After Sunday’s game against the California Golden Bears, there are a couple of important lessons that we learned about this Oregon Ducks basketball team. First and foremost, we learned that this Ducks team is exactly who we thought they were. They are learning to play like a cohesive team, and most importantly they are learning to grow as teammates and …
The 85-scholarship era and Oregon’s rise to power
In college football, the modern era is generally considered to have begun after World War II ended. But it was actually in 1994 that the game solidified around the NCAA’s 85-scholarship limit. Isn’t a game only relevant so long as there is a reasonably level playing field? And as Oregon fans know, it is precisely that year, ’94, in which …
Oregon finishes a great accomplishment; now faces a month of unfinished business
In the last two weeks, Oregon has beaten bad teams with sloppy performances, 49-21 over Oregon State, 49-31 over UCLA. Neither win was artistic. The Ducks displayed enough athleticism and verve to put an outmanned opponent away, but each time they sputtered awhile on offense, allowing scores at the end of halves that made the wins seem less dominating and …
Keys to the game: Oregon State at Oregon
It’s the Civil War, but the Beavers are trying to send the Ducks to the Alamo. If they succeed, it will be the most rewarding and jubilant 4-8 season in history. For most of the year Oregon State hasn’t run the ball or defended the run. They’ve allowed 4.64 yards per rush this season and rank 84th in the country …
Oregon recruiting: Dwayne Stanford II is the receiver the Oregon offense needs
He’s announcing tomorrow morning and they may not get him, because a dozen elite schools have him at the top of their board. But Dwayne Stanford II is the type of target Oregon’s quarterback needed on the final drive on Saturday night. Stanford is 6-4, 185, out of Taft High School in Cincinnati, a rangy, physical receiver with good hands, …
Keys to the game: assorted quack, smack and facts for Oregon at Colorado
The keys to the game are different for this one. An Oregon loss is so unlikely, given the dismal state of the Colorado football program, which is a walking MASH unit at 1-6, that this game is more about what the Ducks achieve and accomplish to push forward in their season. The old coaching cliche is true; this mile-high massacre …
Tales from the stat sheet: a reason for Duck fans to be concerned about the ASU game
Turnovers are a can of football whup-ass. They are psychologically demoralizing and statistically devastating. Les Miles thinks it’s the most significant statistic to predict victory. The Mad Hatter’s football sanity is often questioned, but one thing remains certain: you can’t score without the ball, either by keeping it or taking it away. Turnovers deflate the crowd, demoralize the sideline and …
Loss of Clay a Challenge for the Oregon Defense
Every defense needs an enforcer. Michael Clay was emerging as that guy for the Oregon Ducks. Through two games he had 21 tackles, tied for the most in the conference. The Ducks have played two more since without him, and he’s still fourth on the team in total stops, just behind Stuckey, Boyett and Pleasant, just ahead of Kiko Alonso. …
We Have Changes Coming on Offense.
This next season promises to be exciting, with new plays and changes on offense, and I am going to enjoy breaking it down. Why do I think we will have major changes? Most have not noticed that inside of the last two games and the Spring Game of last year—we had FOUR new formations introduced with a slew of different …
The Fish Report: First Scrimmage!
In Oregon we have our natural cycle of summer transformations, of the warmth with the lush green vegetation everywhere that will begin to change. We see the geese begin going south, and we now see Duck fans flocking to Eugene to live the beginning of our football season. For many of us—we cannot help ourselves, as it has become part …
The Fish Report: First Scrimmage
(Note: This is a time that the Oregon Athletic Dept. is concerned about too much disclosure in reports given to the public over the internet. Note that I do NOT speak of injuries in my report, (I leave that in the good hands of Rob Moseley of the R-G who gets it straight from Chip) nor do I talk about …
The Fish Report: Competition Day
I’ve been to a ton of these over the last twenty-some years, and this August 2010 practice did not stand out or provide much beyond what you have already read from the good updates we have been getting. For the first day of pads…I was disappointed as the players appeared lethargic to me at times, although we did get some …
