EUGENE -- Fans readying to see Oregon players in pads on Saturday for the annual spring game got some good news on Monday.

Despite a team that head coach Mark Helfrich deemed "limited," the Ducks will be playing football on Saturday -- at least a version close to the actual sport.

"We're going to try and play a game," Helfrich said after practice Monday. "We're going to have the quote unquote draft this afternoon. We're going to have a lot of guys that are limited so it's not going to be a full length game by any stretch. There will be some modifications, but it will be recognized American football. Hopefully."

Like last year, Helfrich said the rosters will be chosen via draft. Unlike last year, don't expect any quirky names like team Mariasu -- a combination of Marcus Mariota and Hroniss Grasu -- and Twifo (Tony Washington and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu) like there was last season. Helfrich said defensive coordinator Don Pellum and offensive line coach Steve Greatwood will coach one side while offensive coordinator Scott Frost and secondary coach John Neal will be on the other. The Oregon coaches spent Monday afternoon splitting up the roster to make the teams as equal as possible.

"Dividing equal halves of each unit and flipping a coin," Helfrich said. "It's not going to be a very exciting draft."

There's a chance for some excitement on Saturday, though. The spring game will be the first time fans and media can get a glimpse of the Ducks since losing the national championship game in January. Oregon's offense returns a lot of its talent at the skill positions, but will enter the spring game with a revamped offensive line and uncertainty at quarterback for the first time in three years.

Jeff Lockie, a backup to Mariota the last two seasons, is the most notable candidate on campus to replace the Heisman-winnner, though Lockie's biggest competition for the job won't be opposing him on Autzen's turf on Saturday. Vernon Adams, a transfer from Eastern Washington, is expected to compete for the position, but is finishing up school and won't join the team until June.

The game will also be a chance to look at hyped defensive line freshman Canton Kaumatule and it will be Charles Nelson's first time playing defensive back in front of a crowd after making the switch from receiver this spring.

As in past years, Helfrich said results from the spring game aren't all the coaches are grading players on over the spring. By the end, there will be 15 practices to judge players from, and while Helfrich said the spring game holds a little more weight, it's not much.

"The spring game is like 2/15th of your evaluation instead of your 1/15th," he said. "There are certain guys that you see how they respond when there is no coach out there or some noise and some lights that haven't been there."

Just like the fans, Helfrich said the best part for the coaching staff is seeing his players go out and play. Over the last four weeks they've participated in structured practices. A coach's whistles is never too far away and often times the younger players are stressing with installation of Oregon's playbook.

On Saturday, Helfrich wants to see them loose and playing with instincts.

"Just to compete and play and get all the coaches out of their ear," he said. "This period, guys start to think too much and thinking about the 79 things that might happen instead of the one thing that is happening and all the words that have added up in their repertoire. (I just want to see) them go out and play."

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger