Kelly's Q&A Post-Practice

Oregon held its first practice in Arizona at Pinnacle High School. Following practice, Chip Kelly responded to questions from media.

Q: How did the first practice in Arizona go?

A: “It was good to get back out on the field. I thought our guys were real attentive. We’ve been together for a while. They know how to practice. They know what’s expected of them and I was real impressed with them for the first day back after a couple of days off.”

Q: How do you prepare for Kansas State QB Collin Klein? Do you use a tight end to simulate Klein’s size and running ability?

A: “Jake Rodrigues is doing a good job for us imitating Collin as good as he can. I think if you just put a tight end in there then you’re not going to be able to throw the ball the way you want to throw the ball, because he can do it both, and that’s what makes him such a dangerous player.”

Q: What impresses you about K-State’s defense?

A: “How well they tackle in space. They get off of blocks and they tackle extremely well in space. They don’t miss many tackles, and again they are extremely fundamentally sound. You’re really, really impressed when you watch how well they tackle in space.”

Q: Does the winning culture you’ve created at Oregon increase the number of players willing to take on leadership roles?

A: “That’s a good question. I’ve never thought of that. No, but I think the culture we created from a leadership standpoint encourages leadership amongst the group. I think winning is just a byproduct of a good culture, but I don’t think it’s just because you’re winning it creates that.”