Football Practice Report: April 21

Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Shells

The next time the Oregon football team takes the field, it will be in the Spring Game.

The Ducks held their 13th practice of this spring Thursday, on their outdoor practice fields. It was a highly competitive workout with some scored periods between the Green and Yellow squads that will face off Saturday, and the stakes were high — head coach Dan Lanning awarded ice cream to the winning team Thursday.

That plus some entertaining drills to close practice had spirits high Thursday morning. The Ducks will look to channel that same energy Saturday in the Spring Game.

"We're excited to get out there and go to work," Lanning said earlier this week, following Tuesday's practice. "And we want the fans to leave excited about the product that's on the field."

Kanen Rossi Practice

The Spring Game will be preceded by a Fan Fest and followed by a live concert featuring the band Common Kings. But it's also a prime evaluation day for Oregon's coaches, to judge how well the Ducks have progressed this spring in their first camp learning from Lanning's staff.

Lanning doesn't want to see any of his players squander that opportunity.

"I told our players (Tuesday), some day that ball goes flat; some day this ends," Lanning said. "And you're going to want this moment. You're going to want the opportunity to go out there and practice. You're going to want the opportunity to go play."

It's an opportunity for Lanning, too, to take the field for the first time inside Autzen Stadium with fans packing the stands, watching him lead the Ducks as their head coach. The former defensive coordinator won't just be focusing on one side of the ball.

"It's gonna be a big-picture view," Lanning said. "I've got to do a great job making sure our coaches and players know what my expectation is and what that looks like. Going to be looking for that to come out."

Jake Long Punt Jube

Notable: Make sure to check out a comprehensive overview of Saturday's schedule and logistical details by following this link. … Some of the scored "competition periods" Thursday included some one-on-one battles that included touchdown catches by Sean Dollars and Moliki Matavao, a huge push in a pass-rush rep by Keanu Williams and some equally impressive pass blocking by Faaope Laloulu. …

Some of the light moments to close practice included linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and Sam Taimani fielding kicks, defensive back Bryan Addison blocking like an offensive tackle against the pass rush of receiver Troy Franklin, and both Matavao and Jaden Navarrette scoring soccer goals on penalty kicks with teammates playing goalie. … The Ducks this week announced the signing of another 2022 recruit, receiver Kyler Kasper, a four-star prospect Lanning called "a really special talent that works really hard. He has a pedigree, but it's not just because of his talent, it's because of how hard he works."

Franklin Addison Pass Rush

Quotable:
Tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, on his impressions since arriving at Oregon
"It's everything that you think that it is — actually in my opinion it's better. Because it's a bunch of blue-collar people around here that work really hard, that care about the university, the brand, that are here to support you. … There's a lot of people that say, what can we do to help you? And that's been really, really cool."

Junior defensive back Bryan Addison, on his progress as a former wide receiver
"I'm getting really comfortable back there playing safety. Coach Powledge has been teaching me a lot; with him teaching me and Coach Lanning's defensive scheme, I feel like I'm really getting comfortable back there and learning the defense fully."

Navarette Taggart Soccer