Football Practice Report: Sept. 28
Venue: Moshofsky Center
Format: Full pads
In a week that could see him play an important role for the Ducks on the field, Trikweze Bridges kicked off the first week of fall quarter at the University of Oregon with an act of kindness off the field.
Bridges, the Ducks' 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman cornerback, could be in the thick of things Saturday afternoon when Oregon plays at Stanford (12:30 p.m., ABC). As usual, the Cardinal field a corps of receivers and tight ends that could double as a basketball team; leading receiver Brycen Tremayne stands 6-4, one of seven players 6-3 or taller among Stanford's top four receivers and top four tight ends.
Oregon's starting corners are Mykael Wright and DJ James, and neither is taller than 6-foot. Which could present an opportunity for Bridges or fellow freshman Dontae Manning, who isn't quite as tall but plays bigger than he is thanks to long limbs and explosive athleticism.
"A guy like Trikweze with his length, and Dontae with his size as well, they're going to be in the mix," UO defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. "I like our competition there."
In a week when he might get the chance to play a big part on the field, Bridges didn't forget that there's more to life than football. He and fellow cornerback Avante Dickerson (below) helped out a fellow UO student on campus Monday, and the student repaid them by sharing the story on social media to call attention to it.
The student, Connor White, wrote in an Instagram post Monday that he'd been unable to use his UO ID to purchase food on campus. "Everything that could've gone wrong technologically has," he wrote, "and it's been a struggle."
His frustration boiled over when he was unable to complete the purchase of a meal at the Erb Memorial Union. Dozens of fellow students saw White in the midst of his predicament, he wrote, but as tears rolled down his face it was Bridges and Dickerson who stepped in and offered to buy the meal for him.
"He was very stressed out," Bridges said Tuesday following football practice. "… I saw him struggling. I know if I was in that situation, I'd want someone to help me. So I just helped him out, and Avante Dickerson did the same."
On Instagram, White made clear he didn't want the act of kindness to go unknown to others.
"I passed hundreds of people who saw me crying, and dozens who saw me frantically searching for food in a panic," he wrote. "These two stood out out of hundreds with their kind act."
Practice highlights: Oregon's secondary has been a bunch of ballhawks through four games, but it looked Tuesday like the linebackers want to get in on the fun. Noah Sewell had at least two interceptions; on one of them, he reached back to tip a pass with one hand, then hauled it in for the turnover. Keith Brown also had an interception Tuesday, winning a fight for possession with a receiver in the end zone. … Camden Lewis drilled a 49-yard kick in field-goal drills. …
CJ Verdell and Travis Dye both had explosive gains in an 11-on-11 period focusing on run plays, while Jayson Jones (above) stacked up a back to win a rep for the defense. … There was good back-and-forth in the final 11-on-11 period of the day, too. Ty Thompson zipped a completion to Devon Williams, who added a good chunk of yards after the catch. On the next play, Jeffrey Bassa and Nate Heaukulani teamed up to stop a run play at the line.
Other observations: There was intermittent rain around Eugene on Tuesday morning, so the Ducks went inside the Moshofsky Center. The forecast for this weekend in Stanford calls for sunny skies. … The practice schedule was unchanged with classes starting on campus this week, with the Ducks wrapping up right around noon so players could get to afternoon classes. … After Kayvon Thibodeaux was on a limited snap count against Arizona last week, UO coach Mario Cristobal said he thinks Thibodeaux should be able to play start to finish this week at Stanford.
Post-practice interviews:
Sophomore safety Verone McKinley III
Redshirt freshman cornerback Trikweze Bridges