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Oregon’s offense didn’t constantly threaten the defense in the Ducks’ opening scrum on Saturday.
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some positive moments.
While he hasn’t delivered much in terms of tangible output, true first-year quarterback Ty Thompson looked sensational at times on Saturday.
Thompson did not orchestrate a single scoring campaign during the live portion of the scrum. But he displayed all of the characteristics that so excited Oregon fans for his arrival in Eugene; he did a good job installing balls in narrow windows and avoided some of the mistakes that so often get in the way of college freshmen.
“He was decisive tonight,” Oregon coach Cristobal said. “When there was pressure he found a way out most of the time.”
Thompson was the first quarterback to work with the second offense on Saturday and ran with both and all three for much of the scrum. During the designed red zone and goal line scenarios, he spent time with these and seemed comfortable doing so.
Those who have frequently watched Thompson during his prep career have raved about the touch he has on his deep ball. He flashed this Saturday with a perfectly placed 40-yard throw to Tevin Jeannis which ultimately ended in a fumble.
When placed in a two-minute exercise scenario, Thompson did well to escape the pressure a few times and keep the reader alive. He dodged a sack late in practice and managed to leave a second on the clock, which allowed Henry Katleman to come in and punch a 52-yard field goal.
“Towards the end of the two-minute exercise he didn’t eat the ball,” Cristobal said. “Sometimes a freshman, because he doesn’t want to intercept, will eat the ball. Time is running out, you’re dead.
“He got lucky in one place with one second left on the clock. Other than that, he was very precise for most of the evening.
During the goal line scenarios, Thompson looked sensational. Working against a mix of first and second team defense, he hit Johnny Johnson III for a touchdown on a disc. On another, he entered the end zone after correctly reading an option.
“I think he made some good decisions in the racing game as well,” said Cristobal. “The decisions of the RPO looked really good.
“He’s a very good football player. The sky is the limit for Ty.
Cristobal said rookie Robby Ashford was limited during the scrum because he suffered a minor injury. Ashford led the lone scorer during the live part of the scrum.
Freshman Jay Butterfield also had a great evening. He teamed up with Isaiah Brevard for a touchdown in a red zone scenario, and also led the offense with two touchdowns in goal-line situations.
“I thought Butterfield did really well. Robby was limited today. Only because he had been pissed off earlier in the week – nothing serious, but we only gave him one streak today and saw him go down the pitch. He and Isaiah have logged in, I think, three times on the same route.
“Overall these quarterbacks are coming and we have a lot of confidence in them.”
Starting quarterback Anthony Brown was not particularly effective leading the first team’s offense. But he had a difficult job to do; At this point in the season, the defense is usually a bit ahead of the offense, and Brown was facing a strong defense from the first team.
“Anthony had some pressure early on. He delivered good balls – some were precise, some not, ”said Cristobal. “I thought there were some really brilliant moments, others that he would really like to see again. … We threw a few young receivers in there with these and we have to make sure they sometimes went the right way. Overall, there are pros, cons, things to fix.
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