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 …
The Fish Report: Second Scrimmage
The weather report for today was for sunshine and some clouds with a warming temperature that promised to take the rigid chill of winter away. Yesterday gave us that warmth with blue skies in the background of some lovely pink flowering cherry trees. Today—all we got was the promise; it started and remained in the low-forties, and the frigid breeze …
The Fish Report: Saturday Practice
We have the sun out, the ground wet, and blossoms emerging in Eugene Oregon, as I walk into the Mo Center for this first contact practice with pads. The Sideline today was packed with High School coaches, fans, and some impressive HS players that were here for Junior Day. I also noted outside that the mother Osprey was back with …
The Fish Report: First Spring Scrimmage
We know its spring with new blossoms, new buds on trees, and our Osprey friends nesting as usual in the corner of Autzen. The footballs are flying, so it has to be April—right? Baloney. It felt like a December Civil War game as that was one of the coldest scrimmages that I’ve ever been to and ill prepared for! My …