Every time the football shows itself, there’s only one thing on Oregon safety Bennett Williams’ mind — go get it.
Williams excelled as a starter this season in the star position. It’s a position that requires the versatility to line up in both man coverage and zone schemes, along with the aggression to break up plays in the backfield.
“[Bennett’s] exactly what you want in the secondary and on the team.” head coach Mario Cristobal said.
Oregon’s now tasked with filling a gaping hole on the defense after Williams broke his fibula in practice last week.
His absence was felt; Stanford’s offense took care of the ball, and Oregon failed to force a turnover for the first time all season in a 31-24 overtime upset.
Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter believes turnovers are coachable, and Williams’ play at the star position helped the Oregon defense jump to third nationally in turnovers.
Before his injury, Williams had three interceptions in four games, with two coming in the Ducks’ 41-19 victory over the Arizona Wildcats. While the margin of victory was large, the win was contingent upon Williams’ second pick.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Wildcats trailed 34-19, searching for a score to cut the Ducks’ lead to one possession. Williams stepped up, making a play that would ice the game.
He manned the flat in the Ducks zone, putting himself in a position to defend the square out from Stanley Berryhill III. Williams settled just under the receiver, baiting quarterback Jordan McCloud into a tough throw.
Then he rose up and snatched the pass out of the air.
Williams’ pick was impressive, but his goal was to reach the endzone. He dove for his first pick, but kept his head up, knowing the ball would come his way again.
“All day I was thinking, ‘I’m going to get another,’ and it came to me in the fourth quarter,” Williams said. “When I caught it, I slipped a little bit. The left side seemed crowded, so I went to the middle… but I knew all my blockers were on the left side. So I cut back, and all I saw was green jerseys and grass ahead of me.”
Williams’ seamless transition into the star position goes back to his All-American freshman season at the University of Illinois, where he played boundary cornerback and strong safety. After his dismissal from the school in 2018, Williams joined San Mateo Junior College as a cornerback.
Williams was off to a strong start this season. He used coverage and tackling techniques that he learned from those previous experiences playing all around the secondary and translated them into excelling in coverage, stopping the run and rushing the passer from the star spot.
Even after a negative week, the Ducks still hold a plus-10 turnover ratio. Takeaways are aplenty when each member of the defense performs their duty, and Williams’ teammates had full confidence in him to do his part.
One beneficiary was safety Verone McKinley III. McKinley III is tied for the nation’s leader in interceptions with four; he understands this doesn’t just come from individual greatness.
“Bennett and I play on a string,” McKinley III said. “He can go and play from the flat, while I man the top and make sure nobody’s behind me.”
Limiting chunk plays is key for the Ducks’ defense. Without Williams manning the middle of the field, they were exposed by quarterback Tanner McKee, including three completions on the final drive of regulation that set up the overtime loss.
Cristobal points to Williams’ “hunger to compete and learn in the film room” as a main source for the strong start to the 2021 season. Going forward, the Ducks must find ways to make up for his loss.
However, the loss of Williams and the loss to Stanford won’t define the season if the Ducks work together through their bye week to bounce back against UC Berkeley and the rest of their Pac-12 slate.
