10 notable quotes from DC Tosh Lupoi following Oregon’s 12th fall practice
When Oregon Ducks’ defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi stepped in front of the cameras on Thursday afternoon for his media availability, his shorts and shirt were soaking wet as if he jumped in a pool on the hot and muggy 90-degree Eugene day. A member of the Oregon Sports Information Department had to tell him that he had blood dripping down his chin.
“Full pads today,” Lupoi remarked with a laugh.
The DC apparently isn’t afraid to get physical during practices, using more of a lead-by-example approach than someone who will sit behind a clipboard and a whistle. That shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who has seen the stature of Lupoi.
Physicality is something that Lupoi wants for Oregon’s defense, and he offered an update on Thursday afternoon as to where the team currently stands in their fall camp progress, and where they still need to get better. Here are some of the most notable quotes from his media session:
Practice Assessment
Question: How do you assess the defense and improvement through the first 12 practices?
Lupoi: “I’m pleased with our progress. There’s a lot of improvement both individually and collectively. We’ve got a long way to go.”
1% Better
Q: Where did the team get 1% better on Thursday?
Lupoi: “We’re trying to address a lot of specifics and coach Lanning has been doing an awesome job putting us through a lot of situations and taxing us so far. We’ve got a chance to improve if we can put ourselves in a lot of situations that are gonna actually occur on game day. So that’s our goal and pleased with the guys and the way they’re responding to those situations. And then it’s also obvious that we’ve got a long ways to go and some things to improve on.”
Scrimmage Improvement
Q: Where are you looking to improve the most in the 2nd scrimmage on Saturday?
Lupoi: “We need to get better everywhere. There’s no doubt. So you know we’re going to address it of the how and not just say get better but I think seeing our group overall and their commitment to being elite competitors. You know, we’ve got a bunch of guys that are committing to be mentally and physically tough. And what I’m starting to see over here after a few weeks now is the leadership start to rise and that’s that’s awesome because we need that. You know, we see it through individuals and specific units where leadership starts to rise and people are really reacting to that.”
Suprising Leaders
Q: Have there been any players who you didn’t expect to step into a leadership role who have surprised you thus far?
Lupoi: “I think what’s necessary being a new staff is we’re not going to really put much on the past and feedback from others. So kind of more so an open stage for anyone in that role. If you work your butt off of the field and on the field, you’re gonna gain respect from your teammates. So putting those individuals to be comfortable enough to lead. And I think that’s what’s starting to happen here.”
Consistency on Defense
Q: You talked last week about wanting more consistency on defense, have you seen that improve so far?
Lupoi: “I think we’re attempting to still do that. You know, I think today was a good example where it was a full padded day. You know, there were some moments right there where, you know, I figured it all rises with the leadership within and seeing some individuals step up into moments on you know, rep number six or seven have a fast-paced tempo type period. You know, that’s where it gets exciting to see you know, from the sideline where guys were able to step up and still communicate, you know, and instead of the communication get isolated, you start to see that leadership rise and putting more premium on communication. Which is gonna allow us to function at the highest level.”
Players to Step Up
Q: Are there players who you’ve seen step up in a leadership role so far?
Lupoi: “Jeff Bassa stands out as a guy that’s attempting to communicate better. We had a great rep from Brian Addison, you know, out there that same thing where he’s demanding you know, if we’re in a specific defense and we shouldn’t be you know, really communicate and get us in the correct call.”
Dan Lanning's Growth
Q: You’ve seen Dan Lanning grow over the years, what stands out to you the most about him?
Lupoi: “I think, you know, Dan is someone that embraces adversity, right, and truly is a ‘so what now?’ individual. He’s been through a lot, you know, there’s been times of humble beginnings from and it’s an awesome story. So I think you see that every day and him that he truly does back up his words and every day when he talks about and demands what he wants from our staff, that he’s living that as well right there with you. And that’s always awesome when you have a head coach that’s right in the fire with you. I think that shows every day you know the adversity that he’s overcome from the past that comes out every day. He demands a lot of the players and the staff and ultimately, that creates, you know, the culture that I want to sign up for.”
More on Lanning
Q: How has Lanning gotten to this point where he’s a head coach at 36?
Lupoi: “I think embracing a growth mindset, that’s what he’s doing every day. And you know, that was a big part of me coming here was knowing what I was in store for and coming into and being a part of an environment that’s going to constantly challenge myself and have that same growth mindset. Not just a matter of our players, but ourselves and our staff that we all can get better and myself included in the lead by action. I think that’s what Dan represents.”
Georgia Gameplan
Q: With the first game just about 2 weeks away, have you cracked open the Georgia game tape yet?
Lupoi: “We’ve got so much more to go just with our own team. That’s really where the focus is, you know, is improving every day on ourself. So not a lot of talk about that at all. More so just addressing our internal issues out on the field, what we need to improve. And, you know, when it gets closer to game week, we’ll start ramping it up as far as opponent preparation.”
Energy as a Coach
Q: You obviously bring a lot of energy to practice. How do you hype yourself up every day for that?
Lupoi: “I’m just gonna be me. So I’m a passionate individual. I love it. I’m utterly obsessed with ball and what I do and so I think it’s important that as a coach that you bring juice and energy and it’s contagious. So I think there’s a fine line of, you know, someone that’s just being loud and someone that’s bringing content. So that’s my goal is to bring content but to do it with passion and energy.”
