It's always best to practice as you play, and vice versa. The intensity that shows up on the practice film throughout the week should reflect in the product on the field on Saturdays.
Last week, the Oregon Ducks put together the worst showing under head coach Dan Lanning in a road loss to Oklahoma State. Veteran center Iapani Laloulu, one of the team's most vocal leaders, noted that the team's play during practice was "lackadaisical" at times, and he made sure to call it out.
To Laloulu's credit, he acknowledged that the lack of effort and drive showed up in the game film when the Ducks watched it back. Moving into another week of practice, this week being a day shorter because of a Friday night game against Portland State, the Ducks are building
a new fire, one that they hope will turn into an inferno inside Autzen Stadium on game day.
There is no time to dwell on the past. Now is the time to show what the team is truly made of moving forward.
"It's an exciting opportunity," Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson said. "Put to bed what we put out last. We watched it, we evaluated it, we corrected it. Cool, we're on to the next opponent. Coaches have been up here super late trying to get us as much information as we can."
Lanning took responsibility for the poor result, which saw the Ducks plummet in the national rankings. Oregon will face an FCS opponent this week, and it's hard not to peek around the corner at a trip to USC the following week. However, Lanning is promoting a focus on the present day, imploring the team to "stop looking into the future."
While the outside noise showered Oregon with national championship dreams, some of Oregon's discipline and leadership may have been lost in the clouds. A quick turnaround is on deck, and Lanning is eager to get the train back on the tracks and wash off the stench of defeat.
"I'm anxious to go play," Lanning said. "I think all of our players are anxious to go play. You know, you've got to pack a lot into a short week. I'm certainly anxious to get our guys back out on the field. We've enjoyed being able to get out to practice and go attacking, get back to work. And a lot of times, when you're focused on, OK, where do you have to improve?
"The best thing you can do is go right back to work. So, been pleased with that process so far. There's still some time left in this week to be able to go do that, but having the turnaround Friday will be a big positive for us from that standpoint."
When the Ducks returned to Eugene from Stillwater, the players held a private meeting to sort out some of the early-season woes. From leadership to studying game film and practicing with more intensity, the players hope to have gotten back on the same page, and are leaning on each other to prepare for the short week.
"Us players are dialing in on the details and even meeting together in different position groups," Jackson said. "Me and Brandon Finney go back and forth and text about the details all the time, just holding on together so we can prepare for Friday."
That extends to quarterback Dante Moore, who had his worst game in an Oregon uniform last weekend. Moore completed just 48.3% of his passes for 191 yards and was sacked four times by the Cowboys. He didn't speak to the media after the game while he took two IV injections to help with his dehydration in Stillwater.
Moore got in front of the mic on Tuesday morning and took accountability for the offense's stagnant process this season, and reiterated the new mindset for the team rolling into Portland State on Friday.
"Just another opportunity to go out there and play football," Moore said. "We've been practicing our asses off, and I feel that we're excited for today's practice and tomorrow's practice. Come game time, back in Autzen, it's time to play football and just have fun out there with my brothers."
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 'I'm anxious to go play;' Oregon ready for quick turnaround after loss
