What if…
With expectations higher than I suspect any of us can remember as OBD get ready to open the season, I thought it might be worth looking at just how improbable this run has been from “…the worst of times,” to what is now perhaps, “…the best of times” with the grass now being “…damn green.” Mr. FishDuck took time from his fun at roulette doc and online roulette to ponder this amazing Oregon Football journey with me.
Along the way there were a ton of “What-ifs” that could have happened, but didn’t happen for us to get to where we are today. But first, let’s take a quick look back.
It’s important to appreciate how truly bad the program was to fully appreciate what we have today. Let me start with a couple of quotes from recently departed Blaine Newnham, the Sports Editor at the time for the Eugene Register-Guard.
“It has been five years since the Ducks (have) won more than five games. In that span of time, Oregon has had the appeal of the Swine Flu inoculation. But far less important.” (B.N. 8.18.76. R-G.)
Or what about this one? “All the irresponsible chatter about the Oregon schools giving way to the Arizona schools in an updated Pac-8 Conference wouldn’t even be repeated if the Oregon schools were respectable in football.” (B.N. 8.18.76. R-G.)
Yes, there was talk about the Pac-8 dropping the Oregon schools. That’s how bad things were. My first game at Autzen was Saturday evening, September 20th, 1975. Final score. San Jose State 5, OBD 0. Yes, this was a football game, not a baseball warm-up prior to kickoff. This is the game that produced the famous quote from then UO President William Boyd, “I’d rather be whipped in a public square than sit through a game like that.”
Whew!!! In 1976, the Ducks lost games to UCLA, Notre Dame and USC by a combined score of 140-0. You do not have to do too deep a dive into the stat lines for some of those seasons to truly appreciate how bad the Ducks were.
If Kenny Wheaton had NOT caught it? A sickening thought… (Photo by John Giustina)
So how did we get from the depths of despair to the lofty expectations of this upcoming season? Well, as the saying goes, a lot of dominoes had to fall just right and a lot of “What ifs” that could have created an entirely different outcome did not happen. Or, in many cases, did happen.
The first big “What if” takes place in Corvallis, of all places. How appropriate that the vermin up north actually played a key role in the turnaround of the Duck football fortunes. Dee Andros, The Great Pumpkin, retired after the 1975 season, and someone by the name Rich Brooks had been the defensive coordinator for Andros in 1973 and applied for the position. Per some reports, the two finalists for the head coaching position were Terry Donahue, (who went on to be UCLA’s most winning coach) and Craig Fertig. Well, we know that worked out for the Beavos.
“What if” the Duck AD at the time, John Caine, had made a different hire? “We have been in direct contact with John McKay, Ara Parseghian and John Ralston” among others.
“What if” the Duck AD had given into the pressure to fire Brooks? I remember attending a game early in the 1994 season where “Ditch Rich” tees were being peddled in the parking lot.
“What if” in 1994..Kenny Wheaton jumps the route but doesn’t get the pick and the Huskies score? Wheaton himself said after the game words to the effect, “I was either going to make the pick or they were going to score.”
Another “What if” for me in that game is something that isn’t talked about that much. What if Coach Lambright called for Damon Huard to hand the ball off to Napoleon Kaufman, the two-time All-American who was sitting in the backfield waiting to carry the rock into the end zone. I was sitting right above where the pick happened and I remember saying, “They will give the ball to Kaufman now.” My recollection, perhaps faulty, was that Kaufman did not carry the ball once on that final drive.
Mike Bellotti retired in Eugene and was inducted into the university’s sports hall of fame. (Photo from Oregon Athletics “X”)
“What if” Brooks does not hire Bellotti as his OC?
“What if” HC Mike Bellotti doesn’t make the connection with some guy named Chip Kelly at the University of New Hampshire?
“What if” QB Joey Harrington doesn’t live up to the Heisman hype in Times Square?
“What if” Slick Willie doesn’t get his “dream job”?
“What if” the U of Miami job doesn’t open, and Mario gets to return home?
“What if” AD Rob Mullens listens to Joey et al and takes their recommendation to bring Justin Wilcox back home?
“What if” Coach Lanning decides the grass might be greener in Alabama?
Future NFL Quarterbacks AJ Feeley and Joey Harrington discuss a play with Oregon Receiver Coach and future HC for Boise State and Washington, Chris Petersen. (What if he had been hired by Oregon?) Photo by John Giustina
Here is one more quote I found that I think is worth passing along and it some ways seems like the perfect bookend to this journey, now that we all know that “…the grass is damn green in Eugene.” It comes from Steve Sogge, a former USC quarterback and one of the top assistants on Don Read’s staff. After Read was let go, Sogge said this, “There are a lot of things that do not make this the greatest place in the world to coach. I look at the Oregon coaching position and it’s not the most attractive position.” R-G, 11.27.76.
I’m sure you all have your “What if” moments. I thought it would be fun to start the conversation in the Our Beloved Ducks forum as we try and figure out ways to keep ourselves focused prior to kick-off at 4:30 on the 31st of this month.
As always, I want to express my appreciation to all the folks who contribute this site and for sure to our esteemed leader at the Our Beloved Ducks forum, Mr. FishDuck himself, Sir Charles.
Don Marsh
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by John Giustina
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I am a transplanted Hawkeye who loves the Ducks because they realize there is more to football than just defense. Owner of Emerald Bridge Club with wife Sherri, and is a past State Champion in Horseshoes.