On the second play of Vernon Adams’ first drive as Oregon’s starting quarterback, he threw a three-yard pass to tight end Evan Baylis for his first completion of the year. Judging by what Mark Helfrich said after Oregon’s 61-42 victory over Eastern Washington, the third-year head coach likely breathed a sigh of relief.
“I was waiting for the first pass to be 200 miles per hour and 12 feet over a guy’s head,” Helfrich said.
The Ducks led by a score of 20-7 after the first quarter, never allowing the Eagles to cut their deficit by less than 13. But the majority of Oregon players were not satisfied with their performances, Helfrich said.
“Guys, in general, they’re taking this win hard,” Helfrich said with a laugh. “It’s a bunch of things where it’s just, ‘Oh my God, why did I do that?,’ first-game type of moments that are easily fixed.”
The Ducks’ most notable flaw on Saturday was their inability to stop wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The junior wide receiver finished with 246 yards on 15 receptions — both Autzen Stadium records — and added three touchdowns.
“He is as advertised,” Helfrich said. “They moved him around and he did some great things.”
His now-former teammate said he was not surprised by the historic performance.
“It’s shocking that he didn’t get any big school offers coming out of high school,” Adams said. “He’s the hardest working kid, one of my best friends.”
In addition to Kupp, the Eagles’ two quarterbacks, Jordan West and Reilly Hennessey, combined to complete 37 of 55 passes for 438 yards, two interceptions and three touchdowns.
“We obviously need to clean up several coverage things,” Helfrich said. “We were clearly limited in our defensive package tonight, didn’t tackle very well in the first half in particular.”
Still, it’s difficult to say Oregon’s win Saturday night was not impressive.
Adams finished 19 of 25 with 246 passing yards and two touchdowns, while adding 101 yards on 14 rushes.
“There’s a lot of anxiety out there, a lot of people wondering what are you going to do and how are you going to do,” running back Royce Freeman said. “But at the end of the day, I like him just because he’s a baller.”
Freeman had a solid game of his own, racking up 180 yards on 21 carries for three touchdowns. His backups, Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James, combined for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
In what many considered a possible tension-filled game, the only possible incident related to Adams’ relationship with former teammates took place in the fourth quarter.
At the end of a seven-yard run, Eastern Washington’s John Kreifels received a targeting penalty for helmet-to-helmet hit on Adams. He was subsequently ejected from the game.
Following the play, Adams headed to the locker room but quickly returned to the sideline. Helfrich strongly hinted that his quarterback did not have a concussion, while Adams himself said he felt fine.
“I don’t know if it was a cheap shot or not,” Adams said, adding that Eastern Washington head coach Beau Baldwin apologized to him for the incident after the game.
Adams and the Ducks now must prepare for the fifth-ranked Michigan State Spartans next Saturday. When asked about how he’ll be able to prepare for the showdown after less than a month of practice, Adams quoted a player to which many have compared him.
“Russell Wilson has a quote,” Adams said. “He says, ‘Preparation is separation.’”
Follow Jack Heffernan on Twitter @JackTHeffernan