EUGENE, Ore. — After a hard-fought victory in their season opener, Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson offered a candid assessment of the team's performance, acknowledging both the positives and the areas needing improvement.

"Obviously it was good to have a win, but we gotta go back to the doctor on Monday and fix our mistakes," Johnson said, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement. Despite the win, Johnson noted that the Ducks are not satisfied. "Never gonna be mad about a win. A win is a win. But we know that's not our standard we're gonna play. We're gonna try our best to uphold that standard."

Reflecting on the offensive performance, Johnson recognized the team's rhythm but pointed out their struggles in finishing drives. "We had really good rhythm. Now we just have to finish exactly what it is. We have to finish in the red zone. We got down there multiple times. We just couldn't finish. But that's something that we'll take, watch, go to the doctor, fix," he stated.

Johnson also highlighted the penalties that hindered the Ducks' offense, acknowledging the need for discipline. "Besides what we had today, we're just beating ourselves, shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties, just going and watching film and taking it like a man, take the criticism and let's just be a pro about it."

On a personal note, Johnson had a strong start to the season, securing the first catch and touchdown of the year. "It's good. I just know there's more to come. I'm not really worried about it. It's a team sport. I'm glad I got a touchdown from my teammates. It was really good," he said modestly.

When asked about the struggles in the red zone, Johnson pointed to self-inflicted issues. "Shoot ourselves in the foot. A lot of penalties. I think they call a journey twice on not being on the line or something like that, a legal formation, which I mean, I didn't see it, but that's what they call. So, so what now?"

Despite these challenges, Johnson expressed confidence in the connection with his quarterback, Dylan. "We connected really good. I told him every drive that I believe in him. I could just sit on his face. He's a little hesitant, but I believe in him. We all believe in him."

Johnson remained unfazed by external expectations, focusing instead on the team's internal goals. "I don't really care what the expectations is for what we do, but then again, it's just forget everybody but us. We focus on ourselves. We don't care what the media says. We just got to go out there and play our game."

Reflecting on his return to Autzen Stadium, Johnson described the experience as electrifying. "It felt, honestly, it felt amazing. That's the best feeling I've had since I've been in Autzen. It was sold out, so I really thank the fans. I love the fans. Just being in Autzen just felt great. It was electric, like always."

Johnson's performance tied his reception record, but he remained humble, crediting his success to his teammates and coaches. "I just knew I wouldn't want to have that success without my teammates. Obviously, the coach trusted me and my teammates trusted me, and I just made a play whenever it was there."

Looking ahead, Johnson stressed the need for improvement, particularly in special teams. "We knew all week he was not a very good punter. It was going to be a lot of fair catches, but I try to be aggressive a little bit and try to get a home run, but they covered pretty good today. I credit it to them."

Johnson also praised his teammate Brendan Johnson for his strong defensive showing, including an interception. "I came to him right before the game and I told him, show everybody why you belong here. And seeing him get that interception is really, really great. He's been doing it in practice. He's worked his butt off and we're glad to have him on the team."

As the Ducks prepare for the next challenge, Johnson is focused on refining the team's performance. "We knew it wasn't our best performance, but who cares what anybody else thinks? We just gonna go back to the doctor and fix it. So, I mean, we're not satisfied about what we did today, but a win is a win. I'm gonna keep saying a win is a win, and we just gotta fix our mistakes."

The Ducks will be back in action next week, looking to build on their victory while addressing the areas Johnson highlighted.