Oregon Ducks College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2023

Q. The run defense, which again, you guys have a lot of defensive linemen back, several could end up in the league. They have achieved and showed statistically, depending how it goes against the leading running team of America, this may be the most successful run defense. They’ve never been held under 100 yards and you guys could do that. At the same time, the performances against Washington, particularly in the title game did not meet that standard. How do you evaluate and assess what in the big picture which could be unprecedented for the program and not normal for the program, versus in those big moments not getting results you want?

TOSH LUPOI: I think every opponent is its own entity. We attack it. So this opponent is certainly an original entity for us, when it comes to defending a zoned option outfit. So they have a unique mix of having some large individuals, just like the championship game we played where some guys can create movement up front. And they also have the element of an elite perimeter attack with the option scheme.

So we won’t know until January 1st as far as our preparation, how successful it’s going to be. So we’re thankful to some of the extra preparation to go through things and trial and error and see some things that we might not like, see some things we do like. You know, bring in some of the things we have done in the past.

Both Coach [Dan] Lanning and myself have faced some of these similar outfits. When I was at Alabama, played Citadel, and Coach Lanning at Georgia Tech. We certainly dove into some of those games and preparation going into this one. And pulled from some things that we think might help us. So, again, that will only be to be determined come game day.

I think overall, just credit to our players as far as where we’ve grown in overall total defense, scoring defense, and as you mentioned rushing defense, of all 11 guys understanding a plan of attack, how to build a wall, fundamentals and technique to get this, and the rushing coverage, working together to accomplish that goal of rising to be more of a dominant run defense.

Q. When your best run edge defender goes down six plays in the (Pac-12 title game), that’s going to comprise anybody. Is it as simple as when Jordan [Burch] comes out and an injured secondary gets greatly depleted throughout the course of it, that will make it harder to defend.

TOSH LUPOI: It makes it more difficult; however, it’s part of the game. It’s got to be next man up and you always look yourself in the mirror too. Actually, both games where we played against Washington and not taking away any credit from what they accomplished, what they have done in both games. We didn’t complete the game with the starting corner in the game. And you always have to look yourself in the mirror too of what could I have done better to help us or assist us or possibly adjust or call the game differently, to not necessarily put an individual in a compromised position when you are playing against an elite team as they are.

Q. Coach, if I remember correctly, you rolled a lot of corners in first game against Washington, did you not?

TOSH LUPOI: Yeah, yeah, by necessity. We had some individuals go down that started the game, weren’t playing the fourth quarter. So you obviously have to do that if someone can’t continue.

Q. Are you expecting Jordan [Burch] and Jahlil [Florence] back for this one?

TOSH LUPOI: They are involved every day. So it will be game-time decisions. It’s great to see them out there and moving around. So I think they are doing a really good job preparing mentally, not getting all the physical reps, but being out there mentally, having a script in their hand and preparing quarterly.

Q. I’m guessing there was a time you were frustrated in the final four, and now you are here taking on Liberty.

TOSH LUPOI: We are right where we are supposed to be. Very thankful to be here. We’ve had an awesome overall successful season and now it’s just an opportunity to cap it off, to have the opportunity to win 12 games and possibly finish in the top five. There’s a lot of things that we have our eyes set on and just trying to approach every day for that possibility going into our preparation, our energy, our attention to detail every day. I think the guys have done a nice job of preparing and, of course, we’ll see how that preparation plays out January 1st.

Q. What about Liberty with one of the best offenses. I know Conference USA, they can move the ball.

TOSH LUPOI: Absolutely. They deserve to be here. You know, and it’s two great teams going at it. So it’s going to be an awesome challenge for us. As far as you bringing up their conference, I certainly don’t look at it that way. I think it’s special to be undefeated no matter what, and if you look at some ‚Äì you really dive into their history and ‚Äì I like opponents to do what they did and score 49 points against a New Mexico State team, who dominated Auburn at Auburn.

