It took just one moment during yesterday’s scrimmage to sum up the intensity of Chip Kelly’s practices.
Junior wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei caught a pass from Nate Costa, but before he could turn up field he was leveled by a crushing hit from defensive end Kenny Rowe. So jarring was the tackle that Tuinei lost the ball, and the play was chalked up as a one-yard loss.
Those in attendance gasped, and Tuinei jumped quickly to his feet to run back to the huddle. But the message had been sent: The Ducks don’t take these scrimmages lightly.
“These guys, they take it very serious,” Kelly said. “That’s what this is all about. You’ve gotta learn to hold onto the ball in that situation, and Kenny knows we were in a clutch situation. He’s gotta make a play, kind of separate the receiver from the ball, and he did his job.”
Though far from perfect, the team’s performance on Wednesday was markedly improved from last week’s scrimmage. The offense set the tone early, scoring on its first possession with Darron Thomas at the helm.
“We came out and got a couple first downs, and I think that was really important for us to get our rhythm,” wide receiver Jeff Maehl said. “If we come out fast like we did today and we get our rhythm, it really helps our offense throughout the day.”
Kelly agreed, and was impressed by what he saw in the opening drive.
“We had a slow start last week,” Kelly said. “We talked about it, and they came right from the jump, and there was a little better energy today, which we were excited about.”
Maehl finished the day with four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas led the Ducks with 145 passing yards. Senior running back Remene Alston Jr., meanwhile, led the team with 93 rushing yards on just nine attempts.
There were, however, many kinks in an offense that is clearly still trying to find a consistent rhythm.
When asked where he thought the offense stood as of Wednesday, junior offensive lineman Mark Asper laughed.
“The third week of spring ball,” he said. “That’s where I’d say we are. Not polished, not very clean, still a lot of miscommunication, still a lot of gaps, still a lot of seeing what people can do.”
Indeed, the 6-foot-3-inch Thomas saw numerous snaps fly over his head, and costly penalties killed otherwise promising drives. Still, Kelly did not seem discouraged.
“That’s the reason we’re scrimmaging and that’s why we got officials here,” Kelly said. “We were a little bit cleaner a week ago, but we weren’t as physical. We were a lot more physical today … we had some offside penalties and things like that that we gotta clean up, but it was a good day at work.”
The day also brought its fair share of surprises. Redshirt freshman quarterback Daryle Hawkins led the team with two touchdown passes and impressed those in attendance with his athleticism and strong arm.
“Daryle’s doing a great job,” Kelly said. “He throws a nice deep ball, but the intermediate and short ball he’s still gotta work on.”
Still, the quarterback competition remains a tale of two players: Thomas and senior Nate Costa. Costa struggled on Wednesday, completing just 9 of 24 passes for 59 yards, but Maehl remained impressed with both players.
“They’re doing good, man,” Maehl said. “They’re getting better every day. I think it’s going to be a tight battle all the way up to the season. There’s not a guy that’s really standing out right now, but they’re both throwing the ball really well and making good decisions out there.”
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