allowed a late touchdown) over the hated rival Washington Huskies, a team that head coach Dan Lanning had lost to in all three prior matchups as the coach of the Oregon Ducks, Lanning and quarterback Dillon Gabriel were asked multiple questions to reflect on the season, Saturday's victory, and the looming College Football Playoffs. Both of whom were incredibly candid, providing illuminating answers about the journey.
Lanning, was asked if he thinks about those losses to Washington and whether or not they have shaped this program.
"It means a lot. I mean, I go to bed every night thinking about them, and I wake up every morning thinking about them. So, it’s nice to be able to think about a win, too.”
I've never heard Lanning be so transparent.
Asked in follow-up about his comments on thinking about the losses and what he can take away from this win, his answer was simple — "How can we get better?"
Lanning was also asked about what obstacles face a program in their attempt to be consistent and build year after year in a new landscape with the transfer portal and NIL.
"How long you got?" he quipped. "There's a ton of challenges right now in the world of college football. I think it starts in that locker room, and you have guys that are bought in and believe in what we're doing. You continue to focus on talent acquisition and development. You focus on getting better every single day. I think that's the kind of group that we have in there right now."
Despite the success, Lanning is still focused on moving forward.
"I always feel like you can stop and celebrate whenever the season's done. You know, anybody in our world, you don't get the opportunity to be satisfied, right?" Lanning said. "And that's just the reality of what we live in. And everyone right now is gonna be patting us on the back. Who cares? It didn't matter before. It doesn't matter now. I remember early in the season when everybody was telling us how crap we were after our first two games, like, we don't care what anybody else thinks. So do we appreciate hard work? Absolutely, that's what it takes, right? But it doesn't guarantee anything for tomorrow, so you have to focus on what's next."
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is playing in his sixth and final season of college ball, has played at three different universities, and has faced plenty of ups and down, understands how fragile and challenging it is to win in college football.
"Yeah, winning is difficult. It's not easy, and to do it consistently and wake up every morning and not let it become a lackadaisical routine — it's demanding, but you just see a group of guys that, like I said, to speak to the connection, when one person may be down the way we bring others up, and have to match that energy." Gabriel said when asked about what it takes and what stands out about how connected this team is.
"And you know, on our good days, how do we make it great? And that's the people around you, how they motivate you, how they push you, how they inspire you to wake up every morning and and have your A game. And then you have a head man who brings his A game every freaking morning. There's levels to it, you know. And we all appreciate it. But I think the best part is we haven't really talked about it. We're just one week focused and so present, it's hard to do. It's very easy for us to look forward to the future, but we've just been living in a time where tomorrow's fiction. Tomorrow is not not real in our books. You know, we just focus right where we're at," he added.
Gabriel, now a seasoned veteran with plenty of successes and failures, appears much more contemplative about life, purpose, meaning, and happiness than most college athletes. Maybe that comes from the amount of experience he has. Maybe it's just his nature. Either way, he carries himself with a rare poise and focus for college athletes.
"Special year, you know, but special people," Gabriel answered when asked what makes Eugene and the Oregon Ducks different from his previous stops. "More importantly, I think as I've gotten older, I'm chasing people, and I'm chasing memories. I'm not promised tomorrow. I don't know when my time is up, but that's what I'm chasing. And I think the more memories and the more great people you can be around, the more fulfilling your life is. So I would just say, getting here, the great people that invest in you, that are extremely positive and want to see the best out of you, I think it's a powerful feeling, and I'm grateful to be a part of it, grateful to contribute to it."
Oregon still has every goal in front of them. Win the conference. Win a National Championship. No matter how this season ends, though, it's one worth celebrating, with a coach and quarterback dripping with leadership and perspective on things much bigger than football. We can all learn from them.
Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning reacts to his defense’s record-setting performance against Washington
I think the coach was pleased.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