I think it’s obvious what their capability is and they got a lot of players that signed elsewhere coming out of high school and now came aboard there via the portal. So to us, it’s ‚Äì they deserve where they are at. We deserve where we are at and we are excited for the challenge.

Q. I was going to ask, how much did you lean on your brother in that last year?

EVAN WILLIAMS: You mean on the decision?

Q. Just in general of what to do.

EVAN WILLIAMS: I mean, yeah, that’s my guy. That’s my person I bank on, just for a lot of my decisions. Just because I know he’s been through a lot of the same scenarios, a lot of the same stressors and just everything that comes with this college football journey.

He’s somebody I know that I can always count on to give me an honest opinion and to give me an opinion about what is going to be best for me. And I banked on that guy for a while now. And I’m more than proud to call my brother out. I love that kid to death. And he definitely helped me in that decision. He talked to me about how much ‚Äì just the culture of Oregon and the brotherhood that was being created here. Yeah, I mean, I think I made the right decision, if I would go back and look at it and large part is thanks to him.

Q. How would you describe just your time at Oregon, your year here?

EVAN WILLIAMS: Man, it seemed like just yesterday I was coming in for some winter workouts. And so if there’s one thing I could say, it flew by. I almost wish I had another year just to share some more moments with the guys and this coaching staff.

I’m just more than thankful for this place, and how much it’s helped me to grow and to develop, not only on the field, but as a player. These coaches care about my development. They care about all of our guys’ individual development. And you can tell they pour part of themselves into you when you come here, and it’s been pretty awesome to see.

And just to experience having bad days and coaches are coming up to you and saying, ‚Äúlook, don’t worry about it. We got your back. Even if you feel down, we’re there to support you.‚Äù Just having that supporting group and being able to go to war with these guys every Saturday, it’s really been a blessing.

Q. Did you do anything differently to prepare for this game versus a regular season game?

EVAN WILLIAMS: Honestly, not much is the surprising part. You know, we kind of have the same routine when it comes to preparing for an opponent, and we didn’t change much coming into this game. Obviously, there’s a different schedule, a little bit about all the events and activities we have going on, but I think we have done a good job of trying to keep an established routine and just trying to maintain that through this bowl week.

And we’re having some real physical practices and guys are flying around with a lot of energy during practice, which is something you love to see in bowl games, where that can fall off, especially with people leaving or just all the things that come with bowl games. And yeah, I think we’ve done a good job of just following the game plan, learning in our meetings and just taking it step by step.

Q. What have you been doing for team building activities?

EVAN WILLIAMS: Yes, there are some activities that they have set up for us. Yesterday we went to Top Golf, which was a pretty fun thing to see some of your teammates who cannot swing a golf club to save their life and, you know, it’s all fun and jokes and just having that team building time to really enjoy each other away from the field. That was definitely fun yesterday, and I feel like any time, honestly, away from the field is team building time, even if it’s in the meal room, just getting dinner and getting lunch, just to be able to be around these guys and enjoy their company one last time.

As your time is dwindling down, you begin to realize how much of an impact they have on you and how great of people they are. And yeah, I definitely can say that I’m blessed to share this group of people and be in the same room and get to experience these guys for one last time.

Q. I’ve heard a lot about the camaraderie on this team, how close you guys are. Just talk about that. Where did that come from?

EVAN WILLIAMS: Where did it come from? I think it originates just from all the hard work we put in. All those workouts, all those conditioning workouts, those lifts early in the morning. When you share those experiences and grind like we did in the off-season and in season, it’s naturally a camaraderie of brotherhood that arises.

I think most of it, honestly, has to go to our coaching staff and just the intentionality that they have behind establishing this culture and establishing this brotherhood. They put us in situations where we’re forced to work on our camaraderie and forced to just work on our brotherhood ‚Äì not even work on it because it doesn’t feel like work, as much as just being around one another and getting to learn more about each other and where we are from and our origins and all of that.

