While the stars are lauded during the Fiesta Bowl awards ceremony, the unsung, everyday heroes helped the Ducks achieve this success. Kevin Cline Photography.

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 and certainly with no hope of ever making it to the NFL.

These players truly do it for the love — love of the game, love of the university, love of competition and the brotherhood of the team.

For over a century, players like this have come and gone, spending their time at the university before moving on to working-class jobs in the working-class world.  Most of these players were never interviewed and certainly never made the cover of a magazine or ended up on SportsCenter.

But coaches, administrators and dedicated fans know that it is players like these that are the backbone and glue that hold teams together.  It is this unique aspect of football that other sports lack. Certainly each sport has its stars and its journeyman, but in football, due primarily to the size of the teams, players who are not stars have a much more important role.  Whether it is playing on the scout team or special-teams, it is these largely unknown individuals who make up the backbone of a football team.

How many current Ducks can the average fan name?  Without looking at the roster, would it be 10, 20, 30? With Division I teams having a maximum of 85 scholarship players and often over 100 total team members, that would leave a huge chunk of players virtually unknown to all but the most die-hard fan.

Every year these players come and go, and certainly having a scholarship is a bonus to attend school.  The argument could be made that playing a game that earns millions for the school to get a reduced or free college education is a fair trade-off.  However, football is a brutal, demanding, physical sport, and many of these players will be dealing with the after effects of injuries for the rest of their lives, without receiving anything other than memories.  For the elite level stars that make it the NFL, they at least will be compensated with a huge salary, but for the little guys, there will be no such compensation.  They will have to deal with nagging physical issues on their own.

So what drives such players?

As stated before, a love of the game is virtually mandatory.  Many come to play at Oregon harboring the dream that through hard work and discipline, they might make it to the next level.  The sobering reality is the vast majority will not come close.  Most of the players that enroll at big-time football schools were dominant players in high school, but coming to a university where everyone was at that same level can be cold, hard dose of reality.  Yet they play on, day after day, rising early for practice, staying up late to study, rarely giving up, even when they know they will not play a down in the NFL.

In so many ways, these players are the most important players on the football team.  Without them, there would be no football.  Without them, stars like Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas could not become the stars they are today.  Thanks and gratitude — at least among the fanbase — is not common, simply because few know who they are.

So while the Black Mamba may get all the attention, players like Ben Butterfield can walk across campus without anyone stopping to ask for an autograph.  Often players like Butterfield and Ebanez only get a chance to play during practice or one of the Duck’s trademark blowout wins.

So the next time the Ducks make a huge play, or when Mariota gets taken in the first round of the NFL draft, take a little time to remember the players who have quietly and anonymously been the glue that helped the University of Oregon become the elite football school that it is.

Who will fill these shoes? (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The next season after the BCS Title game, Michael Clay, DeWitt Stuckey and Kiko Alonso stepped in for Matthews and Paysinger to rack up the majority of tackles the next season that somehow escaped Boyett’s grasp.

A question that Duck fans haven’t needed to ponder in almost four years has presented itself this off season. The Oregon Ducks coaching staff are charged with replacing 28 percent of the 880 total tackles from last season.

The question is, who will be the leading tackler in the fall?

Football-seeking missles Clay (101), Alonzo (81), Dion Jordan (44), and the injured Boyett now departed, who will be the next man or men to step up?

While replacing a core of seniors like that group isn’t be easy for any roster, here is a look at some of the likely candidates.

#33 Tyson Coleman-

(2012: 32 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defended)

Coleman posted 32 tackles last season, good enough for 12th on the team. He also showed some versatility in defending two passes and being credited for 1.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman.

Among the favorites to take a starting linebacker spot this season, Coleman was hampered in the spring with a lower leg injury. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he is very similar in size and speed as Clay, but can he achieve Clay-like production?

#12 Brian Jackson-

(2012: 69 Tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack, 2 int, 9 passes defended, 1 fumble rec)

Brian Jackson was 3rd in tackles in 2012 (Kevin Kline photo)

Brian Jackson figured to play primarily opposite Boyett at safety, until injuries forced a reshuffle. No matter what the situation or position he was put in, Jackson excelled as a quarterback of the defense.

