Dan Lanning will take his guy over anyone.
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Lanning says, is the best in the country.
“We’ve got the best quarterback in the nation. I know that. I see that,” Lanning said after Oregon’s 42-6 victory over Colorado on Saturday.
Nix completed 28 of his 33 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. He added a fourth touchdown on the ground. The former Auburn quarterback hit his first 11 passes in the game and opened with makes on 25 of his first 27.
“You see all the plays that he throws and all the plays he makes with his feet, but you guys don’t see all the checks that he makes,” Lanning said. “You don’t see what he does for this team. You don’t see his leadership.
“He sent a text this morning to me that was impactful for me. That guy shapes me. That guy makes me a better person. We’ve got that guy on our team, so we’re so blessed to have him.”
In the win, Nix became the first player in FBS history to produce 55 touchdowns for two different programs. Nix produced 43 touchdowns a year ago, and he has 12 in four games this season.
Saturday also brought his first interception of the year.
Is he better than he was a year ago? Lanning didn’t want to answer that question, but he did say the Ducks have a guy they trust completely.
“I think Bo is operating extremely efficient,” Lanning said. “Will (Stein) and him are (so) on the same page. We’re sitting in some huddles and Bo called some of those touchdown plays. He’s sitting here saying, ‘What do you guys think about this?’ And we’re like, ‘Great call, let’s do that.’ I’m really, really comfortable with our quarterback and I know he won’t ever let the moment get too big for him.”
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