So yeah, a huge part of it goes to the coaching staff but also just going through what we have gone through and going through the season. I think that’s brought us closer than ever.

Q. For the last game of the year, how important is it for you guys to get that win?

EVAN WILLIAMS: I mean, it’s huge. The mission. We say ‚Äì a saying of ours is “The mission stays the mission.” It doesn’t matter the situation. It doesn’t matter the setting or whatever is going on. We have a pretty awesome environment here in Arizona, but we know why we came here and what we set out to do when we started the season and we have a pretty cool opportunity to be one of the only 12-win teams in Oregon history, and that’s definitely not something we take lightly.

We have guys committed to the process, committed to the grind and every day – I mean these past couple of practices have been real physical, a lot of energy to them. And so you see guys straining and putting in that extra effort which is awesome to see around this time.

Q. What are your thoughts on this defense for next season, and what will we see this week? There will be a lot of guys who haven’t played a lot.

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: I think you will see a lot of defense that will fly around. A lot of us will come back and we’ll have a great defense in Eugene next year.

Q. What are your thoughts on Liberty? What do they bring to the table and what do you see on film?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: They play hard. They have one of the best offense in the country and so we got to be ready to go.

Q. Any similarities to anyone you played earlier this season? Or are they completely different offense?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: I wouldn’t really compare them to anybody. They do their own little thing and we have to be ready to stop that.

Q. Did you do anything different to prepare for this game?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: No, we didn’t do anything different. How we practice is very hard and how we do everything, we do it the same. We aren’t going to change it just for our opponent. We took this week, we’re going very hard. We have a hard practice to go through the day and just getting ready for the game. So nothing has changed.

Q. Did you know about Liberty before the Fiesta Bowl?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: Before this I didn’t know about them. I didn’t start looking into them until I knew we were playing them.

Q. What stands out about them?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: Their offense is very unique. They do a lot of little different things that our offense and defense have to be prepared for. So that’s what I feel like, they do very good.

Q. When you first started playing for Oregon, what were the things that stood out for you?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: When I first started playing? Let me see. For one, Autzen Stadium was lit. That’s one thing. I honestly was just having fun. I was just having fun since I’ve been here, I’m not gonna lie. It’s the most fun year I’ve been playing in college football.

Q. What’s making it an enjoyable year so far?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: It’s just a blessing to be here. You don’t wake up every day and get to be somewhere like this, and blessed with this opportunity. And to be able to talk to all you beautiful people.

Q. You are going up against an undefeated Liberty team. The spread is a little toward your favor, of course. Is it hard to not consider the conference that they are coming from knowing it’s not, you know, a Power Five Conference?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: No, I think you can get beat any given Saturday or this Monday. I would say, we treat every opponent the same. We don’t take them lightly. We don’t underestimate them. We are going to prepare well and hopefully we get the results we want.

Q. Knowing that their offense is different than teams you typically have faced in your own conference, what do you think is going to be key for you guys come Monday, come this game?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: We have to be very focused, locked in. On defense, we have to have great eyes. The offense is a little unique. So through every phase, from defensive line to linebackers to the back end, all of our eyes have to be right and we have to be ready to go.

Q. What are you looking forward to most this bowl week?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: Just the energy from our team, flying around. Hopefully it’s just a bunch of new faces making plays and everybody just joining, having fun on the sideline and we get that big win.

Q. What is it about this coaching staff? How have they made you a better player?

TYSHEEM JOHNSON: Sometimes you would think these coaches care about the game more than we do. And they just treat you like family. They might get on you a lot, but it’s for the better. These coaches are probably the best coaching staff I’ve been around since I have been in college. And I’m very honored to have them guys coaching me and I’m very honored to get to play for them.

