Why are National Pundits/Sportscasters so myopic? We are hearing their SEC version of events again to explain the obvious to the rest of us, as it happened last January. You recall how we heard of how the Auburn running game destroyed us, yet with two minutes left in the game the score and YARDAGE was tied. Bottom line is– Auburn …
If I told you that Chip ran a new formation last year that nobody wrote about or even noticed and it put THREE Tailbacks on the field at the same time—would you believe it? Hard to think of something that bizarre, yet he wants to put the best talent, especially the speed guys in space as much as possible. Right? …
How well does a Zone Read work when the opponent has six DL and two or three LBs stacked up close on short yardage situations? We have all complained about using a shotgun formation in the Red Zone, especially inside our own and the opponent’s five yard line. Imagine my surprise when I see us run an “ACE” formation for …
The new SLASH formation and plays at the game in Glendale received universal derision from Oregon fans that were unaccustomed to the new look and at the subpar results. Yet Chip is not one to jettison a strategy after the first time and it aroused enough curiosity in me to study the different attack strategy behind these formations that could …
What is the biggest reason as to why Oregon has lead the Pac-10 and been one of the nation’s leaders in rushing since the Spread Offense was introduced at Oregon? You may recall that a crucial component to the success of the Zone Read is when a Defensive End is left unblocked and “Read,” on the backside of the play. …
For over a dozen years now, I have been writing reports about Spring Football describing the blossoms coming out with the warmth of the sun thawing the slight chill in the air. In so many ways….this is NOT the usual spring; this last week we had darkness and rainstorms in Eugene during the day that looked like late November, and …
(This is the last of the Summer Series of Fish Reports with Fall Camp starting next week. It was an eventful summer as the Fish Report was the first from the web or any media source in the state to identify, describe, and announce the New 3-4 Defense that Oregon transitioned into this last year. On offense, the Fish Report …
What do I write about our offense this last spring that hasn’t already been written or commented upon? I believe…quite a bit! I got so focused upon the research project of the New Oregon Defense, and it took so much of my spare time, that I didn’t get to my usual wrap-up after the Spring Football game. The last two …
Why so many “Fish Reports” lately? I like to write when most are not, or about conclusions that I haven’t seen elsewhere, so I frequently let some time pass before applying my own analysis. (or I’m waiting long enough for all of you to forget enough of the games to make you reluctant to disagree!) My game-plan is to write …
It was like the Boise State game…behind by at least ten points, with the home crowd stunning our team with their energy and the defense of that team stopping our running game. Last year we had a QB who could not throw well in such an environment when we NEEDED to, and we didn’t even have a first down until …
We all marveled during the season at how the No-Huddle strategy combined with the Spread Offense could be so potent. Teams such as USC that had double or triple the number of four and five star players on their rosters would take a lead on us—only to have it fade and lose by a substantial margin. Talent became less the …
Remember the joy of massive discovery? Going down the candy isle as a kid for the first time….seeing all the pretty girls at your first junior high dance…..or being thrilled to the thousands of apps available on your new cell phone? With Zone Blitzes….I’m there baby! Going back over Oregon’s Season revealed some wondrous new defensive strategies that I just …
