Oregon Ducks head coach believes that Boise State giving the team a wake-up call will benefit them down the line.
The Oregon Ducks got a little wake-up call over the weekend against the Boise State Broncos.
Once again, Boise State was able to hang with the Ducks for most of the game. Oregon was forced to escape with a big win, ending what would have been a massive upset in Week 1 of the college football season.
The Oregon offense looked good, but no matter what they did, the Broncos didn't give up. In the end, the Ducks found a way to win, which good teams tend to do.
Head coach Dan Lanning reflected on the game, believing that the tough matchup with the Broncos will better this team in the long run.
"You love having a challenge early," Lanning said. "At times you want to get a win in every situation. It's going to be a win that we can learn from, right? There are things that we can attack and improve coaches as well. I think that's what will show up."
Lanning understands that not every game will be pretty, but games like this one should give his players more confidence when everything slows down. With the Ducks looking to win a title, knowing how to play in crucial spots of games will be paramount.
Oregon entered the year as one of the best teams in the country, so for them to be on upset alert in Week 1, it was a fright to all the fans at Autzen Stadium. But the Ducks are a battle-tested group that knows how to pull out situations like this.
However, as the year ghoes along, the Ducks won't always be able to make this a reality. Oregon has to be better at starting quickly, something that Lanning called his team out for not doing on Satruday.
"We didn't win the critical situations. We didn't start fast," Lanning said. "The performance and execution has to be better."
The Ducks are one of the more talented rosters in the country. But nothing is going to be handed to them, and they will have to earn their keep out on the football field, each and every week.
"A lot of it was self-inflicted," Lanning said. "That's not winning football. Not good enough, not to our standard."
Oregon will now head out on the road for a Week 2 matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Ducks should be able to handle the Cowboys pretty easily, but this will be a chance for the group to learn from the opener.
