Football Practice Report: Sept. 10

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

09/10/19 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley

The Ducks worked out inside the Moshofsky Center on Tuesday as they prepared to host Montana on Saturday (7:55 p.m., Pac-12).

By: Rob Moseley

Venue: Moshofsky Center
Format: Full pads

Reviewing film of last week's win over Nevada might have taken a little more paper than usual for the Oregon coaching staff.

On offense alone, 32 different players saw the field for the Ducks in their 77-6 victory over Wolf Pack. Every single one of them had to be evaluated on film after the fact.

"A lot of guys played, so there's a ton of notes for guys," UO offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. "A lot more notes than just your standard 13 or 15 guys that play."

For Arroyo and the Ducks, that's a good problem to have. The chance to play so many guys only was created by the fact Oregon was ahead so comfortably in the second half. And now, there's invaluable game reps under the belts of some young, deserving Ducks.

Oregon's leading rusher against the Wolf Pack was sophomore Darrian Felix, whose 2018 season was lost to injury but who ran for 80 yards last week — including a 62-yard touchdown. Redshirt freshman Bryan Addison led the wide receivers with 58 yards, including his first career touchdown. And Tyler Shough threw the first passes of his career, smartly throwing the ball away under pressure on his first attempt before completing his next eight in a row.

130455

The Ducks were back in full pads Tuesday, and those young players hit the practice field buoyed by all that game experience.

"It was awesome to get in there with the ones and get some chemistry with those guys," Shough said. "It's been a long time coming, and it's nice to see it come to fruition. A lot of hours putting in work in the indoor (facility) and on the field. Obviously I've gotta be ready at any moment, so it's pretty good."

Shough was behind center on the long touchdown run by Felix to cap the scoring late in the fourth quarter. The reserve offensive linemen opened up a massive hole, and Felix showed the vision and speed that make him a factor in Oregon's crowded running back room.

"We all bring something different," Felix said. "I mean, CJ (Verdell) you got power and speed. Travis (Dye) you got the shiftiness and speed — he's got power too; nobody's seen it yet. Then Cyrus (Habibi-Likio), you know, big power guy. Me, I think I'm a combination."

Addison's touchdown provided some redemption after a drop in the end zone during Oregon's opener against Auburn. He said coaches and teammates told him in the wake of that game that one play didn't define him, and to keep his head down and keep working.

Addison did just that, and was rewarded against Nevada with a touchdown. Thus was created a memory he'll never forget.

"One thing I remember most is probably just the excitement my team had for me, knowing my journey," said Addison, a late addition to the 2018 recruiting class who was considered for the defense at safety before finding a home at receiver. "For me to get into the end zone for the first time was great, and the way they celebrated made it even better."

130453

Practice highlights: The Ducks have opened recent practices with a tempo drill to set the tone for the day, with the ones vs. ones and twos vs. twos. Jevon Holland broke up a Justin Herbert pass intended for Johnny Johnson III with the ones on the field, but Herbert followed with a completion to Josh Delgado for big yardage. With the twos on the field, Shough connected with Isaah Crocker on the last rep. … Later the No. 1 defense faced the No. 2 offense in a service period. Holland tackled Sean Dollars behind the line for a loss, and Thomas Graham Jr. sniffed out a screen pass, defeated a block and tackled the ballcarrier. …

The defensive backs stole the show in 1-on-1 pass drills too. Deommodore Lenoir leapt to negate Addison's height advantage and broke up a long pass. Graham and Verone McKinley III also had pass breakups in the drill, Graham's coming in the end zone. … The freshman defensive linemen who made their UO debuts against Nevada all had very competitive reps in 1-on-1 pass-rush drills. There were back-and-forth battles between Kristian Williams and Alex Forsyth, Keyon Ware-Hudson and Ryan Walk, and Brandon Dorlus and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. And Sua'ava Poti exploded through the line to get to the QB on his first rep.

130456

Other observations: The Ducks practiced in the Moshofsky Center, although as it turned out practice fell between early morning and late afternoon rain showers around Eugene. … Despite his star turn as a tight end against Nevada, Brady Aiello continues to work primarily as an offensive lineman. And he continues to rotate in with the No. 1 offense at times, as a de facto sixth starter. … In the wake of Adam Stack's decision to transfer, Henry Katleman took reps along with Camden Lewis in placekicking drills Tuesday. Katleman got the first rep of Tuesday's field-goal period, calming making an attempt of about 25 yards. Lewis connected from 32 yards on the next rep, and ended the period by drilling an attempt from 49 yards out.

Post-practice interviews:

Senior offensive lineman Brady Aiello

Sophomore running back Darrian Felix

Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Shough