Eric Sorenson
Every Thursday ASU legend, now Pac-12 Network studio analyst Jake Plummer joins Brad Cesmat on Sports360AZ.com presented exclusively by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Here are some hi-lights from their most recent conversation on October 24.
If you’re Oregon’s defense how are you preparing for UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley? “What they do so well is fly around with speed and they tackle so well…they cause turnovers. They swarm to the ball. If there’s a ball loose rarely does it not get picked up by an Oregon Duck because there’s three, four, five guys swarming to it. Hundley’s a really talented quarterback. I like his ability to stand in the pocket and then if it’s not there to take off and run….if he can do that and obviously not turn the ball over I think UCLA has a chance to push Oregon but I don’t think [in Eugene] they have a chance to beat them. They’re so tough at home.”
What does UCLA have to do defensively against Oregon? “It’s tough. What [Marcus] Mariota is doing right now is outstanding. He’s taking care of the ball. He’s spreading it around. When he gets a chance…he’s real patient…once he gets into space there’s no catching him. He’s impressive. Defensively for UCLA they gotta just fill the gaps…you gotta wrap up and tackle. Tackle the guy with the ball. Fight through the blocks. Let them get four of five yards or six or seven but don’t let them break those into big gains.”
Do you expect Oregon to lose this season? “I don’t think so but they’ve yet to be challenged, really. So we’ll see if UCLA is worth the hype and the talk if they’re the representative from the [Pac-12] south we’ll get to see this weekend what they got against one of the top two or three teams in the nation.”
Thoughts on Florida State redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston? “He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s fun to watch. He has a great personality, too. He’s always excited and just loving the game…it would be fun to watch Jameis Winston play for a national title. He is dynamic. He’s making some awesome plays with his legs It will be fun to see how they finish the season.”
To hear the rest of the interview click here.
