Chip Kelly may be the next Pete Carroll. And by that I mean he will likely be fired soon from the pro ranks. Carroll failed to impress during his first at-bat (6-10, NY Jets, 1994) and boasted only slightly better success during his second attempt at the Patriot’s helm, which ended after his 8-8 finish in the 1999 season. Fourteen …
While Oregon Football Tailspins, Three Ducks Basketball Games To Anticipate
For those expecting an epic border clash, there was disappointment. For those that were hoping to see a resurgence to save the season, there was despair. For those that predicted a win, there was embarrassment. If you watched looking for discipline and effort, I imagine you turned the channel. On top of that, there was plenty of celebrating in Oregon …
The Oregon Ducks Have Cancerous Flaws
There’s an old saying attributed to English historian and philosopher Thomas Fuller that goes, “The darkest hour is just before the dawn.” I’m sure you’ve heard this saying in one way or another. It’s intended to give hope to those who have none and to those who see no end in sight for their suffering. After this weekend, I think …
Firing Mark Helfrich Is Fool’s Gold
Imagine the horror: your team has patiently built itself from its historically-mediocre origins to become one of the nation’s elite, with a succession of conference titles and high NFL draft picks, when one year suddenly everything falls apart. Your genius coach is gone and his successor is suddenly, after years of riding the coattails, struggling just to post a winning …
Are the 2016 Oregon Ducks a Lost Cause?
Is this season a lost cause? Many fans are already asking the question, just five games into a 12-game season. The struggles have been well documented. The defense not getting any consistent pressure, the linebackers out of position, missed tackles at every level. The offense humming one minute, then pedestrian the next. Repeated attempts to run up the middle despite …
Oregon Duck Basketball Is Ready for ‘Final Four’ Flight
Dreary days have come to Eugene. The glowing, summer sun that represents the hype and hope that Oregon Duck football brings, is gone. For all intents and purposes the season is done, despite the fact that there are seven games left. As the losses compound, the panic is palpable. With three losses before the second day of October, a perplexingly …
Mark Helfrich’s Quarterback MESS at Oregon
We have read the pundits in the media along with the opinions from the “experts” on the Oregon message boards; the quarterback recruiting in the past at Oregon has been a disaster after Marcus Mariota, and the present is a muddled mess due to the emergence of freshman QB Justin Herbert unsettling the usual quarterback rotation. These assertions would sound something …
One of Those Nights: Wazzu 51, Oregon Larry Cokers 33
Readers: Every writer on FishDuck.com is allowed to express their opinion in their articles. However, articles do not represent the views of the other writers, editors, coaching consultants, management, or the principals at FishDuck.com Charles Fischer As most of you are aware, the Oregon Ducks are not very good. Losing to the Cougars of Washington State last night was essentially a ho-hum …
Five Losses? Or Five Wins? The High Stakes for Mark Helfrich and Oregon Football
Readers: Every writer on FishDuck.com is allowed to express their opinion in their articles. However, articles do not represent the views of the other writers, editors, coaching consultants, management, or the principals at FishDuck.com Charles Fischer I never say “I told you so” and I don’t like people who do. But I told you so. I didn’t put any money on yesterday’s …
Buckle Up: Time To Ride the Oregon Football Roller Coaster
It used to be that Oregon fans made light of the other teams in the Pac-12 for their roller coaster seasons. You know the ones I’m talking about. Where they have pre-season hopes, maybe some hype around a returning quarterback or running back, maybe even a pre-season ranking, then fall flat on their face against some middling competition. Only they …
Overlooked No Longer, Brenden Schooler Flies as Oregon Duck Safety Net
A trendy criticism of the Oregon Ducks is their defense – or lack of it. When fans take a look at the field Saturday they may notice that defensive coordinator Brady Hoke‘s defense will feature only one senior in the starting lineup. Yes, the mistake-prone defense is experiencing some growing pains. That is easy to see, but better days are …
Has Oregon Football Descended From Elite Status?
Soul Searching Until Saturday, the idea of Oregon losing to Colorado any time in the foreseeable future was unimaginable. The Buffaloes have been the punching bag of the Pac-12 for years – the automatic win on the schedule for essentially everyone in the conference. Oregon fell to an improved Colorado team last weekend, and the football team has been doing some soul searching …