The anticipation in Eugene is tangible as the Ducks prepare to take the field at Autzen Stadium for their season opener this Saturday. And talk about football full circle: Oregon’s opening opponent will be led by a familiar face under center. And Oregon is already itching to ‘double down’ on last year’s dominance. Montana State’s starting quarterback this year is Justin Lamson. It’s a name the Ducks know all too well from his stint at Stanford in 2023. Ducks faithful likely recall Lamson from that year’s lopsided matchup, when Oregon absolutely overwhelmed Stanford 42-6.

Now, after transferring to Montana State and clinching the starting gig, Lamson returns to Autzen with a new team and with a point to prove. But Dan Lanning is not the type to take an FCS powerhouse like Montana State lightly. And especially when the Bobcats are rolling in ranked No. 2 and fresh off a 15-1 run that saw them fall just short of a national title. So, in an appearance at the Ducks’ weekly press conference in Eugene, Lanning admitted that he’s been hunched over hours of offensive tape.

And not just scouting Lamson’s past at Stanford, but cross-referencing “Montana State’s schemes from last season. I mean, you look at that for an evaluation as a player,” Lanning said. “But you spend a lot more time watching [the] scheme from coordinator’s perspective and what Montana State did last year from the offense perspective, as that falls in.” In short-yardage situations, Lamson relies on rushing. He rushed a whopping 22 times for just 32 yards and took three sacks. He showed grit, but Oregon’s defense smothered him at every turn. Through the air, he completed 11 of 20 passes for 106 yards. It’s nothing flashy, but he kept fighting even when the yards didn’t come easily. But fast-forward to now, and Lamson’s growth is impossible to miss.

He set a Stanford single-season record with eight rushing TDs the next year, tossed clutch passes in big games, and upped his completion stats while maturing as a playmaker. That’s why Montana State tapped Lamson for the starting job this season. He has got a season and a half of Power 5 football under his belt. But evaluating a player like Justin Lamson is only half the battle. Montana State’s new offensive coordinator, Pete Sterbick, arrives fresh off a wild stint leading Colorado School of Mines to the top of Division II. He’s also racked up huge yardage and records along the way. This means Lanning and his staff also need to dig into how Sterbick designs an offense for the Bobcats.

“Yeah, we’ve been able to get some,” Lanning said. “You have to work connections a little bit differently when it comes from Hudl, and trying to find different ways to find that. But we’ve been able to find a lot of film.” In 2023 and 2024, Montana State was an FCS juggernaut on the ground. They averaged 294.9 rushing yards per game. This showcases a stable of running backs who could hit a home run from anywhere on the field. But under Sterbick’s schemes at Mines, there was a mix of spread concepts, explosive passing, and creative play-calling, including trick plays and rapid tempo that kept defenses guessing. With the change of OC, Lanning can’t bank on last year’s blueprint. He wants to know not just ‘who’ is playing QB. But ‘how’ the coordinator is making the gameplay.

ChatGPT controlling the pro games?

Dan Lanning didn’t mince words when asked about the NFL’s growing obsession with AI and high-tech play calling. While pro football is making headlines for its partnership with Microsoft and the idea of using artificial intelligence to choose plays, Lanning was refreshingly candid in his own press conference. “I’m not using ChatGPT on my sideline to decide what we’re going to run,” he said. The room broke into laughter, but the message was clear.

For Lanning, football is more than just crunching data or running simulations. He acknowledged the allure of AI for scouting. Like, breaking down tape, and maybe even getting a new angle on opponent tendencies. But when it comes to making snap judgments in the heat of battle, he trusts his coaches and players to read the game.

Things like calling audibles and executing based on what’s happening right there on the field can only be done by someone with ground experience. Lanning admits, “AI is something that’s going to continue to grow. It’ll continue to be a part of the game — probably as much as anything, from a scouting standpoint — But it’s probably still the early days for us at our level.” It’s a stance that appeals to Ducks fans and players alike.