Traditionally, the Oregon football team would use its bye week to work on developing depth, getting the younger members of the team a chance to get some additional snaps and coaching.
Injuries have been the theme of the first half of this season, and the team’s depth at the quarterback and running back positions has taken a hit.
Thus, the Thursday “rookie” scrimmage that usually takes place during the bye week may not happen, according to head coach Mike Bellotti.
“It’ll depend on exactly our health on that day,” he said. “And I won’t know until we get there.”
Freshman LaMichael James is the only running back currently redshirting, and he is doubtful for a Thursday scrimmage because of a concussion suffered Friday.
“If we don’t have him I’m not sure how much we’ll do, because we only have one healthy running back that we’d want to put in that situation,” Bellotti said.
At quarterback the team has just one available player redshirting in freshman Robbie Pestal, as John Boyett has been sidelined recently by an ankle sprain.
These injuries to the team’s depth and Oregon’s weaknesses in the passing game, on both sides of the ball in recent weeks, are the main reasons for the changed tone of practices for this bye week.
“We’re developing our team, we’re not focusing on the young guys like we normally do,” Bellotti said. “Anybody that’s healthy, we’re going to try and get better, work on some of the fundamental techniques. Especially with emphasis on the passing game – both sides.”
Battle over for starting middle linebacker job
When coaches promised to shake things up on the defensive side of the ball last week, they were mainly talking about scheme, not personnel.
But changes were made at starting middle and weakside linebacker Saturday, as senior strongside linebacker Jerome Boyd was joined by redshirt freshman Eddie Pleasant on the weakside and sophomore Casey Matthews in the middle.
Pleasant’s start was due in part to the lingering hamstring injury to starter Spencer Paysinger.
“The emergence of Eddie Pleasant, especially with Paysinger being down or not at 100 percent, has been very important for us,” Bellotti said.
Matthews, after a year-long competition with senior John Bacon, has won the middle linebacker job for good.
“Casey has won that job,” Bellotti said. “There’s some growing pains attached to it but we’re going to live with that. Both of them did some really good things.”
Former starting middle linebacker Bacon spent Saturday in a spot role at both middle and weakside linebacker.
“John Bacon is playing two different positions now, and I think that’s benefiting him and benefiting our team,” Bellotti said.
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