Taggart Leads Ducks Into Opening Week
08/28/17 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Willie Taggart era of Oregon football begins Saturday when the Ducks host Southern Utah in Autzen Stadium (5:15 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network).
For eight months now, Willie Taggart has been saying all the right things, and his players have been doing all the right things, as the Ducks work to bounce back from their 4-8 season and return to prominence in their first year under a new coach.
Come Saturday, Oregon fans will get their first look at the program's progress under the new leadership. The Ducks open the 2017 season against Southern Utah in Autzen Stadium, a 5:15 p.m. PT kickoff to be carried by Pac-12 Networks.
"It's game week – uh oh," Taggart said as he entered his weekly pregame press conference with local media in the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on Monday. "It's time to see what you're about, Willie Taggart."
Saturday's opener will match a Power 5 FBS team look to rebound, and an FCS program that finished 6-5 last season in the Big Sky. The Ducks and Thunderbirds had two common opponents in 2016 – each beat UC Davis, Oregon by a score of 53-28, while Southern Utah won 24-3. The Ducks won at Utah, 30-28, and the Thunderbirds lost in Salt Lake City, 24-0.
As much as the result, Oregon faithful will be watching to see how explosive Justin Herbert, Royce Freeman and an offensive line stacked with veterans can be in Taggart's system. And they'll no doubt look for a step forward defensively under new coach Jim Leavitt, who installed sophomore Troy Dye in the middle of his 3-4 defense.
As will be the case all season under Taggart, the Ducks did not practice Monday, their designated off day from football activities under NCAA rules. They'll be in full pads Tuesday and Wednesday to resume focusing on the matchup with Southern Utah, a process that began in earnest with Sunday evening's hourlong workout.
"You can see it in them, the way they practiced yesterday, that they're excited," Taggart said Monday. "It's game week now. … They've practiced, they've done the things we've asked them to do. Now it's time to go out and do it in front of everybody. I'm excited to watch our guys play. You learn so much about your football team in that first ballgame."
The first depth of the season was released Monday, and was notable for the presence of 12 true freshmen across offense, defense and special teams.
Johnny Johnson III won an outside receiver position, and will start alongside Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell. True freshmen Jordon Scott and Austin Faoliu remain locked in a battle for the starting job at nose guard, and spring sensation Thomas Graham Jr. is contending for an opening assignment with junior Ugochukwu Amadi.
Johnson made several big plays in an open practice for season-ticket holders and Duck Athletic Fund supporters a little more than a week ago, earning reps with the first-team offense.
"These last two weeks, he's been on fire," Taggart said. "He's just been different. Like, 'I know the plays now, I can just go play football.' He's playing with a lot of confidence, and hopefully that continues."
Graham, Scott and Faoliu "just played consistently, and made plays consistently," Taggart said. "Those guys have shown they can play at this level, and help our defense."
A number of veterans expected to contribute in 2017 are not on the opening week depth chart.
Among the notable omissions were safety Tyree Robinson, slot receiver Taj Griffin, safety Brady Breeze and graduate transfer defensive lineman Scott Pagano.
"Those guys are healing," Taggart said. "Hopefully they'll be back soon and ready to go."
Taggart said defensive lineman Malik Young, a senior transfer who joined preseason camp, "has got to get in football shape and learn the defense. Once he does those things, we'll put him out there and see if he can help our football team."
The opening week depth chart includes a number of positions where multiple potential backups are listed.
Among those is quarterback, where senior Taylor Alie and true freshman Braxton Burmeister are both listed behind Herbert. Taggart said the staff is "not necessarily sure who will be the guy" when a No. 2 quarterback is ultimately needed.
"Both of those guys, Taylor and Braxton, both have made tremendous improvement since spring ball," Taggart said. "If you think about it, neither of those guys got a lot of reps because of the way the quarterback situation was then. Going through training camp, those guys have gotten a lot of reps, and you could see them getting better every day."
In the spring, Alie played receiver and Burmeister was an understudy to three returning veterans. The decisions by Travis Jonsen and Terry Wilson Jr. to transfer thrust Alie and Burmeister into a battle for the backup job this preseason, a battle that apparently continues as Saturday's season opener approaches.
A new era of Oregon Football begins September 2 when your Ducks take on Southern Utah. Let's sell out Coach Taggart's first game in Autzen Stadium. Tickets start at $36. Do Something. BUY TICKETS NOW.
