The Certainty of Uncertainty

Nathan Roholt Editorials

Sitting at breakfast Saturday morning, an older Oregon fan gave me a hearty “Go Ducks!” as he walked by. Then he approached me, leaned in, and with the protracted delivery that lets one know that wisdom is about to be dispensed, he whispered, “… but I don’t think we’re going to win today.” I told him that I couldn’t say …

How Vernon Adams Can Improve Moving Forward

Jay Garnett FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Saturday night stung. A loss by three on the road to a top-5 team shouldn’t eliminate Oregon from the College Football Playoff hunt (though it makes the road significantly more difficult), but it sure feels like this was a missed opportunity. Duck Sports Authority’s AJ Jacobson wrote a recap of the game published this Sunday detailing exactly how the Spartans …

Marcus Mariota Isn’t Walking Through That Door

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

In a tale of two games filled with back-and-forth uncertainty, there was one single moment when it appeared the dam holding back the tide of Oregon’s offense would crumble, that despite all the challenges the Ducks faced beforehand, the points and yards were about to flow downhill. That moment was punctuated by, arguably, the most miraculous plays Oregon made against …

Ducks Travel to East Lansing Asking, “Where?”

Kim Hastings Best of FishDuck.com Humor

The Oregon Ducks got the kinks out offensively last week against Eastern Washington (and played defense somewhat offensively at the same time, but we’re not going there today) in preparation for the meatier part of the schedule. This week, the Michigan State Spartans host the Mightys at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. FishDuck.com sent their crack staff (me and an …

Maneuvering the Battle with the Spartans

Rory Davidson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

One of the premier non-conference matchups of the season is a rematch from last year. This time though, the Ducks are traveling to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Last year’s matchup at Autzen set the Ducks on the path to the National Championship Game. This year’s game could have the same ramifications. Now something you might notice in …

Ducks Look to Maintain Mojo vs Spartans

Sam Felton FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Every dedicated Duck (and Spartan) fan remembers the pivotal play in Oregon’s 46-27 comeback victory last September. Third-and-11, down by nine with little momentum and an anxious Autzen stadium looking on, Marcus Mariota miraculously evaded Spartan defenders before shoveling the ball to Royce Freeman for a first down. This determination rejuvenated the Duck spirits as they went on to score four unanswered …

Oregon Football: The Three Toughest Games of 2015

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s June, and it’s time for the Oregon Ducks to make another push toward the College Football Playoff. Last season, fans saw the Ducks finish the regular season with an 11-1 record, witnessed Marcus Mariota win the first Heisman trophy in school history, and watched Oregon dominate Florida State in the Rose Bowl before eventually losing in the national title …

Leave the Driving to Fish

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

At FishDuck.com we take very seriously your trust in our product. We know that you come to us for insightful football analysis, crack reporting of breaking news and humor as if from the Gods of Mirth. But did you know the travel and tour arm of FishDuck.com is your one-stop shop as a travel resource? Each year, FishDuck.com hosts a bus tour of the places our …

Duck Football Successful So Far, But Many Steps Remain

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The closer it gets, the more fathomable the dream of a title becomes. Win the final two regular season games against arguably the conference’s two worst teams. Get healthy, then a neutral-site matchup against whoever emerges from that clustered South division in a stadium that the Ducks are the only college football team to ever win a game in the …

Ducks Run Defense Will Be the Difference Maker of the 2014 Season

Rob Liggins FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Having a Heisman-hopeful, such as quarterback Marcus Mariota, is always exciting for a team. However, the timeless saying “Defense wins Championships” has been proven correct time and time again. With that being said, the Duck defense — which is arguably the best it has been since the departure of Defensive Coordinator Nick Alliotti — is possibly what could finally land …

What Mark Helfrich Has That Chip Kelly Didn’t

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

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 …

Spartans: “Oregon Adjusted, Mariota Evaded & We Lost It”

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Michigan State Spartans were stoic after Oregon’s huge comeback victory Saturday, accepting responsibility for failure and giving full credit to the Ducks, especially Marcus Mariota. MSU Coach Mark Dantonio said “Mariota’s tough, he leads, and he creates. And that’s the difference in the football game. He created, and we let him get out of it. Probably 4 or 5 …