The season is not over.
The end is not near.
The sky is not falling.
While Oregon’s lackluster play against the Idaho Vandals raises concerns, let history be our guide as we clear our heads and realize that one poor performance does not make a season. For, let us not forget a couple of other bad first games in recent history for the Ducks. Mr. FishDuck took some time away from his fun at crypto casinos to reflect, as so many of us who are Greybeard age know about Duck football history.
In 2022, the Ducks opened up in Atlanta against the No. 1 ranked, defending champion Georgia Bulldogs and were promptly dismantled 49-3. Sure, the Bulldogs were heavy favorites and expected to win, but the Ducks lost in blowout fashion and were completely outclassed by Georgia. They lost in a way that you would expect the Idahos of the world to lose to a powerhouse program like, well, Oregon.
Of course, the Ducks rebounded to finish the season 10-3 with a Holiday Bowl victory and a Top-15 finish. Bo Nix established himself as a force to be reckoned with as the Ducks rattled off eight straight wins after the loss to Georgia. But, not before many Oregon fans saw the rest of the season as a complete throwaway.
And, who can forget the disastrous start to the 2009 season? The Ducks came into the season with high expectations after a strong finish in 2008 and with a lot of key players returning. On top of that, the powers that be had forced out beloved coach Mike Bellotti in favor of some hot shot, up-and-coming offensive coordinator who had zero head coaching experience and whose only previous coaching experience was at the likes of Columbia, Johns Hopkins and New Hampshire.
The O-line was “oh no!” (photo credit: Steven Chan)
The Chip Kelly-led Ducks laid a monster egg in a 19-8 loss at Boise State that ended with a disgraceful post-game fight. Not only had Kelly coached the Ducks to a humiliating defeat, he also appeared to have lost his team in the process. Like a stomach bug that has you losing control at both ends, it was a double dose of ugliness.
Lo and behold, the Ducks recovered, finished the season 10-2, won the Pac-10, and played in their first Rose Bowl since the miracle 1994 team.
The point is that good teams, including our own Oregon Ducks, have stumbled out of the gate. It is the response to this adversity that will determine the season. Not the stumbling itself.
Speaking of Boise State
It would be nice for the Ducks to rebound from last Saturday’s underwhelming performance by sticking it to the Broncos. As hard as it might be to believe, the Ducks have never beaten the Broncos, as they are 0-3 all-time against them.
And, it is time to shut the mouths of Boise State fans who think that they “own” the Ducks. The smell of their horse manure breath can be smelt all the way to Eugene.
Of course, if the Ducks do not turn things around this week, then 0-4 versus the Broncos could be looming with the season suddenly on the brink, with the Ducks eating a big Bronco manure sandwich.
Gotta cheer for our new conference! (Screenshot from B1G Network Video)
Conference Pride
Throughout my college football fan career, I have always cheered for the Pac-12 Conference. But, now, lost in a superficial world of money, greed, and conference realignment, I do not know how to feel or who to root for.
Do I cheer for Oregon’s B1G brethren like I did in the Pac-12? Do I root for all the B1G teams to lose in the name of Oregon’s advantage?
Well, on Sunday night, with USC going down to the wire against LSU, with every fiber in my body, the only thing I could feel was that same old feeling that I have always felt…
The feeling of wanting the SEC to lose!
Go B1G!
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Steven Chan
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah
Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.