Football Practice Report: Dec. 28
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Venue: Alamo Heights High School
Format: Full pads
UO coach Mark Helfrich didn’t mince words following Oregon’s first full-pads practice in more than a week, early Monday afternoon in San Antonio.
“Defensively, nice job,” Helfrich said. “Shutout. Dominated the offense. Whatever you guys did last night, keep doing it.”
The UO offense will be looking to even the score when the Ducks are back in full pads Tuesday, their final full-contact practice of the season, prior to Saturday’s Alamo Bowl against TCU (3:45 p.m. PT, ESPN). In every competitive period Monday, the defense came out ahead.
The trend began with a clutch scenario to open the day, and continued through red-zone work with a live ball midway through and then at the close of practice. For Don Pellum’s defensive unit, it was a clean sweep.
“All the guys on defense, we’re out here on a business trip,” senior defensive end DeForest Buckner said.
In the opening clutch period, the offense did move the chains once, in a situation that required a touchdown to win. But Rodney Hardrick stopped Royce Freeman for no gain, Buckner tipped a pass and then Tyree Robinson intercepted a desperation heave by Vernon Adams Jr. to end it.
The No. 2 defense was even more stout, forcing a three-and-out. Safety Khalil Oliver said mental work by the defense over the Ducks’ holiday break helped players stay sharp.
“Coaches sent us film, making sure we’re getting exactly what we need to do,” Oliver said. “We’ve seen every situation possible, and now it’s just playing.”
Oliver had one of the highlights of the red-zone situations later on. With the twos on the field for the final practice period, the offense had first-and-goal from the 6-yard line. Kani Benoit took a handoff and was met at the line by Oliver, who pile-drived Benoit onto his back. That swung momentum over to the defense, and the period ended with an incompletion on fourth down.
Midway through practice, the No. 1 offense got its chance in the same situation. Reggie Daniels broke up a pass and Torrodney Prevot had a tackle for loss on the first two plays. Adams moved the chains with a completion to Bralon Addison, but a tackle for loss by Hardrick put the offense back in a hole, and on fourth down Helfrich whistled a play dead with Hardrick and Buckner bearing down on Adams in the backfield.
Buckner said the bad taste of Oregon’s defensive performance in the second half of the Civil War is a motivator for the Ducks entering the Alamo Bowl.
“Our last game against Oregon State, we had a great first half but the second half was terrible,” Buckner said. “It still stings to me, and to DP. We’ve just come out every day ready to work, and try to have a complete game this game.”
Other highlights: Oliver had the biggest play in 7-on-7 too. He jumped at a ball over his head, managed to tip it and then while falling to the turf curled his arm underneath the ball to pick it off before it hit the ground. Pretty amazing concentration and body control. … During the same period, which was against scouts, Arrion Springs came up from behind a receiver to knock away a pass, and Tyson Coleman batted a ball out of the air. … Over on the offensive field, Darren Carrington got free over the top for a reception from Adams, and Dwayne Stanford put a couple of earlier drops behind him with a nice catch-and-run. …
The Stanford reception was a “what if” play, because safety Dylan Kane was bearing down on him and might have been able to break up the pass had he been able to hit Stanford at full speed. Similarly, in the previous team period Tony Brooks-James busted through the front seven, and only Kane stood between Brooks-James and the end zone. No doubt Kane would have loved the chance to have been in a live-contact situation on those plays. … In that same team period, on the defensive end of the field, Ivan Faulhaber picked off two passes, one of which was fluttering through the air after being tipped at the line by Alex Balducci
Other observations: With the game just a few days away, this practice didn’t include time set aside for the developmental squad to take reps with the travel team watching. … Today’s practice featured improved weather over Sunday, with mostly sunny skies and less wind. … Among the highlights of pass-rush drills was a couple athletic moves by outside linebacker Justin Hollins, who like Pharaoh Brown has been methodically working his way into drills while redshirting this season.
