Mario Cristobal addresses sideline interaction with Oregon receiver Kris Hutson
During Mario Cristobal’s Monday press conference, the Oregon head coach was asked about an incident from the Ducks’ 41-19 win over Arizona that made national headlines.
Late in the first half, Oregon was in the middle of a two-minute drill and marching toward Arizona territory. Quarterback Anthony Brown linked up with receiver Kris Hutson for a 29-yard completion that got the Ducks to midfield with less than a minute to go.
But Hutson was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he spun the ball on the ground in celebration of the big play. The penalty wiped out his catch and moved Oregon back to its own 37-yard line, and the drive eventually stalled out.
Immediately after the play, Cristobal lit into Hutson on Oregon’s sideline. In case you missed it, here it is.
National outlets quickly picked up the video, and it was still making waves Monday. Folks took to social media to argue whether or not Cristobal was too harsh with his treatment of Hutson after the penalty, whether it was a proper form of tough love, and even whether or not Huston’s celebration should have been flagged in the first place.
When asked about the event, Cristobal had this to say.
“My perspective is Kris and I have a real relationship and a real agreement with accountability standards,” Cristobal said. “That was a big play that hurt the team and it required a strong and intense verbal message that reestablished our accountability standards for clarity on that. I think that was achieved.
“I respect Kris. He respects me. We respect the process. We can’t hurt the team. I trust him — obviously, we wanted to get him back in the game with a clear mind to attack the opportunity to go win the game. And that’s what we did, and that’s what I did.”
Hutson finished the game with one catch for 29 yards and played significant time throughout the rest of the evening. In Oregon’s latest organizational chart, he is listed as the Ducks’ starting “Z” receiver, just as he has been all season.
