With the Colorado game looming closer, emotions are rising as this Saturday will be the last game for the Ducks’ seniors. These strong feelings in the home finale could ultimately fuel the Ducks into dominating the Buffaloes. When the Ducks played the Utes two weeks ago, the injury bug unfortunately struck the team, leaving some important holes for the Ducks to fill this week. This opened the door for players such as TE Evan Baylis, who played very well in last year’s Alamo Bowl against the Texas Longhorns. He could be in line for a start Saturday.
Ashley Young of FishDuck.com spoke with Baylis today about his chances.
Evan Baylis had a season-long 27-yard reception against the Longhorns last year in the Alamo Bowl.
Baylis hopes to play, and has been working hard to make it a possibility. “I feel that the more I practice, the more opportunities will come,” he said.
Many Duck fans may not know that Baylis grew up and went to high school in Centennial, Colorado. Plus, he’s the only player on the team that’s from Colorado (mind blown). Asked if this game had any hometown significance to him, Baylis chuckled a little and said, “Surprisingly not, even though I grew up watching them.” This isn’t bad news for Duck fans. Instead, it’s devastating news to Colorado fans! Baylis explained that the Buffaloes had so many coaching changes that he really never had the chance to get to know the team. This is true, as Colorado has gone through its fair share of coaches and is not a very well-recognized team in the College Football world.
Finally, the sophomore was asked about the impact the seniors had on him. “We have always been close to them,” he said. “They helped us so much by guiding us in practice or even during a game.”
What a perfect example of what brotherhood means — being there for one another, helping others out when they’re confused about a play, and ultimately serving as role models for each other. Baylis definitely developed a close relationship with this group of seniors, and it will be sad for him and all of us to see them play their last game at Autzen Stadium this weekend.
Top Photo by Craig Strobeck
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Hey! My name is Austin Willhoft and I’m currently a freshman at the University of Oregon studying Journalism. I lived my whole life down in sunny and beautiful Laguna Beach, CA where I completed all of my prior education. I always have been into sports writing/reporting mostly due to the fact that I love watching, analyzing, and playing all kinds of sports. However, if I were to narrow it down between two sports, it would be basketball and football, both of which I played heavily in high school. I’m thrilled to be working for FishDuck.com and most importantly being a third generation to attend the UO. Sko Ducks!