8-4. By all accounts an up and down season. Perhaps some optimism but in general most fans are not completely satisfied. There’s a general feeling of mediocrity, underachievement, and that things must improve. Welcome to modern day Oregon football. For historical perspective, in 1990, the Ducks went 8-3 and went to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, CA. Fans were elated. At …
Time to review the season, and note that I did not ask if you were satisfied with 8-4 as a regular season record, but if having a 8-4 result for this year was acceptable to you. There is so much that goes into making such an assessment, which makes it a great “ponder-point” for us to chew on. So many of …
This is not a “Mario Cristobal Hit Piece,” as some of my articles questioning Oregon’s coaching may have appeared to be. In fact, there are many elements of the Civil War victory that point to superb coaching by this staff. I wish to point those out, along with some items to ponder as we wait for our upcoming bowl game. For …
Give thanks for what? My friends, on Thanksgiving Week, I have a lot to be thankful for concerning FishDuck.com and all of you! I did not anticipate the comments below the article to become as much fun as they have. We are the only Oregon website that is guaranteed “TROLL-FREE” because I enjoy ruthlessly deleting offending comments that violate our rules. The …
Mario Cristobal is not Chip Kelly. Kelly is an offensive mastermind, whose fast-paced, spread-option system took the country by storm. His innovations, matched with some of the most dynamic athletes in the game, led the Ducks to their most successful period in team history. But for all of his acclaim, Kelly couldn’t get over the hump. Although his offensive brilliance …
As Charles Fischer pointed out in yesterday’s article, the Oregon offense did take steps forward in the first half against ASU. This was encouraging to see and showed that the coaching staff was willing to open up the playbook to things that have WORKED at Oregon, and weren’t absolutely hell-bent on the conservative power-game that wasn’t working. Having said that, …
I could not believe my eyes. I have written extensively about how this staff could not win a National Championship someday unless there were massive changes and Coach Mario Cristobal became more flexible on offense. I felt there was a very low chance of that happening, as it appeared that he was going to be stubborn about “establishing the run,” and …
My friends… we have had great fun discussing our Beloved Ducks after the games over the last month in the comments below the articles. I thought I would start it early — for those who want to weigh in before the game, during the game, and after the game. Like before — this discussion will continue into Sunday and I …
Oregon’s offense has undergone a facelift, and the results haven’t been flattering. The once ultra-exciting and innovative unit that produced historically great results now looks ordinary and predictable. Finding something positive in the midst of such offensive regression is challenging, but there has been one resounding bright spot: Dillon Mitchell. The former illustrious recruit from Memphis has become a bona fide …
As the Ducks embark on one of their most exciting seasons ever, let’s pause to remember how lucky we are to have Dana Altman running the show. After Ernie Kent’s firing, rumors were rampant that Oregon was chasing Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Baylor’s Scott Drew, Kansas’ Bill Self, Steve Alford of New Mexico State, or Mark Turgeon of Texas A&M. …
Last Monday felt like the earth moving in Oregon, as my article sent shock waves among Ducks fans on both sides of the conundrum. My objective was to declare my thoughts about what I was seeing, and it gave permission for others to voice their concerns about the future of the team as well. We had spirited debate all last …
As part of a new tradition on this site–we have an article published soon after the game to simply allow us to discuss it in the comments. I began this after the Washington game for the first time in seven years, and it is highly participated in and now a part of what we do. We will continue after football …
