: Outdoor practice fields: ShellsHaving watched the Ducks every day for going on four years now, I've been asked a lot the last couple weeks what's most different about practices underOne difference would certainly be the dynamic between the coaches and players; this staff is younger across the board, and simply relates to the players on a different level. Another would be the fact Taggart and his staff call plays live in some team situations, rather than scripting every rep of practice. And the third major difference would be the way, every day, things come grinding to a halt for five minutes, right in the middle of practice.In the past, the Ducks would use "teach" periods to give players a break in the action, but they'd still be on the field walking through new concepts. Taggart prefers a full five minutes off their feet, meeting with position coaches in the shade of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.On the schedule, the segment is labeled "Gatorade break." The goal is that players get more out of it than some hydration, however. "They're trying to make practice as game-like as possible," senior defensive linemansaid. "It's like a mini-halftime. We come in and meet as a group, and prepare for the most intense periods of the day, the team stuff. I think it's a good idea, and that guys have taken advantage of it."Taggart wants the Ducks to practice something as basic and fundamental as taking a break, then regenerating the kind of energy teams have for the opening kickoff. He puts the most intense periods of 11-on-11 work at the end of practice, and expects the Ducks to come out of the "Gatorade break" ready to take them on."I've liked it," sophomore quarterbacksaid. "It gives us a chance to come together and talk about what's happened so far, and how to attack the remaining periods. It's a chance to refocus mentally, and give us a break physically.": Herbert traded series on the first-team withthroughout Monday's workout, withquarterbacking the second team. The exception was a "clutch" drill to close practice, with Herbert and Jonsen taking the reps. … The first sequence required a go-ahead touchdown drive in less than two minutes. Herbert and the ones didn't manage a single first down, withtacklingshort of the sticks on fourth down. Jonsen scrambled for one first down with the twos, but then threw four straight incompletions. …The drill was rebooted, with the offense only needing a field goal. Jonsen led the first team in that case, and twice moved the chains with completions to. But the drive stalled just outside kicker's range, and Jonsen was picked off byto end the possession. … Herbert may or may not have led the second-team offense to a win in that drill. After two passes tomoved the chains, the offense stalled and was looking at fourth down on the wrong side of the 50. Herbert took the next snap, the pocket began to collapse, the quarterback bounced off an offensive lineman and then he ran 57 yards untouched to the end zone. But Taggart ruled the play dead in the backfield, so credit a sack to, who helped collapse the pocket. …Both Jonsen and Herbert had nice series with the first unit in the first team period after the Gatorade break. On his last series of the period, Jonsen hit Breeland up the seam for a long gain; on the next rep checked down and across the field for a completion to; then had a third straight completion by identifying a wide-open Carrington over the middle of the field. … After Burmeister led a series with the twos, Herbert took over with the ones. He ran for yardage behind ablock that hadreally fired up, and another blocker pleased his position coach on the next play whenkeyed off a Nelson block for a big gain. The receiver's selfless effort was rewarded on the next play, when Herbert found him matched up against a safety deep, and threw perhaps the best ball of the day for a long gain over the top.: Taggart praised the defense after its victory in the clutch drill. "Great way to finish," he said. "It's so critical to understand what the situation is. You guys should be fired up." … The team huddles around Taggart in a half circle after practice, with the offense's white jerseys and defense's green jerseys forming distinct slices of pie. Today Taggart made them intermingle. "We can't have offense/defense," he said. "We gotta be a team. …, who has been limited the last couple weeks, took first-team reps at safety with Breeze in 7-on-7.also returned to action, andwith suited up after watching Saturday's scrimmage in street clothes. …JELKSThe position group that most often changes day to day is the defense line. The first group today was back to being Mondeaux,and(above). Mondeaux took second-team reps too because the position was thin today; during one team period, he stopped Burmeister for loss on a run play and later teamed withfor a sack of Burmeister. … Taggart used some humorous imagery to make a serious point after practice. As the Ducks pass the midway point of spring, he said there's an elfin character named "Freddy P. Soft" watching practice, and on the lookout for guys looking to ease up. "He's strong," Taggart said. "He'll get you. He'll talk you into doing something you don't want to. You see him on a teammate's shoulder, slap him off." The point: He wants guys who enjoy practicing and will push through to the end of April, not listen to that little voice in their heads suggesting they take their foot off the gas until it's time to show out in the Spring Game.Head coachCornerbackSafety