Oregon players face the media en masse

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas was happy to talk, but what he really wanted to do was get back to practice.

Thomas was among the Oregon Ducks who appeared en masse for the media Friday in advance of Monday night's national championship game against No. 1 Auburn.

He says the No. 2 Ducks have been very focused, despite some of the distractions surrounding the game — like the media sessions.

The sophomore says he and a lot of his teammates were anxious to go to practice, "just to make sure we've got everything down."

Thomas redshirted last season and it wasn't expected that he'd be Oregon's starter this season when fall practice opened. But he won the job and has become the steady conductor of the Ducks' breakneck spread option offense.