Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore couldn't be in a better position with head coach Dan Lanning than his current regime entering the Ducks' Orange Bowl game vs. The Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The Ducks' 51-34 win against James Madison was only a sign of things to come, according to Lanning.
"He understands how to solve problems within our offense," Lanning told reporters. "He can check to a lot of things himself, make every throw, and use all the weapons we have. Every route is alive on every play, and that's not the case in every offense."
Lanning said with Moore's reinvigorated poise, it has allowed the Ducks to spread the field more but the fundamentals still remain the same.
"They generate a ton of negative plays, and a lot of it comes from rushing four and letting the back end cover," Lanning said of the Red Raiders' defensive front. "They've got an arsenal of pass-rush moves, especially on the edges. Those guys are matchup issues."
One of those standouts is linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, a player Lanning was highly complementary of.
"He's super instinctual and really aggressive," Lanning said. "It's not just blitzing — it's his ability to find the ball, and when he gets there, his intention is to get the ball out every snap. He consistently takes shots at the ball."
Ultimately, though, a quick game time turnaround from this past Saturday to New Year's Day is a non-issue for Lanning..
"There's definitely an art to making sure your team is prepared when you have long breaks," Lanning said. "It's tough when you have big gaps, but I don't know that it favors one team or the other."
Continuing forward like this past season, it's win-or-go-home for the Ducks.
Kickoff is on the earlier body clock time for the Ducks, beginning at noon ET.