Q. Can you reflect a little more on the decision to play this one, why it means something to you?

BRANDON DORLUS: Yeah, it’s just the fact of having the opportunity to play with my brothers. My mom went to Liberty, so having a chance to come down and play Liberty. And I went to her graduation, so I’ve been to the campus, so I’m familiar.

But I know what they’re all about. I’ve been around the program for a long time. It’s going to be exciting. I never thought I would have a chance to play Liberty. It doesn’t sound like a game you would want to play for the last game, but it’s exciting.

Q. Probably a lot of people that would have a different reaction. But you were excited?

BRANDON DORLUS: Yeah, I was excited. My mom calls me and like, there’s no way. Yeah, it’s crazy how that works.

Q. Do you think your mom is going to be torn?

BRANDON DORLUS: Maybe a little bit. She’ll feel a little hurt. But it’s football; she understands the game. She’s going to rock the green and yellow.

Q. Like when Bo [Nix] decided he was going to play, does that have an impact on your decision, too? Is that a domino effect, like, all right, let’s play in this game?

BRANDON DORLUS: For sure. You see somebody like Bo playing, it triggers on everybody else. The older guys, yeah. If you’re going to play, we’re going to play. It’s the guys we have. I don’t think it’s about who we’re playing. That’s why we’re going to play. I think we have guys who truly love football. I love this game. To have another opportunity to beat up on another O-line, another quarterback ‚Äì it’s fun for me.

Q. Do you feel like you’ve gotten out of this year what you wanted to get out of the year?

BRANDON DORLUS: I feel like I put everything I want on the field. This is probably my most consistent year. And that’s all I wanted to do, show consistency and how dominant I can be.

Q. Other than winning the game, what would make Monday a success?

BRANDON DORLUS: I want to get a defensive MVP. I want to get a win. Make my family proud and make the Oregon Ducks proud.

Q. With guys who have declared early for the draft or entered the portal, some of the younger names we’re looking to see on the field have a bigger role here?

BRANDON DORLUS: I mean, you have to understand, sometimes guys in the portal are going to come. And the guys that are here just have to stay locked in. Some guys in the portal chose to go back to places that they came from. I feel like the dudes we have here is enough to win a lot of football games. I believe in the staff and Coach Tosh [Lupoi]. They’re going to do the best they can to bring the best of the best. And I feel like they’ve been doing that since they got here. You see the guys like Tysheem Johnson, I’m glad they’re on my team.

Q. Is there any younger kid who is going to have a role increase that you’re excited to see?

BRANDON DORLUS: For sure. I can’t wait to see A’Mauri Washington, Ben Roberts, Teitum Tuioti, they’ve helped us win a lot of games this year.

Q. Is there an offensive player that you’re excited to see in this game that’s going to have a bigger role because of guys leaving and going to the draft, whatever the case may be?

BRANDON DORLUS: Can’t wait to see Jurrion [Dickey]. He’s going to do his thing out there. Troy’s [Franklin] not playing. So a lot of the receivers who are second option guys are going to be first option guys, like Tez [Johnson]. I’m excited to see his reaction. Bo [Nix] probably going to carry. Jordan James might get more carries. I’m excited to see that.

Q. With players already declaring for the NFL, is there a timeline for you?

JEFFREY BASSA: I know the deadline is around January 15th. But I have not made an NFL decision yet.

Q. (Liberty has) one of the better rush offenses in the country. Are you guys trying to limit that?

JEFFREY BASSA: Yeah, I think their coach (Jamey Chadwell) and team have been doing an amazing job. They have a great record. They have a lot of good things going on right now. And they have a lead quarterback (Kaidon Salter) leading that offense as well.

Speaking from a defensive standpoint, they do things on the offense that you normally don’t see in the Pac-12. And I think that’s something they’ve been doing very well. It’s been efficient for them all year. And they have been able to throw the ball well and also able to run the ball well with some of those good running backs that they have.

Q. Brandon Dorlus, a guy of that stature choosing to play this game, what does it say not only about your team, but him as a guy too?

