Dan Lanning is looking to get his Oregon team over the finish line with a 12-0 mark in the regular season. All that stands in the way is a rivalry showdown with Washington, a stumbling block for Lanning in recent seasons.

Across his first 2 seasons in Eugene, Lanning is 0-3 against the Huskies, including last year’s Pac-12 Championship Game defeat. All 3 games have been hard-fought nail-biters, and this year’s game will be the first one played as Big Ten opponents in the Rivalry Week slot.

One challenge for the Ducks is gearing up for an uncertain starting quarterback situation. Will Rogers has been Washington’s starter all season but freshman Demond Williams Jr. has played in all 11 games.

Lanning referenced Williams’ playing time when asked about Washington’s starting QB situation Monday night. Since the Huskies have already been using a 2-QB system, it simplified Oregon’s preparation a bit.

“I think this is a team that’s played multiple quarterbacks throughout the season, so we’ve seen a little bit of both guys, and they’ve had times where they’ve actually had both guys out there on the field at the same time,” said Lanning. “So I don’t know that it presents a huge challenge. Either way, we were going to prepare for both because they’ve utilized both throughout the year.”

As for Williams specifically, Lanning referred to the young QB as a true dual-threat:

“He’s a guy that can operate. He has great athleticism, but he can make great throws as well… They’re both guys that can operate the system. I think (Williams) just becomes a threat from a run-game standpoint,” described Lanning. “What he can do with his legs, he’s very athletic. You have to be aware where he’s at at all times. And you know, then Rogers, as well, has been a guy that’s won a lot of football games and can throw the ball really well too. So they do a good job matching their scheme to those guys’ traits and skill set.”

If Oregon’s defense can lockdown on Washington’s offense, the Ducks will have a great chance at ending their skid in the rivalry. Saturday’s kickoff is set for a 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT broadcast on NBC.