Every week I create video blogs (vlogs), a free-form discussion of current events with Oregon sports and what’s new with FishDuck.com. It’s a little off-the-cuff, perhaps slightly pretentious, somewhat rambling, and hopefully entertaining…so kick back, relax, and let’s talk a little Duck sports. The views expressed in these videos are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions …
Oregon’s 2001 Postseason: Part 1
On December 1, 2001; the celebration was on in the pouring rain at Autzen Stadium. Hundreds of fans swarmed the field despite the harsh weather conditions, knowing their beloved Ducks had won the undisputed Pac-10 Championship and were bowl bound. Many had brought Tostitos Chips to celebrate the berth of the Fiesta Bowl, but all true fans had hoped for …
The Oklahoma series: Part 1 – Bad Play (2004) & Bad Luck (2005)
It wasn’t the first time Oregon and Oklahoma had played. Four times previously the Ducks and Sooners had faced off, every time they had trounced Oregon. It wasn’t pretty how lopsided the series had been. 1958 – Oklahoma 6 Oregon 0 1966 – Oklahoma 17 Oregon 0 1972 – Oklahoma 68 Oregon 3 1975 – Oklahoma 62 Oregon 7 (Oklahoma …
The Oklahoma series: Part 2 – Bad Calls (2006)
Both Oklahoma and Oregon were undefeated heading into the final chapter of their trilogy of games, with Oklahoma dreaming of a national championship shot, but it hadn’t been without a close call. Opening the season playing at UAB, Oklahoma had been the beneficiary of a horrendous referee call on a muffed punt, where the Oklahoma return man was incorrectly ruled down on an obvious fumble that would have set up UAB for the potentially game-tying score late in the 4th quarter. Instead Oklahoma retained possession and ran out the clock, winning 24-17. In the aftermath of the events that would transpire between Oklahoma and Oregon, this gift from the referees was conveniently forgotten by all Oklahoma fans and made their whining highly hypocritical.
Cliff Harris smoked it all, and burned all his bridges
It’s a testament to the character and resilience of the Oregon team that in each of Chip Kelly’s first three years, they won a conference title with a key player suspended or dismissed for disciplinary reasons. The Ducks went 36-6 without running back LeGarrette Blount in 2009, returning starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in 2010, and All-American returner and cornerback Cliff …
Oregon finishes a great accomplishment; now faces a month of unfinished business
In the last two weeks, Oregon has beaten bad teams with sloppy performances, 49-21 over Oregon State, 49-31 over UCLA. Neither win was artistic. The Ducks displayed enough athleticism and verve to put an outmanned opponent away, but each time they sputtered awhile on offense, allowing scores at the end of halves that made the wins seem less dominating and …
Greatness guides Ducks to Rose Bowl
He danced for a brief moment. He swept to the right. And then, as he has done over and over in his Oregon career, LaMichael James slid into the end zone. UCLA had been threatening to make something of this first-ever Pac-12 Championship Game. And derail Oregon’s Rose Bowl trip. But in what was likely his last game ever at …
Keeerrrttt1’s FishDuck.com Weekly VLog – Episode #19
Every week I create video blogs (vlogs), a free-form discussion of current events with Oregon sports and what’s new with FishDuck.com. It’s a little off-the-cuff, perhaps slightly pretentious, somewhat rambling, and hopefully entertaining. This video log series has been posted on my youtube channel from the beginning, but going forward will be posted on FishDuck.com as well…so kick back, relax, …
Decade Anniversary: Ducks win memorable 2001 Civil War
An entire decade ago to date, the 105th edition of the Civil War was set. Both teams had waited weeks for this game after a long absence, as ABC had given each school one million dollars to postpone the battle for a national television audience prior to the start of the season. Expectations for both schools were very high in …
Making Oregon’s Special Teams–SPECIAL
For a football team to be successful, it requires being proficient in offense, defense, and…oh, what’s that other thing? Oh yeah, special teams. It’s easy to forget about special teams and its importance in the game, as often anonymous players go through the motions of a kick while fans casually await the next offensive series to commence. But make no …
The Ducks cram for a final: UCLA comes to town Friday with the Rose Bowl at stake
In a short week everything’s accelerated: Sunday is Monday, with no days off. On Friday, Oregon faces a team they have every reason to overlook. The Ducks are 30-point favorites against UCLA, a team they beat 60-13 last year. The Bruins coach just got fired. Last weekend, they got blasted 50-0 by the USC Trojans in the Coliseum, a team …
Ducks own the state — as they usually do
The gap is how wide? Well, digest these numbers put up by Oregon against Oregon State on Saturday: 39 first downs, 102 offensive plays, and 671 total yards. How wide? Six sacks of Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, along with two interceptions. How wide again? Few Oregon regulars were on the field with a quarter to go. They would have …