For many college football fans, the Oregon football program was not taken seriously before 1994, when Kenny Wheaton picked off Washington quarterback Damon Huard’s pass and took it 95 yards the other way to propel his Ducks into their first Rose Bowl since 1958. Since then, the Oregon Ducks have represented the future, especially since Chip Kelly took over as …
Over the past decade, Oregon’s rushing attack has set the standard in college football. This has been particularly evident since the arrival of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator in 2007, as the Ducks have finished in the Top-10 nationally in rushing during each of the past seven seasons, a truly remarkable feat. Dating all the way back to the early …
While the rankings given out on each National Signing Day may not always reflect it, the Oregon football program has become truly outstanding in its ability to recruit the right players for the right roles. The Ducks do not necessarily recruit in traditional ways. In fact, over the past 10 seasons or so, Oregon has rapidly become known for its …
It has been fascinating to watch the college football world attempt to justify the myth that the SEC remained, by a large margin, the best conference in the country throughout the 2013 season. In their eyes, this was the only (untouchable) view. This view has survived for a long time, and in fairness there have always been reasonably strong …
The Oregon Ducks currently have one of the most seasoned coaching staffs in college football. Position coaches such as Gary Campbell and Steve Greatwood, for example, have been on Oregon’s staff for more than 25 years. Defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti was a huge part of that experience, having spent more than 20 years himself as an assistant coach in Eugene. With Aliotti’s …
Kevin Cline Marcus Mariota has completed arguably the finest regular season ever put together by an Oregon quarterback, or any offensive player for that matter. With 39 total touchdowns and 3,994 yards of total offense, the Flyin’ Hawaiian has cemented himself among the college football elite. Since Mariota was named the starter in Eugene at the beginning of the 2012 …
Kevin Cline It feels like Josh Huff has been a Duck for much longer than four years. Since the beginning of his true freshman season in 2010, Huff has been an exceptional playmaker. In his four seasons as a lethal offensive weapon, he has done as much for Oregon Duck football as anyone. Capping Oregon’s meteoric rise to the top of …
Kevin Cline Two weeks ago, the Oregon Ducks endured one of the toughest losses in recent memory when they fell to the Stanford Cardinal, 20-26, to move to No. 6 in the BCS standings. As frustrating as this loss was, the following media attention hurts nearly as much. “The Ducks can’t win the big game.” “Oregon’s gimmicky offense will always …
Craig Strobeck The Utah Utes have been unpredictable so far this season. Earlier in the year, they lost to UCLA by only seven points, and shocked the Pac-12 when they beat then-No. 5 Stanford. However, Utah has now lost four straight after falling 44-21 to a hungry Oregon Ducks team, moving to 4-6 on the season. The Utes were frustrated after …
Kevin Cline “Oregon only wins because of its offense.” Everyone knows that, even though it’s not true. In fact, it is so deeply ingrained in everyone’s mind, that outside of the state, people rarely even bother to consider the Ducks’ D. Regardless of how this season finishes, the 2013 college football campaign has a clear-cut top tier consisting of Alabama, …
John Giustina The Oregon Ducks hate the Washington Huskies. The Washington Huskies hate the Oregon Ducks. What more could you ask for in a college football rivalry game? These two teams have battled for bragging rights on the gridiron for more than a century, beginning all the way back in 1900. That season, Oregon State (then Oregon Agricultural College) temporarily …
Craig Strobeck I know it’s early. I know I shouldn’t jinx it. But Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is off to one heck of a start this season. Through only five games, he’s posted 1,358 passing yards, no interceptions, 338 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns in leading the Ducks to a 5-0 start. The Mariota-led offense has posted more than 55 …