JEFFREY BASSA: Yeah, it goes down to the connection part. Being able to want to end the season off right with these guys. The last game, we didn’t get the result we wanted. It came down to the wire. But everybody being brought in and being ready for that last game, just going out there, that last practice the day before the game, I know it’s going to be surreal.

So of these super seniors like Dorlus and Steve [Stephens IV] and Evan [Williams], it’s really going to be their last one in college. It goes down to just finishing with what we started. I think a lot of the guys have been dialed in and ready for it all year.

Q. The years you’ve been around Brandon [Dorlus], how would you describe his evolution as a player?

JEFFREY BASSA: I think it’s huge strides every year. That’s from the offseason, the work he puts in. Not even at the facility, he’s a guy that’s always going to be consistent with his work. He’s a guy always looking to get better, whether that’s in the run game or in the passing. He is an elite player on and off the field, and I think he’s been ready to dominate his whole career.

Q. Is there a specific message that you tell those guys? There’s the idea that it’s difficult to learn your defense. Is there something you tell them, almost like a cheat sheet, something like that?

JEFFREY BASSA: I wouldn’t say there’s a cheat sheet. If you’re going to come to work, you better love football. You got elite coaches around you. From the strength staff to the assistant staff and support staff. These people come in ready to work every day for you and they want you to be the best version of yourself.

So you got to sit there and ask yourself, do you really love it? Because you’re going to have all the things you need to succeed. To fail here, you have to literally go out of your way to fail. So I think just really just asking those guys that question, you got to ask yourself: Do you really love football?

Q. Where do you feel like you improved over the season?

JEFFREY BASSA: Improved body-wise, putting on more weight, and being more dominant in the run. That’s something I wanted to improve for my sophomore season. I self-scouted. The coaches and I have looked at it and said, ‚Äúokay, this is an area of improvement that we can grow in.‚Äù So that’s something that I’ve really attacked.

Q. With a couple guys opting out, going into the NFL draft, who are some people you’re excited to see and have the opportunity to step up?

JEFFREY BASSA: From the defensive side of the ball, I’d have to say Emar’rion Winston, and from the offensive side of the ball, Jurrion Dickey. Those two guys have been making tremendous plays in practice and then ever since we came out here, they’ve been explosive. They’ve been communicative. Making a lot of plays. Just being those vocal, kind of leaders that are little voices that are starting to show up. Players are starting to see it, like myself, and coaches as well.

Q. Troy [Franklin], he spoke last week. But he’s been talking for bowl game prep, what have you seen of him, the growth over the course of the season, getting back from injury? What have you seen from him?

JEFFREY BASSA: I think some similarities to Troy. You guys have seen during the season, Troy has made a lot of great plays for us in his Oregon career, especially this last season. But I think seeing some of the similarities in practice is like, wow, he made that play even better. So like I said, just some of the similarities, explosive kid. I know he has some tweaks and things coming out of high school and things like that, but I think he’s ready to go and hit it running. I’m excited to see his growth and development.

Q. Do you hear from other guys, like other cornerbacks? What is it like to cover him on the perimeter? Or just what you see as well?

JEFFREY BASSA: It’s not so much from what I hear talking to the other corners. That’s what they do within their room. But obviously, I’m always communicating with the safeties and the DBs and the D-line. But I think kind of just seeing from plays I’m not in, or sometimes when Jurrion is thrown in with the ones, this guy’s got real speed. He can move. He can catch the ball with an amazing catch radius as well.

Also, just seeing how much he’s developed from being that look from scout team to his role is tremendously improved now. So I think it’s kind of just seeing that development all year, it’s been really eye-opening for me.

Q. What do you think is the biggest challenge that Liberty poses? I feel a lot of people are talking about the spread in this game and that you guys should dominate. But Liberty can be sneaky. What do you think is the biggest challenge when you’re going up against them?

