In the world of sports, it can sometimes be hard to visualize how certain mundane actions can lead to improvements down the road. To some players, practice is tedious, grueling and even futile. The Oregon Ducks football team, however, is experiencing something truly fulfilling, something not many people have the opportunity to experience: they are seeing hard work and discipline take the form of success as a 9-1 record and a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game.
The Ducks have electric players that shine on game day, but what has taken them to the next level is the accountability between players on the team. Throughout each week, the players take it upon themselves to make sure their teammates are working as hard as possible and doing their jobs.
“When your team is bought in and there’s ownership in it, they start demanding from each other and don’t tolerate anything less than each other’s best,” head coach Mario Cristobal said in a press conference Monday.
It was clear that the Ducks held each other accountable over the past several weeks of practice, as it showed in the game against Arizona. They set out to improve the front seven’s tackling and stop the Arizona running game. They held the Wildcats’ J.J. Taylor to 74 rushing yards and didn’t allow a single offensive touchdown all game. They looked to be more disciplined when it came to penalties, and it showed as the offense was charged with just one penalty.
It’s one thing if Cristobal holds his team accountable, but it’s even more important that his players hold each other accountable.
“They voice it, they echo it, they hold others accountable to it,” Cristobal said of his leaders. “It’s arriving early, staying late and running on and off the field.”
The Oregon wide receivers are a prime example of this accountability; the group has been pushing each other to get better all season. They are a huge reason the Ducks are where they are, and they provide the weapons Justin Herbert needs to reach his potential. Given the injury status of Mycah Pittman, they will need to continue to push each other.
Cristobal said Monday that Pittman will be out for six weeks with a broken right arm. Pittman left the game for good Saturday after he was tackled and an Arizona defender fell on top of his arm. The 5-foot-11 freshman wide receiver has made a significant contribution to the Oregon offense this season, with 14 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Cristobal didn’t rule out his potential return for a bowl game, but in the meantime, the Ducks will have to rely on players like Bryan Addison and Josh Delgado to step up for the rest of the season.
Other than Pittman’s injury, the Ducks are relatively healthy. CJ Verdell continued his string of injuries from recent weeks when he hyperextended his right elbow and lost feeling in his arm in the first half of Saturday’s game. However, he regained feeling by the end of the game and is fully expected to play against Arizona State.
It’s easy to focus on the flashy plays from the weekend, such as the flea-flicker connection from Herbert to Juwan Johnson or the 73-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game. But for Cristobal, part of accountability means placing value in all aspects of the game.
“We will never devalue one phase for another,” Cristobal said. “Special teams is as important as offense and defense. The moment you start treating it as ‘that other thing you do when you’re not playing offense and defense’ is the moment the culture of your team will rot from the inside out.”
Oregon’s Pac-12 schedule is winding down, with just Arizona State and Oregon State left to play before the conference championship game. Justin Herbert and his offense put on a dazzling show at Autzen this season, while the defense was rock solid. But that was only on Saturdays. Behind the magnificent play is an attitude of accountability that the Ducks need to carry at all times.