His 69 tackles ranked 3rd in 2012, and his well-timed hit on Chris Harper in the Fiesta Bowl came in the clutch. Now a senior, the Ducks figure to lean on his experience as part of what looks like an extremely formidable secondary in 2013.

#4 Eric Dargan-

(2012: 54 tackles, 3 for loss, 5 int, 7 passes defended)

Prior to the above mentioned injuries in the secondary, nobody expected a ton out of Dargan prior to the season. He had made his presence felt in the spring as he was touted as the strongest overall defensive back, but little else had been seen of Dargan.

His 54 tackles ended up fifth last season, and his 5 interceptions led the team. Dargan came on strong towards the end of last season, and if healthy is one who could have a huge year.

#40 Brett Bafaro- 

(2012: Redshirt)

Yes, an unknown commodity joins the list here, and his name is probably interchangeable with JC transfer Joe Walker at this point. That said, Bafaro is a good size at 6-2 and 225 pounds, he is a Oregon kid (Hillsboro), was the Northwest Oregon Conference Player of the Year as a senior.

He also has spent one full season adjusting to the college scene and the team. Not to mention a year of exposure to the training of strength and condition coach Jim Radcliff. Bafaro is one of several intriguing young prospects at linebacker.

#25 Boseko Lokombo-

(2012: 39 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2 sacks, 2 int, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble)

Lokombo capably took the reigns upon the departure of Josh Kaddu and hasn’t looked back. The 6-3, 225-pounder  from Abbottsford, B.C. has also consistently been among both the strongest and fastest linebackers in drills and the weight room.

Can the experience of Senior Boseko Lokombo lead the defense? (Kevin Kline Photo)

With an obvious propensity for making a big play, this season will be the last chance Duck fans will get to watch “BoLo” try and build upon his impressive career that already includes four defensive touchdowns. At outside linebacker, he ranked 10th last year in tackles, but he may be called on for more should depth be a concern.

#22 Derrick Malone, jr-

(2012: 41 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 int, 1 pass defended)

If you are not familiar with Malone, it’s probably time that you should get to be. To better illustrate the point, the 6-2, 219-pound junior finished eighth on the team in spot duty, finishing with more tackles than Isaac Remington and Wade Keliikipi combined.

And Malone not only has size and production, but speed to burn. In high school, Malone was a 1,500-yard rusher, and also excelled on the track, posting personal bests of a 10.9 100 m, and a 22.0 200m.

______________________________

Going over the roster, the Ducks appear to be in good hands as there appears to be many players who could have that type of breakout season of a Clay or Boyett. You can easily make a case for others, but, who are YOU looking at to replace the seniors and become the leading tackler in 2013?

This is proven by the recent success of SEC teams that play host to physical freaks such as Alabama’s D.J. Fluker, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound run-blocker, or Tennessee’s Daniel McCullers, a monstrous defensive tackle who stands in at 6-8 and 375 pounds. His nickname is “The Smoky Mountain” for good reason.

Major conferences such as the SEC and the Big-10 have boasted about their size for a while, and rightfully so considering the success that all of their large bodies have found over the past couple of decades.

De’Anthony Thomas, who stands in at a mere 5’9″, 180 pounds, shows that small, speedy players can succeed in a college football landscape that has an increasing emphasis on size.

However, this emphasis on size often leads to an antagonistic view of smaller, faster teams, such as those from the PAC-12 or Big-12.  The Oregon Ducks, without a doubt, fall into that category.

Sure, the Ducks have had their share of Haloti Ngatas and Arik Armsteads over the years, but the ultimate trend that has dominated Oregon football’s history, especially in the modern era, has been speed, endurance and athleticism over size.

Recently, this dichotomy of size and speed has been perpetuated by a somewhat condescending attitude from the “big boys” towards smaller squads, referring to the spread, up-tempo offensive systems used to compensate for a lack of size as “gimmicky.”

