Do you like the above nickname for the Oregon defense? I like how it rolls and rhymes so well, and I have to give credit to my friend, Ugly Duckling, for creating it with me. It just seemed so appropriate that an Oregon defense had some kind of moniker for what is evolving as a crucial element of this 2021 …
Oregon Football: Ducks Shock Buckeyes, Prove Haters Wrong
Don’t underestimate Mario Cristobal or his Oregon Ducks. For the past week, everyone from Ducks fans to mainstream talking heads did not know what to make of No. 12 Oregon Ducks‘ season opener against the Fresno State Bulldogs. While the defense was impressive, Oregon’s offense seemed kind of stale and uninspired in a game that was way too close for …
Ohio State Game Day: The FishDuck Game Plan for Beating the Buckeyes
Look, I know winning in Columbus is not a high probability, and my head spoke yesterday with my predicted score. But the FishDuck heart bleeds green and feels there is always a way … and in fact my suggested game plan lines up with our personnel! Indulge me, humor me and let’s discuss before, during and after the game! The …
Cristobal’s Offensive Line Performance Stinks: Time to Return to Basics
Mario Cristobal has built his coaching career on the offensive line. It has been both a point of pride and emphasis when it comes to putting his mark on the Oregon program. It is also the root of his desire for Oregon to be physical and to physically overpower and dominate the opposition into submission. The sad fact of the …
Is Mario Cristobal the Next Les Miles?
With all the negative vibes surrounding the Mario Cristobal offense, I couldn’t help but think back to a few years ago when a once-highly-successful coach of the LSU Tigers was run out of Baton Rouge for also being “offensively challenged.” Les Miles, best known for being the head coach at LSU from 2005-2016, was also a lover of the “shove …
The Shotgun is Working: Time to Send the Pistol Packing?
The Oregon offense used to be a source of great enjoyment for Duck fans, while currently it has created a bit of angst among the faithful. My friends, there is too much to unwrap from that Fresno State game, but I must say that there have been astute comments below this article and this one that relay the feelings of …
Oregon Football: Ducks’ Victory Lacks Championship Flavor
Better buckle up, Ducks fans, this could be a bumpy ride. If there’s anything I have learned over the course of Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal’s tenure thus far, it’s that his teams are loaded with talent but they aren’t going to run away with every game before halftime by racking up video game stats. Cristobal delivers hard-nosed, smash-mouth, slow …
What I’m Watching For: Fresno State GameDay!
The wait for the 2021 season has not been that much different than prior years … it just feels that way. We are all so anxious to see how the team will perform after an under-performing 2020, (hampered by COVID restrictions) not having a full team present for 2020 games and finally–now having full fall and spring 2021 camps with …
Backing the PAC: The Pac-12’s Must-Win Games
The 2021 football season starts tomorrow! Yes, some teams have already played, but that is a sideshow to the main event. The early season is when most teams play their out-of-conference schedules and this is the time that these games become vital to a conference’s image. In the past five years or so, the Pac-12 has not fared well. It’s …
How Many Starts will Anthony Brown Earn?
Anthony Brown was officially named starting quarterback a few days ago for Our Beloved Ducks in the season opener, which will be this Saturday against Fresno State. No surprise there. As fans, we’ve been clamoring over Oregon’s quarterback question all summer, so it’s nice to finally have a definitive answer from head coach Mario Cristobal on who will be leading our …
Week 1: Ducks Need a Solid Victory
Finally, the football season is here. The roster is talented but after some dismal moments in 2020, exactly how the Ducks will perform in 2021 is a mystery. Last weekend, UCLA was the only Pac-12 team in action as they rolled 44-10 over a sub-par-to-average Mountain West team in Hawaii. This got me thinking about how the Ducks should fare …
Tempo-Tempo-Tempo: Will We See it at Oregon in 2021?
A question I see often in the comments concerns whether Oregon will be running fast tempo this season. I am curious as to whether you think we will, or if we even need to run fast tempo and how often. We all know the story of how a former coach pulled that tactic out of the distant past and made …