Oregon, a 14-point (or more) underdog, confidently entered the storied Ohio State ‘Shoe that was packed with 100,489 fans hungry to see the Buckeyes earn their tenth-straight victory over what many assumed were the usual bunch of Northwest patsies who have never defeated OSU. Head coach Mario Cristobal and the Ducks answered a lot of questions that have lurked the …
Oregon fans who were eagerly looking forward to an easy win over Fresno State in their opener, had a rude awakening at the end of the third quarter with a 21-21 tie, a defense struggling to contain the Bulldogs’ potent passing game and an offense that disappeared after putting up a two touchdown lead midway through the first quarter. With …
There are a lot of unknowns going into the 2021 football season for the Oregon Ducks and coach Mario Cristobal. It’s hard to tell from the spring football game so let’s look at the last serious competition, the Fiesta Bowl where tough Iowa State dominated the Pac-12 champions 34-17. Oregon’s offense, traditionally a national force, went meekly into the night, …
First, the bad news: with every football season there is uncertainty. This season is already bad. Shadowed by COVID-19, which has the potential to cancel games, or the season in the worst case, the Pac-12 schedule has been shortened to seven games and doesn’t begin until November, closer to winter than autumn. Add to this Oregon coach Mario Cristobal‘s challenge …
Justin Herbert looked like a legitimate Heisman candidate in leading Oregon to a nail biting 28-27 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. In a season that at times seemed disappointing, the stars aligned and Herbert was allowed to show his stuff. Along with a courageous, tenacious defense, Herbert was the difference in the Ducks hard-fought victory. There were many …
In only his second year at the helm, coach Mario Cristobal was able to clutch the Pac-12 championship trophy and smell roses two weeks after ingesting the smell of manure and getting knocked out of national championship contention by Arizona State. His Ducks, looking like studs, scored 37 points on one of the best defenses in the country, and his …
Oregon won the Civil War 24-10 to give coach Mario Cristobal a fine 10-2 record, but left a majority of Duck fans with less than celestial euphoria. Former All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate Justin Herbert performed as the good soldier he is at quarterback; good enough to tip the scales over an Oregon State team that refused to be overwhelmed, …
Oregon was shocked by Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels, an 18-year old freshman quarterback, who blitzed the Duck secondary for 408 yards passing, including going 5 for 5 on deep bombs. Three such bombs resulted in touchdowns, paving the way for a 31-28 win and an end to the Sun Devils’ four-game losing streak. Oregon’s defense looked lethargic, and it showed …
Coach Mario Cristobal allowed a long pass on the second play from scrimmage and it was a perfect 73-yard strike to Johnny Johnson III from Justin Herbert, and the Oregon Ducks were off and flying to their ninth-straight victory, 34-6 over Arizona. The win clinched first place in the Pac-12 North Division and a ticket to the championship game against …
Oregon’s second bye week of the season allowed Duck fans an opportunity to assess the improvement coach Mario Cristobal has established with his team and the potential for more excitement down the home stretch of the 2019 season. The Pac-12 North Division race has been settled — Oregon is in, no matter the results of the last three games: Arizona, …
Last weekend the Oregon Ducks demolished USC 56-24 on the Trojans’ hollowed turf, but the game was not the classic that it could have been. Coach Mario Cristobal’s team rang up 12 penalties, 10 of which were personal fouls for a total of 157 yards. You could describe some of these fouls, particularly two on Troy Dye, as deliberate and …
Coach Mario Cristobal found out several important things in his team’s exciting win over a determined Washington State squad, one of which is that he actually has a confident field goal kicker, Camden Lewis, who came through, drilling a 26-yarder as the gun sounded for a 37-35 victory. Another observation might be how fast Justin Herbert can drive the Duck offensive …