5 Impressions From The Scrimmage

The Oregon football team held its second preseason scrimmage Saturday in Autzen Stadium. The practice included about 110 plays, head coach Mario Cristobal said, beginning with a full-contact period for the offense, defense and special teams that last about 50 minutes, followed by situational work at "thud" tempo for which a couple thousand season-ticket holders were on hand before the team's 2019 uniforms were revealed.

Some impressions from the scrimmage …

1) There was good news from the receivers … for the most part. During the full-contact portion, junior receiver Johnny Johnson III caught four passes for 53 yards, including two on which he held on despite absorbing big hits from Deommodore Lenoir and Jevon Holland, respectively. Asked afterward about scrimmage standouts, Cristobal first mentioned Johnson as a "guy who made a lot of plays, not only when he has the ball in his hands but when he doesn't; the guy's down the field making great blocks." Jaylon Redd caught two touchdown passes — one each from Justin Herbert and Tyler Shough — and there was but a single drop in the full-contact period, by a tight end. Unfortunately, however, one of camp's most consistent standouts, freshman receiver Mycah Pittman, landed on his shoulder while diving for a catch in a situational drill involving third-down plays. He moved the chains on third-and-long but had to be attended to by medical staff, with Cristobal still awaiting word on his status when he met with media after the scrimmage. As for attempting a diving catch during a situational drill in mid-August? "These guys love competing," Cristobal said. "That's the part of this team that's maybe my favorite part."

129253

2) The run defense was stout … though there's a caveat. In three possessions against the No. 1 offense with live hitting, the No. 1 defense allowed just 26 yards on 11 rushes (numbers that include one sack, by Gus Cumberlander). Drayton Carlberg made a stop at the line on a third-and-short play, and there were tackles for minimal gains by Lenoir, Bryson Young and Isaac Slade-Matautia. In the offense's defense though, there were a couple times when it was clear the defense recognized what play was coming; two weeks into a camp, that starts to be the case. Still, plays have to be made regardless, and they were, for the most part. The No. 2 offense had a little more success running the ball, with Cyrus Habibi-Likio continuing to look like much more than a short-yardage back. But that defensive group had some flashes too, with Mase Funa recording two sacks and DJ Johnson adding a third.

129250

3) A few guys asserted themselves as much as they have all month. During the first week of camp, the No. 2 defense tended to have the edge over the No. 2 offense. But that started to even out this week, capped by Saturday's scrimmage. Shough was 7-of-11 for 115 yards and two touchdowns, numbers very similar to Herbert's 7-of-10 for 141 yards and two scores. Shough had maybe the best throw of the day, on his last pass of the situational drills, lofting a teardrop pass that sailed 25 yards and dropped right over JJ Tucker's shoulder and into his arms. Converted receiver Daewood Davis has clearly embraced a defensive mentality since moving to cornerback; he was a very physical presence whenever he was on the field, either defensively or on special teams. And stud linebacker Treven Ma'ae finished on a high note, recording a sack, a quarterback hurry and a tackle on a run play at the goal line — all on the final series of the scrimmage.

129255

4) The tight end position is thin, but that didn't affect production Saturday. Senior Jacob Breeland and junior Cam McCormick were observers for the scrimmage, as they continue to rehab injuries. Ryan Bay opened the scrimmage with the No. 1 offense, and capped the first possession with a 59-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, a well-schemed play that got Bay into space for the touchdown. Hunter Kampmoyer made a couple of nice possession plays, catching the ball despite contact, and Patrick Herbert added a touchdown reception to cap the penultimate drive of the day, from his friend and classmate Cale Millen. No doubt, the Ducks want their proven players back as soon as possible, but on Saturday the other tight ends showed they can make plays when called upon.

129252

5) For the most part, Saturday's scrimmage was pretty clean. There were only three penalties during the full-contact portion, and just one turnover, by walk-on safety Lucas Noland (above) when fourth-string quarterback Bradley Yaffe needed to force the ball down the field on third-and-long. And it's good the Ducks looked sharp, because Saturday marked just two weeks before the season opener against Auburn. "It's about to get noisy here in a little bit, right?" Cristobal said. "It gets closer and closer to game time. … It's upon us." The Ducks will be back in action Tuesday, and Cristobal said depth-chart decisions will be finalized in the coming days, with many of the guys held out Saturday — including Breeland, McCormick, Darrian Felix and George Moore — back as early as Tuesday.

Post-practice interview:

Head coach Mario Cristobal