Toward the end of Wednesday’s practice, the Oregon football team went through its clutch time drills. The starting offense goes against the starting defense, and it has to drive down the field in a minute and a half and with one timeout. It gets really heated out there, with the competitive juices flowing on both sides and pride on the line. If the offense scores, the defense takes it as an insult, while the offense gets frustrated when it can’t score.
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli led the Ducks down the field, getting a key fourth down conversion on fourth and nine, but from 40 yards out they had just two plays to try to score. After the first play (a short pass up the middle), the linemen on both sides of the ball got into a little bit of a tussle.
Nothing big happened, it was broken up within seconds, but it showed everyone that even teammates turn to enemies when they’re fighting for something and the competitive juices are flowing. The first team ended up not scoring, but the intensity still remained on the field and that’s the way head coach Chip Kelly likes it. He said of the scuffle that it was just “football and guys being competitive.” He wasn’t worried about that and said that overall the practice yesterday was exactly where he wanted it.
“This group as a whole has practiced extremely well since the start of the Purdue game,” Kelly said. “They understand how important it is about how well we practice. (It) was another great practice. They had great enthusiasm and they were fired up.”
Senior running back Andre Crenshaw said guys had a little bit more of an edge to them this week because of the bye and because of who the team is playing this weekend.
“It’s been a fun week,” Crenshaw said. “You know, big game and the rivalry. This game just always means a lot to us for what they did in the past. Coaches always remind us of it. We always play hard against them because it’s Washington.”
Redshirt freshman running back Kenjon Barner agreed with Crenshaw about the bye week giving the Ducks a chance to rest and he said that has also allowed the running back unit to continue to grow.
“The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time,” Barner said. “We were able to get all those guys healthy and back into things … as for our progression, (it) has been good but we can’t be complacent. There’s a lot to work on like our reads, cutting and blocking.”
Barner himself was also given a little time to heal. His concussion he sustained before the UCLA game is completely healed, and he said it is a “non-issue” right now. He also said, despite all of the injuries in the secondary, Kelly hasn’t moved him back to his original position of defensive back.
Junior linebacker Spencer Paysinger touched on some of those injuries, and he said with the potential return of safety T.J. Ward, there will be even more leadership on the defense.
“John Boyett is doing a fantastic job right now,” Paysinger said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more from him. But T.J. brings a type of leadership and exuberance to the field that gets us all hyped and when we see him make the big play, we want to make the big play.”
The Ducks will definitely need that this weekend against Husky quarterback Jake Locker. Locker is a threat to run or stay in the pocket and throw deep, and it’s something Paysinger and the defense are aware of.
“He’s probably the best overall athlete we’ll play this year besides someone like Jahvid Best,” Paysinger said. “The ball is going to be in his hands every play, and we have to key to that. He runs a 4.4 or 4.3 40 (yard dash), and he can pass the ball 70 yards off the back of his foot.”
Locker will be a main focus for the Ducks defense but the team is well aware of the unfriendly confines of Husky Stadium. Although a track rings the field, tight end Ed Dickson said it does get loud in there and Husky fans will be less than cordial for the green and yellow.
“(The rivalry) is tremendous,” Dickson said. “It’s a hostile environment. We have to be ready for a battle.”
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Ducks champing at bit for Huskies
Daily Emerald
October 20, 2009
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