EUGENE, Ore. — As Oregon prepares to face Michigan this weekend, offensive lineman Poncho Laloulu is well aware of the challenge ahead. Michigan's defensive line, led by standout players Mason Graham (No. 55) and Kenneth Grant (No. 78), will present one of the toughest tests of the season for the Ducks.
“Yeah, man, they're two interiors in Michigan, man. They're stout, you know, one of the best that are going to be going against technique and, like, playing-wise,” Laloulu said. “We can tell just from watching film how much they put pressure on the QB and stuff.”
Laloulu emphasized the importance of the offensive line—especially the three interior linemen—in countering Michigan's defensive pressure. “It's up to us, the O-line, mainly the three interiors, me, Marcus [Harper], and Nishad [Strother] to [play] stout and put on a game with them and just do and play our ball,” he said.
Oregon's trip to Michigan will mark Laloulu’s first time playing in front of a crowd of this magnitude. The challenge of communicating amid the noise is not lost on him. “Obviously, it's going to be my first time going to Michigan. I know it's for a lot of guys, too, with this crowd noise being 100,000 people, which I've never played in front of before,” Laloulu said. “But we've been practicing and studying some stuff to cooperate and to put into the game. And when the time comes, we're going to execute what we've got to do.”
Laloulu also highlighted the importance of his role as center in dealing with the crowd noise. “Well, it's important because obviously the play don't start without the ball. So I'm the first one that's touching the ball and getting it to you, Dillon. So it's really important, especially with the crowd noise,” he said.
Silent counts could be a crucial aspect of Oregon's game plan, especially in an environment as loud as Michigan Stadium. While the Ducks haven’t needed to use the silent count much in previous games, Laloulu acknowledged it could come into play this weekend. “So far we didn't have to rely on the silent count that much,” he said. “But just looking at Michigan and seeing, like, some watching other teams’ offensive wise, you can see them doing silent cadence. But I know if we do our job, we're going to be able to silent that and just play our regular ball game.”
Getting off to a fast start will be key for the Ducks. Laloulu stressed the importance of tempo and execution. “If we can go over there, start fast, both sides of the ball, whether it starts offense or defense, and just tempo them and do what we're supposed to do, then we're going to be good,” he said.
Michigan’s defensive front presents a formidable challenge, with Laloulu specifically pointing out the speed and versatility of Josaiah Stewart on the edge. “Zero, you can see, like, tackle. That dude's pretty fast. He's pretty quick in how he's versatile and what he does,” Laloulu said. He also highlighted Michigan’s interior presence, especially No. 78, who “takes on, like, two blocks,” and No. 55, who “slips through and makes tackles” when opponents use poor technique. “When guys as offensive line use, like, poor technique, that's what they really take advantage of. Like, if you don't have the right technique, they're going to take advantage and show what they do,” he added.
Laloulu acknowledged the potential impact this game could have on draft stock for players on both sides of the ball. “Uh, yeah, man. Man, I wasn't really thinking about it until, like, Nishad was talking about it. Like you said, he was talking about it yesterday. Obviously, we're going against, like, two first-rounders we can see, two styled defensive linemen. So we know that if we do and we play the way we're supposed to play, then it'll bump ours as well,” he said.
For Oregon, the key to success will be executing their game plan, maintaining composure amid the noise, and matching Michigan’s intensity in the trenches. Laloulu and the rest of the offensive line will be at the center of that effort.
