Jamarcus Shephard spoke with reporters following his first ever win as a head coach on Saturday night. He not only reflected on what the moment meant for him and his team, but also about the program as a whole and the product they are putting out there on the field. Namely, the victory over Montana was a strong step in the right direction as they continue to flip the culture.
“When you talk about players like Jesse [Legree] that had never been to the state of Oregon, or Dylan and Eric who wanted to come back, and then Sal Vardrawale who didn’t want to leave…these players really wanted to fight for this game for our fans and our community,” Shephard said. “There’s a lot of players I want to thank and talk about, but if I did that we’d be here all day. I’m proud of the first step we’ve taken, it’s the first of many, and I can’t wait to get ready for the next one…I’ll tell you what, everyone needs to start payin’ attention, because there’s somethin’ going on here in Corvallis.”
WIth his team up 35-3 at the half, Shephard encouraged his team not to let off the gas against the Grizzlies. Quarterback Braden Atkinson and the offense responded with a quick three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to extend the lead, capped by a 27-yard touchdown catch by sophomore Aaron Butler…