Football Practice Report: Dec. 20

Venue: Moshofsky Center
Format: Full pads

Third-string players from the Oregon football team were still getting reps at practice Thursday. But now, it's with the scout teams on both sides of the ball.

After a quartet of practices spanning last weekend that saw the Ducks focusing on their own development — including for younger players not on the two-deep — the tenor of things changed Thursday. The UO football team had its sights set squarely on the opponent for the Redbox Bowl, Michigan State, with the most substantive work yet specifically schemed to facing the Spartans.

"We did a good job of mixing in last week a little bit of what they do, in conjunction with what our defense does," offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. "Today was a pure Michigan State focus."

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For Arroyo and the UO offense, that meant preparing to face one of the most ferocious units in the country. As of Thursday, the Spartans ranked 13th nationally in points per game allowed at 18.0, and 12th in yards per play allowed with 4.62. And against the run, Michigan State is the very best defensive group in the country, allowing just 81.33 yards per game; the Spartans allow 2.67 yards per carry, second only to Clemson.

"They're about as good a defense as it comes in the nation," UO quarterback Justin Herbert said. "They fly around, they play really smart and passionate defense, and they're a team that gets after it. It's a good matchup."

Oregon's offense intends to be up to the task by the Redbox Bowl on New Year's Eve (noon, FOX). The Ducks averaged 37.2 points per game in the regular season, 18th in the FBS.

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Offensively, Arroyo's unit looks better equipped to counter a stout rush defense than a year ago. In 2017, the Ducks had more than twice as many rushing attempts (628) as passes (311). This year's offense has been much more balanced between runs (502) and passes (385).

"We like the balance we showed," Arroyo said. "Obviously we want to get better and better and improve on both sides of that, but being able to have balance in your offense puts you in position for games like this … to be successful."

Michigan State's defensive front features the Big Ten Conference defensive lineman of the year, end Kenny Willekes, who led the league with 20.5 tackles for loss in the regular season. Nose tackle Raequan Williams is a 300-pound force in the middle of the line, and linebacker Joe Bachie was named first-team all-Big Ten after leading the Spartans with 94 tackles.

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Michigan State will have to overcome the absence of cornerback Justin Layne, who declared for the NFL draft and won't play in the Redbox Bowl. But the Spartans have more than enough talent elsewhere to command Oregon's attention.

"It's our championship, for sure," Herbert said. "We've played this entire year and now we get an opportunity to go play in California. It's a special opportunity for everyone, and I'm sure everyone is really excited to get out there."

Practice highlights: The first 11-on-11 period was a "good on good" drill, beginning with the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense. Braxton Burmeister managed to move the chains on one rep, rolling out and firing a pass to tight end Matt Mariota, who made a leaping catch. … Herbert got the No. 1 offense going against the No. 2 defense with a crisp pass to Jake Breeland, and later fired a ball through the defense with such velocity Dillon Mitchell wasn't able to hang on. …

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Punt return drills were lively, with Justin Collins getting hemmed in by four coverage players but then breaking free for a long return. Bryan Addison showed off the skills that made him a talented high school safety, making an open-field tackle of returner Demetri Burch. … Adam Stack ended practice by drilling a field goal from about 43 yards out.

Other observations: Offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton said after practice he intends to play his senior season at Oregon in 2019, rather than enter the NFL draft pool. Herbert said he still has yet to think about his decision. "I'm kind of focused on this year," Herbert said. "We've got a big bowl game coming up, and that deserves all the attention right now. I'll think about it when the time is right." … Asked how he's feeling after suffering a bruised shoulder in Oregon's Civil War win at Oregon State, Herbert said, "It's good, it's good." …

Freshman linebacker Andrew Johnson, a late enrollee and minimal practice participant in the regular season due to a knee injury, was cutting it loose with the scout-team defense Thursday. … To mimic some of the heavy offensive sets Michigan State employs, the Ducks needed extra bodies for the scout-team offense at tight end. At one point, pass-rush specialist Gus Cumberlander crossed the line of scrimmage to fill that need.

Post-practice interviews:

Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo

Junior quarterback Justin Herbert