Tez Johnson's Best Quotes Following Boise State Win
The Oregon Ducks came up clutch late in a 37-34 barnburner against the Boise State Broncos Saturday. Following the game, wide receiver Tez Johnson was available to media for questions.
Below are the best questions and quotes from Johnson’s interview, as well as my thoughts at the end.
On the feeling of getting a long punt return touchdown in a big spot:
“I didn’t know it was going to come this game but I told myself when I walked out there that I was going to be aggressive. As soon as I caught the ball I was like alright, here we go.”
On contributing even when his receiving production dips:
“I didn’t contribute as much on offense as I did the first week but I made big plays on special teams. Whatever it takes to help the team out, I’m always willing to do. This is a team sport and I think your individual success is no bigger than the next man.”
On what the team’s message was during this chaotic game:
“The message today was about moving onto the next play. We knew mistakes were going to happen on both sides of the ball but how fast can you move on and execute on the next play?”
On the importance of special teams plays when the offense struggled:
“It was definitely a huge relief. Dillon (Gabriel) got to rest his legs a little bit, a lot of receivers got a little extra wind to sit down because we knew it was a dogfight.”
On what’s holding the offense back from playing at its peak:
“I don’t think anything prevented us from having success, I think we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot on offense. False start, illegal formation, illegal motion, those little things we cannot have but we’re aware of that and we’re going to do our best to coach those things.”
On providing big plays as one of the leaders of the team:
“It means a lot because I know everyone looks to me for a big play. There’s a lot of weight because you don’t know when that play is going to happen so you just have to always be ready when your number is called.”
Linden’s take:
You can tell from his interviews that Johnson is one of the leaders of this team. He speaks with the mindset of someone who’s a veteran of college football and Oregon’s system and I suspect it makes a big difference for the receiving unit and offense at large.
I’d be shocked if he didn’t have a bounce-back performance on offense next week against Oregon State as this game was the lowest receiving yardage total of his Oregon career. The Ducks will absolutely need him as they take on a stiff test in Corvallis on Saturday.
