Football Practice Recap: April 18

The Oregon football team passed the two-thirds mark of spring drills Thursday, as the Ducks held a workout in shells on their outdoor practice fields.

The team was in shells rather than full pads, prior to holding the second scrimmage of this spring on Saturday in Autzen Stadium. That will cap the penultimate week of spring drills, with next week's action culminating in the Spring Game on April 27.

Following Thursday's practice, special teams coach Joe Lorig met with local media, as did junior placekicker Atticus Sappington, sophomore offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu and sophomore edge defender Blake Purchase. Video of those interviews is embedded below.

Some highlights from coach Lorig …

On the battle to replace PK Camden Lewis: "We're doing some good things there. We've got some good competition going on. I'm pretty happy with Atticus, our transfer from that school up the road. He's done a nice job, and Grant Meadors returning has done a nice job, and then Gage Hurych, our freshman from West Linn, has been doing a really, really good job; super proud of him."

On improvements last season by P Ross James: "We had to get better. The expectation and standard here is no different on special teams than it is on offense or defense. We're not going to be 120-something in the country, which we were. So he just got motivated, man. It just goes to show you what the power of motivation can be. And to be honest, I told Ross, I've been a coach for 27 years, and I told Ross in our sit-down last year after the fall that I was as proud if not prouder of him than any player that I've ever coached."

On options to return kicks on the roster: "I think we've got a few guys back there that can do it. You know, one of the things that I showed the other day in a team meeting is, there's a knack to these things just like any position. Nikko Reed is a guy that has that, (and) is probably the only guy on the roster that has a touchdown in a college game. He had one when he was at Colorado against Utah. Showed that to the team and they were kind of fired up. But I think we've got some options. You got Jordan James, you got Tez (Johnson), you got Noah (Whittington) when he comes back from injury. You got Gary Bryant — I mean, you've got some good options."

Special teams coach Joe Lorig

Junior placekicker Atticus Sappington

Sophomore offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu

Sophomore edge defender Blake Purchase