The second week of fall camp began on Monday with a full-pad practice. Offensive coordinator Scott Frost spoke to a group of reporters after practice and spoke highly of Jeff Lockie’s continued strong play and Vernon Adams’ ability to pick up parts of the offense rather quickly. Although Frost acknowledged that the offense still has plenty of work to do before the season starts, he said that is completely normal at this stage of camp, especially with how many young players are now in the fold.

On the subject of quarterbacks, what do you learn over the span of two or three days that you can take forward?

I think we’ve gotten better at the quarterback position since spring. Everybody that was here looks considerably better than they did in the spring. Jeff is doing a great job with managing the team, making some plays and now we add a new factor (Vernon Adams) into the equation. I feel good about where we are as the quarterbacks stand.

The mental part seemed like something he could tackle pretty early because he had somewhat of an assemblage of your system. Physically, he hasn’t been able to work out with guys for a long time. Does that seem like a point of rust for him?

No, I’ve been really impressed with (Adams) the first three days. He doesn’t show signs of being rusty or being out of shape. He’s picked things up really quickly. Combined with all our other guys that are playing well, I feel good about the (position).

What’s the difference for you in having a guy that comes in later and hasn’t had the spring? Do you have to do other things to get him up to speed?

I just have to teach (Adams) different than I would teach some other people. Last year, I was the luckiest coach in America because I had some guys had been around here so long that we didn’t have to install anything or have long meetings about things. We were just fine-tuning everything. Now, expect for Taylor (Alie) and Jeff (Lockie), everybody’s young and learning, so we’re really starting back at square one a lot of the time. But every guy in my room is smart and picking things up quickly.

Besides the playbook, what is the number one thing you have to work on with Vernon?

There’s just so many little details to learn when you come in new. You learn those things over time. We’ll keep trying to force feed him and jam as many things into his head as it can hold. But sometimes there’s no substitute for experience and he hasn’t seen some of the things we were talking about. It’s going to be a learning curve, but I’ve been impressed with how quick he’s picked things up.

Do you have any big takeaways from the first week that you were pleased with or displeased and want to see more improvement on in the second week?

I’ve been pretty impressed with practice. Cautiously optimistic right now. I think we could still be more physical, still play a little faster. Obviously the details gotta keep improving, but that’s the case at the start of every camp, particularly when you’re playing young kids. We’re getting better every day and we just need to keep on that trajectory.

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Three outs separated the Eugene Emeralds from a no-hitter in Sunday’s contest against the Everett AquaSox.

Three pitchers had maintained a no-hitter over eight innings and now, in the bottom of the ninth, Emeralds reliever Trey Masek was being called upon to close out the game and preserve the rare feat.

“Obviously, I’m aware of the no-hitter,” Masek said. “Everyone in the park is aware of it, but at the same time, you look at the scoreboard, we have a three-run lead. At the point, when I’m coming in the game, my job is to make sure it stays that way.”

Leading 3-0, Masek and the Emeralds faced the added pressure of pitching against Drew Jackson, Braden Bishop and Logan Taylor – the top of Everett’s order.

But the right-handed pitcher stayed calm under pressure.

Masek forced Jackson to ground out and quickly popped up Bishop to center on the first pitch. Then, on a 1-2 count, Masek struck out Taylor to seal the fifth no-hitter in team history.

“The no-hitter, it’s icing on the cake,” Masek said. “That was a really cool thing.”

Preston Morrison and Kyle Twomey each pitched three innings, and Luis Hernandez pitched two before Masek came on in the top of the ninth.

“Odds are, to have four guys being on the top of their game in one day, I don’t want to say it’s rare, but it’s tough to do,” Masek said.

Morrison started the game and pitched three perfect innings with four strikeouts. Twomey came on at the start of the fourth, striking out three of his own and walking one batter. The AquaSox made things interesting with Hernandez on the mound in the top of the eighth.

Hernandez walked two batters, and after runners advanced to second and third, faced pinch-hitter Corey Simpson. Hernandez threw three consecutive balls to Simpson, but was able to fight back in the count and force a line out to Blake Headley at third.

