Is the Spread Offense Doomed?

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

First it was Nick Saban, then Florida coach Will Muschamp. Now, the latest high-profile coach to bash the spread offense is new Arkansas coach Bret Bielema. Three successful, smart, influential coaches, all of whom are calling for rule changes to slow down the spread offense and give defenses a better opportunity to substitute, get a breather and avoid injury. So …

Give Thanks to the Little Guys

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

For every Marcus Mariota, there is a Dane Ebanez, J.R. Maffie and Axel McQuaw. For every first-round draft pick there are scores of players who come to practice every day, hitting the trenches and working just as hard as the stars.  Yet these players pass quietly through the hallowed halls of Oregon with little or no acclaim, sometimes without scholarships …

Oregon Unknowns: 1916 – A Mighty Year Of Firsts!

Don Gilman History

1916 was a milestone year for the University of Oregon. The Webfoots were talented.  They were innovative and clever.  They were also huge — an absolutely massive team whose line averaged an astounding 185 pounds!  (C’mon folks…this is 1916!)  Led by quarterback Shy Huntington and coach Hugo Bezdek, the 1916 Oregon team remains the only undefeated football team in the University …

Oregon Unknowns: The Last Bad Years

Don Gilman History

It’s been awhile since Oregon has truly failed in football.  Certainly, games have been lost and teams have failed to meet expectations over the years, but the simple fact is that since the early 80’s there have been few seasons when the Ducks have fallen flat.  From 1984 until 2012 Oregon has had twenty-four seasons at or above .500, and …

1987: Low Expectations and Setting the Stage

Don Gilman History

Chris Miller was gone, off to the Atlanta Falcons as a first round draft-pick.  The team was young, and would be led that year by a redshirt freshman named Bill Musgrave.  The experts didn’t see much out of this team, and picked them to win only two or three games. Hogwash, according to Rich Brooks.  He expected his young guys …

Oregon Unknowns: The Year Rich Brooks Resigned

Don Gilman History

This new Friday series are the OREGON UNKNOWNS, where we look at interesting aspects about our beloved Ducks that few fans know about. 1980 was a bizarre year.  1979 had seen the Ducks rebound from some less-than-stellar years, and they were expected to contend for the Pac-10 title.  Instead, scandal rocked the conference before the season began.  Oregon was found …

The Vampire that is the BCS

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

After watching yet another one-sided, life-sucking — but worst of all, boring — championship game, there is really only one conclusion a reasonable, intelligent college football fan can come to: Somebody needs to drive a stake into this monster. We need some heroic vampire hunter to rip the lid off the coffin, deliver a witty one-liner, and put an end …

Oregon Unknowns: Casanova’s Water and Dick James Gets Abandoned

Don Gilman History

In this edition of Oregon Unknowns we look at some lighter, lesser-known moments in Oregon History; from Bill Hayward plying ‘Oregon Water’ on unsuspecting Californians, to Len Casanova being hung in effigy and crowned King of the Campus — all in the same day.  We will look at Oregon’s original no-huddle, fast-paced offense from an era that might surprise you, …

Dark side of sports

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

I love sports. I really do. I love the combination of grace and power, skill and force; whether it is a player elevating for a dunk on the basketball court, or a running back plowing through multiple defenders for extra yardage on the gridiron. Sports can be a powerful force to unite communities, bringing people from completely disparate backgrounds together …

Chip Kelly: The Caesar of Football

Don Gilman Men of Oregon: Players and Coaches

At first blush, the comparison might seem odd. What do a football coach and a general/politician/dictator separated by over two thousand years have in common? How could a man who singlehandedly destroyed the republic of Rome have anything in common with a modern-day football coach? The answers might surprise you. Football is a form of simulated combat, so the metaphor …