The scene of an opposing player sneaking past the Oregon secondary was a familiar one last season.
So far, after an almost week-long schedule of spring practices for the Ducks, that scene has not changed much. But the group will have an opportunity Saturday to make amends when Oregon holds its first scheduled scrimmage.
“So far, the offense has been having its way with us, but I think we’re going to be all right,” Keith Lewis said. “I’m definitely looking forward to Saturday’s scrimmage. It’s another chance to go out and play football.”
Head coach Mike Bellotti said the scrimmage is expected to last anywhere from 45 to 60 plays and won’t be a major portion of Saturday’s practice.
Still, he is looking for young players to step up and last year’s backups to play for a starting spot.
“What I want to see is that backup last year that may be a starter this year, the guy that didn’t play last year that’s going to be a backup, or the guy called on to really step in and play at certain times,” he said. “See how they handle the opportunities that they get.”
The secondary, much maligned last year during Oregon’s 7-6 season, will step into the spotlight at the scrimmage. With Lewis returning at a safety spot and Steven Moore at cornerback, the Ducks will have senior leadership in the defensive backfield.
But how that translates to the field is still to be seen, especially against their teammates. Saturday, the Duck receiving core — the secondary’s primary opponents — will lack Samie Parker’s big-play capabilities when he runs at the Pepsi Team Invitational at Hayward Field.
With Parker out, the Ducks will trot out a young group of receivers. Juniors Keith Allen and Kellen Taylor are expected to step up, as is sophomore Demetrius Williams.
“We looked pretty good for the first day in pads,” Taylor said regarding Oregon’s practice Tuesday. “Hopefully, on Saturday, that will carry over, and that can carry over into the season. From the beginning it looked like we clicked pretty well. Everybody had good continuity and good timing.”
Both Allen and Williams spent last season as backups, with Williams receiving more playing time. He caught five passes in 11 games played while Allen saw action in eight, catching three passes.
Taylor sat out last season as a redshirt after coming over from City College of San Francisco. Thus, this year’s spring practices mark his first chance to get early reps with the Oregon offense.
“They’ve looked really good,” quarterback Kellen Clemens said. “The receivers are impressive. I’m excited to see what they’ve got. Demetrius Williams, Kellen Taylor, Keith Allen; they all worked really hard in the offseason. They’re going to be really good.”
If anything, there was a general enthusiasm from the Oregon players before practice Thursday regarding the planned scrimmage. After donning full pads Tuesday, the Ducks practiced yesterday in helmets and shoulder pads and stayed inside at the Moshofsky Center because of inclement weather.
Saturday is their first real chance to show what they’ve got.
“I’m excited,” Clemens said. “Last year, and it was kind of typical. The offense, it takes them a while to get going at the first scrimmage. I’m not really sure it’s going to be the case this time. I’m really excited to see what we can do when we go live.”
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