Oregon Football: 5 things to watch in 2019 spring game

4. Will Oregon go with full intensity as per Mario Cristobal’s wishes?

Spring scrimmages are traditionally a time to iron out the kinks and test out players in a live situation in front of a larger crowd. Usually, though, teams take every precaution to limit the possibility of injuries and keep things as civil as possible.

Oregon seems to have no intention of playing it safe this year. Mario Cristobal has said that he intends to alter the format of this year’s spring game, switching it up from last spring’s offense-versus-defense setup to one where the roster will be split into two teams. That opens up the door for the Ducks to play a more competitive contest that should provide even more excitement for fans watching from the Autzen stands and from home on Pac-12 Network.

It will afford an opportunity especially for more third- and fourth-string players to show the coaching staff why they deserve more playing time in 2019. It could also be a ruse, as Cristobal aims to drum up interest and get as big a crowd as possible for the final practice of the spring.

The first few drives will set the tone for the rest of the game. Fans watching Oregon play this spring game will want to keep an eye on whether the Ducks follow through on Cristobal’s intention to play a full-out game, or if they will opt to dial it back a few notches to protect their talent.