Football Practice Report: Aug. 12

Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Helmets and shorts

When preseason camp began for Oregon's defense, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Matt Powledge showed his players a common object that many of them might not have associated with football.

The object: a traffic light. And how, the players wondered, did that apply to football?

"We talked about how, most college football players aren't in this red category, where you're just stopping," Powledge explained Friday following Oregon's seventh preseason practice. "But a lot of college football players are in that yellow category, where they might be a little timid, or they might be a little unsure, or they might not trust their eyes."

Since camp began Aug. 5, Powledge has been working with his players to make sure that, if they ever found themselves in that yellow category, they didn't stay there long. And Saturday, that will be tested.

Because on Saturday, the Ducks will hold their first scrimmage of preseason camp. And what, based on the traffic light analogy, does Powledge want to see?

"Turn it loose," he said. "Play green."

Jamal Hill Practice

Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti also met with media after Friday's practice. He wants to see his linemen play stout against the run Saturday, and to knock back the offensive line to affect the quarterbacks.

But the defensive line also, to use Powledge's term, needs to "play green."

"They've all got to compete," Tuioti said. "Everyone is fighting for reps, and that's what camp is all about. Everybody wants to play, but there's only so many reps to go around."

The Ducks might not be perfect Saturday, and there will be time left in preseason camp to correct any issues that may crop up. But coaches will be watching to see that, whatever is done, it's done with conviction.

"We just want to be a group that, when we show up on Saturdays, we turn it loose and we play fast," Powledge said. "And hey, if we make a mistake, we go to the next play. And we play fast again. And we're always on the attack and we're always giving it our very best."

Notable: It sounds like a broken record, but competition periods continue to be really even early in camp. Head coach Dan Lanning scripted some two-point conversion reps between the offense and defense, and in six plays each side of the ball won three times. … Former UO running back Jeremiah Johnson, who wrapped up a long professional career in 2019, attended practice Friday. Johnson remains the UO career leader in yards per carry with 6.69 between 2005-08, and his 30 career rushing touchdowns are fifth in school history. Johnson led the 2008 team with 1,201 rushing yards. Johnson spent time on four different NFL rosters between 2009-13, then spent six seasons in the CFL in which he accounted for 5,290 yards from scrimmage with 40 touchdowns.

Jeremiah Johnson Practice

Quotable:

Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti
On being reunited with Casey Rogers and Jordon Riley, who were academic all-conference at Nebraska
"They take pride in making sure they represent the group the right way. We talk about that a lot in our room. We talk about playing like a Duck, and there's a standard that we live by. It's not just on the field, it's also off the field. It's a really big expectation of mine that my guys try to succeed as much they can on the football field but also in the classroom. That's something that's really important to me, that they all get their degrees. Hopefully, everything works out where they get a chance to play on Sundays but one thing is to make sure you get that degree, because that's going to help you for the rest of your life.

Senior defensive lineman Jordon Riley
On his decision to join the Ducks as a transfer
"I think Oregon was a no-brainer. Getting in the portal, seeing what schools had to offer, Oregon was a no-brainer. With the facilities and connections, it's second to none. … Trying to compete for the playoff, or even a major bowl game, I've never been part of that. That's what I really want, coming into this last season."

Post-practice interviews:

Co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge