2 weeks Ago
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.
" Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 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. QUACK.
QUACK. NOAH WHITTINGTON JUST RAN HIM OVER FOR THE TD. pic.
twitter.com/IS98588HI1 "It was a great touchdown, so I imagine it gave him some great confidence," Lanning said. "We have a lot of confidence in Noah and he did a great job today.
" Whittington finished the game with seven carries for 56 yards and a touchdown, and two catches for 20 yards and another score. Saturday marked his season-high in total yards and touchdowns. Whittington and the Ducks will be in action again next week as they travel to take on Michigan.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PST, and the game will air on CBS.
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