How good has the recent history of Oregon football been? It was a challenge to determine what the most exhilarating games of the last ten seasons were. Over the last three seasons, the Oregon Ducks have had four losses, yet only three wins by two touchdowns or less. Close wins have been few and far between. (Not surprisingly, two of …
Oregon’s Underrated/Outstanding Defensive Backs
Before anything else, one word usually comes to mind when people hear about the Oregon Ducks, “Offense.” The Ducks have finished among the elite in the national standings over each of the past six years in terms of total offense, and have developed quite a reputation doing of it. However, that reputation also comes with some negatives. Many argue that, …
Oregon vs. Michigan 2007: The True Dawn of the Chip Kelly Era
Football is an extremely complex game filled with trickery, mental toughness, and constant adjustments. Coaches and players alike must be on their toes at all times, actively trying to remain one step ahead of their opponent. As Oregon fans know, perhaps no coach in recent history has done this as well as Chip Kelly, at least on the offensive side …
The Ten Most Influential Plays of the Last Ten Seasons: #5-1
In case you missed Part 1, read it here. To read the list in its entirety, go here. Before we get to plays #5-1, here are some plays that just missed the list: Honorable Mention: Kenjon Barner’s punt return fumble against LSU (2011): The play had a heavy impact on the game (as well as Tyrann Mathieu’s career), but had …
The Ten Most Influential Plays of the Last Ten Seasons
“Life’s this game of inches…so is football…because, in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small…one half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it, one half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it, the inches we need are everywhere around us… they’re in every break of the …
The Ten Most Influential Plays of the Last Ten Seasons: #10-6
“Life’s this game of inches…so is football…because, in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small…one half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it, one half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it, the inches we need are everywhere around us… they’re in every break of the …
Running Giants at Historic Hayward Field
Track Town, USA. The words bring to mind a few things: Eugene, the Ducks, Steve Prefontaine and lastly but most importantly, Hayward Field. Fans, athletes and coaches all over the world know about Hayward Field. Athletes and coaches love to compete there because of the knowledgeable and loud fans who roar approval for every athlete who passes through the gates. Construction for Hayward Field …
Recent History Shows Oregon is the New “Running Back U”
Nine 1,000-yard rushers, seven NFL backs, and a finish among the nation’s top-six in rushing over each of the past six seasons. That pretty much summarizes Oregon football’s ground attack since 1999, making it arguably the most prestigious factory of running backs over the past 15 seasons or so. Over the years, numerous schools have made a case to be …
When Hayward Field’s Magic Worked For The Ducks
It has been almost 30 years since Oregon won its last NCAA men’s outdoor track and field championship. The Ducks men’s team won its last outdoor championship in 1984. One of the fascinating facts about Oregon’s track and field history is that all three of its undisputed men’s outdoor track and field championships (1962, 1964 and 1984) were won at …
Comparing Marcus Mariota to One of Oregon’s All-Time Greats
“Johnny Football” may have received the most media hype among an emerging class of elite freshman quarterbacks in 2012 (deservedly so), but Marcus Mariota is arguably the most complete of the batch. The Flyin’ Hawaiian gave the Ducks a seamless transition from Darron Thomas, who had departed early for the 2012 NFL draft. Only the third quarterback in Oregon football …
Oregon Unknowns: An Unforgettable Halftime with Len Casanova
A great trivia question for Duck football fans: What was the longest winning streak by a Duck team prior to their 11 straight in 2001-02 (counting overlapping seasons)? Oregon finished the 1932 season with a win over LSU in the bitter cold of Louisiana, then won their first eight games of 1933 for a combined total of nine straight games. …
Your Greatest “Oregon” Ducks
About a year ago, I wrote a post attempting to list the greatest “Oregon” Ducks of all-time - University of Oregon athletes, regardless of sport, who were either natives of the state of Oregon, or at had least moved here at a young age and thus “grew up” in Oregon. I originally planned to do a “top 10”, but early in the research it …