As No. 14 Oregon continues its preparation for Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, you can’t help but wonder if this Ducks defense is being put together with stitching, some thread, and chewing gum.
When the Ducks landed in San Antonio on Christmas Day they were without more than two dozen of their scholarship players which included opt-puts, injured players, and players choosing to transfer out of the program.
It’s a bleak reality of this current Oregon team.
And where the depletion of players will really rear its ugly head will be on the defensive side of the football.
And while it’s clear defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will be coaching, figuratively, with one hand tied behind his back, he’s relying heavily on the Ducks culture.
I think it’s just the mentality of our team” explained DeRuyter when asked about his squads lack of depth.
“We’ve had a next-man-up. We’ll figure it out. Football is such a metaphor for life. What we’ve gone through as a country the last two years, you’ve got to figure it out as you go along. You look at other bowl games this week, people having to pivot. Our guys are learning lessons in football about life and about stepping up and about being responsible, having a guy next to you trust you. That’s what I love about this. We will find a way to show up on Wednesday and compete like hell, because I know the resolve in these guys’ hearts.”
While pundits, and even fans, see the depleted roster and lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball, DeRuyter sees things differently.
He sees an opportunity in its simplest form.
“That’s the beauty of football,” says DeRuyter.
“It’s never about who’s most talented that day. It’s who plays best that day and who plays together as a football team. Our guys have bought into that. We’ve had some guys opt-out and other guys’ injuries or whatever reason are not here with us, but the guys that are here, they’re going to show up and they’re going to play.”
BENNETT WILLIAMS OPTING BACK IN
When junior safety Bennett Williams went down with an injury just before the Stanford game earlier in the season, he was playing at a supremely high level and was most certainly poised to be an All-Pac-12 defensive selection. But fate being what it is, his injury changed not only his junior season but the makeup of the Ducks defensive secondary.
And while most thought Williams would miss the entire season with his broken leg, he’s made his way back and is now completely cleared to play against the Sooners on Wednesday giving some much needed positive mojo to the Ducks defense.
“He was such an inspirational part of our team early in the season.” explained DeRuyter when asked about Williams’ return to the field.
“He was a guy who wasn’t really heralded going into the fall. He had a great spring, a great fall camp, had an opportunity, and he really seized it and made huge plays for us in the first half of the season when he was healthy.”
SPEAKING OF OPTING IN, DORLUS ANNOUNCES HIS RETURN
Other good news coming out of San Antonio this afternoon during the Ducks defensive ( Alamo Bowl ) press briefing was the announcement by defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus that he was choosing to come back to Eugene to play his junior season for new head coach Dan Lanning.
Dorlus has satisfied his three years of college football and would be eligible to put his name in the NFL Draft hat.
On Monday Dorlus answered the question about his football future with a little levity that initially caused a quick gut punch throughout the interview room.
“I’m declaring for the draft” laughed Dorlus.
“No, I’m playing. I’m coming back. I’m coming back for another year here.
“I feel like I had a pretty good solid year, and Coach Joe really taught me to not be satisfied. Going into next year I just want to be more of a dominant player, more of a consistent player,…cause more havoc. I just want to show the nation that I’m going to be one of the top D-linemen in the nation.”
( ALAMO BOWL ) OREGON DEFENSE TALKS ALAMO BOWL, ROSTER DEPLETION, AND FACING OKLAHOMA