Defense continues to be Oregon’s strong point as the Ducks enter their third week of spring football practice.
Head coach Mike Bellotti has been quick to sing the praises of his first unit lately, including its performance during Saturday’s scrimmage at Autzen Stadium. The offense, still learning a new system, was held to eight first downs in 75 plays and didn’t score until late into the 1-hour-and-15-minute workout.
“I thought the defense outplayed, out-hit and out-hustled the offense today,” Bellotti said Saturday. “It had nothing to do with scheme, it was just attitude and desire.
“I was very, very impressed with the first-team defense.”
A solid chunk of Oregon’s success can be attributed to its defensive line and its anchor — junior defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. The former
five-star recruit from Utah’s Highland High School has been wreaking havoc in the offensive backfield, blowing up plays before they ever get started. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, Ngata’s nearly impossible to block one-on-one, and his presence on the field immediately upgrades a defense.
“Haloti is a great football player,” Bellotti said. “He makes everybody around him better, because he attracts a lot of attention.”
Ngata is the exception on a defensive line built with lighter, quicker athletes. Lining up next to the massive Salt Lake City native in the middle of Oregon’s front four has been Matt Toeaina. After starting the spring at defensive end, Toeaina was moved to tackle to better utilize his talents. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 279 pounds, the junior will surely benefit from the double teams attracted by Ngata.
While Toeaina said he is equally capable of playing both positions, he said it’s been an interesting transition back to the inside.
“It’s different from being on the end,” Toeaina said. “You’re more free on the outside. When you’re on the inside there’s so much more going on, and you have to get back into the rhythm of having contact every single play.”
On the outside, junior Victor Filipe — a former high school teammate of Ngata — has been impressive and has appeared to have earned a starting spot at defensive end. At 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Filipe is a high-energy player who will provide a solid pass rush.
“I’m very pleased with Victor Filipe,” Bellotti said. “He’s made plays, he’s played with high intensity and a high motor. He’s got to eliminate mistakes, but he’s playing fast, and I’m excited about his athleticism.”
Senior Devan Long, who has missed the majority of spring drills with a hamstring injury, will be the other end. The 266-pound pass-rushing threat enters his third season as a starter and has solidified himself as one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Senior Darius Sanders has done
an adequate job filling in during Long’s absence.
Two young players that have shown promise but need to improve on their technique are sophomore defensive tackle David Faaeteete and redshirt freshman defensive end Devlin Bayne.
While the D line has certainly been impressive, its leader said there is still more work to be done.
“I think we need to make a lot of improvements in certain areas,” Ngata said. “The D linemen need to work a lot on pass rush lanes and being stronger as a whole.”

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