“Hernandez made a great pitch when he needed to down 3-0, with a base open,” Emeralds manager Gary Van Tol said.

The Emeralds got single runs from Kevonte Mitchell, Tyler Alamo and Eloy Jimenez in the third, fifth and eighth innings respectively.

Sunday also marked the final tribute night for the Emeralds previous home, Civic Stadium, which burned down on June 29.

(Samuel Marshall/Emerald)

The Emeralds wore colorful uniforms that included an image of their old ballpark and said “Civic Stadium” in white and green trim across the front. The team held an auction during the game for each player’s jersey. After the game, each player gave his jersey to the highest bidder. All proceeds from the auction will go towards rebuilding efforts at the Civic Stadium property, according to Emeralds general manager Allan Benavides.

“What a great way to pay tribute to Civic Stadium with the jerseys, the no-hitter, the auction and people donating some money to a great cause,” Van Tol said.

But even in their 40-plus years at Civic Stadium, the Emeralds never pulled off a no-hitter. The last one was pitched by Robert Snyder on June 23, 1968 – a year before the Emeralds moved to Civic.

Many Emeralds players and coaches were a part of their first no-hitter on Sunday.

“I’ve never been a part of a no-hitter,” catcher Ian Rice said. “I’ve watched them on TV, and there’s always one or two crazy plays that happen, but tonight was pretty smooth sailing from the get go.”

Rice, somewhat lost in the mix among four pitchers, was praised by Van Tol and teammates for his contribution.

“He called the entire game,” Masek said of Rice. “I didn’t change a call the entire time, I don’t know if Luis did. But, he called a hell of a game. I got to tip the cap to him.”

After losing the first three in the series and seven of eight against Everett this season, the Emeralds have now defeated the AquaSox on back-to-back days as they head into a three-game road series at Boise.

Momentum has been hard to sustain for the Emeralds at times this season, but two crucial wins, particularly Sunday’s no-hitter, could change their fortune as they hit the road for six games in six days.

“Like we talked about yesterday, we were just trying to salvage this series,” Van Tol said. “To get the last two games against Everett, who has a very good ball-club, it keeps us in the hunt. There’s still plenty of ball left, and we control our own destiny. That’s all you can ask for.”

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The starting quarterback competition between Jeff Lockie and Vernon Adams is officially underway.

Saturday’s two-a-day practice wrapped up week one of fall camp, and was also Adams’ second day as a full participant.

Head coach Mark Helfrich, who spoke to the media for the first time since Adams’ arrival, acknowledged the learning curve Adams is facing, but also praised his efforts thus far.

“For a guy that’s been here for 48 hours, he did a pretty good job,” Helfrich said. “You can tell he has a lot of ability. He’s just trying to figure things out.”

And while Adams has been the main focus, Lockie is quietly continuing to impress coaches with his play in camp.

“Jeff had his best practice of spring and fall camp yesterday,” head coach Mark Helfrich said. “I think that says a lot about him and a lot about competition.”

To the casual observer, Adams is more than just another quarterback in the mix, but Lockie said little has changed for him since Adams started practicing.

“My mindset is going to stay the same,” Lockie said. “I can only do what I’m capable of and I’m just gonna do that to the best I can and see where that gets me.”

Lockie’s experience practicing with Oregon’s offense presumably gives him an edge, at least for right now, over Adams. The three-week window for Adams to feel comfortable in this offense is far from ideal. But coaches and players alike are trying to teach Adams as much as they can, including Lockie.

“It’s hard to tell, but he’s doing a good job,” Lockie said. “We’re out there taking notes every time, and he’s asking the right questions to us and coach (Scott) Frost. He sounds like he’s a pretty smart guy and I’m sure he’ll be able to pick it up pretty fast.”

One week through fall camp, little has changed between Lockie and Adams. Week two should provide some more concrete evidence as to who has the edge. Their competition, however, can only make themselves and the team better, according to Helfrich.

“It’s been a highly competitive situation, which is great for everybody,” Helfrich said.

