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UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 14, 2015

Mark Helfrich

Stanford, California

Oregon - 38, Stanford - 36

Q. How good does this win feel for you?
COACH HELFRICH: Well, I'm not making this that -- it feels good for a lot of reasons, and none of them are that. We have a ton of respect for Stanford and how well they're coached how hard they play and our guys were excited for this week and I want to -- I thought our scout teams back home, a lot of those guys are back home, that were integral in recreating all the things that they do great. Whether it's multiple offensive linemen, special things in special teams that they do, different things defensively that they do. Those guys did a phenomenal job. And that's really hard to do.

And then that contributes to the output like tonight. But, yeah, we have a ton much respect for them and we want to beat whoever we're playing. Doesn't matter.

Q. What was your read on how big a play that fumble in the first half was?
COACH HELFRICH: Well, big. Had the one, obviously, the pick, I guess, I don't know if they ruled that a fumble or a pick. But taking care of the ball is paramount in this game. Scoring touchdowns rather than field goals is paramount in this game of just how efficient they are and how they kind of try to lull you to sleep, just banging and banging.

I thought our defense stayed confident throughout that and kind of we talked about it last week being aggressively patient. But still staying confident and playing hard and finishing things. But, yeah, a couple bounces went our way, a couple bounces went their way. It was a great battle.

Q. Were you surprised by the pass on the two-point play at the end? Did that surprise you?
COACH HELFRICH: No. No. There's probably a run/pass element in there. And Kevin Hogan is playing really, really well and put the ball in his hands and something normally good is going to happen. Obviously, I'm pretty happy it didn't work out that way.

Q. That said, you brought pressure on that play. How did that affect it?
COACH HELFRICH: Well, the way, when they shipped McCaffrey out, that opens up a bunch of things. Could be a QB run, could be the play action element because of how good a runner he is. Could be for McCaffrey, they've got a screen off that. So it's not one of those things where, as soon as he motions out, everybody zeroes in on the quarterback, it's almost the opposite. And so again, we defended it really well and needed that last play.

Q. Having said that, Kevin Hogan, experienced quarterback, fumbles twice in the fourth quarter. Is that something that you guys pulled him into something? Is it something you guys did or the linemen or something?
COACH HELFRICH: I think the big thing is playing with confidence and keeping up the pressure when they're lulling you to sleep and pounding two yards, three yards, four yards, seven yards, two yards, two yards, milking the play clock every play. That's a mental thing as much as it is a physical thing.

Getting as many hats to the ball, whether it's Hogan or McCaffrey or whoever has the ball was huge. It's hard, the position that they're in is hard.

We have been there, you have to run the table, play perfect, everybody's got to be perfect and those are hard moments. Again, a ton of respect for everything that they do and happy we got a couple bounces. But you have to earn those too.

Q. Do you guys think you've proven that Vernon might be the best QB in the conference?
COACH HELFRICH: Time will tell. We got a lot of business to take care of here for facing an unbelievably talented team next week. And, again, tonight was a good night, but we can improve, we, across the board, we can do things better in these circumstances against that opponent. Again, very proud of our effort.

Q. (No microphone.)
COACH HELFRICH: I don't -- I can't follow that question. It supersedes what might have happened? That's a Stanford question.

Q. When you play a team like Stanford, if Vernon doesn't get hurt, you guys could be a Top-10 team. Does it overcome that?
COACH HELFRICH: If I was George Clooney, my wife would be a lot happier. We can't live like that. We have to -- and again I think our assistant coaches did a great job of that, our players have done a great job of that, of what's left to play? We can't dwell on what hasn't happened or what didn't happen.

Q. Two games ago, your defense gave up over 700, almost 750 yards of offense but in the last two games particularly tonight, the defense played dominant. How do you account for that?
COACH HELFRICH: Well prideful guys, prideful coaches and everybody improving. Everybody knowing and taking stock and owning why things happen. It's very easy to blame this coach or this player and it has to be his fault. It's a combination of so many different things that go on and for every person to individually take ownership of the good and the bad.

Because we did a million great things, giving up 700 yards as hard as that is to believe. And whatever. Misalignment, communication, those are simple things, but you have to care and you have to have, you have to be a high character person to then fix it. So, by no means have we played perfect at all, but those guys have punched in every day and gone to work.

Q. (No microphone.)
COACH HELFRICH: Hopefully, there's some fruit in there. We got to keep weeding and fertilizing every day and every single day taking care of our business and now the reward is to play SC. So, yeah, we'll think about this tonight and get ready for USC tomorrow and I think it's a test that testament again to our assistant coach he's and those guys of believing in what we're doing and staying the course and all that stuff.

Q. Is this the best rushing defense you've played? What was going on in the first half?
COACH HELFRICH: The first couple plays we had were kind run/pass options and had the run there and then obviously the one play drive was huge. I think that was, was that it for the? Yeah, we're sitting there at halftime analyzing 24 snaps, and we're going, we like this play, we like this play, we like -- with you really worried but we haven't had a chance to get to it. So, yeah, it was one of those weird nights.

Q. (No microphone.)
COACH HELFRICH: That's hard. You have to talk about it, you have to address it, and our kind of phrase for that, again, similar to Arizona State, is just being aggressively patient. You have to stay confident, you have to stay aggressive, but it might not happen in one play. Against Arizona State it was, that type of team, that it's either a boom or bust and it's a huge play and/or it's a five yard loss. So staying lose and not trying to make it up in one play.

Q. How big was it to get up by two scores? You count down the possessions for the other team and see how few possessions?
COACH HELFRICH: It's good to outscore the other team. Very good. No, that was huge. And it's great to see Taj finish a run like that. He had some other opportunities earlier and a guy that again that just keep seeing it coming, keep seeing it coming, but for him to finish that run was huge -- or pass, I guess -- and then again get the defense totally playing aggressively on the front foot, absolutely.

Q. What are your thoughts on Tyson and Torrodney on the edges? Seemed like they couldn't bounce anything outside.
COACH HELFRICH: Big.

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