Oregon has felt this disrespect during its recent rise to the national spotlight.  LaMichael James, De’Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner have each been questioned in terms of their size despite their consistent success on the field.

On the other side of the ball, the same goes for the new Dion Jordan-type edge rusher.  This breed of player has plenty of length and athleticism, but is often lacking in terms of bulk.

Nonetheless, looking back throughout the modern era, the Ducks have always found a way to succeed with undersized players.

Back in the late 1970s, defensive tackle Vince Goldsmith marked one of the best examples of this. At 5-10 and 230 pounds, most schools would have considered him too small to let him start on their defensive line.  The undersized stud earned all-conference honors multiple times, and all-American honors in 1980 after the Ducks gave him the starting nod during the first game of his career.

In the 1980s, some of Oregon’s greatest play makers were overlooked by other schools due to a lack of size as well.

All-around talents such as Tony Cherry and Lew Barnes, who were both electric on offense and in the return game,

5-9 cornerback Kenny Wheaton is one of the most celebrated defensive backs in Oregon history

lacked great bulk, but proved to be dominant with the ball in their hands.

Even Bill Musgrave, one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in Oregon football history, barely filled out his 6-2 frame at 190 pounds.  The endearing freshman took the field with all the confidence in the world in 1987 and found a way to win football games despite is lanky build.

And no Duck fan could forget about Kenny Wheaton, who stood in at 5-9, but never backed down from a bigger receiver.  In fact, it was the cornerback’s quickness, instincts, and desire to win that allowed him to make so many great plays, including his famous Pick-6 against Washington, better known as “The Play that Changed Oregon Football” or just simply “The Pick.”

Again, it is only fair to admit that the Ducks have had a decent number of players with great size throughout the modern era.  However, smaller, speedy players with great instincts and technique, like the ones listed above, seem to have won out in terms of sculpting the team’s image and reputation.

Running back Kenjon Barner, who has a relatively slight frame for his position, was passed over by many other schools before landing at Oregon where he thrived for four years.

The college football world sees the Ducks as an undersized team that makes up for it with speed, endurance, and athleticism on both sides of the ball.  This view often comes in the form of disrespect from the schools down in the South or in the Midwest that recruit from a hotbed of large prospects year in and year out.

However, Oregon has proven throughout the years that it can succeed without the elite size of the “big boys.”  Some of the greatest players in Oregon football history were considered too small by most other schools, and made the most of their chance in Eugene.

This holds true even today.

Many see Alabama as the epitome of size and Oregon as the epitome of speed, hoping to see a match up between the two.  It will take a bowl win over an SEC team to truly mark Oregon’s spot as one of the nation’s powerhouses in the minds of college football fans, but the Ducks are more than capable of the accomplishing this feat with their own unique recipe.

Be sure and check out our new Chip Kelly Philly update every Friday!

Commitments

Special teams are far from the most glamorous positions on the gridiron, however, within Oregon’s system, every slot of the depth chart is of equal importance.

Heading into 2013, the Ducks wasted no time in securing senior long snapper Drew Howell’s replacement in that of Tanner Carew (2-Star/La Verne, CA), a venerable athlete and the No. 1-ranked prep long snapper in the nation.

The Oregon faithful need not sleep on the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Carew as his well-documented versatility has garnered praise from the camp circuit. Don’t be surprised if Carew ends up lining up in various places as Oregon is no stranger to utilizing players wherever they fit in.

“He is a tremendous athlete, built extremely well and absolutely rips the ball back to the punter.” – Via Chris Sailer Kicking.

News

(#32) ATH Budda Baker (4-Star/Bellevue, WA/Rivals100)

Rapidly gaining fire as one of the country’s top prospects, jack-of-all-trades Budda Baker (4-Star/Bellevue, WA/Rivals100) named Oregon as his top program of choice.

“Oregon is pretty much the top school right now,” said Baker. “That last trip put them over the top.”

Baker was a top performer at the recent Eugene Nike Football Training Camp and made an impression on all those in attendance. While he was busy making waves, the Oregon brass pulled out all the stops to make their own impression on the 5-10, 175-pounder.

“The tour was great,” said Baker. “I saw the facilities and met most of the coaches. I saw the new football building and it was crazy, I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t want to say too much, but the lockers were insane. They were unreal.”

Quack Quack!

“That is definitely a big offer for me,” said Dixon. “We run the same type of offense as they do so I think it would be a good fit for me. If you go to Oregon you are guaranteed to win a big bowl game in four years. I know they also have several tight ends in the NFL right now too.”

A 6-4, 230-pound force, Dixon has excellent hands and runs well after the catch, making him an ideal target in Oregon’s face paced offensive attack. Stay tuned for Dixon’s official visit on the weekend of Oct. 19.

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Be sure and check our new Chip Kelly Philly Update every Friday!

“Morgan Mahalak is very similar to Marcus Mariota,” said Coach Will Hewlett.”  I began working with Mahalak when he was a sophomore in high school and early on you could tell he was a great athlete, but a very raw prospect.  We had some mechanical issues to correct at first, starting with how he held the football.  He had an inconsistent grip which didn’t allow him to leverage the football and roll the football off his fingertips the correct way.  He made the change, and from that point on he progressed rapidly; much quicker than most high school quarterbacks.  He went from a raw athlete to the Elite 11 starting into his senior year.  He is now rated the #3 Dual QB in the nation by 24/7!

“I ran into Coach Mark Helfrich when he was still Offensive Coordinator.  I described Mahalak’s upside, and how I thought Mahalak would turn into one of the best QB prospects in the nation due to how much he had improved and yet how raw he still was.”  Hewlett went on, “one the things I love about Oregon, and I am not saying this because you are interviewing me, is how they are one of the best in the country at evaluation of talent and they don’t care what anybody else thinks.  They are very good at finding the guys that they feel will turn into superstars for their system and this is evidenced by how Mariota and Manziel were committed to the Ducks before they turned into household names.”

“This is the pre-pass position,” Coach Hewlett points out above.  ”The carriage of the ball is in a relaxed, strong, pre-pass triangle closer to the shoulder, and with a slight bend in the knees which allows us to utilize as many muscle fibers as possible and explode outward into the throw.”

“The first move of Mahalak’s is the drive of the lead leg and you can see the start of the ball movement.  When the lead leg hits we are already into the full throw.”  Hewlett goes on to point out, “the only negative on Mahalak, is that he drops the ball a little low here, but it is not a deal-breaker as we like to see it above the elbow line.”

“From here (above) Morgan hits a perfect “L” position,” Coach Hewlett explains.  ”The ‘L’ position is where the acceleration starts with the elbow moving forward.  You see the legs are in a bent, loaded position (green arrow) and the lead arm is tight and tucked to the front-side of the body (red arrow).  He is completely vertical (orange line) with his upper body, which is critical for delivering an up-and-out throw and still being able to generate force with his turn and torque.”

“You can start to see the elbow accelerate (above) and the transition as the body is square and the elbow leads the throw.  ’We call this the “Zero Position,’ a 45-degree angle at nose height. This is where Mahalak is ELITE, as his move to the Zero Position is smooth and fast.”

Coach Hewlett then points out, “we have extension of the lead arm (above) and the turn and finish at the end to bleed out the rest of the power.  Overall, he has an extremely fast, quick throw.”

JC Boice

“Think of the body as a corkscrew building up energy and when the arm is in the zero position it benefits from all the kinetic force built up through the legs, the QBs core, with his arm being the end of a whip,” explains quarterback specialist JC Boice.  ”Since Morgan keeps his legs bent and drives the ground force up and through the kinetic chain within his body, he will be able to do that with a rusher in his face while other QBs who throw baseball style cannot.”

“In my opinion,” says Coach Hewlett, “Mahalak has a long way to go in reaching his peak, as he has a ton of upside.  He is still new to this process, and he has another summer and year of growth to experience.  He ran track this spring and is pretty lean, but with some work could put on ten pounds before fall and help his explosiveness.  The way he is throwing now, it is impressive as one of the best in the country in arm strength, velocity, and consistency.”  Coach Hewlett goes on, “His high school runs the Zone Read and Mahalak has superb speed at getting to the corner and I think there is a substantial difference between Mahalak right now, and other top QBs at the same time in their career.  He’s a good student in a school that has very high academic standards and was offered by Duke, which helps confirm his abilities in the classroom.”

Morgan Mahalak

“Mahalak has one of the most fluid natural movements in terms of his release.  From the point where he separates the lead hand from the football to the point where the ball leaves the hand, it is one of the smoothest and fastest out there,” Hewlett marvels.  ”He does a great job of putting himself in a position for success.  For example, when he does a Zone Read to the left and he has to flip his hips back and throw the ball vertically down the seam,  Mahalak does a great job of elevating his elbow above the shoulder line and then driving the ball out toward the target with his extension.  He does a great job with down the field accuracy, really putting the ball on the money with a receiver moving away from him past 18-20 yards.  His vertical accuracy is where he separates himself from the other quarterbacks out there and he can throw a 65 yard long-ball if need be.”

“Something that Coach Helfrich looks for is how quickly the QB can get the ball out of his hands from the Shotgun to the Bubble Screens.  Mahalak flips his hips quickly and that ball is gone.  With or without the laces,” says Coach Hewlett.

I (Charles Fischer) wish to extend my great appreciation to Will Hewlett and JC Boice for helping me and the readers of FishDuck.com to learn a little about Quarterback Bio-Mechanics.  You must trust me when I say there is MUCH more than what I include in this report, but these are the base elements of throwing the football as shared by two Quarterback Coaches who are readers of this site and have been very generous with their time to help teach us all.  We are so fortunate to have so many friends in the coaching fraternity who donate their time and expertise.

“Oh how we love to learn about our beloved Ducks!”

Charles Fischer (FishDuck)

To learn more about National Football Academies click here
Interested in a NFA camp in Oregon this summer? Click here

JC Boice has been involved with NFA for nearly a decade and serves as a National Lead Camp Coach. Born into a football family, Boice has played and now coached the QB position for the last 19 years.  Leveraging his complementary background in engineering and design, Boice has become one of NFA’s premier throwing mechanics teachers where he specializes in bio-mechanical throwing-motion analysis of quarterbacks.  JC Boice is a Managing Director and a driving force in NFA’s national branding and growth.

Will Hewlett has trained more than 50 Division 1 quarterbacks in the past several years, and has quickly become one of the most sought after experts on the quarterback position in the nation.  Hewlett is known for his focus on elite-level passing mechanics, helping quarterbacks improve speed of release, accuracy and ball flight.  As the Director of Player Development for the National Football Academies, Hewlett and the NFA conduct more than 70 youth development camps annually for youth and high school athletes.  In addition, Coach Hewlett is a top-ranked speaker at the Glazier Clinics tour, the largest football coaching clinics with over 26,000 active members and has been on staff at the Nike Elite 11 camp.

Do check our new Chip Kelly Update every Friday!

Oregon has turned into a national brand with their success on the field

This year, however, two schools have taken steps towards the improbable of reigning over college sports across all spectrums.  The University of Oregon and the University of Louisville have gone blow for blow as they compete for the title of overall athletic supremacy in this year’s 2012-2013 season.

We will go through each sport, comparing Oregon and Louisville’s success, and assigning a winner. The winner in the three major sports (football, basketball and baseball) will count as one point while the minor sports will be given half a point.  I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible when assigning points since I am writing for an Oregon sports site.

Football

Overall record:

Oregon: 12-1 (Won Fiesta Bowl)

Louisville: 11-2 (Won Sugar Bowl)

Both schools kicked off the collegiate athletic season off with a bang winning a BCS bowl game. These two teams have two of the most explosive quarterbacks in college football with Marcus Mariota and Teddy Bridgewater.  Many mock drafts have Bridgewater as the first overall pick in next year’s 2014 draft with Mariota following his footsteps a few draft picks later.

Oregon and Louisville had similar seasons and records, but one drastic difference separates them. Oregon played in a much tougher conference being tested week in and week out by their opponents.  Louisville played in a seemingly weak Big East Conference, losing two games to questionable opponents Syracuse and Connecticut.

