Oregon football’s players and coaches made it obvious that the team couldn’t afford another slow start like it had in the first half against Washington State when the team takes on Arizona this Saturday.
Part of the problem with the offense was because of the loud crowd and pre-snap movement from the defense threw off the cadence and snap count for the offensive line.
“We did a couple things ourselves that allowed them to get into the game, and you can’t do that,” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “We play in that environment here at home all the time.”
The slow first half and near comeback was a tough pill to swallow for the Ducks, but Arroyo said that game should be a learning opportunity. Oregon will play a second consecutive game on the road in a hostile environment where the crowd can be a factor.
In order to deal with the penalties they received last game, the practices have involved many pre-snap repetitions.
“When we go through our racks, we’ll do four plays on the clap, and then two plays where the guard taps our center,” wide receiver Brenden Schooler said.
Quarterback Justin Herbert will want to be aggressive against Arizona from the kickoff. The Wildcats, statistically, are one of the worst defenses in the Pac-12. His ability to connect with Dillon Mitchell has caused problems for defenses all season.
“He’s a guy who can get anyone off him and I know where he’s going to be wherever he is on the field,” Herbert said.
Saturday’s kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. in Tucson, Arizona. Arroyo expects the Wildcats to come out swinging as Oregon is the highest ranked team they’ve played this season.
“It’s been said before, a tale of two halves,” Arroyo said. “It’s a good example for us that you can’t go in and take things for granted and think you can roll into this.”
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