Football Recruiting News Around four months ago, I had a conversation with an Oregon fan who’s very much in the know. Quarterback Kyler Murray (4-Star/Allen, TX/Rivals100) had just committed to Texas A&M and my mood was shot. That someone, however, told me not to fret as Murray was “still in play” and to keep a close watch on the shifty …
There is a reason why defensive line guru Jerry Azzinaro was the one Oregon position coach who joined Chip Kelly on the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff. The 3-4 defensive scheme and two-gap technique are just as important to Kelly as the fast-tempo, zone-blocking, and packaged plays. Azzinaro was Kelly’s right-hand man in installing the 3-4 as the base defense at …
Football Recruiting Visits Fueled by Heisman-frontrunner Marcus Mariota, the Ducks rolled over hapless Wyoming, 48-14, in Autzen Stadium. In attendance was longtime Oregon-connected linebacker Mike Tafua (3-Star/Honolulu, HI) and per our friends at DuckTerritory, may be poised to flip a previously held commitment to BYU in favor of the Ducks. Standing 6-foot-3, 225 lbs., Tafua is the hard-nosed, sideline-to-sideline defender …
Through three glorious weeks of college football, teams across the country have had their depth tested. Look to the east and observe a USC defensive line run over by a mediocre Boston College team in a below-average ACC conference. Look to the south and see a backup quarterback carried off the field heroically on teammates’ shoulders after managing a shaky …
Let’s call the Oregon Ducks’ football program the ‘father’ and the Philadelphia Eagles’ version the ‘son’. (Yes, Chip Kelly is the parent of both, but don’t overthink this metaphor into something creepy.) With all due respect for South Dakota State, both teams had their first real test this past weekend, and the family resemblance was striking. Both teams were favored but …
Football Recruiting Visits With a second half fit for the history books, Oregon ran roughshod over visiting Michigan State, 46-27. In attendance were several key names on Oregon’s big board and following the thunderous win, those same preps had plenty to say about their time in Eugene. Defensive end will be a high-profile need heading into next season as several …
At some point during Michigan State’s 20-point run in the second and third quarters, I recalled a forgotten worry of many Oregon fans: “Wait, did the Ducks ever solve the ‘teams with great defenses shut Oregon down’ perception?” Turns out, they hadn’t. That had been the nightmare that had haunted Oregon for the past five seasons, that its offense looked …
It would be quite a mixed bag to be a nationally recognized TV analyst. Private flights, shocking paychecks, and tailored suits would often be overshadowed by ignorant twitter fights, unfair accusations of homer-ism, and those pesky “expert” picks gone wrong. It isn’t easy to have your opinions be so publically on the record, and you and I should be grateful …
Football Recruiting Commitments This past weekend’s 62-13 bludgeoning of South Dakota came complete with a “Quack” from one of the west coast’s top preps. Tabbed athlete Malik Lovette (4-Star/Redlands, CA/Rivals250) committed to Mark Helfrich and Co. prior to Oregon’s Saturday night romp, further stacking speed with likes of fellow commits Taj Griffin (4-Star/Powder Springs, GA/Rivals100) and Travis Waller (4-Star/Anaheim, CA/Rivals100). News …
It began in 2009, when Chip Kelly, in his inaugural year as head coach, took a Ducks team to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995. The 2010 season followed with a national championship appearance, and 2011 saw the Ducks end their 95-year-long winless drought in the Rose Bowl. The triumphs of those three seasons combined brought the …
Football is the ultimate team sport. There are 11 players on the field at once, all doing their part in a collective effort to either move the ball up the field, or get the ball back from the other team. For every quarter of football that is played, countless hours are spent by the coaching staff, as they prepare …
Football Recruiting Visits We’re only three days away, Duck Faithful — three days! While business will be taken care of on the field, Oregon will look to solidify a strong pull on a key recruit who will be in Eugene this coming weekend. New target wide receiver Jaylinn Hawkins (4-Star/Buena Park, CA) is confirmed to be in the mix for …
