What does “It’s better to be lucky than good” mean? And how does this statement apply to Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens? In 2016 Mullens parted ways with Mark Helfrich after two disappointing seasons, and embarked on Oregon’s first true head football coaching search in decades. He eventually found Willie Taggart, and whether Taggart sank or swam Mullens (and his …
There are some people you always want to learn football from, especially when they understand the game so well and played college football. Guest analyst Justin Samples is one of those people, and he has written many acclaimed opinion/analysis articles at FishDuck.com. I thought I would check-in with him concerning his thoughts about the team after the first two non-conference games. …
Mike Leach, The Pirate, was roundly criticized when he suggested that college football (CFB) should have a 64-team playoff. But is this idea of his really off course? With Texas A&M slipping Oregon the weenie late at night, Ducks fans have been treated to two glorified scrimmages, with another cupcake on the menu this Saturday. My guess: Oregon’s season ticket …
The Oregon Ducks have a problem at cornerback. They’re short! Oregon fields two 5’11” corners in their base defense, along with 5’10” Verone Mckinley III as the third guy. Last season’s recruit Isaiah Bolden (6’2″ 175 lbs.) looked like a start to fixing this problem, but he decommitted and went to Florida State. Why is height at the cornerback position …
Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year. College football is finally back! After months of mundane Saturdays, we have a full slate of college football games to digest again. The Ducks got their much-anticipated season debut out of the way, with a 58-24 victory against Bowling Green. But there were a few issues. The box score shows that …
Picture this: you sit down with your loved ones around the TV to watch your favorite show. You’re all snuggled in as the episode starts, but soon everything looks familiar, too familiar. It’s at that moment you realize you’ve seen this episode before. This is how I felt watching the first quarter of Oregon vs. Bowling Green. I’ve seen it …
When Oregon unveiled its 2018 uniforms a few days ago, it was not just a fresh look to christen the Mario Cristobal era. It was coming full circle. Which, if you think about it, is appropriate for a team with an O logo. Oregon’s uniform odyssey began twenty years ago this December. On a beach in Honolulu a few days …
Want to see a movie shot in Oregon and primarily in Eugene? It is a movie created by local artist Jerry Thompson, who has written many articles for FishDuck.com, and I’ve lost count how many articles I have contributed to his local magazine Ducks Illustrated. And you get to see Oregon Basketball Coach Kelly Graves in it, and a tremendous …
It is easy to stay safe and later ridicule others who stick their neck out on predictions, so I have not been one to worry about the blow-back from my prognostications. I was pretty good last year in predicting seven wins, but we won’t talk about 2016 … as that brings me back to 50/50 like everyone else. We all …
A key component to winning or losing on the football field is turnovers! TOs can play a huge part in any football game, for good or ill. Types of Turnovers Fumbles: dropping or losing hold of the ball when in play. Interceptions: A defensive player catching a pass intended for an offensive player. Muffs in the kicking game: on kickoffs or …
The “pre-season” starts this Saturday for the Ducks. Bowling Green, Portland State, and San Jose State occupy the Ducks first three weeks until the real action begins at home against Stanford on September 22nd. Not the typical non-conference slate we’re accustomed to, but you gotta’ play the hand you’re dealt, and the Ducks can use this soft slate of games …
“It’s our way or the highway” — this seems to be the mantra coming from SEC title contenders when it comes to non-conference scheduling. The Pac-12 wants certain SEC teams to agree to a home-and-home series, but that isn’t what they are going to get. Is the SEC playing smart or playing scared? Let’s dive into the neutral site agreement …