Clearly something needs to happen. Someone needs to give the biggest motivational speech anyone has ever heard. This team needs to get some sense slapped into them, because this season is going downhill really fast. This is the game that the Ducks need, though. The Ducks hate the Washington Huskies. I would sure hope that they have no problem getting …
The Ducks offense was interesting last week. I felt like I was watching an Ohio State game with two quarterbacks rotating every few drives or even mid-drive. Coach Mark Helfrich has said that he may continue with this rotation between Jeff Lockie and Taylor Allie as long as Vernon Adams is recovering. I don’t know if I completely agree with that, but …
Sometimes the surprises from Oregon’s offense come from a natural evolution and progression against the defenses of the Duck opponents. This time we see a new play introduced (or a variation of one used in the distant past) due to the game plan of Oregon; in this case against the Colorado Buffaloes. I could list off a number of plays …
Saturday, the Ducks are going up against the hungry Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. The Buffs are 3-1 this year and have shown they have a very potent offense. Quarterback Sefo Liufau is returning as the leader of the experienced offense. The Buffaloes are also returning Nelson Spruce, the star receiver from last year who can take a pass to the house …
On to Boulder! Questions remain as to how the Duck defense will surprise the Buffaloes. This analysis looks at one way in which Oregon might do just that: with a well-timed blitz from the secondary. Oregon’s success in stopping opponents hinges largely on defensive back (DB) play. One play we may see this this weekend is the safety (S) blitz. The safety blitz …
It’s the start of Pac 12 play! Who is excited? I know I am! The Ducks kick off conference play against Utah Saturday in Autzen Stadium. It’s move-in weekend for the students (that includes myself), so you know the student section is going to be pumped. Last week, we found out that Vernon Adams’ broken finger was bad enough to …
In a previous analysis I discussed Oregon’s Run-Pass Combo. In this follow-up analysis, I will look at how the Ducks use the same strategy to attack defenses by focusing on a single player. With the Duck offense, any defender can be the focus of an offensive play. Tendencies, leverage and spacing are all key points that coaches ponder when calling a specific play. In the …
Can we learn from a tough loss? In the case of last Saturday’s game, absolutely – especially with an opponent as talented as Michigan State. The Oregon game plan featured a new play variation of the new Oregon Power Play featured last week: a Quarterback Power Play. It sounds odd, considering Oregon QB Vernon Adams is on the smaller side, but let’s look …
The Oregon offense continues to evolve and progress since my instructional video series was created four years ago. Those videos have been viewed more than a million times in total! They have been helpful to fans, as well as to coaches looking to install the spread offense (Oregon style). However, defenses have become better at defending the spread, and thus the Oregon coaching …
You have heard the comments in the stands; heck, you may have even said it yourself! “I hate Oregon’s bend-but-don’t-break defense. I hate how we only rush three, and we give up third-and-long way too often!” Many people say that without understanding the reasoning behind utilizing the bend-but-don’t-break defense, and how it complements the Oregon offense. Let’s take a closer look …
Think about this for a moment: the Ducks went to the National Championship with a first year defensive coordinator, first year linebacker coach, and a second year defensive line coach. Despite this youth among the coaching ranks, and despite being underreported by national media sources, the Oregon defense excels at creating turnovers, which is clearly a point of emphasis by the defensive staff. …
One of the most complex pass routes to complete is the Fade Route, especially when used in the Red Zone, and even more so inside the five-yard line. Oregon has had difficulty completing this pass in recent years (fourth down against Stanford, anyone?), and a couple of us have been pondering if the unique touch of Vernon Adams throwing to freakishly athletic Kirk …