Notes:

• Ty Griffin, who transferred from Georgia Tech last season as a quarterback, is moving to the cornerback position, according to Helfrich. Griffin’s move increases his chances of playing time, and Helfrich acknowledged playing cornerback is likely Griffin’s “fastest path to the field.”
• Saturday’s practice was open to season ticket holders to view at Autzen Stadium. “It’s great to have some reactions to a couple things,” Helfrich said.
• Lockie said he spoke with Marcus Mariota last night after Mariota’s first NFL preseason game with the Tennessee Titans. “He had a little rust at the beginning, but he’ll be the first to tell you it doesn’t count,” Lockie said.

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For the seventh time in eight games this season, the Eugene Emeralds lost to the Everett AquaSox. The Emeralds threatened to rally on Friday in a 6-3 defeatz, but couldn’t surmount the deficit over the final three innings.

The Emeralds (8-8 in the 2nd half) lost four of five against Everett (10-6) to start the season, and have now lost three straight in another five-game series.

“I was definitely looking forward to seeing them this time around in the second half just to see how they’ve improved since that first series,” Emeralds manager Gary Van Tol said. “Also to kind of measure where we’re at. I give the edge to them right now. Just in how they’ve approached this series, they’re doing some things to win ballgames.”

Right-handed pitcher Oscar De La Cruz got the start for the Emeralds, and was tested almost immediately. On only his second pitch of the game, Cruz gave up a leadoff single to Braden Bishop. Four batters later, Alex Jackson’s three-run homer gave Everett a quick 3-0 edge in the top of the first.

A sacrifice fly in the second and a solo home run in the fourth gave the AquaSox five runs, and De La Cruz’s night was over soon thereafter.

“Those two home runs they hit, they earned them,” Van Tol said. “You gotta earn it to get out of this park. That was the difference, really.”

The Emeralds fought back in the third inning following Ricardo Marcano’s score from third to narrow the gap 5-1. Eloy Jimenez’s RBI single scored Donnie Dewees, and suddenly, the Emeralds offense showed signs of life. But back-to-back outs from Ian Rice and Andrew Ely ended the inning abruptly.

Pedro Araujo kept the AquaSox at bay when he relieved De La Cruz to start the fifth. For the three innings that followed, Araujo allowed no hits, struck out six batters and gave up no walks.

“He’s been solid all year out of the ‘pen and that’s why he was recognized as an all-star,” Van Tol said. “It’s nice to bring him in with the lead, but we had to bring him in to keep it close too.”

Araujo’s strong pitching opened the door for the Emeralds offense. In the sixth, Blake Headley’s RBI triple scored Tyler Alamo. The Emeralds were within striking distance at 5-3, which prompted Everett manager Rob Mummau to bring on Joseph Pistorese from the bullpen. Pistorese walked Adonis Paula, but calmly retired Marcano on the next at bat.

“These guys have a good pitching staff,” Van Tol said. “They’re running out some left-handed pitching, we’re gonna see another one tomorrow and another one on Sunday. We’re gonna at least be plenty adjusted to some left-handed arms.”

The Emeralds will play Everett in the fourth of their five-game series at 7:05 tomorrow evening at PK Park.

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Defensive coordinator Don Pellum spoke with the media after Thursday’s practice for the first time since Monday’s media day. While the main story of practice was Vernon Adams’ official arrival, Pellum and his defense paid little attention to it, instead focusing on the defense’s development on the first day of practice in full pads. Though Pellum said some of his players were rusty, as can be expected on the first full-contact day, he praised head coach Mark Helfrich’s practice format that allows Pellum and fellow assistant coaches to teach individuals despite the fast tempo.

Give us a status report so far. How do you think things are going?

First day of pads, so it’s a little rusty, but things are going really well. I think, overall, all positions there’s some guys flashing, so that’s exciting.

Any names you see flash out there today specifically?

I think DeForest (Buckner) is playing at an extremely high level. A lot of guys are. DeForest, Tyree (Robinson). Tui (Talia) is showing up. Henry Mondeaux is showing up. Joe Walker. Tyson (Coleman) and (Christian) French are playing extremely well. I think the safeties are playing well. And Arrion Springs made a lot of plays.

Did your defense see a new quarterback today? If so, how did the QB look?

