Marcus Mariota is undoubtedly the greatest quarterback to put on an Oregon Ducks jersey. He took the country by storm in his three collegiate seasons, carving up defenses with a blend of blazing athleticism and pinpoint accuracy. He became Oregon’s first and only Heisman trophy winner in his final season, and he nearly led the Ducks to a long-awaited national …
NFL scouts have a difficult job. They spend countless hours studying film, conducting interviews and doing research on hundreds of draft prospects. Even then, after all of their legwork, some of the most respected scouts miss on their evaluations fairly often. Sometimes, finding future NFL talent is little more than a guessing game. However, once in a blue moon, a …
Few things have impacted the game of football like the spread offense. The revolutionary concept of spreading the field to dictate the box count and to get athletes in space wasn’t widely accepted by the football community at first. But now, it’s the base offensive system for nearly every team at every level. With offenses rarely employing multiple running backs …
Of all the great Oregon Ducks football teams of the early 2010s, the 2012 team might have been the greatest. In Chip Kelly’s final season as head coach, the Ducks’ hyperspeed, spread-option offense was at the peak of its powers. For all but one game, Oregon was arguably the best team in college football. But a slip up against Stanford …
College football coaches have to tread carefully when recruiting quarterbacks in today’s landscape. With blue-chip passers transferring at the very threat of competition, coaches do everything in their power to ensure that highly touted quarterbacks not only commit to their school, but also stay long enough to make an impact. For this reason, coaches generally sign one quarterback at most …
A curious trend has emerged in college football — one that’s as senseless as it is perplexing. Fans and analysts alike have become fixated on conference strength. It used to be blasphemous, but nowadays, many Oregon fans find themselves cheering on their fieriest rivals in out-of-conference or bowl games, hoping that they represent the Pac-12 well and improve its perception. …
In today’s era of high-scoring, fast-paced offensive football, the last thing fans want to see is an offense that turns back the clock with slow, unexciting power football. When Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal announced that the Ducks’ offense would be centered around a physical, downhill rushing offense, the Oregon faithful went into a frenzy. Fans feared the worst, expecting …
For many, this past weekend’s NFL Draft served as a much-needed symbol of hope, as NFL teams across the country celebrated the addition of numerous collegiate superstars. But for the Oregon Ducks, the weekend was bittersweet, as a handful of their most talented players, including four-year starters Justin Herbert and Troy Dye, officially moved on to the next level. Now, …
Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned quarterback competition, and the Oregon Ducks have an unexpected one on their hands. Former Boston College quarterback Anthony Brown has transferred to the University of Oregon and will be immediately eligible to play in 2020 as a graduate student. When the news broke, many didn’t think much of it, as they expected a potential graduate …
It seems like yesterday the Oregon Ducks were on the verge of a free fall, trying to save face after Willie Taggart spurned the program that Mark Helfrich (despite his good intentions) nearly dragged to the gutter. But here we are, just a couple of years later, and the Ducks are right back in the thick of the playoff race. …
Spring football — and the sports world as a whole — is understandably at a standstill at the moment. But luckily for all of the sports-deprived Oregon fans, there’s still plenty to digest from the Ducks’ initial spring practices. One of the most interesting takeaways was that stalwart cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. worked out at the nickelback position and spent …
If LSU’s championship run in 2019 taught college football fans anything, it’s that the game has changed. While age-old foundations such as winning the line of scrimmage and playing good defense remain important, so too is having elite, game-changing talent at the skill positions (running back, wide receiver and tight end). The best teams have offensive playmakers across the board …