Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has made himself known for dropping witty one-liners since he took the reins in Eugene.
Leading the Ducks, Lanning has said he doesn’t care about a No. 1 ranking, he’s asked if anyone has a heartrate monitor following a narrow victory, and he’s coined a popular local phrase: “the grass is damn green in Eugene.”
So, when asked about running back Noah Whittington’s vicious second-quarter touchdown run during Oregon’s 38-9 dismantling of Illinois at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Lanning had his response locked and loaded.
“When you get an opportunity to run through a man’s face, there’s nothing better than that,” Lanning said. “It’s awesome seeing guys play physical, and I think that’s something our team prides itself in.”
With 6:09 left to play in the second quarter, Whittington bounced outside and neared the goal line before an Illinois defensive back came up to meet him. Whittington ran through the defender into the end zone, giving the Ducks a 28-3 lead while firing up the home crowd.