Football Practice Report: Aug. 30

Photo by: Andy McNamara/GoDucks.com

08/30/17 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley

Buy Football Tickets Week 1 Game Notes - Southern Utah

Saturday's season opener against Southern Utah (5:15 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network) is setting up to be the first career start for safety Mattrell McGraw.

By: Rob Moseley

Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Full pads

Mattrell McGraw was napping Monday, the Ducks' day off from team activities this week, when the buzzing of his cellphone interrupted his slumber.

As he roused himself from sleep, the junior safety from Louisiana picked up the phone. Its screen alerted him to some 200 notifications, across various apps.

"I didn't know what was going on," McGraw recounted. "Then I saw the two-deep was released."

That two-deep, for Oregon's 2017 season opener Saturday against Southern Utah (5:15 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network), listed as one of the Ducks' starting safeties none other than McGraw. A fourth-year player with just two brief appearances under his belt last season, McGraw stepped up when other UO safeties were injured during training camp, and he hasn't relinquished first-team reps over the ensuing couple weeks.

"He's had great focus," UO defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt said. "He's a heck of an athlete, and he's playing with some confidence."

McGraw isn't letting himself get overly confident, knowing he could lose the starting role just as quickly as he earned it. Senior Tyree Robinson and hard-hitting redshirt freshman Brady Breeze are steadily recovering from injuries, and senior Juwaan Williams made his presence felt in a red-zone drill Wednesday by tipping away a pass in the back of the end zone, then hauling it in for an interception.

But entering Saturday's opener against the Thunderbirds, McGraw is penciled in atop the depth chart, and looking to stay there as long as he can.

"It's a big opportunity at hand," McGraw said prior to Wednesday's practice. "I just want to make sure a take full advantage."

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A former top recruit from the Southeast, McGraw endeared himself to UO fans with an outgoing personality and gregarious social-media presence. Neither served to win him playing time as a young college player, and McGraw toiled on the bench his first two years in Eugene before making two brief appearances last fall.

This offseason, Leavitt and safeties coach Keith Heyward became McGraw's new mentors. And they made it clear from the start how much they intended to push him.

"They told me I had a great opportunity," McGraw said. "They told me I was going to be great, or I was going to quit; they weren't going to let me short-change myself."

Throughout August, McGraw has answered the challenge. That has him poised on Saturday to make his first career start for the Ducks, inducing nervousness the junior safety can't ignore.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," McGraw said. "Not necessarily nervous, but anxious to get on the field."

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Other highlights: Williams' tip interception came during a red-zone drill late in practice, and Jalen Jelks had a similar play in the same period. He tipped a pass at the line, spun around trying to locate the ball and spotted it just in time to haul it in for the pick. … Willie Taggart's "good-on-good" philosophy with the scout team is making life difficult for the projected two-deep already. On the offensive field during the red-zone period, Breeze intercepted a pass in the red zone. The next snap on the defensive field saw receiver Demetri Burch haul in a pass at the front corner of the end zone, just in front of a cornerback. …

It was the same during an earlier team period conducted closer to midfield. Kani Benoit ran some plays as a scout-team back, a great look for the defense. On one rep he was trying to catch a short pass, Khalil Oliver arrived at the same time as the ball and knocked it into the air, and Benoit won a heated wrestling match between the two for possession. … Also in that period, Ryan Bay made a great catch for the No. 2 offense, shielding a defender with one arm and hauling in a perfectly placed pass from Taylor Alie with his other. … In the first extended team period early in practice, Tyree Robinson broke up a Justin Herbert pass and intercepted one thrown by Mike Irwin.

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Other observations: Mario Cristobal has talked about wanting 10 offensive linemen ready for game action, and he's still testing out an even bigger group to find the right 10. In the red-zone period against scouts, George Moore, Alex Forsyth and Sam Poutasi all began the period on the defensive field as scouts, but in the middle of the period Cristobal sent Evan Voeller and Jacob Capra over to replace them so the younger guys could get reps with the regular offense. … Drake Brennan gets the team-player award for the day. The Ducks were down a man on the offensive line with the scout team, so the big walk-on tight end who doubles as a thrower for the track team took reps at left tackle. … A day after we mentioned the stability on the first-team offensive line, throughout this month, Cristobal had Doug Brenner take a few reps at right guard with that group Wednesday.

Pre-practice interviews:

Head coach Willie Taggart

Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt

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