Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Ducks Make A Winner Of Taggart In Debut
09/02/17 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
UO players awarded the game ball to new coach Willie Taggart after he led them to a 77-21 victory Saturday over Southern Utah.
EUGENE, Ore. — Awash in the afterglow of Oregon's 77-21 victory Saturday over Southern Utah, Willie Taggart had wrapped up his postgame remarks to the team when Royce Freeman stepped to the front of the locker room. The senior running back asked his teammates for another brief moment of calm before they resumed celebrating the victory.
Then, Freeman handed the game ball not to another player, but to the first-year head coach. Taggart's debut was an unmitigated success, and team captains Freeman and Henry Mondeaux took the cue of a UO staffer and awarded him the postgame souvenir.
"It means a lot," Taggart said moments later, when addressing local media. "It means a lot when your players give you something.
"It's going up in my office. And I'll point to it every time someone walks in."
Saturday's victory was meaningful to Oregon's players, particularly seniors like Freeman and Mondeaux looking to end their careers on a high note.
It was meaningful to Oregon's fans, who saw a vintage Ducks performance that rekindled spirits dampened by the 4-8 2016 season.
And it was hugely meaningful to Taggart. This is the third program Taggart has taken over as head coach; his Western Kentucky team lost its 2010 opener to Nebraska, and he lost his South Florida debut to McNeese State.
Taggart's Oregon debut was different. The Ducks rushed for nine touchdowns, and put up 703 yards of offense, and scored an Autzen-record 77 points. They forced two turnovers, and scored touchdowns off both, and had five sacks. And they made a winner of Taggart, in his first game at a new program.
"Got the win, finally," Taggart said. "That's pretty cool."
As was the case after both of Oregon's scrimmages, Taggart was downright disgusted with the Ducks' penalties — 12 on Saturday, for 115 yards. So there will be issues to address when the Ducks return to practice Sunday, and begin preparing for next week's showdown with Nebraska.
But there was a lot to like, too. The Ducks were fast and explosive, and bounced back from a slow start defensively to shut down the Thunderbirds for all but a three-minute stretch just before halftime, when a special teams fumble allowed them to score twice in a span of 1:49.
Freeman rushed for four touchdowns, and Kani Benoit added three more. Justin Herbert completed 17-of-21 passes for a 209.1 passer rating, and Troy Dye accounted for 10 tackles with an interception. And, unforgettably, Tony Brooks-James returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
Yes, there was a lot to like. And Taggart will have the game ball displayed in his office to remember it always.
"He was really excited," senior cornerback Arrion Springs said. "It was his first win in his first game. It was big-time for him. It was big-time for us, to start off the season like this."
The energy permeated Autzen Stadium. Though students aren't back in school for nearly a month, a crowd of 52,204 was on hand. They were introduced to the "swag surf," as players' swayed in unison to a hip-hop song on the sideline prior to kickoffs. By game's end, smatterings of fans had picked up on the new tradition, and joined in.
"It was a lot of energy," Taggart said. "It wasn't artificial. It was the real juice. It was the real deal."
The realities of major college football, Taggart lamented, are that the Ducks need to move on quickly to preparing for the Nebraska game. They gave lip service to the notion of a 24-hour rule in which to celebrate, but the truth is, the team will be back on the practice field Sunday afternoon.
"But we love it," Taggart said. "You gotta love it. So it's back to work."
They love it because of nights like Saturday, when the Ducks looked like Oregon again, and Taggart saw his beloved "juice" in Autzen, and the UO coach finally could celebrate a win after taking over a program.
There will be highs and lows ahead for Taggart and the Ducks, this season and beyond. But there is only one debut, and the Ducks made it an unforgettable one with their 77-21 victory.
And if Taggart ever needs to recall it, he'll have the game ball in his office as a permanent reminder.
Then, Freeman handed the game ball not to another player, but to the first-year head coach. Taggart's debut was an unmitigated success, and team captains Freeman and Henry Mondeaux took the cue of a UO staffer and awarded him the postgame souvenir.
"It means a lot," Taggart said moments later, when addressing local media. "It means a lot when your players give you something.
"It's going up in my office. And I'll point to it every time someone walks in."
Saturday's victory was meaningful to Oregon's players, particularly seniors like Freeman and Mondeaux looking to end their careers on a high note.
It was meaningful to Oregon's fans, who saw a vintage Ducks performance that rekindled spirits dampened by the 4-8 2016 season.
And it was hugely meaningful to Taggart. This is the third program Taggart has taken over as head coach; his Western Kentucky team lost its 2010 opener to Nebraska, and he lost his South Florida debut to McNeese State.
Taggart's Oregon debut was different. The Ducks rushed for nine touchdowns, and put up 703 yards of offense, and scored an Autzen-record 77 points. They forced two turnovers, and scored touchdowns off both, and had five sacks. And they made a winner of Taggart, in his first game at a new program.
"Got the win, finally," Taggart said. "That's pretty cool."
As was the case after both of Oregon's scrimmages, Taggart was downright disgusted with the Ducks' penalties — 12 on Saturday, for 115 yards. So there will be issues to address when the Ducks return to practice Sunday, and begin preparing for next week's showdown with Nebraska.
But there was a lot to like, too. The Ducks were fast and explosive, and bounced back from a slow start defensively to shut down the Thunderbirds for all but a three-minute stretch just before halftime, when a special teams fumble allowed them to score twice in a span of 1:49.
Freeman rushed for four touchdowns, and Kani Benoit added three more. Justin Herbert completed 17-of-21 passes for a 209.1 passer rating, and Troy Dye accounted for 10 tackles with an interception. And, unforgettably, Tony Brooks-James returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
Yes, there was a lot to like. And Taggart will have the game ball displayed in his office to remember it always.
"He was really excited," senior cornerback Arrion Springs said. "It was his first win in his first game. It was big-time for him. It was big-time for us, to start off the season like this."
The energy permeated Autzen Stadium. Though students aren't back in school for nearly a month, a crowd of 52,204 was on hand. They were introduced to the "swag surf," as players' swayed in unison to a hip-hop song on the sideline prior to kickoffs. By game's end, smatterings of fans had picked up on the new tradition, and joined in.
"It was a lot of energy," Taggart said. "It wasn't artificial. It was the real juice. It was the real deal."
The realities of major college football, Taggart lamented, are that the Ducks need to move on quickly to preparing for the Nebraska game. They gave lip service to the notion of a 24-hour rule in which to celebrate, but the truth is, the team will be back on the practice field Sunday afternoon.
"But we love it," Taggart said. "You gotta love it. So it's back to work."
They love it because of nights like Saturday, when the Ducks looked like Oregon again, and Taggart saw his beloved "juice" in Autzen, and the UO coach finally could celebrate a win after taking over a program.
There will be highs and lows ahead for Taggart and the Ducks, this season and beyond. But there is only one debut, and the Ducks made it an unforgettable one with their 77-21 victory.
And if Taggart ever needs to recall it, he'll have the game ball in his office as a permanent reminder.
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