JEFFREY BASSA: I think just what they do on the offense. The offensive side of the ball, I think it’s some things we have not seen in the Pac-12 from the offenses we face every week in the Pac-12. I think their coach (Jamey Chadwell) has been doing a great job leading the offense. And the quarterback (Kaidon Salter) that they have, a dual threat quarterback, can make a lot of plays with his arm and make a lot of plays with his feet.

Just dialing in on the film room and really getting those fits right. What they do in the run game and also what they do in the pass game, stopping some of the elite receivers.

Q. Where do you think you guys have grown as a defense the most this season?

JEFFREY BASSA: I think just our effort and also just our physicality. I think a lot of the guys have been bought into what Coach [Dan] Lanning does and Tosh Lupoi as well. It starts with preparation and it goes down to who is going to be the more physical team and who is going to run the fastest and hit the hardest.

I think that’s something me as a leader has been trying to force onto these guys and instill into their mindset. This is something we have to do every day to be the greatest.

Q. As a leader on this team, you’re not too far removed from when you guys were here the last time playing in the Fiesta Bowl. What were the biggest take-aways or learning lessons? Has that been brought up, getting a chance again and hoping it turns out in your favor?

JEFFREY BASSA: Unfortunately, I wasn’t here the last time, but talking to some of the guys that were here, focusing every day on the preparation, like I said. That’s something they felt like some guys were kind of off and there were kind of certain clicks that weren’t clicking.

I think just getting everybody on the same page. As a leader, that’s going to be my job and I think the vet in me is going to get the guys on the same page. We’re in a great area. In the film room, it’s time to dial in and lock in.

Q. Can you talk about [Brandon] Dorlus? What do you think it says about him as a guy and your culture as a team, and somebody of his stature is choosing to play in the game? And also with Bo [Nix] and Bucky [Irving], too – preparing for your last game as a team.

STEVE STEPHENS IV: Yeah, it’s big time. They’re leaders and this is what leaders do. You show up for your team and that’s what they’re doing. One more opportunity to go out there and do what we do, and they’re going to ride with us. We’re going to be at the end season. It’s big time for them.

Q. How do you describe what you’ve seen as a player, leader, all that over the years ‚Äì how would you describe his (Brandon Dorlus) arc?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: I mean, ultimately, it’s been great. Great watching him come in and develop under a bunch of different guys. I’ve just been here to see him develop overall, when he was wearing 97 to now wearing No. 3, and coming into that leadership role and that elite guy on the field, and also off the field. It’s been incredible.

Q. If he’s (Brandon Dorlus) at the top of his game, how does he impact things for your defense?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: He impacts it tremendously. We can put him at any spot on the D-line. He plays the whole D-line. So wherever he’s at, he’s wreaking havoc, and the offense is trying not to run to that side. Even on the pass, he’s killing guys in pass rush. So it’s big time. We need him.

Q. You were in this game a couple years ago. What was your biggest take-away as a leader on this team that you’re able to use and share with the other guys?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: Trying to have fun, but be focused as well. Knowing this time to enjoy the bowl trip and things like that, but now it’s time to practice. We got to make sure we’re running our play, taking good notes watching film, going through the motions.

Q. Liberty has an offense not similar to the teams you played in the Pac-12. What kind of challenges does that pose to you when you’re looking at how to prepare for a team like that?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: Make sure your eyes are in the right place and get a tell for what they’re going to do. Anticipate a little bit so you’re ready to go. Be able to put your best step forward. Like you said, they don’t run the typical offense. It’s a little tough, but definitely, using the right technique, and I feel like we’ll be fine.

Q. What about this defense that you would say sets them apart from others?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: The intelligence in the room. We have so much intelligence, where week in and week out, we’re changing or investing in certain things. And if there’s something that’s going to hurt us, we’re going to fix it. We all have different roles and we’re doing different things and changing all the time. So the intelligence part.