Oregon announced its advancement to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals after defeating James Madison, but head coach Dan Lanning made it clear his team needs significant improvement.
“We didn’t play our best football,” Lanning said. “We turned the ball over multiple times and we’ve got to play better on defense. It was like a tale of two halves. We played well in the first half but didn’t play well in the second. We can play so much better than that.”
Lanning addressed reporters Saturday following the win, expressing frustration with his team’s second-half performance.
The Ducks held a commanding 34-6 halftime lead before allowing James Madison to mount a comeback.
“We started off hot,” Lanning said. “We can be better. In the second half, as a team, we didn’t play the way we needed to play. You have to find moments like that when you have a big lead, to be able to choke somebody out and we didn’t do that.”
Lanning referenced Oregon’s Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State from last season as motivation for this year’s playoff run.
The coach emphasized improvement as the team’s primary focus moving forward.
“Getting better, period,” Lanning said. “Getting better. We got an opportunity to advance, and now we get an opportunity to improve.”
Oregon will face Texas Tech in the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. Kickoff is set for noon ET.
The Red Raiders have been on a strong run throughout the playoffs, led by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore will need to minimize turnovers against a Texas Tech defense that’s been creating opportunities throughout their playoff run.
The team has six days to address the issues that nearly cost them their season against James Madison.
