by Steve Mims
EUGENE, OREGON — Here is a recap of Oregon Athletics that happened last weekend.
OREGON FOOTBALL
Dan Lanning is doing so well in his debut season with the Ducks that his name is already being mentioned for other jobs.
You can understand how uneasy those rumors make Oregon fans feel after Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal each left for another job, but Lanning sounds like he expects to be at Oregon for the long haul. Asked this week about rumors he was interested in the opening at Auburn, Lanning shook his head before the question was even finished.
“Things like this are going to come up when you have team success and when you do your job and things go the way they’re supposed to,” Lanning said on Monday. “That’s a credit really to our team. That being said, I think there’s a little bit of a problem in society today with people looking for what’s next and where there’s an opportunity and the reality is the grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene and I want to be in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me.”
Lanning’s Ducks have won eight straight games following a 49-10 win at Colorado on Saturday. The Ducks are 8-1 and the last unbeaten team in the Pac-12 standings at 6-0 as they prepare to host Washington on Saturday.
Oregon is up to No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings as they remain in the hunt for the national championship with three games left in the regular season.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham used some trickery early against the Buffaloes beginning when quarterback Bo Nix threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Josh Conerly. Then Nix caught a 18-yard touchdown pass from running back Bucky Irving before linebacker Noah Sewell scored on a 1-yard run as the Ducks took a 21-0 lead.
“Kenny would be the first to tell you our whole offensive staff has really been in sync and our offensive play calling has been in sync and we do a good job setting up plays,” Lanning said.
The game was never in doubt as Nix completed 20-of-24 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns while Irving ran for 120 yards. Nix added two touchdown runs and threw a scoring pass to Moliki Matavao.
The Ducks have a tough stretch run beginning against the Huskies, who are fifth in the conference at 4-2. Utah, which sits tied for third at 5-1, visits Autzen the following week before Oregon wraps up the regular season at Oregon State, which sits in sixth place at 3-3.
“We have to go out there and play well,” Lanning said. “When we get out there on the field, I promise our guys will be ready.”
VOLLEYBALL
Oregon stretched its winning streak to seven straight games with wins at Washington and Washington State during the weekend.
The 16th-ranked Ducks defeated No. 19 Washington 25-13, 25-19, 25-18 on Friday night as Mimi Colyer led the way with 14 kills. Brooke Nuneviller added 10 kills and 11 digs in the victory.
Two days later, Colyer had 25 kills and Nuneviller added 16 in a 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 win over Washington State.
Oregon is 17-5 and sitting in second place in the conference at 11-3 as it prepares to visit Colorado and Utah this weekend.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Oregon wrapped up its season with a 2-2 tie against Oregon State on Friday night at Pape Field.
Zoe Hasenauer opened the scoring for Oregon in the 27th minute on an assist from Lexi Romero before Oregon State scored consecutive goals to take a 2-1 lead. Alice Barbieri tied the game in the 81st minute.
Oregon finished the season 4-8-7, including a 2-6-3 record in Pac-12 play that tied for ninth place.
WOMEN’S GOLF
The sixth-ranked Ducks placed second at the Pac-12 Preview in Hawaii on Wednesday.
Ashleigh Park shot 8-under par over three rounds to place second in the individual race. Briana Chacon tied for seventh at 4-under par as the Ducks shot 8-under par as a team.
MEN’S GOLF
Owen Avirt shot 10-under par over three rounds to tie for medalist honors at the Cal Poly Invitational at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel, Calif.
Avirt shot 70-66-70 to help the Ducks finish sixth in the team standings at 1-under par. Greg Solhaug was the other Duck under par at 2-under par.
MEN’S TENNIS
Jesper Klov-Nilsson won the singles title at the Jack Kramer Club at Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. on Sunday. Klov-Nilsson defeated Johannes Seeman of San Diego State 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to claim the title.
Steve Mims has spent 25 years as a sportswriter, including 21 years at The Register-Guard. He covered University of Oregon athletics from 2013-2020. He works in Eugene as a registered representative and insurance agent at PBC Insurance. He can be reached at smims@pbcins.com.