Oregon: 1        Louisville: 0

Men’s Basketball

Overall record:

Oregon: 28-9 (Lost in the Sweet 16)

Louisville: 35-5 (Won the National Championship)

The Ducks came out of nowhere, placing second in the Pac-12 and winning the conference tournament outright in Las Vegas. They were under-seeded in the NCAA tournament and proved it by beating tough teams, Oklahoma State and Saint Louis.

Russ Smith had the game of his life scoring 31 points against the Ducks

The Ducks met the eventual national champions in the Sweet 16, giving them a run for their money, but the Cardinals would not let anyone stand in their way.  They had experience, chemistry and played in the Big East, arguably the toughest conference to play in. Louisville is the obvious winner here with their utter domination in the tournament.

Oregon: 1        Louisville: 1

Baseball

Overall Record:

Oregon: 48-16 (Lost in Regional play)

Louisville: 51-12 (Clinched spot in College World Series – still playing)

With Oregon’s baseball program still only five years old, they have taken people by surprise with their success in what is thought to be one of the toughest conferences to play in. The Ducks, looking to build off their impressive 2012 campaign, were knocked off by Rice in a “win or go home” Game 7 at the Eugene Regional.  Louisville ran through their regional round and swept second overall seed Vanderbilt to secure a spot in the College World Series in Omaha. Louisville cruised through the Regional and Super Regional rounds, making it look easy.

Oregon: 1        Louisville: 2

Women’s Basketball

Overall Record:

Oregon: 4-27

Louisville: 29-9

The Ducks struggled as their record suggests.  Louisville played in a tough conference and surprised people by narrowly knocking off favorite Baylor and Britney Griner.  They reached the finals against UConn, but were demolished 93-60.

Oregon: 1        Louisville: 2.5

Women’s Softball

Overall Record:

Oregon: 50-11 (Lost in Super Regional play)

Louisville: 48-13 (Lost in regional play)

The Ducks played were tested each week playing tough conference opponents, but lost two out of three games to Nebraska, who they had beaten 11-2 earlier in the season. Louisville had an equally tremendous season, but was eliminated by UCLA in a 19-2 thrashing.

The Ducks softball team had quite the season but were trumped in the Super Regionals

Oregon: 1.5    Louisville: 3

Women’s Volleyball

Overall Record:

Oregon: 31-4 (Lost in the NCAA Finals)

Louisville: 30-4 (Lost in second round of NCAA tournament)

Both these teams reached the tournament with Oregon reaching the finals versus Texas.  They ended up losing in three straight sets but did surprise favorite Penn State in the semi-finals.

Oregon: 2     Louisville: 3

Track and Field

Overall Record:

Oregon: M – ranked 3^rd, W – ranked 5^th

Louisville: M – ranked 36^th, W – NR

Liz Brenner played a larger part in Oregon’s Track & Field success

This one was dominated by the Ducks who represent Track Town USA.  They impressively finished with both teams in the Top 5 reinforcing their dominance of this sport.

Oregon: 3        Louisville: 3

Both schools had record setting years in athletics with similar results.  From the point system as was created, there is a tie.  As a record breaker, I have to lean towards Louisville because it won a BCS bowl game and the NCAA national basketball championship.

This is not to discredit Oregon, who equally had a year to remember across the board.  Hopefully these schools can keep up their athletic prowess into the upcoming years and continue this friendly competition for the ultimate sports school.

