(From the UO Athletic Press Release)

 

Coach Mario Cristobal:

"When it was 45-14, we wanted to play a lot of guys. Guys who not only were backups but guys down the line a little bit that deserve playing time that are going to possibly have to step up and we wanted to let them play. Some of them made some really good plays and some other things we have to fix. Then at the end of the game we just wanted to make sure we closed it out. We wanted to let them play as long as we possibly could and then finish off the game. We put some of our guys back in to make sure we put the game out of reach."

 

Question: What did you think of the defense, especially late in the game?

CRISTOBAL: "Well, later on in the game we gave up some points. We were playing a lot of different guys, mixing and matching some parts – which we don’t want to do – and the truth of the matter is when we watch the film and we get with our players we’re not gonna make excuses. ‘Well we took out so and so or so and so wasn’t playing’ – Bologna! We’re not gonna make excuses.

 

We’re going to grade and coach every single person on the team. Whether he's the first guy in or whether he’s the fifth guy in, and our guys will take pride in that. To play here you got to be able to handle the right type of constructive criticism, because when you’re not playing to a certain level it comes with a challenge. And, a challenge is constructive. A challenge comes with a teachable moment – that’s the way we coach.

 

That's the way we approach this, okay? We’re teachers, progression teachers, so that's how we want to approach this. I’m really looking forward to jumping on that film, because I did see a lot of guys that were just inches away from making a big play but all of a sudden - boom - they bust a play that costs us a 25 yard gain, or potential sack from across which - boom - we missed because we lose our balance and body control because our appetite goes through the roof, were about to get a sack and then we failed to realize we've got to come to balance and keep our eyes on those hips, so all those things are great teachable moments that we will jump all over tomorrow and look forward to getting our guys just back to work and getting focused on our next opportunity."
 

I'm OK with it, as players got experience and we still won the game.  Your thoughts?

It makes sense to me, 52-29 is a better margin than Oklahoma has managed on a regular basis, The Ducks were in control the entire game. 

I guess i didn't pick up on how many guys down the line were being put in on defense but I'm 100% for it, if you've got a good lead let the guys that will be playing more eventually get some game time, it will pay off down the road.

The more young guys that get game time experience, the better. 

Thoughts?

 

Although some don't like to admit it, Mario is a young head coach and he's now initiated himself by jumping into the deep end. He's tentative and careful as has been noticed by many here. 

 

I imagine all newish coaches feel they must explain everything such as putting in young players and why when more experienced coaches would not defend all the details. Nothing wrong with it at all, and it's nice to see him speak more frankly. I think he pulled Thompson too early, but that's part of the learning curve, I suspect. 

Whether he wants to admit it to us or not, he coached this game with an eye to Tuesday. We had to put up a pretty score or we won't be asked to the Prom at the end of the year. Everyone from 4-10 had to do the same thing and will have to do the same thing next weekend.

More importantly, it is now Husky Week and I greet it with the same gnawing in my stomach I do every year. Losing to U-Dub is not acceptable.

We should beat them...but that was true of Stanford too.

 

I'm detecting more and more defensiveness in Cristobal from your quote. Those boos last week - he knew who they were really aimed at, while pretending the target was the team, and now he knows he is being watched. The honeymoon is over.

I didn't like what he did with substitutions at the end of the game, but we have to be upset at something, right, it's 2021?

We'll never know how many guys forget about the Portal because of Saturday. 

 

Go Ducks!

Great response from MC.  If TT doesn't throw the int and we at least get a FG, then he would have finished the game.  Instead, the 1st teamers got to practice another 4 -6 minute drill.  Win Win