It’s officially game week for the No. 2 Oregon Ducks as they’re set to kick off the 2026 season at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 5.

The Ducks host a familiar opponent in the Boise State Broncos in Week 1, a team that tested them in a narrow 2024 meeting. Coach Dan Lanning opened up about what makes the Broncos challenging during his Monday night press conference and spoke about starting the season off on the right foot.

Everything Dan Lanning Said

How He Defines Success in Week 1:

“Yeah, I mean, really, how we play our standard, our standard of play. Beginning of the year games generally have a lot of penalties. Beginning of the year games have missed tackles. I think like looking for us to play to that standard of what's the technique necessary? Are we achieving that at high level?”

“Operation as a coaching staff to make sure that we're giving our players the best chance to have success, and then just the in-game mode, you know, of how we assess each situation, make adjustments throughout the game, and play that.”

“And then obviously, you'd love to come out of this game healthy, right, with the W. But it starts there, right? And regardless of the result of the game, we're going to be coaching something afterwards that we can get better at.”

Opening Statement:

“Excited! It's finally here, Game Week. You know, certainly excited about the opportunity to play a great opponent in Boise State and Oregon Athletics is off to a hot start already with soccer and volleyball tearing up. So, this is a team I have a tremendous amount of respect for.”

“Remember the last time we played these guys, and really, they beat us in a lot of a lot of areas of the field. We were able to come away with the W because of special teams and some of that play. But it's a really well coached team.”

“Spencer does a great job of getting these guys ready. They play with an attitude and a toughness that shows up all over film. They've got some really dynamic players that do a really good job, and it seems like it's a really cohesive unit.”

“So, everything you expect from a Boise State team seems to be showing up on film, and obviously there's some unknowns because it's a new group and new team. But they're well coached, and we expect the best. What I'm counting on are our fans to show up, pack the place, make it a special environment like I always see at Autzen Stadium. So it'll be fun to be out there on the field again with our guys and time to hit somebody else.”

If the Closeness of the Last Meeting Provides Them Motivation:

“Yeah, they're certainly aware of it. I think they have a lot of respect for you know Boise State. There's a reason this team's been so successful over so many years. You know, it's really an identity program, and they have a great identity.”

“But a lot of our guys on our team that were part of that game, they remember that game. They remember how tight it was. And again, it could have gone a lot of different ways. So, they're familiar with it. They're excited to play somebody else who executes the best and performs their capabilities.”

Whether the Importance of the Game for Boise State Factors Into Their Urgency:

“I think we want to put the best product on the field, regardless of who we're playing, but certainly playing a great team like Boise State enhances that and knows you can't walk into this game relaxing by any means and I think that's great for us.”

“This is a team that's very capable, and again they've proven it time and time again. So, I don't think it changes our prep or our mindset, but I think our players certainly recognize and our coaches recognize how talented and how well-coached they are.”

If Offensive Line Starters Are Solidified:

“I don't know that because I mean, if you look at every position on our team throughout the years, you've seen changes throughout the season. Do we have some guys we feel comfortable going into the game with? Yes. Are there still guys playing above the line ball at multiple spots? Yes.”

“So, will you see one group? No, I don't. I think you'll probably see some different guys in the lineup throughout, and that's because they've earned that and they've worked through it, and that'll kind of help us shape. Okay, it's a little different at practice. What's it like in a game? Who's performing the best?”

“And even if you go back to previous years, we started with offensive lines that we thought were the best going in, and then they changed over time. That'll be the same with every position on our team. But we have some guys that are prepped and ready, and we feel like we're going to put them in position to be successful.”

Boise State’s Traits:

“Well, they've always had a dynamic run game. I think their run game sets up their shots and the way they throw the ball. They have a quarterback that's won a lot of games there, played a lot of games for them, you know, Maddux.”

“And then on defense, they're very aggressive at times. They tackle extremely well. They play with physicality. I think those are all the things that really show up. And then they really challenge you in special teams.”

“Their special teams coordinator, Stacy (Collins), does a lot of different stuff that makes it tough that you have to prep for and you have to be ready for. And it challenges your rules. So, I think just everything that we grew up thinking about Boise State, whether it's thinking back to the Fiesta Bowl, like you see all those same traits in this program.”

Boise State’s Returning Production Making Preparation Easier:

“I don't know that you think about it like that. I mean, they've had an offseason like we've had an offseason. I'm sure they're doing some stuff that's a little bit different. I think it's it maybe makes it easier to know you know who to expect to be out there on the field.”