Overall Winner: Louisville

New Coach Mark Helfrich

Specifically the most gut wrenching parts of it.  As we are all huge Ducks fans, some of the most vivid memories we have over the last four seasons are the losses.  Chip Kelly was such a good coach for the Ducks that any losses under his regime were both devastating and could potentially have cost us a National Championship.  While it is hard for me to look back at these losses, I personally feel the need to clear the air before moving forward with Coach Helfrich.  Since the sample size of losses under Kelly is extremely small (only seven losses in four seasons) it was particularly hard for me to choose the most devastating five.  The following are my rankings of the top five most gut wrenching losses during the Chip Kelly era:

5. September 3rd, 2009: Boise State 19 – Oregon 8

From the perspective of personal tragedy, this game could be higher on my list.  However this was the first game under Kelly and nobody really knew what to expect.  We weren’t yet spoiled with the thought that every season could be THE ONE.  This was a hard game for Duck fans to watch as we struggled to get the offense going and didn’t look like ourselves.  Then, there was the meltdown after the game that the entire nation remembers.  I literally had tears of anger in my eyes.  A period of time was spent consoling myself because the season was over after our first game, little did I or any other Duck fan know that the team would go on to make their first appearance in the Rose Bowl in 15 years.

4. November 19th, 2011: USC 38 – Oregon 35

Oregon vs USC

This game is one of the three games on my list where I was actually in the stands.  Oregon fell behind big time in the first half.  They then stormed back into the picture to get within range of having one of the best comebacks ever.  This was almost the best game I had ever attended.  If Oregon could have pulled it out, it would have been.  This game is number four on my list also because there were national title implications.  Had Oregon won this game there was no guarantee that they would have played for the Natty, but the odds were in their favor.

3. January 1st, 2010: Ohio State 26 – Oregon 17

The first Rose Bowl appearance in 15 years for the Ducks.  I was at this game,  sitting so close to the field that I could barely see over the lineman’s head.  It should go without saying why this game is number three on my list.  It took a few quarters for Oregon to get going, but they eventually did.  A few key mistakes were pivotal in the outcome of this game.  Also, I just kept asking myself; Why did Terrelle Pryor have to pick this game out of any other game, to play the best football of his career?!  Adding to the disappointment of losing the game and not knowing when we would ever be back to the granddaddy of them all, was trying to get out of the stadium.  Few things are more discouraging than having your hopes dashed, then having to endure the other team’s happy and cocky fans are after the game.

2. November 17th, 2012: Stanford 17 – Oregon 14

Oregon vs Stanford

This was the third game on my list that I was fortunate enough to attend.  I would have put the Rose Bowl loss at number two on my list, but the implications in this game were just too high.  Throughout the season there was a power struggle atop the rankings with multiple undefeated teams.  At this point there were only three eligible teams left with no losses.  Kansas State, Notre Dame and Oregon.  Earlier in the day Kansas State suffered their first loss of the season, guaranteeing Oregon a spot in the National Championship that season if they could just win out.  The offense struggled to get going but did just enough to stay in the game.  Adding suspense to an already unbearably suspenseful game, the contest went to overtime.  I won’t touch on the controversial call as that would be beating a dead horse.  All of these things combine to make this the second most gut wrenching game for me personally.

1. January 10th, 2011: Auburn 22 – Oregon 19

Coach Chip Kelly

Ah, good ol’ number one.  This was the game every Duck fan alive had been waiting for their entire life.  I always said if Oregon could just win a National Championship, I would be happy for at least 10 years no matter how the team was playing.  Just when you thought that Oregon wasn’t going to have a chance, Casey Matthews came up HUGE and poked the ball out of Cam Newton’s arm forcing a turnover.  The Ducks were then able to put the ball in the end zone with 2:33 left on the game clock.  They still needed a two point conversion to tie the game however.  That came in the form of Jeff Maehl.  I can’t even describe how ecstatic I was when he caught that ball.  We all know what happened next.  I personally went from the highest high to the lowest low in a matter of minutes as we had to sit, watching the clock tick down, waiting for Auburn to kick an easy field goal.  Need I mention the Cliff Harris interception that was negated by the same rule that helped Auburn’s final drive?  This was without a doubt the most gut wrenching game of the Chip Kelly era.

I understand that these are very touchy experiences for many Duck fans to relive. However, talking about them helps me personally with acceptance and to put it behind me.  Clearing the way to submerse myself in this new era of Duck football.  Any comments on your own experiences with these games would be great to read!

Do check the new Expert QB Analysis of UO Commit Morgan Mahalak on the front page and don’t miss our Chip Kelly Update every Friday!