On Wednesday, Oregon’s defensive players and coaches spoke to the media ahead of the Ducks’ game against Cal on Saturday night.
“We’re just getting back to what we do,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “…We just talked about ‘don’t forget to have fun.’ Coaches, players, managers, everyone don’t forget to have fun.”
The upset loss against Arizona State last weekend did not seem to sting Oregon players too badly, who were back out on the practice field making adjustments for the first home Pac-12 game of the year against the Golden Bears.
The defense’s performance in Tempe, Az. had some ups and downs, but there was an overall feeling of improvement.
“There’s some really good things. They schemed us a little bit early in the game,” defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt said. “We got 13 lost yards played, four sacks, that ain’t bad. We gave up too many points, but you see some good things and some things that are not as good.”
One of the players who stepped up against the Sun Devils was Jalen Jelks, who had eight total tackles and three sacks. Leavitt said he leads by example.
“He’s been playing his tail off,” Leavitt said. “That was a monster game for him.”
Cal, which held its own against No. 5 USC, lost 30-20 against the Trojans last weekend. The Ducks have been preparing for the challenge, and they seem to expect another long-ball team.
Leavitt was full of praise for the Golden Bears’ quarterback, Ross Bowers, but Taggart gives his praise to head coach Justin Wilcox.
“They’re a well-coached football team,” Taggart said. “They play with a lot of effort and energy. They play the way the game is supposed to be played, and we can appreciate that, and that all goes back to Justin and what he’s instilling in those young men and they’re playing hard for him.”
According to Taggart, the Ducks bounced back quickly following the loss to ASU, and now they know how to prepare for Cal and avoid another upset at the start of Pac-12 play.
“I see our guys put the loss behind them,” Taggart said. “I thought they’re working to make sure they don’t make the same mistake.”
Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow