Oregon Football Spring Game: Duck Showcase Speed On Both Sides Of The Ball
Oregon Football was on display on Saturday at Autzen Stadium with a more physical presence up front and speed at key positions.
The Oregon Football Spring Game had some surprises and some disappointments, but the key to the game was everyone finished the two-hour scrimmage healthy entering Summer. Quarterback Justin Herbert showed that his arm was back to full strength following a broken clavicle last season. He was 12 for 21 on the day with 126 yards a touchdown and an interception.
Both Backup Quarterbacks showed solid improvement this Spring. Braxton Burmeister was 7 for 12 for 62 yards with a pass that was on a rope into the end zone to Jack Vecchi just before halftime. Freshman Tyler Shough had a better afternoon going 5 for 8 for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
In the Running Game, Tony Brooks-James saw time in just the first few series before Coaches decided to have a look at other players. CJ Verdell had the best day on Offense picking up 44 yards and 2 touchdowns with just 8 carries on the afternoon in front of over 27,000 fans at Autzen Stadium.
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Daewood Davis showed off his track speed bringing in 2 touchdowns off 75 yards receiving. Cyrus Habibi-Likio showed his skillset for both rushing and catching and could see an important role in 2018. Habibi-Likio caught two passes for 34 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had two rushes for 7 yards.
The Oregon Defense also had a good afternoon breaking up key plays in key spots. Kaulana Apelu was the impact player on Defense. Last season he earned a scholarship but was injured. He showed off his recovery in a big way with an interception and a 100-yard interception returned for a touchdown. He was surrounded by teammates in celebration following the return.
Apelu finished the day on Defense with 8 total tackles, 4 solo to go with his interception return.
Keith Simms showed he can be a force when healthy with 8 tackles, 5 solo and a sack.
While the scoring system was not perfect, the Oregon Offense took the victory from the Defense, but both performed equally well throughout the game. The Oregon Football team now has a break for Summer before the team reconvenes for Fall Camp ahead of the 2018 season.