Eugene According to Dan Lanning, players who start the season with minor roles have the potential to develop into important ones by the end of the season. Kingston Lopais, a safety from Oregon, is the most recent example.
Redshirting for the No. 1 Ducks in the second part of the season, the 6-foot-5, 198-pound Lopa played in four games and recorded one tackle against Michigan. As a situational player, the true freshman faced Penn State All-American tight end Tyler Warren on several third downs during the Big Ten championship game.
Warren did draw a pass interference penalty against the Ducks safety on a third and seven that extended a final touchdown drive, but Lopa more than held his own against Warren despite not recording a statistic.
Tosh Lupoi, the defensive coordinator for Oregon, described it as a “great example of a young man who continues the process of improving every week.” He gave his teammates and coaches the assurance that he had earned the right to participate in the game, which at the time was the largest of the year. No hesitation in inserting him. Things really start to connect as you see some young, brilliant freshmen who have improved and prepared over the season. Knowing how to use leverage in coverage and knowing his role in the run game. He seemed to have earned that privilege, and he generally did a good job of assisting us in carrying out his duties and playing his part in the game.
Lopa’s stature is especially advantageous against tight ends and taller slot receivers, thus Oregon may use him again against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Gee Scott Jr., a tight end, and Carnell Tate, a wide receiver, are both 6-foot-3 targets for the Buckeyes. Earlier this season, Scott caught three passes for a season-high 46 yards against the Ducks. A week later at Purdue, Lopa made no more debuts.
Rose Bowl quarterfinal for the CFP
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Who:
No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (11-2)
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When:
Wednesday, Jan. 1
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Time:
2 p.m. PT
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Where:
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
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TV channel:
ESPN
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Stream:
You canwatch this game live for FREE with Fubo
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He is big, long, and capable of running, according to cornerback Jabbar Muhammad. I believe he now fully comprehends the plan. You can throw him out there and let him make the most of all his physical attributes because that builds trust between the coaches.
According to linebacker Jeff Bassa, Lopa has worked hard off the field in order to be counted on during crucial on-field situations.
According to Bassa, he is a man who is attentive during meetings and who has been improving every week. I hold Kingston in high regard for his actions both on and off the field, as well as his character. I believe that coaches are beginning to see how much he could improve our defense.
We like to suggest that there will always be someone who enters a long season with a role that may not have been important at the beginning of the season but may be moving higher as the season goes on. Kingston, in my opinion, is a fantastic illustration of that. We have a great deal of faith in him since he is paired with a fantastic tight end like Warren. We had a great deal of faith in him.
–The Oregon Ducks and Big Ten are covered by James Crepea. Get the Ducks Roundup email or listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast.
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