It is finally game week in Eugene and you could definitely feel a different buzz in the air at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex Tuesday as Oregon is in full prep mode for Fresno State. This all revolves around Anthony Brown, who will be the starting quarterback on what could have the makings of the most talented team in school history.
Playing at Autzen Stadium has always been a dream of Brown’s and he’s excited to get the opportunity to finally play at Autzen, especially in front of a full capacity crowd. His goals for week one are simply to do his job, which is what he’s been focused on since his first normal fall camp with Oregon began earlier this month.
“It gives you a sense of normality, and I think the full fall camp is an advantage for everybody,” Brown said. “As long as you take advantage of it, you should be successful in what you do and execute it in those certain things that you’re working on.”
Brown has taken note of some of the great Oregon quarterbacks that have come before him, and he's even been in contact with some big names like Vernon Adams Jr. and Dennis Dixon. With his game mirroring that of Adams and Dixon, it makes sense he would reach out to them for advice.
Since coming to Eugene, he's learned from both of them and from even from himself, as he's developed into a more well-rounded quarterback.
“It’s more focused, more detailed.” Brown said. “Knowing what I am looking for, knowing what I’m looking to go watch, knowing what I’m working on is the biggest difference from when I was younger to now. So I would just say a more detailed approach.”
One of the bigger surprises of the week one organizational chart was freshman wide receiver Troy Franklin and tight end Moliki Motavao being listed as starters or at least co-starters. Brown has tracked their development first-hand and loves what he’s seen thus far.
“They have been very impressive, they’ve been playing very well,” Brown said. “They’ve been on top of their game, and they’ve just been standing out and doing things that normal freshmen don’t normally do. So, I’m excited for them and I think everyone else should be excited for them too.”
Brown had to overcome stiff competition to win the starting quarterback job this year, with some extremely talented freshmen in Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield, and Robby Ashford waiting in the wings. They all bring something different to the table, and Brown sees a bright future for the Ducks at quarterback.
“The most growth I’ve seen is (them) not making the same mistake twice, which is huge especially at a young age.” Brown said. “A lot of people make these mistakes and they keep returning to them, and that’s something I’ve seen out of them that’s really good.”
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