How Brady Hoke Got Mark Helfrich FIRED

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

I am done defending Oregon Head Football Coach Mark Helfrich. Sure … it really does not matter now as he twists in the wind during his final days at Oregon, but it is also because he no longer deserves my support with the travesty on defense that we saw in the 120th Civil War. He allowed what I have chronicled throughout …

Oregon’s Civil War Loss Means the End of the Mark Helfrich Era

Jay Garnett Editorials

Seven days ago, I, like many of the Oregon faithful, was excited at the prospect of a team on the rise after an emotionally taxing 2016 season. On the road against Utah, the 12th-ranked team in the country, Oregon played like a team with pride and something to lose. The defense played hard and actually made more plays than they …

‘Next Man Up’ at Oregon … or Helfrich for 2017?

Matt Bryant Editorials

2016 is in the books. Should the rebuild begin under Mark Helfrich or somebody new? I would like nothing more than to wake up today and get a blaring headline that Rob Mullens has pulled the trigger and followed the University of Texas to become one of two formerly elite programs ready to rebuild. In theory, Oregon had the purse power to …

Has Oregon Killed Chip Kelly’s Offense?

David Miller Editorials

There’s no questioning that Chip Kelly revolutionized not just the Oregon offense, but college football itself. While Mark Helfrich largely sustained that offensive success with quarterback Marcus Mariota, since he left for the NFL we have seen gradual changes to the Oregon offense. The question today, as Oregon struggles on all fronts, is, are we witnessing the demise of the …

Oregon Football 2016: Chip’s Guys Quit

Mike Merrell Editorials

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Amid the controversy of why and how to fix it, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Oregon football 2016 sucks. “Why” is no doubt complicated. If we want to be simplistic, we can just blame the coaches and join the witch hunt. Reality, however, is more complicated than that. Personally, I subscribe to the “perfect …

Oregon’s Niche in the Cycle of Pac-12 Football Dominance

David Miller Editorials

Over the past 50 years or so there have been many great teams in the Pac-8/10/12, but only a few teams have risen to the top to dominate the conference over an extended time period. There are common threads among the teams that dominated and unique outliers as well. Coaching, a matter of “no small disturbance” in Oregon right now …

Duck Fans Are WRONG AGAIN by Second-Guessing Mark Helfrich

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

You would think we are in Seattle with all the Dog-Piling of Oregon fans on the stack of the #Fire Mark Helfrich movement around here. As you all know, I am not in that group, although this site will allow editorials on both sides of this discussion and we have certainly had some juicy articles on that topic lately. Yet, I …

The Next Generation of Oregon’s Defense

Jay Garnett Editorials

Oregon’s defense, regardless of their (relatively) amiable performance against Arizona State this past weekend, is bad. Like historically bad. Prior to the game this weekend, the Ducks ranked in the bottom 10 in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, yards per rushing attempt and turnovers generated per game. They were 3rd-worst in total scoring defense and penalty yards allowed. …

Bombs Away! The War to #FireHelfrich

Matt Bryant Editorials

Listening to my adversary’s closing argument this week, I suffered a moment of déjà vu clarity; one of those moments where you realize you just relearned a lesson you already knew. Everyone has a “tell.” We can train, practice and strive for self-improvement, and sometimes succeed, but we cannot escape that which we have made normal. When someone shows you, …

Three Reasons Oregon-ASU Never Became a Rivalry

Nathan Roholt Editorials

Amid the chaos following their game, the two coaches ran toward each other for a common ritual of their profession: the post-game handshake. While this interaction is normally brief and emotionally distant, after this particular game one coach, Arizona State’s Todd Graham, chose this moment to voice his contempt for the coach he was facing, Washington State’s Mike Leach. Broadcast …

Cal Frustration: A Colorado Repeat, Not a Step Forward

Jerry Thompson Editorials

My friends, below is an editorial by a man (Jerry Thompson) who has quite a publishing history in the Willamette Valley, is an honorable man and someone who is my friend. I disagree with many of his conclusions, but recently I changed our editorial policy to allow “all” opinions to be published so long as they offer examples or proof …

Despite Poor Defense, Helfrich Is Still the Man

Mike Merrell Editorials

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out No doubt about it. Oregon football 2016 is a mess. Whether it’s football or anything else in life, there’s a point where you’re better off to just call it hopeless and start over. Unfortunately, many see Oregon football as being at that point. The good news is that these “many” with their pitchforks and torches aren’t the …