Oregon and Utah are both coming into this weekend’s game with a sour taste in their mouths. The Ducks’ perfect record was undone last Thursday at Stanford, putting both their national title and Pac-12 championship aspirations in jeopardy. The Utes have lost three consecutive games after upsetting the same Cardinal squad that handled Oregon. Sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson hasn’t been the same signal caller he was early on in the season, and his recent performance has mirrored the team’s. Wilson discussed this weekend’s game as well as things to improve on going forward.
This will be your first game at Autzen Stadium. What are your feelings going into it?
“I’m definitely really excited. It’s definitely going to be a test game. Oregon’s a really good team and we definitely gotta play our A game.”
Are you doing anything in practice to get ready for the excessive crowd volume?
“Yeah, we’re definitely working with crowd noise a little bit and we definitely know it’s gonna be loud. But we’ll be prepared for it.”
Oregon and Utah run similar offenses. Since your defense practices against a fast tempo, will they be at an advantage this weekend?
“Yeah, I mean we definitely have a fast tempo and Oregon’s definitely really known for their fast tempo. But I think our defense will be ready for it and I think they’ll adjust to it just fine.”
You guys need to win two of your final three games to be bowl eligible. What are the biggest things you need to work on to achieve that goal?
“Out of these three we gotta win two, and we gotta make sure we get a win on the road. That’s our next big step and we certainly know we need to come prepared and ready to play.”
Is there any difference in game planning for teams like Stanford and Oregon?
“It’s pretty much all the same every game. We try to add little wrinkles here and there but overall it’s the same kind of thing we’re doing each week.”
You’ve lost three straight since beating Stanford. Has there been a long hangover effect? What’s the biggest reason for the struggles?
“Not playing to our full potential. We just haven’t really been clicking on offense. Our passing game hasn’t really been there, same with the running game. That’s something we have to get corrected and try to make sure we get a lot better at that.”
What about for you personally? After getting off to a good start your performance hasn’t been at the same level over the last three weeks.
“I just gotta make sure I stay focused. I have to prepare the best I can. I’ve definitely had some struggles the past few games but I’m working through them. Just gotta keep on doing the best I can.”