Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Football Practice Report: March 16
03/16/19 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Ducks wrapped up their first segment of spring drills with a practice Saturday in full pads on the outdoor practice fields.
Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Full pads
Part of an offensive line coach's job is to prepare for contingencies. So it's not uncommon at an Oregon football practice to see shuffling along the line, plugging in a No. 2 guy with the No. 1 group for a few reps.
The quintet on the front line has to play with cohesion and chemistry in a game, and that can only be forged in practice. So you see groupings such as those at the Ducks' practice Friday: First the current No. 1 group of, left to right, Penei Sewell, Shane Lemieux, Jake Hanson, Dallas Warmack and Brady Aiello, but later George Moore in for Sewell at left tackle, or Ryan Walk snapping in Hanson's place for a series.
Those are valuable chances for backups like Moore and Walk to work with one of the most veteran offensive lines in the entire nation. But also, those chances could be a preview of what's to come once the Ducks begin games in the fall.
UO offensive line coach Alex Mirabal hinted this week that coaches would like to use larger rotations in games in 2019, after relying largely on the starting five and at most one or two backups per game in 2018. Three guys — Lemieux, Hanson and Calvin Throckmorton, who is currently rehabbing an injury — played more than 90 percent of Oregon's offensive snaps last season.
"What we're going to do this year is, we're going to do a better job — if they earn the reps — we're going to make sure we get them in the football game," Mirabal said.
The reasoning behind doing so, he said, is twofold. For one, the Ducks will enter this fall with a first-string group that is projected to include as many as four seniors — Hanson, Lemieux, Throckmorton and either Warmack or Aiello.
Mirabal was asked about fielding such an experienced lineup, and broke out in a wide smile before the question was even complete. But he knows it's also time to start planning for their absence. By working in younger guys now, and in games come fall, those vets can groom their future replacements.
"I've told them that since I got here, that's part of their legacy, and what are they going to leave behind," Mirabal said. "The legacy to me is not championships. It's not trophies. All that stuff collects dust. It's, what do you leave behind for 10 years from now?"
Right now the future looks bright. At Saturday's practice, the No. 2 group featured, left to right, Moore, Alex Forsyth, Walk, JC transfer Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Steven Jones. Only one, Moore, is a senior. The No. 3 line included redshirt freshmen Justin Johnson, Dawson Jaramillo and Chris Randazzo, and sophomore Cody Shear.
Those guys need to keep their heads down and work on their development in practice. But Mirabal offered a carrot for all that hard work — the chance for increased game reps for backups in the fall, another factor that could lead to a deeper rotation in 2019.
"If they earn the snaps, we're going to make sure we get those guys in the game — and meaningful action," Mirabal said. "Make sure we reward them."
Practice highlights: Practice started to sound like football when the pads went on Friday, and it started to look like actual football with some scrimmage situations Saturday. And the players responded, bringing the "juice" in a late red-zone period. First, Cyrus Habibi-Likio made an amazing catch of a back-shoulder throw from Justin Herbert for a touchdown, leading to all the offensive players flooding the end zone to celebrate with him. On the very next play, Daewood Davis made an interception in the end zone with the twos, and all the defensive players responded in kind, rushing onto the field to swarm Davis. …
An earlier team period allowed the offense to drive from midfield, and while the offenses did a good job of driving the ball, the defenses were stout in the red zone. Herbert completed passes to Habibi-Likio, Cam McCormick and Johnny Johnson III to get the No. 1 offense moving, but another ball to Johnson in the back of the end zone was thrown a little too high and hard for Johnson to make the catch. McCormick's catch was a doozy, with Herbert throwing into a tight window and the tight end hanging on despite really tight coverage by Kahlef Hailassie. With the twos on the field, Tyler Shough completed three straight to Korbin Williams, Tevin Jeannis and Ryan Bay, but again a fourth attempt was incomplete. …
Another play with the twos on the field saw Shough forced to escape the pocket when Kayvon Thibodeaux beat a tackle off the edge. And Drayton Carlberg teamed with Sione Kava to "sack" Herbert with the ones. … Adrian Jackson probably would have had a sack as well, on the touchdown pass to Habibi-Likio, had the play been live.
Other observations: Throckmorton was suited up and did rehab work during practice, his first participation during spring drills this month. … Tight end recruit Patrick Herbert watched some of practice, the last before he reports to the team as a player in two weeks. … Head coach Mario Cristobal's post-practice message to players was about addressing three priorities over the ensuing two-week break. First was finishing the academic quarter strong, second was maintaining a workout program while on break, and third was make smart choices will home with friends and family prior to returning to campus.
Up Next: Players report for the spring quarter on March 31, and resume spring practice April 2. That week will end with a practice April 6 in Hillsboro Stadium just outside Portland.
