Monday Practice Quotes

The Oregon Ducks held the first practice in Arizona this morning. Following the end of practice Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly, senior defensive tackle Brandon Bair and sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas answered questions from the media pool.

Head Coach Chip Kelly
Q: How has preparation been?
A: “Preparation has been outstanding. Our guys did a great job when we were back in Eugene. Today they picked up right where we left off, so their mindset is focused on the 10th, and we’re really preparing very well right now.”

Q: Is there any specific unit or player who has stood out in practice?
A: “No, and that’s a good thing. It’s not one guy standing out; it’s the entire team standing out. Offense, defense and special teams practiced really, really well today.”

Q: Have you allowed yourself time to think about what life would be like as a national championship coach?
A: “No. No time. I don’t worry about those things.”

DT Brandon Bair
Q: When did you realize this could be a special season?
A: “When I thought we had something special was last year. Most of our guys returned, and then our last spring practice, when everybody came out, we didn’t have a bad practice. All 15 practices, everybody was there, really productive. Then we come into the season, the unity we have with these guys, we didn’t need a game to know that we had something special here. I’ve told people from the start that the way this group of guys united, we love to be with each other and play together. That’s when we knew it.”

Q: How has preparation for the game been so far?
A: “It’s been unbelievable. We haven’t missed a beat. I’ve got to give props to the coaches for having a team that is able to drag out practice and everything for over a month long, waiting for a game like this and not having a slip in the beat at all. Everybody’s been doing really well and practicing really hard. Our practices – we just continue to get better. Like we say, the whole ‘Win the day’ motto, it’s true because we make the most of every time we’ve been together.”

QB Darron Thomas Q: How have preparations gone?
A: “The game’s getting closer. We’re starting to get that adrenalin back, and we’re ready to play. We’re just real excited. We’re happy about these days we’ve got to practice, but we’re going to be ready to go on Monday.”

Q: Do you worry about the long layoff?
A: “Oh, no. I’m not (worried). Really, it helped us out in the long run, getting guys back healthy and now practicing. And in our mental game, it’s also helped us out. We’re going to be all right.”