They said he was a step slow. They said he had gained too much weight. They said his Heisman chances were virtually nil. Some said — more like whispered — let the freshman sensation get more carries. That was until Saturday. Flashing his burst of old, Oregon’s LaMichael James rambled for 204 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri State in …
Keys to the game, Missouri State at Oregon
Chip Kelly often says the Ducks prepare against a faceless opponent and that their focus each game is competing against the vision of how good they can be. That theory gets the ultimate test today. An occasional laugher or one-sided matchup can be a tonic for a football team in building confidence and developing depth but two of these in …
Tuesday Two-Minute Drill: quick notes and observations on the Ducks after two games
Hollywood called. LaMichael James, De’Anthony Thomas and Amanda Pflugrad are going to star in a new movie. They’re going to call it “Gone in 6 seconds.” Great to see the “Return of the Quack” on Saturday afternoon. I think the Ducks just scored again while I was pouring my cereal. Incredible to think how productive and explosive Duck offense was …
Heat, hornets, and there was a football game too…
Saturday brought opening day at Autzen Stadium, a time when the beer flows, the sun bursts, and thousands descend upon our happy little hole in the ground to cheer on our Ducks. It is a day that as Oregon fans we all anticipate from about an hour after the last game ends and the final beer is downed in either …
Ducks scorch Wolf Pack
If you reached into your pack to pull out the sunscreen Saturday at Autzen Stadium, or ran to get another bottle of water at the concession stand, or perhaps spent a few moments cleaning the shades, you really ought not have. Chances are you missed a bunch. Like a touchdown toss from Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas — one of six …
Keys to the game: Nevada at Oregon
Four-touchdown favorites on the streets of Glitter Gulch, the Ducks have to win the game in the trenches of Autzen, or a promising season will go bust on the second hand. To avoid a Boise State-like debacle and a horrifying tale Duck fans will tell their grandchildren by the fire at future campouts, these are a few things to look for this …
FishWrap Friday Game 2 Preview: Oregon vs. Nevada
After last week’s offensive nightmare, the Ducks will come home to a friendly crowd in Autzen Stadium as the Ducks try to restart, and get ready for the quest for the PAC 12 Championship. Their first challenge will be the Nevada Wolfpack, who have been preparing all spring and summer for their shot at the Ducks (Nevada had no game …
Rose Bowl still an attainable goal
Today’s article is a guest contribution from Portland author/journalist Brian Libby. It was January 1, 1917. The country was just three months away from entering World War I, which had already been underway for three years. The Bolshevik Revolution was bringing Communism to the newly formed Soviet Union. Woodrow Wilson was president and Babe Ruth was still a pitcher. …
Taking Redemption in one-week doses: a first look at Oregon vs. Nevada
The best antidote for a miserable, demoralizing loss is a confidence-building win. The Ducks play host to the Nevada Wolfpack on Saturday in Autzen Stadium, and their goal is to be inhospitable and vengeful hosts. But the Wolfpack are an unknown quantity: they took last week off and have the blessing of an extra week of preparation and no in-game …
It wasn’t all bad…
First off all, I want to commend LSU for playing a great game. Certainly everyone sporting green & yellow inside and out is disappointed in the outcome from Saturday night, but it is important and somewhat therapeutic to take a closer look at what happened and take away some positives from this weekend. It was a starting point, definitely something …
Ducks fail to match LSU’s brawn
All the talk about Oregon being “Tiger Bait” wasn’t that far off. LSU chewed up the Ducks on Saturday night, controlling the line of scrimmage and feasting off Oregon’s turnovers, penalties and other miscues to saunter out of Arlington, Texas, with a 40-27 win in the season opener for both. The game was billed as one with national title implications, …
How I Learned to Love the Regular Season
Think back to 2004. Urban Meyer was the head coach at the university of Utah, and he led the Utes to an undefeated season, and a victory over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. Football fans everywhere started the murmur “down with the BCS.” It took another two years for Boise State to earn the next non-AQ BCS bid, and in …