In an effort to help us understand the FishDuck.com analysis articles going forward, it helps to have an understanding of how an offense views gaps at the line of scrimmage, and how a defense will line up in numbered alignments, or as coaches will call techniques correspondent to those gaps. Using the illustration below, let’s get started learning about what the different gaps (letters in …
Coach’s Comments: The Oregon Culture Has Troubling Warning Signs
This was a very difficult article to write, as it runs contrary to my core beliefs about the Mark Helfrich/Oregon coaching situation. But like learning football and sharing it with you over the years, as I come into other opinions that make sense to me, I feel compelled to share them. We don’t know the truth, the inner happenings in …
Right and Wrong: Linebacker Leverage in a 4-3 Defense
Our beloved Oregon Ducks are going through some historic defensive difficulties, yet offer glimmers of hope that they will become better on this side of the ball. Today we look at the leverage of Oregon’s linebackers (courtesy of the Grizzled Ol’ Coach, Mike Morris) and learn how their gap assignments can be solved by looking at both good and bad examples. A …
Mark Helfrich’s Quarterback MESS at Oregon
We have read the pundits in the media along with the opinions from the “experts” on the Oregon message boards; the quarterback recruiting in the past at Oregon has been a disaster after Marcus Mariota, and the present is a muddled mess due to the emergence of freshman QB Justin Herbert unsettling the usual quarterback rotation. These assertions would sound something …
What Went Wrong: Defensive Tackle Leverage in the 4-3 Defense
It is frustrating as fans to see gashes in the Oregon defense and know that something is going wrong, but not be able to pinpoint what it is. We are fortunate to have the guidance of the Grizzled Ol’ Coach, Mike Morris, to help us understand not only what went wrong in the game against Washington State, but to help …
Oregon Playbook: The Counter Play Reappears
After a tough loss we have to consider the prospect of learning more simply to enjoy the game of college football, but it is especially important when you lose a game. In my case, I wish to offer youth and high school football coaches around the nation a peek at Oregon’s playbook, which is large, yet the Ducks do not …
Scathing Coaches Comments: “… It is a lack of discipline …”
My friends, this article might be the most informative about the current situation of Oregon football as you will read, yet while I wish I could take credit, I cannot as it comes from those who are currently or have retired from being paid to coach football. My reaction and feelings were published yesterday and look to learn in this article …
At FishDuck.com … We Are Hurting, too!
My friends – I feel your pain, heck we all do at FishDuck.com, as we are Duck fans like you, and volunteer our writing, editing and analyzing for the fun of it. We are long-term, bleeding-green fans who give up a good chunk of our free time to offer our thoughts and hope to inform and entertain you in the …
The Run-Pass Option: A Mid-Line Sweep Read w/Bubble Threat
As a fellow fan, it’s tough to lose a game – especially the way the Nebraska game transpired. Nonetheless, we wish to continue to build the “Oregon Playbook” within FishDuck.com and continue to learn from the evolution of the Oregon Spread Offense. There are ongoing permutations off of fundamental plays such as the Sweep Read, which we wish to identify and understand …
Oregon Stuns Opponents With New Inverted Veer Play!
The Oregon offense under head coach Mark Helfrich continues to progress and add new components to keep its attack fresh. I was pretty surprised to see a new play that seemed to have elements of an Outside Zone Read combined with a Power Play, and the Grizzled Ol’ Coach identified it as the Inverted Veer play! It was made famous …
FishDuck and Coaches Comments: “Disappointed With Winning”
I admit it. I am one of those spoiled Oregon fans that others write so negatively of. I don’t just want to win … I want Oregon to win big and when they don’t, I am disappointed. However, since I began this website I’ve been able to view the Ducks through the prism of a 30-year ticket holder and one …
Coaches’ Answer To: “Is Oregon in Trouble?”
While I am known for being a Sunshine-Pumper when it comes to my beloved Ducks, the team of coaching consultants at FishDuck.com are much more grounded and can give a realistic assessment concerning the state of the Oregon football team after one game. Yes, you have seen opinions from sportscasters who are not any better at knowing things than the …