We don’t pay attention to that. For an assessment of the quarterbacks you have to ask the offensive guys. When we’re on the field we’re focusing on our guys. We’re seeing the reaction, so we’re not focusing on those guys.

How much actual teaching time is going into these early practices? Is there time to actually take a player aside and teach?

Fall camp is so awesome. The way coach Helfrich sets it up, you have pretty much 25 to 35 minutes with an individual per day. You can break that up and organize in any way that you need to communicate to your players.

The way coach Helfrich structures it, you have time to really teach.

What is Springs doing differently this year that he wasn’t doing last year?

I see Arrion more alert, more aware and he’s trusting his instincts. Last year, every now and then he would flash. Through camp, we can see him see it (snaps finger) and he’s going. He’s making more plays.

Last spring, you said Henry Mondeaux is the most improved player defensively. Have you seen that carry over into fall camp? 

Thus far, Henry’s production has not dropped off. He goes nonstop. What makes him special is his motor. He’s on the punt team, he’s on all these special teams and all these defensive groups. He doesn’t slow down. It’s amazing. One of those guys playing with a high motor.

At the fast pace these practices are conducted at, do you have time in between plays to do individual corrections, or do you have to file them away and later address them all at once?

That’s a very good question. The way practice works is, we rotate groups. So if I need to catch Rodney (Hardrick) for example, when Rodney’s out I can run over and grab him, but what our practice forces us to do, there’s not a lot of time to make a lot of comments. You have to pinpoint Rodney, “When you see this, do this.” And then you have to get back to watching the other guys.

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Less than 24 hours after finishing his final math class at Eastern Washington, Vernon Adams threw on pads and participated in his first Oregon football practice on Friday.

Now, Adams is is faced with the difficult task of learning the offense in a three-week span before the Ducks open their season Sept. 5 against Adams’ former team. Teammates remain optimistic that he is capable of it, however.

“A lot of the new guys that come in, that’s basically their job, to learn the playbook in three weeks,” receiver Charles Nelson said. “That’s what I had to do last year, so it’s doable.”

Teammates also noted Adams’ previous four years of collegiate experience, making him far removed from a true freshman trying to learn an offense from scratch.

“He’s been playing football for a while,” receiver Dwayne Stanford said. “I think he’ll do just fine.”

Adams did not speak to the media after practice. But he was a full participant during practice, and was one of the last players to leave the field, according to Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com:

Last three guys on the practice field: Vernon Adams throwing with Travis Jonsen, Charles Nelson. (Lockie hurried in to watch Mariota).

— Rob Moseley (@DuckFootball) August 14, 2015

For all the attention Adams’ arrival has received, his first day of practice had little affect on the defense, according to defensive coordinator Don Pellum.

“We don’t pay attention to that,” Pellum said. “When we’re on the field. We’re focusing on our guys, so we’re seeing the reaction. We’re not watching those (offense) guys.”

Still, defenders took note of Adams’ presence on the field, particularly the zip and velocity he put on several throws.

“I was impressed,” cornerback Arrion Springs said. “Some of the balls were just dimes. Jesus Christ, man.”

Friday also marked the first day of fall camp in which the Ducks practiced in full pads. Players were eager to get physical, but as expected, many still have some rust to shed.

“It wasn’t quite the mental day that I wanted it to be, but the effort was there,” running backs coach Gary Campbell said. “Just a little lack of concentration. It could’ve been just from carrying the pads. I’m looking for things to improve tomorrow.”

Saturday’s practice will be the first of six two-a-day workouts for the Ducks before an off day on Sunday.

Notes:

• Chris Seisay, who has been dealing with a lingering back injury, said he’s about “90 percent” healthy after Friday’s practice. Seisay said he’s not going to rush returning to practice in full capacity.
• Several players hustled off the field after practice to catch Marcus Mariota’s first NFL preseason action as a Tennessee Titan. Mariota finished 7 for 8 with 94 passing yards, an interception and a fumble.

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**Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the Emerald’s Duck Season magazine, a preview of the Oregon football team’s upcoming season that is currently available for free at all Duck Store locations in Eugene. We will post each story in the days leading up to the first day of fall practice on Aug. 10.

