For a Day, It's "On" The Pond…Practice Notes From Eugene

I had a chance to spend a day at Oregon’s practice on Thursday while in town visiting for the week. It’s nice to again be surrounded by so much green and yellow. It’s easy to forget what that’s like.

Keep in mind that my observations below are not that of a journalist spending day after day getting familiar with the players and coaches. These impressions are from one day only so I don’t want anyone to draw any conclusions from this. You won’t find any secrets here (I wouldn’t even know them if I saw them) and I’m not getting into nuts and bolts of football strategy (again, wouldn’t know enough anyway). Much of the scrimmaging portion of practice was at times difficult to see just because of the way they lay out the field for spectators.

Still, all the disclaimers aside, it was fun being able to get a first-hand look at the team and I’d like to think my thoughts provide some insight to those who can’t attend a practice.

• I showed up intent on learning more about LaMichael James. I have a gut feeling this guy is going to be really good. Unfortunately, nothing sparked for me during the practice other than I remember him making a nice catch during a drill. I’ll just have to wait for Sept. 3 to see what he’s made of.
• Came away really impressed with Ed Dickson. In person, he’s a legitimately-sized tight end and I watched him make three completely different types of catches during drills. On one, he had to reach out and use his hands, on another he was covered (blanketed, really) by a defender and still managed to make the catch. The third I remember had him running down the field where he beat his man thoroughly and made a catch on the run. I really hope to see him more involved this year.
• The receivers as a whole seemed to have a little bit of the dropsies, but mishaps can add up over the course of two hours and seem like more than it really is. It’s tough to say as someone who lives out of town and doesn’t observe these practices regularly. It was a little discouraging to see many top receivers sidelined. Jamere Holland, Diante Jackson and D.J. Davis didn’t play. Jackson was suited up, but didn’t seem to get involved. Davis was sporting a boot on his foot.
• In one conversation I had about LaGarrette Blount, it was mentioned that he only caught two passes all of last year so it was notable to me that I saw at least two catches during end of practice scrimmaging.
• Watching Jeremiah Masoli was fun. He definitely doesn’t look the part of a quarterback, but plays it well. I’ve been skeptical of him given that his hype is largely based on three games from last season. However, he seems in command on the field and calm. He can look lethargic going through drills, but it’s clear to me that he is very comfortable this year. There was a nice pass on a deep route to the corner that fell right into Jeff Maehl’s hands. That was notable as I’ve also been concerned about his downfield passing. Of course, I should mention that my view was obscured making me less than 100% positive it was Masoli making the throw.
• It was cool seeing Rashad Bauman back on the practice field working with DBs. He was a fun guy to watch and it would be nice to see this gig take him into some coaching success.
• Everything that is being said about the quick pace of Chip Kelly’s practice is true. It’s noted in this article that they may have run more plays Thursday than any practice so far and I’d believe it. There isn’t a wasted moment on the field.
• Really enjoyed watching a drill that faced off defensive and offensive lineman. It’s fun to watch those guys compete, especially up close. It’s easy to see how things can get chippy when the “big uglies” go at it with each other. By far, the most interesting aspect was new defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro. I think he’s completely nuts and I know for sure he has a ton of passion. I don’t know how a guy wouldn’t be motivated to work for him.
• Because fashion matters at Oregon, I’d like to start the campaign for adding Walter Thurmond III to Kirk Herbstreit’s all-uniform team for guys who look good in their gear. The guy looks like a playmaking DB and he proves it. He picked one pass and you could see him hit another gear as he headed toward the end zone.