Football Practice Report: Sept. 24
09/24/17 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
Oregon returned to the practice field one day after losing at Arizona State, and Willie Taggart liked the response he saw from his team.
Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Helmets and shorts
Even Willie Taggart himself, the new UO coach acknowledged Sunday evening, wasn't 100 percent certain what to expect when Oregon returned to the practice field one night after losing for the first time this season, 37-35 at Arizona State on Saturday.
"First time going through it with these guys; we'd been rolling, had a hiccup," Taggart said Sunday night, as the Ducks walked off the practice field following an hour-long workout. "Today was a great sign."
From weight-lifting sessions earlier in the day to Sunday's practice under the lights outside the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, the Ducks might have been a little tired one day after playing a game and then arriving back in Eugene around 3:30 a.m. But spirits were high, confidence undeterred, and focus sharp as Oregon turned its attention to the conference home opener Saturday night against California (7:35 p.m. PT, FS1).
"Guys came out here with a great attitude," Taggart said. "Lots of energy, flying around – we were really sharp, and in all aspects. That was impressive."
The signs of life were all around the practice fields. During the first period, the offensive line did its one-on-one drill in which one lineman sets up a couple yards in front of two cones spread five yards apart, and tries to use legal blocking technique to keep another guy from stepping between the cones. Position coach Mario Cristobal keeps a running tally of the score in each matchup; the drill is both light-hearted and competitive, and got the juice flowing.
Later, during 7-on-7, Justin Herbert peppered deep balls across the field, to the likes of Taj Griffin, Jaylon Redd and Darrian McNeal. The Ducks didn't have a ton of success on those routes at ASU, but they bounced back sharply Sunday. And on the defensive field during 11-on-11, Deommodore Lenoir broke up a deep ball in the end zone and a few reps later jumped a short route to break up another pass, one night after getting picked on a bit by the Sun Devils.
Saturday wasn't the result Taggart wanted to see. But Sunday's response apparently was.
"This team is different," Taggart said. "They really want it."
Other highlights: On the first play of 7-on-7, Herbert and Griffin connected for a touchdown pass. Taylor Alie hit Alex Ofodile in the end zone during the drill, and Braxton Burmeister completed a ball to Daewood Davis for a chunk of yardage. … In team drills, Herbert hit Griffin on a short route that required the slot back to show off his hands, reaching out well in front of his body and pulling it in. Between the TD catch by Tony Brooks-James at ASU and the receptions Sunday by Griffin, UO running backs past and present are showing their value in the passing game.
Other observations: Cody Shear, a redshirting freshman from Eugene, was a standout in the O line drill. He used his quickness – an advantage he may not have after bulking up in the next couple years – to put up a bunch of points during one 15-second round. But he wasn't all fast feet; Shear pancaked a guy later in the drill. Calvin Throckmorton preferred pure power moves while working as the rush player in the drill. Jacob Capra looked pretty good against Ryan Walk, allowing a quick point but mostly holding Walk at bay the rest of the period.