Perhaps no group lost more depth at the end of last season than the defensive backs. Reggie Daniels is the only returning starter, while Ifo Ekpre-Olumu, Troy Hill and Erick Dargan are fighting to make NFL rosters. Tyree Robinson appears to have the strong safety spot locked up, and cornerback Chris Seisay, who was thrust into a starting role when Ekpre-Olumu was injured late last season, should be a starter. The competition between recently converted DB Charles Nelson and true freshman Ugo Amadi for the opposite spot is particularly intriguing. Nelson has the athletic ability, but is still raw. Amadi is still adjusting to the speed of the college game. Sophomore Arrion Springs should be in the mix as well.

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– University of Oregon President Michael Schill wrote in an email sent campus-wide Tuesday that the university and the survivor of an alleged sexual assault have settled their Title IX lawsuit. The alleged sexual assault involved three Oregon men’s basketball players who were subsequently kicked off the team and banned from campus. The survivor dismissed Oregon men’s basketball head coach Dana Altman from a civil lawsuit on Saturday, according to DuckTerritory.com, the UO affiliate of CBS Sports.

The survivor, Jane Doe, said in a statement, “I am so glad to have this case behind me today and to be able to focus on my studies. I am very grateful for the outpouring of support that I have received from students, faculty, and other organizations. The response from the UO community has been remarkable and I know that the increased awareness around these issues on our campus can only serve to help us.”

Schill said in the email, “I do not believe any of our coaches, administrators, or other university personnel acted wrongfully, nor do I believe that any one of them failed to live up to the high moral standards that we value and that they embody in their work every day.”

– Mariota’s Heisman Trophy was unveiled in a permanent display in the lobby of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on Tuesday. The trophy sits atop a base designed by Nike that has eight layers, honoring the number 8 that Mariota wore as a Duck and the eight Hawaiian islands. Each layer represents something in Mariota’s life, including his family, his Hawaiian roots, his teammates and coaches at Oregon, and Autzen Stadium, his collegiate home field. The Oregon Athletic Department posted a picture of the display on Instagram:

Thank you, Marcus. #GoDucks #WinTheDay (Click link in profile.)

A photo posted by Oregon Ducks (@goducks) on Aug 4, 2015 at 12:09pm PDT

– Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com, the official website of the Tennessee Titans, wrote about his observations of Marcus Mariota during Titans training camp on Monday. In a night scrimmage, Wyatt noted that Marcus Mariota once again played “mistake free-football,” giving up zero interceptions.  The former Oregon quarterback hasn’t changed his nice-guy persona either. According to Wyatt, Mariota signed autographs for nearly an hour after practice, and later tracked down ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky to apologize for almost hitting him with an errant pass during practice. “I’m thinking that was a first,” Wyatt wrote.

– Oregon men’s golf released its 2015-16 schedule on Monday. The Ducks will play in four fall tournaments, including the Nike Golf Intercollegiate at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 5-7. Spring tournament highlights include the Oregon State Invite in Canby, Ore. from March 21-22 and the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz, Calif. from April 11-13. Finally, the Ducks will host the much-anticipated 2016 NCAA Championships May 27 – June 1 at the Eugene Country Club.

– Two-time NCAA champion and former Oregon star runner Mac Fleet is scheduled to compete in the Flotrack Throwdown track meet in Portland’s Duniway Park on Saturday, according to Ken Goe of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Fleet will run the mile, as will Eugene-based runners Pat Casey, Jordan McNamara and Hassan Mead, as well as former Oregon runner Colby Alexander.

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– University of Oregon President Michael Schill wrote in an email sent campus-wide Tuesday that the university and the survivor of an alleged sexual assault have settled their Title IX lawsuit. The alleged sexual assault involved three Oregon men’s basketball players who were subsequently kicked off the team and banned from campus. The survivor dismissed Oregon men’s basketball head coach Dana Altman from a civil lawsuit on Saturday, according to DuckTerritory.com, the UO affiliate of CBS Sports.

