Football Practice Report: March 12
03/12/18 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Ducks were in pads for the second practice in a row Monday, and cut it loose a little more now that they know Mario Cristobal's expectations for the format.
Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Full pads
Monday was the second practice of this spring in full pads, and it had a different feel. On Saturday, in hindsight, the Ducks were getting a sense for the intensity head coach Mario Cristobal expected in his "practice like pros" mantra – playing physical, without unnecessarily risking injury.
When they returned to the field Monday, the Ducks knew where that line was drawn. And they bumped right up against it most of the morning.
"Get after it!" Cristobal exhorted the Ducks as they prepared to break the huddle for position drills. "Max effort, that's all we need!"
To that end, Cristobal inserted an Oklahoma drill into the practice schedule Monday. Ugochuwku Amadi and Keith Simms each got a couple reps, and shed blocks both times. Thomas Graham Jr. got off a block and made a tackle as well. Offensively, Jacob Capra pancaked a D lineman, and Tony Brooks-James got free by leaping over an offensive lineman engaged with a defensive lineman.
A few other guys consistently shined over the course of the team periods that filled out the practice schedule. Austin Faoliu was a force in the middle of the defense line, and Fotu T. Leiato II is starting to look more comfortable at inside linebacker, finding the ball and delivering big hits.
The running backs and linebackers went 1-on-1 in a blitz pick-up drill, which also had the pads popping. CJ Verdell held his ground against a hard-charging Simms, and Travis Dye did the same against Isaac Slade-Matautia. Verdell had some powerful runs later on in team periods, too; the Ducks may not have many backs who are Royce Freeman-esque in stature, but it's a mistake to think the backfield lacks a "power back," given the force guys like Verdell and Brooks-James can deliver when they lower their pads.
By the end of practice, Cristobal reiterated what we wanted to see from the Ducks in future padded practices.
"Stay up; nothing cheap; never anything dirty," he said. "But getting after each other. Iron sharpens iron."
Other highlights: In the first 11-on-11 period, focused on run plays, Brooks-James broke free for a long gain, and Verdell twice broke through the line to the second level. … Johnny Johnson might have had the play of the day yet again, going up and over a corner to haul in a deep ball in the end zone during 7-on-7. … Travis Dye beat his brother Troy Dye to the edge on a swing route in 7-on-7, and Herbert checked down to him for a nice completion. …
Tyler Shough threw into coverage in that same drill, and was nearly picked off. He bounced back on the next rep with a nice completion to Daewood Davis at the sideline. … It wasn't a perfect day for the young wideouts; Davis pulled up at the end of a route, leading to an interception for Amadi off Herbert. And Johnson had a drop on a quick route. "That was too easy," a teammate said on the sideline. "It's got to be too hard for him," a reference for all the spectacular plays Johnson has been making in the last week. … Overall, the completion percentage for the offense didn't seem great, but they finished on a high note, with Cam McCormick (twice) and Ryan Bay breaking free for long gains in the last team period.
Other observations: Johnson pancaked a defensive back during a perimeter passing-and-blocking drill, and Davis drove a defender completely out of bounds. Both second-year guys are not only looking like much more dangerous receiving threats this spring – Davis' hands have improved significantly – but they're playing physical as well. … During a kickoff return drill, the guys back fielding kicks included Davis, Brooks-James, Travis Dye, Jaylon Redd, Taj Griffin and Darrian Felix. …
The Ducks have one more practice this week, on Wednesday, before a two-week break for finals and then spring break. Cristobal said he wants to have "80 to 90 percent" of the team's schemes installed by the end of practice Wednesday. Then, after the break, the Ducks will go through the installation process all over again, giving them two full reviews of the playbook before they break for the summer.
Pre-practice interviews:
Head coach Mario Cristobal
