The excitement for Duck fans is rising by the hour, as they get ready to welcome one of the biggest non-conference regular season games in Duck history! It is the first Top-10 match-up of the college football season, and will have an immediate impact on the inaugural College Football Playoff picture. Both Oregon and Michigan State are appearing regularly in analysts’ playoff predictions; …
Opponent Analysis: How to Scare Off the Coyotes
Is everyone pumped?!! Ready to bring that Mariota, DAT, Barner or LaMichael jersey out of off-season hibernation?! I know I couldn’t be any more excited! It’s the most wonderful time of the year — on the doorstep of the new college football season. If you’re reading this article right now, you probably agree with me and can’t wait to watch Texas …
South Dakota! Where Dead Presidents Come to Rock!
Good morning, Duck fans! Welcome to another season of “Let’s Learn About Our Opponents.” This week is a rarity in the annals of Duck football. It’s the first time that on Tuesday, the week of the game, I was still saying, “Which one is it again?” But one thing remains certain. We would have a better chance to lose this …
Ayele Forde: The Hidden Gem
The Duck offense is one of the greatest in the nation, and their defense continuously backs it up year after year. But, there’s another part of the game that many of us either tend to forget or take for granted. You know it — special teams, baby! Special teams are just as important to a team’s success as the offense and defense. …
Three Mental Approaches to Oregon’s 2014 Schedule
On paper, the Ducks are a lock. Ranked No. 4 in the initial Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the AP poll, Oregon seems to control its own destiny in its bid to participate in the inaugural College Football Playoff. However, any casual fan of college football knows that there is no way some coaches, pundits, and computers can even come close …
Coyotes vs the Roadrunners … er, Ducks
“I’ll tell you this, “we’re not gonna get beat up. Our kids are big Midwestern boys, they’re tough. They won’t get beat up.” Joe Glenn If life were a cartoon, the Oregon football team would take the field at Autzen Stadium on August 30th to face the South Dakota Coyotes with roadrunners on their uniforms rather than ducks. Unfortunately for the visitors, this …
Duckling Profile: The Awesome That is Wogan
Anyone that has built a puzzle knows that absolutely every piece is needed in order for it to work. Without all of the pieces, a puzzle can never fully be complete. In the same way, Oregon football has been impressive the last several years, but there was always something missing — a kicker. And without a quality kicker, the Oregon …
Evan Voeller: Leader by Example
The subject of this profile is another one of Oregon’s very own, and he is as talented as they come. Evan Voeller hails from West Linn, Oregon, where he played four years under the Lions’ head coach, Mike Fanger. He wasn’t a very vocal leader, but actions often speak louder than words. Fanger informed Aaron Fentress from The Oregonian that …
Lane Johnson: Chip Kelly’s Secret Weapon in Space?
Chip Kelly doesn’t just want his skill players to have speed. He places a high premium on athletic offensive linemen who can execute their blocks both at the line of scrimmage and in space. It is easy to see how Lane Johnson‘s rare athletic ability convinced Kelly to select the Oklahoma offensive tackle with the fourth overall pick last year. …
Jake Pisarcik: The “High School Football ‘Rocky'”
You may recognize this six-foot-four, 278-pound redshirt freshman’s surname if you’re an avid Eagles and/or Giants fan. NFL quarterback Joe Pisarcik’s – most infamously known for “The Miracle at the Meadowland” (if you’re on the Eagles’ side) — youngest son is this relatively unknown recruit. Jake Pisarcik wasn’t a guy on a lot of college radars. Sure, he attended camps and sent in …
No. 1-Ranked Texas Bullets Build Powerhouse With Oregon’s Blueprint
After three consecutive turnovers on the first three drives, the Texas Bullets stood calmly on the sideline knowing that this was it. Down 10-0 to the back-to-back league champion and current national champion North Texas Longhorns, this was not the start to the Bullets’ first shot at a championship we had dreamed about for the past seven years. John McGuire’s …
Like It or Not, the Pressure Is on for Mark Helfrich
After just one season in which his team posted an .846 winning percentage, Mark Helfrich is under significant pressure from many fans who doubt his ability to lead the Oregon Ducks to a national title. Such is the life of a head coach of a perennial top-ranked program. The intense scrutiny is nothing new for Helfrich, who inherited the impossible …