By Rob Moseley

Editor, GoDucks.com

Venue: Autzen Stadium

Format: Fast Friday

The pressure was on, and Morgan Mahalak responded.

Before the Ducks held their “Fast Friday” workout for Saturday's game against California (7:30 p.m., ESPN2), there was time for one last snap in the 10-minute “developmental squad scrimmage” held each week. A run for lost yardage had the offense at the 36-yard line.

At the snap, receiver Jeff Bieber beat his man off the line. Mahalak saw the wideout streaking down the field, and lofted a ball that Bieber hauled in for a touchdown as time expired in the period.

“They said 'last play,' so I figured, give somebody a chance,” Mahalak said.

In the big picture as well, the pressure has been on Mahalak this fall. Despite Oregon's tumultuous situation at quarterback while Vernon Adams Jr. was injured earlier this season, Mahalak wasn't in play for game reps, coming off a redshirt season in which he didn't progress as fast as all involved would have liked.

Morgan has tried to respond in that regard too. The day before last week's game at Arizona State, Mahalak also was the standout of the scrimmage, zipping three touchdown passes.

Midway through this week's period, Mahalak directed a drive on which he converted a second-and-15 with a 20-yard completion to Alex Ofodile; rolled out to his left and threw back against the grain to Bieber for an 11-yard gain on third-and-10; then finished off the drive with a touchdown pass to Casey Eugenio on fourth-and-goal.

“I've gotten a lot better,” Mahalak said. “Taking advantage of the scout team and playing against a really good defense has helped me a lot, and I think it's showed up in the scrimmages a little bit. It's fun; guys are making a ton of plays out there.”

UO coach Mark Helfrich wants to see Mahalak keep focusing on continued development.

“Now is a huge time for those guys to really put their foot on the gas and improve and keep competing,” Helfrich said. “… And so hopefully he's continuing to keep his eye on the ball that way.”

The other quarterback in the developmental pipeline, Travis Jonsen, has been sidelined by an injury. That has allowed Mahalak to take all the scout-team reps in recent weeks, after sharing the job with Jonsen earlier in the fall.

Mahalak said that workload has helped him get into a rhythm, as he looks to develop into a capable option for the coaching staff in seasons to come.

Not to be overlooked is the fact that, come Saturday, Mahalak will be watching his predecessor in high school, Jared Goff, quarterback the California offense. Mahalak said the two have been in touch this week.

“We talked a good amount,” Mahalak said. “It's going to be exciting. It's going to be interesting just because we're such close friends. You support him, but it's different when you're playing each other.”

Other scrimmage highlights: Oregon's scout-team defense bottled up the run more effectively than usual today, limiting the offense to those two passing touchdowns by Mahalak, in five possessions starting from the defense's 30-yard line. … On the opening series, Fotu Leiato brought down a receiver on a screen pass to open the scrimmage, and three plays later stacked up a running back neat the line. Inside linebacker Jake Froehlich also had a tackle for loss. … Following the touchdown from Mahalak to Eugenio, the defense put together a three-and-out that included an incomplete pass on third-and-long. On the next series, inside linebacker De'Quan McDowell stopped two run plays near the line of scrimmage to set up the fourth-and-long on the final rep.