The survivor, Jane Doe, said in a statement, “I am so glad to have this case behind me today and to be able to focus on my studies. I am very grateful for the outpouring of support that I have received from students, faculty, and other organizations. The response from the UO community has been remarkable and I know that the increased awareness around these issues on our campus can only serve to help us.”

Schill said in the email, “I do not believe any of our coaches, administrators, or other university personnel acted wrongfully, nor do I believe that any one of them failed to live up to the high moral standards that we value and that they embody in their work every day.”

– Despite not being enrolled at Oregon yet, Vernon Adams was named to the Unitas Award watch list, given annually to the nation’s top senior quarterback who excels on the field and also exhibits citizenship, character and integrity. Adams’ role with the Ducks is far from solidified, as he must finish one last Eastern Washington math class before enrolling at University of Oregon. Adams told the Register-Guard’s Ryan Thorburn last week that he expects to finish the course by Aug. 13.

– Sports Illustrated ranked Oregon 10th in its preseason college football poll released on Wednesday. Defending champion Ohio State recieved the no. 1 ranking, Auburn no. 2 and TCU no. 3. The Ducks were the second highest-ranked team from the Pac-12, trailing only no. 8 USC. In addition to USC, Oregon will play three other teams this season from SI’s top 25: no. 7 Michigan State, no. 17 Arizona State and no. 18 Stanford. The ranking comes less than a week after the Ducks were ranked fifth in a USA Today coaches poll.

– Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy was unveiled in a permanent display in the lobby of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on Tuesday. The trophy sits atop a base designed by Nike that has eight layers, honoring the number 8 that Mariota wore as a Duck and the eight Hawaiian islands. Each layer represents something in Mariota’s life, including his family, his Hawaiian roots, his teammates and coaches at Oregon, and Autzen Stadium, his collegiate home field. The Oregon Athletic Department posted a picture of the display on Instagram:

Thank you, Marcus. #GoDucks #WinTheDay (Click link in profile.)

A photo posted by Oregon Ducks (@goducks) on Aug 4, 2015 at 12:09pm PDT

– Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com, the official website of the Tennessee Titans, wrote about his observations of Mariota during Titans training camp on Monday. In a night scrimmage, Wyatt noted that Mariota once again played “mistake free-football,” giving up zero interceptions. The former Oregon quarterback hasn’t changed his nice-guy persona either. According to Wyatt, Mariota signed autographs for nearly an hour after practice, and later tracked down ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky to apologize for almost hitting him with an errant pass during practice. “I’m thinking that was a first,” Wyatt wrote.

– Olympic silver medalist and former Oregon star distance runner Galen Rupp is scheduled to compete in the Flotrack Throwdown track meet in Portland’s Duniway Park on Saturday, according to Ken Goe of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Rupp will run the mile, as will Eugene-based runners Pat Casey, Jordan McNamara and Hassan Mead. Former Oregon runners Mac Fleet and Colby Alexander are also in the field.

– Oregon men’s golf released its 2015-16 schedule on Monday. The Ducks will play in four fall tournaments, including the Nike Golf Intercollegiate at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 5-7. Spring tournament highlights include the Oregon State Invite in Canby, Ore. from March 21-22 and the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz, Calif. from April 11-13. Finally, the Ducks will host the much-anticipated 2016 NCAA Championships May 27 – June 1 at the Eugene Country Club.

Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner

**Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the Emerald’s Duck Season magazine, a preview of the Oregon football team’s upcoming season that is currently available for free at all Duck Store locations in Eugene. We will post each story in the days leading up to the first day of fall practice on Aug. 10.

Tony Washington and Arik Armstead are gone, but Oregon’s defensive line retains experience with seniors Alex Balducci, DeForest Buckner and Tui Talia back for their senior years. While Washington and Armstead appeared in all of the Ducks’ 15 games last season, Buckner and Balducci will likely be starters for the second straight year. Talia is battling T.J. Daniel, Austin Maloata and Henry Mondeaux for increased playing time. Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum raved about Mondeaux at the end of spring practice, calling him “hands down” the most consistent player during the spring. This unit was exposed in the Ducks’ loss to Ohio State, so expect adjustments to be made, possibly including more four-man fronts.

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