Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Football Practice Report: Aug. 25
08/25/22 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Ducks are making the transition from preseason camp to game prep as this week comes to a close.
Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Spiders
The 2022 season draws ever closer for the Oregon football team.
With opening week about to dawn in the coming days, the Ducks are in the midst of a transition from preseason camp to preparing for opponents. Two preseason scrimmages are in the books, and the practice schedule is about to resemble those that head coach Dan Lanning will conduct in-season.
"We've had good practices, but we're nowhere near where we need to be," Lanning said following Oregon's practice Thursday. "But we've still got time here before this game, a lot of time for prep. I feel like some people hit the brakes whenever they get through fall camp, and they kind of relax. We're still preparing for a game. You still have to be in football shape, you still have to condition to a certain level and those are things you can't really back off on."
The Ducks were in spider pads Thursday. Those are smaller than normal shoulder pads, and practice periods feature less hitting and more of a focus on assignments — communicating them pre-snap, and then executing them.
"On days like today where you're wearing spiders, it's not as much about the physical, it's about the mental," Lanning said. "We want to make our guys think a little bit more, and we challenged them that. One thing we've talked about is, 'Volume reflects confidence.' So if you know what to do and you can verbalize that, your teammates are going to be confident in you and you executing your job."
Thursday's practice featured what Lanning refers to as "look" teams, also known as the scout team or developmental squad. The Ducks had players executing upcoming opponents' plays and schemes, to give teammates a "look" at what they'll see once games begin.
It wasn't just young guys and walk-ons filling those roles. Lanning lauded the commitment of veteran offensive players such as Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao, and defenders including Brandon Dorlus and DJ Johnson, for embracing those roles when asked.
This week concludes with practices Friday and Saturday, which will serve as a preview of game week. The Ducks will double up on what will typically be their Monday and Tuesday practice formats, going through those routines Friday and Saturday, and then again to kick off next week.
Lanning got questions after Thursday's practice about identifying starters and other personnel decisions. But he wasn't looking that far ahead yet.
"Every one of us want to use every single minute for our preparation," Lanning said. "An old term in coaching is, 'The hay is in the barn.' We're not at that point; we're not going to be at that point. We're going to use every minute all the way up until kickoff to prepare, to get better."
Notable: Even in a non-padded practice the competitive fires were stoked, as the practice schedule included an overtime competition period, with the Ducks running two-point plays against each other. … Former UO coach Mike Bellotti attended a portion of practice.
Quotable:
Head coach Dan Lanning
On the visit by Phil Knight for Wednesday's practice
"I just think that every one of us at Oregon is so extremely blessed to have a guy like Phil Knight and Penny Knight associated with our program and what they do for our program. Not just from a philanthropic standpoint for our team, but really the example they've set for what hard work gets you. And I think our guys really respect him for that."
On the versatility of defensive backs Jamal Hill and Bennett Williams at the 'Star' position
"Jamal is obviously a little bit bigger, and I think he can bring a brand of physicality there at the position. Bennett is a little bit more savvy, he moves more like a DB at times. But both of them are really good yin and yang to each other. That being said, they have a similar skill set. They understand what we're trying to accomplish. They both do really good things at that position for us."
Format: Spiders
The 2022 season draws ever closer for the Oregon football team.
With opening week about to dawn in the coming days, the Ducks are in the midst of a transition from preseason camp to preparing for opponents. Two preseason scrimmages are in the books, and the practice schedule is about to resemble those that head coach Dan Lanning will conduct in-season.
"We've had good practices, but we're nowhere near where we need to be," Lanning said following Oregon's practice Thursday. "But we've still got time here before this game, a lot of time for prep. I feel like some people hit the brakes whenever they get through fall camp, and they kind of relax. We're still preparing for a game. You still have to be in football shape, you still have to condition to a certain level and those are things you can't really back off on."
The Ducks were in spider pads Thursday. Those are smaller than normal shoulder pads, and practice periods feature less hitting and more of a focus on assignments — communicating them pre-snap, and then executing them.
"On days like today where you're wearing spiders, it's not as much about the physical, it's about the mental," Lanning said. "We want to make our guys think a little bit more, and we challenged them that. One thing we've talked about is, 'Volume reflects confidence.' So if you know what to do and you can verbalize that, your teammates are going to be confident in you and you executing your job."
Thursday's practice featured what Lanning refers to as "look" teams, also known as the scout team or developmental squad. The Ducks had players executing upcoming opponents' plays and schemes, to give teammates a "look" at what they'll see once games begin.
It wasn't just young guys and walk-ons filling those roles. Lanning lauded the commitment of veteran offensive players such as Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao, and defenders including Brandon Dorlus and DJ Johnson, for embracing those roles when asked.
This week concludes with practices Friday and Saturday, which will serve as a preview of game week. The Ducks will double up on what will typically be their Monday and Tuesday practice formats, going through those routines Friday and Saturday, and then again to kick off next week.
Lanning got questions after Thursday's practice about identifying starters and other personnel decisions. But he wasn't looking that far ahead yet.
"Every one of us want to use every single minute for our preparation," Lanning said. "An old term in coaching is, 'The hay is in the barn.' We're not at that point; we're not going to be at that point. We're going to use every minute all the way up until kickoff to prepare, to get better."
Notable: Even in a non-padded practice the competitive fires were stoked, as the practice schedule included an overtime competition period, with the Ducks running two-point plays against each other. … Former UO coach Mike Bellotti attended a portion of practice.
Quotable:
Head coach Dan Lanning
On the visit by Phil Knight for Wednesday's practice
"I just think that every one of us at Oregon is so extremely blessed to have a guy like Phil Knight and Penny Knight associated with our program and what they do for our program. Not just from a philanthropic standpoint for our team, but really the example they've set for what hard work gets you. And I think our guys really respect him for that."
On the versatility of defensive backs Jamal Hill and Bennett Williams at the 'Star' position
"Jamal is obviously a little bit bigger, and I think he can bring a brand of physicality there at the position. Bennett is a little bit more savvy, he moves more like a DB at times. But both of them are really good yin and yang to each other. That being said, they have a similar skill set. They understand what we're trying to accomplish. They both do really good things at that position for us."
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballDan Lanning: "Work week for us."
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