Format: Full pads
Part of an offensive line coach's job is to prepare for contingencies. So it's not uncommon at an Oregon football practice to see shuffling along the line, plugging in a No. 2 guy with the No. 1 group for a few reps.
The quintet on the front line has to play with cohesion and chemistry in a game, and that can only be forged in practice. So you see groupings such as those at the Ducks' practice Friday: First the current No. 1 group of, left to right, Penei Sewell, Shane Lemieux, Jake Hanson, Dallas Warmack and Brady Aiello, but later George Moore in for Sewell at left tackle, or Ryan Walk snapping in Hanson's place for a series.
Those are valuable chances for backups like Moore and Walk to work with one of the most veteran offensive lines in the entire nation. But also, those chances could be a preview of what's to come once the Ducks begin games in the fall.
UO offensive line coach Alex Mirabal hinted this week that coaches would like to use larger rotations in games in 2019, after relying largely on the starting five and at most one or two backups per game in 2018. Three guys — Lemieux, Hanson and Calvin Throckmorton, who is currently rehabbing an injury — played more than 90 percent of Oregon's offensive snaps last season.
"What we're going to do this year is, we're going to do a better job — if they earn the reps — we're going to make sure we get them in the football game," Mirabal said.
The reasoning behind doing so, he said, is twofold. For one, the Ducks will enter this fall with a first-string group that is projected to include as many as four seniors — Hanson, Lemieux, Throckmorton and either Warmack or Aiello.
Mirabal was asked about fielding such an experienced lineup, and broke out in a wide smile before the question was even complete. But he knows it's also time to start planning for their absence. By working in younger guys now, and in games come fall, those vets can groom their future replacements.
"I've told them that since I got here, that's part of their legacy, and what are they going to leave behind," Mirabal said. "The legacy to me is not championships. It's not trophies. All that stuff collects dust. It's, what do you leave behind for 10 years from now?"
Right now the future looks bright. At Saturday's practice, the No. 2 group featured, left to right, Moore, Alex Forsyth, Walk, JC transfer Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Steven Jones. Only one, Moore, is a senior. The No. 3 line included redshirt freshmen Justin Johnson, Dawson Jaramillo and Chris Randazzo, and sophomore Cody Shear.
Those guys need to keep their heads down and work on their development in practice. But Mirabal offered a carrot for all that hard work — the chance for increased game reps for backups in the fall, another factor that could lead to a deeper rotation in 2019.
"If they earn the snaps, we're going to make sure we get those guys in the game — and meaningful action," Mirabal said. "Make sure we reward them."
Practice highlights: Practice started to sound like football when the pads went on Friday, and it started to look like actual football with some scrimmage situations Saturday. And the players responded, bringing the "juice" in a late red-zone period. First, Cyrus Habibi-Likio made an amazing catch of a back-shoulder throw from Justin Herbert for a touchdown, leading to all the offensive players flooding the end zone to celebrate with him. On the very next play, Daewood Davis made an interception in the end zone with the twos, and all the defensive players responded in kind, rushing onto the field to swarm Davis. …
An earlier team period allowed the offense to drive from midfield, and while the offenses did a good job of driving the ball, the defenses were stout in the red zone. Herbert completed passes to Habibi-Likio, Cam McCormick and Johnny Johnson III to get the No. 1 offense moving, but another ball to Johnson in the back of the end zone was thrown a little too high and hard for Johnson to make the catch. McCormick's catch was a doozy, with Herbert throwing into a tight window and the tight end hanging on despite really tight coverage by Kahlef Hailassie. With the twos on the field, Tyler Shough completed three straight to Korbin Williams, Tevin Jeannis and Ryan Bay, but again a fourth attempt was incomplete. …
Another play with the twos on the field saw Shough forced to escape the pocket when Kayvon Thibodeaux beat a tackle off the edge. And Drayton Carlberg teamed with Sione Kava to "sack" Herbert with the ones. … Adrian Jackson probably would have had a sack as well, on the touchdown pass to Habibi-Likio, had the play been live.
Other observations: Throckmorton was suited up and did rehab work during practice, his first participation during spring drills this month. … Tight end recruit Patrick Herbert watched some of practice, the last before he reports to the team as a player in two weeks. … Head coach Mario Cristobal's post-practice message to players was about addressing three priorities over the ensuing two-week break. First was finishing the academic quarter strong, second was maintaining a workout program while on break, and third was make smart choices will home with friends and family prior to returning to campus.
Up Next: Players report for the spring quarter on March 31, and resume spring practice April 2. That week will end with a practice April 6 in Hillsboro Stadium just outside Portland.
