“Defense wins championships.” Of all the things that have changed in the game of football over the years, this particular adage seems to have stood the test of time. Folks, that’s exactly why I’m so excited for this upcoming season. For the first time in a long time, we can confidently say that our defense is going to be elite. …
With the 2017 college football season officially coming to a close, we find ourselves in a familiar place: a new coach, recruiting momentum, and a newfound hope for what the future will hold. The Ducks relied on many underclassman in the 2017 campaign, but there will be some big spots to fill due to some familiar faces moving on to …
“Know they self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” This quote from Sun Tzu speaks not of the past, but of the future. Likewise, the Oregon Ducks football program must not only look forward, but move forward – as a coaching staff, as a team, and more importantly, as a culture. That forward-looking and moving culture must …
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. …
In my last analysis, I took a look at the linebacker position, giving some thoughts on why backer play was inconsistent in 2014 and why I believe it will be better in 2015. In that analysis, I discussed how linebackers are taught to “read” keys to help them diagnose and react to the play. Let’s quickly review these reads and how …
There is no question that the Oregon Ducks have become an elite team in college football. At first glance, it would appear that the program has its offensive prowess to thank for its recent success, and this is certainly true to an extent. The Ducks have posted at least 45 points per game in each of the past five years, and …
When looking at Oregon’s linebacker unit from 2014, a common theme often arises — inconsistency. FishDuck.com discussed it here and here, as others did here. In my experience, inconsistency typically stems from player inexperience and mental overload, both of which seemed to be confounding factors for the Oregon linebacking crew — as they were a bit inexperienced and working under a new …
It’s a hard decision to give up the game you love, but it’s one that redshirt junior defensive lineman Sam Kamp had to make. With one year of football eligibility left, Kamp has decided to forgo his senior year and retire from football. He will graduate in the spring with a double major. Kamp was a three-year backup with the …
Is this statement a little dated? Let’s be honest — when you watch the Oregon Ducks, what is the first thing you see? An up-tempo offense that gets the job done, or which uniform they will be wearing this week? The Ducks are peaking at just the right time this season thanks to the exceptional effort on all sides of …
Kevin Cline “Oregon only wins because of its offense.” Everyone knows that, even though it’s not true. In fact, it is so deeply ingrained in everyone’s mind, that outside of the state, people rarely even bother to consider the Ducks’ D. Regardless of how this season finishes, the 2013 college football campaign has a clear-cut top tier consisting of Alabama, …
Kevin Cline Great teams make good teams look average. After last night, there’s no doubt that Oregon is a great football team. The Ducks beat the UCLA Bruins, 42-14, in a game that showed the nation they’re more than just an offensive juggernaut. After Saturday night, those left questioning Oregon’s championship credentials are few. With all due respect to Coach …
Eric Amoako is the first of the two Amoako brothers to be introduced here on FishDuck (Stephen Amoako, also a Duck, is his twin brother). Now, some Duck fans may not have heard of either of these guys for a couple of reasons. One, they both redshirted their freshman year and stayed out of trouble. Two, the recent commitment of the …
