The 2016 Ducks Again Lose in Embarrassing Fashion: Stanford Edition

Jay Garnett Editorials

At least the Huskies lost. That’s about all that went well for Oregon fans Saturday. The Ducks were humiliated yet again, this time at Autzen Stadium, against Pac-12 North Division rival Stanford, 52-27. The final score really doesn’t even come close to telling how poor this showing was for the home team. The story heading into this matchup between two fallen …

Mark Helfrich: Lost Along the Oregon Trail

FishDuck Staff Editorials

Mark Helfrich and Oregon football 2016: So much written, so much argued, so much uncertainty. Amidst the turmoil, one thing is clear: The program now stands at a critical crossroads and turns taken here … or not taken … will shape Ducks athletics for many years to come. In short, the Roman Empire is falling and we must decide: Have …

Ultimate Dis: ESPN’S Todd McShay Says Oregon Was 7-6 in 2015

Mike Merrell Editorials

This isn’t a case of man love, but you’ve got to admit that ESPN’s Todd McShay is one handsome dude. That suit he’s wearing had to cost more than my entire clothing budget for the century so far. McShay is a former college quarterback. It was at the University of Richmond where he served on the scout team before a …

UW’s Petersen on the Hot Seat?

Mike Merrell Editorials

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out As reported by ESPN at the recent Pac-12 Media Days, Washington coach Chris Petersen turned the tables and begged the dogs — to not get their expectations up too high. It’s not false modesty. It’s an honest assessment from the one insider who knows the Huskies best. Petersen also knows that man’s level of satisfaction relates highly …

Trojans’ Coach Helton: “It Was Not a Good Day For Us.”

Mark Saltveit History

The Oregon Ducks destroyed the Trojans 48-28 in bitterly cold, sunny weather today at a packed Autzen. RB Royce Freeman ran wild for 147 yards, but USC’s players and coaches had one explanation for the reason why: Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams, Jr. The Eastern Washington transfer threw for 313 yards, completing 14 of 17 passes for 4 TDs and an interception …

Dispelling the Myth of Time of Possession

Joey Holland History

College football’s proverbial cool kids were so ready to get rid of Oregon with Marcus Mariota out of the picture. The Ducks sat at 3-3 midway through the season. At that point, many were ready to attribute the success the Ducks have had for the better part of the decade up to an offensive system that had finally been figured …

Beaten Down Bears: “Bad Passes, Drops and Missed Tackles Doomed Us”

Mark Saltveit History

Well that escalated quickly. After giving up 10 quick points and an end zone interception to start the game, the Oregon Ducks exploded for 31 straight points before halftime, while stuffing Cal’s potent offense en route to a 44-28 win. The game was not nearly as close as the final score would suggest; it was 31-10 at the break. The …

Ducks’ Coaching Secures Big Win in the Desert

Mike Merrell Editorials

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Reminiscent of the Joey Harrington-led Miracle in the Desert of 2000, the Oregon Ducks once again broke hearts in Tempe, Arizona with a 61-55 triple overtime win over the Arizona State Sun Devils Thursday night. In what some fans would call a rebuilding year and others would call a year to fire all the coaches, the Ducks …

There Are Bright Spots Moving Forward

Caleb Couturie Editorials

I won’t lie, it was hard. I stood nine rows back on the 20-yard line, surrounded by my fellow students and friends, watching the Ducks let opportunity after opportunity slip out of their grasps. We were wet and cold, but simultaneously numb to all other feelings but that of overflowing anticipation for the next snap. Would this be the down the …

Oregon Surprises Colorado With a New Sprint Draw Play

Jay MacPherson Analysis, Fish Reports

Sometimes the surprises from Oregon’s offense come from a natural evolution and progression against the defenses of the Duck opponents. This time we see a new play introduced (or a variation of one used in the distant past) due to the game plan of Oregon; in this case against the Colorado Buffaloes. I could list off a number of plays …

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 …