The end for Mark Helfrich was written long before the second half rains in Corvallis washed away any hope of his redemption. There was no artistry to that second half bludgeoning by Oregon State. No intricate scheme or innovation was required. It was straight ahead football, 27 consecutive running plays by the Beavers, and the Ducks had no answers … …
The Grizzled Ol’ Coach was on a roll, as he was extolling the credentials of the defensive coaches that new Oregon Head Coach Willie Taggart has assembled for Oregon, and those who are rumored to join the staff shortly. The GOC (Mike Morris) was very excited about Jim Leavitt becoming Defensive Coordinator, as he felt that the strengths of Leavitt matched …
It is only fitting that both the original Chip Kelly Oregon Spread Offense and the website FishDuck.com are fading from view right now; both will remain in some minor variation, but neither will ever again be the same. Coach Willie Taggart runs a Spread Offense, but it will not be what Chip began and what Mark Helfrich refined at Oregon, particularly through the memorable Marcus Mariota years. …
What the hell is wrong with college football? How is it possible that we have college football playoffs. So. Completely. Wrong? Let me first preempt the inevitable retort from Ohio State Fans: I like Urban Meyer. I like how his Bucks play. This is not an anti-OSU piece. If we are going to debate who the best college football coaches …
Watching this college football season play out, be it Oregon‘s collapse or the rise of teams like Washington and Nebraska, I was reminded that there have always been two ways of looking at the world. In the west, where monotheistic religions (Christianity and Judaism) are the most common, we traditionally believe that time is linear: a one-way progression of history. …
I have been wrestling with this thought for the last couple of days and want to see what other Oregon fans are thinking and feeling: how hard will this rebuild at Oregon for new Head Coach Willie Taggart going to be? I am not talking about getting to eight wins, but winning a conference championship and having a shot at …
The Ducks of Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich won the Civil War game over Mike Riley 8 straight years, including twice (2008 and 2009) denying the Beavers their first Rose Bowl invitation since 1957. As soon as Riley took the Nebraska job and the home and home with Oregon was scheduled, I am sure the date was circled on Riley’s calendar. …
To “pass” is to complete something successfully and move on. Or, one can “get a pass” meaning one didn’t fully complete the agreed requirements, but can move on, anyway, exempted from the agreed requirements. “No pass,” on the other hand, typically means one is not qualified to move on and results in a penalty or fine. In its strictest form …
With the firing of football head coach Mark Helfrich and the loss to Oregon State, one of the most difficult chapters in the recent history of Oregon Ducks athletics draws to a close. Meanwhile, the basketball season drives forward. A month into the season, the Ducks lack a win over a ranked team or a team likely to make the NCAA tournament. …
The expectations and excitement around the Oregon basketball team coming into the season was a welcome reprieve from the disaster of a football season that unfolded this fall. Many media experts picked Oregon to make a Final Four run and even win a national title. Pollsters also put Oregon in the top five of the preseason poll for the first time ever. …
Despite many columnists already proclaiming Mark Helfrich was ‘as good as gone’; despite Phil Knight long ago eschewing post game press conferences and removing himself from within 2000 miles of Saturdays ‘Civil War;’ in his Tuesday evening announcement, Oregon AD Rob Mullens stated that he did not have his mind made up regarding coach Mark Helfrich when he left Eugene for his College …
Seven days ago, I, like many of the Oregon faithful, was excited at the prospect of a team on the rise after an emotionally taxing 2016 season. On the road against Utah, the 12th-ranked team in the country, Oregon played like a team with pride and something to lose. The defense played hard and actually made more plays than they …