Everything Dan Lanning said following Drew Mehringer, Dante Moore news

Changes are being made this week, and Dan Lanning isn't shying away from them.

The Oregon Ducks are still reeling from yet another ugly offensive performance in a 21-10 road loss to Illinois. That turned out to be the final straw for offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, who was fired on Sunday after three straight games with less than 20 points.

Returning home, the Ducks will host the surging Northwestern Wildcats on Halloween afternoon. Northwestern enters with a surprising 5-1 record, a stellar running game, and an improving quarterback in Aidan Chiles, all led by offensive coordinator and old friend Chip Kelly. As Oregon's offense battles through change and searches for a spark, the Ducks will get an up-close look at a steady offense that generates explosive plays on the ground.

Lanning opened up on the test Northwestern presents this week, as well as detailing his decision to move on from Mehringer, who will call plays moving forward, and the status of Dante Moore at his weekly press conference with the local media. He also discussed what needs to change for the Ducks moving forward, with their playoff hopes likely gone, and who the Ducks might be getting back in the lineup this week.

Here is everything Lanning had to say on Monday before the Ducks host Northwestern:

Opening Statement

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks up at the scoreboard during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on October 24, 2026 in Champaign, Illinois.

"That being said, we're about to play a really good Northwestern team. They're playing complete football. What they do on offense; it's almost like they have three different offenses and the way they operate. They're running the ball extremely effectively. Their quarterback is playing at a really high level, extremely efficient. He completes the ball on the field; he has legs. This will be the third time that we've actually faced him with different teams. But he is playing really good football. Their players play extremely hard. When you watch them on defense, they're really stingy in the red area. They do a good job of being assignment sound. It's one of the sounder teams when you watch them in college football. There are no places where you can say, "OK, here exists a big play." They do a great job defending explosives, and they play very physical. So that shows up continually for them, and there's a reason that they've had the success that they've had this season. So it'll be a real challenge for our guys, especially with what they do. The variety that they provide on offense and the way that Coach Braun has his guys playing as a whole is really impressive."