“But I anticipate they'll have some different people out there that we're not planning for either, similar to us. I think it'll be very similar from that standpoint. So, I don't know if it changes your prep there.”

If They Can Take Anything Away From the Last Matchup vs. Broncos Quarterback Maddux Madsen:

“There's some similarities. I mean, he's always been a threat with his ability to run, and again, I think in that game, I mean, they rushed for over 200 yards rushing, and I think that you didn't have to rely on and him throwing it as much.”

“They scored points and had enough points to be successful in the game. And if it wasn't for our special team scores. I don't know what that looks like. So, he's a really capable quarterback. When it's not there, he does a great job of being able to take off and run with it. And I think he's only gotten better since we played him. He's played a lot of snaps since then.”

Offensive Lineman Dave Iuli’s Status:

“Yeah, he's been able to practice for us all week and feel comfortable that he could play.”

Boise State’s Run Game:

“Both their leading rushers are back, and they're both guys that could play on any team that we play this season. I mean, they're really, really talented. They've got change of speed. There's going to be some jersey numbers that are slightly different than last year, right?”

“One's in zero now, one's in 26. But they have proven to be really good backs. They've recruited well at back, and again, they have explosive ability when it comes to the run game. And then those guys also catch the ball well out of the backfield.”

“And I think that's one of the things that makes Boise tough to prep for is they throw it to their tight ends, they throw it to their backs, they throw it to their wideouts. Their runs look like their screens. Their passes same as. So, they just complement each other really well with the way they play and prep.”

Problems Edge Rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan Presents:

“Just strong motor, extremely disruptive. Really able to disengage off of blocks. He can power rush, or he can finesse rush at times, speed rush. So, you see that from, and they do a good job of letting the guys go. They use different techniques on the edge, but he's certainly a guy that you have to know where he's at all times.”

Excitement for 2026 Freshmen Class in Action:

“I’ll say their growth has been really impressive from this group, they've and I think a lot of that comes from the leadership on our team, guys, helping prep people for what to expect, and I anticipate similar to last year, we didn't necessarily know what that would look like.”

“The guys were going to be able to help and impact, and I think that same thing could happen. I think somebody that might not impact this game on Saturday could be a guy that's impacting the game later on in the year. So, I'm excited about the growth of that group, and feel like we have some really talented players in there.”

Spencer Danielson Saying Oregon is the Best Team in the Country:

“It’s way too early to say that.”

If the Process of Implementing New Concepts and Schemes is Over:

“Yeah, combination. Like, we certainly narrow it down for a game like this, and this we have a focus. These are the things that we want to work, and then there's plays that plays and concepts on both sides of the ball that you maybe keep alive that you're not saying are going to be okay the root of your game plan for this week.”

“But it's something you're going to use throughout the season, and you might need it in the game because you don't know what could be different. So, I think it's a combination of both, but really more focused on what do we feel like we need to do to be successful against Boise State.”

On Former Players on NFL Rosters:

“Yeah, just a ton of excitement, you know, for those guys, and then even some heartache for the guys that didn't make it. Right, that you know that they work so hard, and it doesn't mean that their chapter's over.”

“But the guys that you see get to make a team, I hope that they're able to have the same success they had in the NFL that they had here. They made huge impacts here, and we're really excited for those guys.”

Philosophy Behind Not Releasing a Depth Chart:

“What's the advantage of releasing one?”

What He Enjoys Most About the First Week:

“Yeah, I mean the games, right, is what you enjoy the most. But I enjoy the practice. I enjoy the prep. It's just good to be back and doing football. I can't, you know, there's times you wish you could do it year-round, right?”

“But yeah, there's nothing quite like being in Autzen Stadium and that experience, seeing guys grow and execute on a field at eye level. Football's a unique sport. Takes 11, right? And it really takes a lot more than 11. It takes a team, right, to be successful on the field.”

“So, seeing that all come together, you got a lot of moving parts, and to be able to operate at a high level, that's exciting.”

Handling the Emotions of Game Day:

“I think you try to paint every scenario for your team of things that you know are going to happen throughout the game, right? And we did some of that this morning, just talking through our team, like what are what are things that we know are going to happen in this game, right? What things should we expect?”

“What are the reactions that we're going to have when those moments happen? And just try to give them the opportunity to visualize it, expose them to it. Whether that's something we've already done in practice, or it's just something we've done in our mind and played that out in advance.”

“Okay, how are you going to react when that moment happens? Try to create as many of those as possible for your guys as you go in, and then just remind them when you're there. Hey, we talked about this. This was going to happen. How are we going to react now?”

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