As senior leaders for a talented Oregon team, Hroniss Grasu, Keanon Lowe and Derrick Malone understand a large weight was just placed on their shoulders. Not only will the playoffs be a different atmosphere from most of what the players on the team have experienced before, but they’re also pushing to prepare the younger guys to fill in for injured starters. The trio has a lot on their mind, but in an interview at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex for FishDuck.com they all made one thing clear: their focus is on beating Jameis Winston and Florida State.
Hroniss Grasu has been watching from the sidelines the past few weeks as he heals up.
They know about the hysteria and doubt surrounding FSU, but they equally respect what 29-0 means. In reference to FSU, Grasu said,”We understand that they’re undefeated for the past two seasons, so obviously it’ll be a lot of fun.” Although the team is eager to attempt to knock the Seminoles off, Grasu stressed that “The team has] got to try to treat it like a regular game.”
Starting wideout Lowe echoed these sentiments, although he did say, “I’m excited to get a chance to bring the streak to an end.” Lowe emphasized though that the team isn’t overconfident, and that they appreciate the chance to play FSU on such a large stage. He said, “It’s a great challenge. We’re excited to go back to California and play in the Rose Bowl again.”
Of course both Lowe and Grasu play on the offensive side of the ball. Neither will have to line up on the opposite side of Jameis Winston and all of his weapons, but Malone will. When asked about what he thought of Winston’s talents, Malone said, “He’s a big guy, kind of like Brett Hundley. He’s hard to bring down … we really have to bring our ‘A’ game.” He went on to say that it would have been fun playing any of the other top five teams in the Rose Bowl, but with a smile on his face he said the Ducks are “Really excited to be in this position to play this team.”
Top photo by Caleb Couturie
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Caleb is a sophomore at the University of Oregon intending to double major in Journalism and Sports Management. He is the Managing Editor for FishDuck.com, along with being a lifetime Saints and San Francisco Giants fan, as Caleb fell in love with sports at a young age and developed that love into a passion for sports analysis. He is looking forward to cheering on the Ducks throughout his career at Oregon, and is always willing to talk sports with any fellow fan.