Many months ago, the Oregon-Cal game was circled by many as the most crucial Pac-12 test the Ducks would face in 2020. It remains that way now, but for completely different reasons. No one anticipated the Golden Bears being winless at this point, and no one thought the Ducks would be giving up nearly 30 points a game. While today’s …
Cristobal Learns Costly End-Game Lesson
In a game filled with frustrating moments, it is only fitting that decisions made on the side of the ball that was having some success (the offense) ended up losing the game in the final moments for Oregon. Where do we start in our analysis, and frankly, how far do we want to go? A porous defense and a conservative …
Charles’s Cogitations: Don’t Ignore the “CORVALLIS COLLEGE!”
Since it is rivalry week, I feel compelled to fling some disrespect and have some fun with Oregon State fans. But the team? We need to be careful with snap judgments because this is a highly improved Beaver team, one that is quite capable of beating Our Beloved Ducks and I will explain why. Of course there is always some …
Mr. FishDuck Recap: Ducks Survive, but WILL THE FANS this Season?
That massive THUD you heard after the game was thousands of Oregon fans with Playoff expectations coming back to earth. This is not what anyone expected coming into this COVID season, and now we are all contemplating how much we need to “re-imagine” our goals for Our Beloved Ducks. (I had to use the new trendy word at least once.) …
Mr. FishDuck Fine-Points: How Oregon Spoils a Happy Homecoming for Chip Kelly
In this homecoming … who is the master and who is the grasshopper? Chip Kelly put Oregon on the map years back, but he has reinvented himself, and his new UCLA offense is a far cry from the Chip Kelly offense we were accustomed to in Eugene. Meanwhile in Eugene, Coach Mario Cristobal, with an infusion from new OC Joe …
Coping with COVID Cancellations: What are OREGON’S Chances?
As always, I’ve been pondering about Our Beloved Ducks and have been fascinated with the impact of mental issues hitting other teams in the conference. Oregon has met these challenges well thus far, but both the fans and the team may have some trying times ahead. I have written before about the importance of establishing mental toughness, just as Coach …
Washington State Wrap: Are Your Feelings MESSED UP for this Season?
You are not supposed to have a bit of a sickening feeling coming from your stomach up after a win. After a loss sure, but not after a win-right? I wondered what this yucky feel and uneasiness was about after the game, and then I recognized it from some years in the past. It comes to you when you realize …
Key Points: A FishDuck Focus On Washington State
There are some big keys to watch for today that have not been discussed elsewhere, and this is the site for such contemplation. Time for my Saturday GameDay articles again, and the only negative is a short season of them! Join me in the comment section below this article, where we will discuss what to look for before the game, …
Oregon Football: Is Coach Cristobal SNOOKERING America?
I wonder if the Oregon head coach is snookering everyone, as he has the Ducks winning by a good margin against Stanford, but they didn’t look overly impressive. The offense is showing some surprises, yet mostly keeping it vanilla. The team’s superior depth from recruiting is beginning to show, but they’re not Alabama-good yet. Is this Oregon ball-coach trying to …
Oregon Football: Is Joe Moorhead Adding the New GoGo Offense?
Oregon fans have heard much this off-season about the innovative, up-tempo Run-Pass-Option (RPO) offense new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead ran at Fordham (picture above), Penn State and Mississippi State. Yet I believe there is a possibility of even more innovation by Coach Moorhead this season in the form of the GoGo Offense, an entirely new offense that correlates with the objectives of …
Knowing Taggart: What Was Cristobal’s REAL PLAN at Oregon?
As an astute Oregon fan, you know the story. Willie Taggart was hired as the new coach at the end of the 2016 season, and he brought a staff to Eugene that included current head coach Mario Cristobal as the offensive line coach, co-offensive coordinator and run-game coordinator. Taggart left to coach at his dream school, Florida State, and Cristobal …
Alternate Dimension: What if Chip Kelly STAYED at Oregon?
Oh come on … the title is not so far-fetched! Haven’t all of us fans of Our Beloved Ducks thought about this at one time or another? There are so many positive and negative facets to consider, and I am interested in your thoughts. Where would Oregon Football be if Chip Kelly had decided to pass on the NFL? If …