If you’ve watched the Star Wars films (and who hasn’t?), then you pretty much have an idea of how Oregon football has fared over the last couple of seasons. The Ducks don’t seem to share many similarities to the intergalactic saga on the surface, but a closer look (and a little bit of imagination) shows that the two are more …
“What’s that you say? ‘Jackie Robinson, Johnny Wooden and McKay have gone away’? Hey, hey, hey!” B-r-r-r-ing! “9-1-1.” “Quaaaaaack!” It’s Poor Puddles calling to report animal abuse. Our fine-feathered friend has been whipped, spurred and ridden so hard by Trojans, Cougars, Huskies, Sun Devils, Beavers, Wildcats, Utes, Bears (both Golden and Bruin), and even two-ton Ralphie, that he is starting …
New Oregon Duck defensive coordinator Andy Avalos prefers that his defense stay multiple and mix up its coverages, but quarters coverage may be his most dependable scheme on the back end. Avalos plays quarters in a more aggressive fashion, allowing his corners to play closer to the line of scrimmage in order to jam receivers and knock them off their routes …
The first article I ever wrote for FishDuck.com was about the issues Oregon would have against bigger receivers in 2018. It was an article that was proven right at times (see Stanford) and wrong at others (see Arizona State). Regardless, I felt the Ducks would be unable to overcome their lack of size at cornerback to be among the nation’s …
No one would blame the Oregon basketball teams for taking some time off this spring. Both the men and the women had unforgettable postseason runs just a couple months ago. But the best in the business keep their foot on the gas pedal all year long, doing whatever it takes to get a leg up on the competition. That approach …
It’s hard to believe that this is supposed to be a relatively quiet time of the year for Oregon recruiting. It’s the evaluation period, so the Ducks are able to send 10 of their assistant coaches to visit the prospects of their choice. Of course, things have been anything but quiet. Top-100 quarterback Jay Butterfield and former top-50 defensive back …
For an offensive lineman, going unnoticed typically means that you’re doing your job. I’m sure Oregon offensive tackle Calvin Throckmorton is perfectly content living in anonymity and keeping feisty defenders away from his star quarterback. But Throckmorton deserves more than just a tap on the helmet from his running back after he opens up a gaping hole for him to …
Whoa! Is that background of yellow on the site bright or what? Is it too much? As many of you know, this site is going through a ton of updating and improvement and I would love your feedback. Since this is a Saturday article in the off-season (when there is not as much to discuss) it seemed like a perfect …
In 2008, Chip Kelly created the “Blur Offense,” the likes of which had never been seen. Not only did Kelly’s system propel the Ducks to championship-level heights, but it left a major mark on the entire college football landscape. Today, nearly every team uses some form of up-tempo offense, largely due to the success of Kelly’s Ducks. Now, a decade post-Chip, …
Everywhere you look, you see another article about how the Pac-12 sucks. But this isn’t about the entire Pac-12. The Pac-12 North has nothing to be embarrassed about, at least not in the high-profile worlds of football and basketball. Five of the six Pac-12 North members made bowl games this academic year, and three of them won. Going 3-2 in …
The 2019 Oregon Ducks football season has already generated a lot of hype, and it’s only May. During the offseason, Coach Mario Cristobal was out to secure a top-10 recruiting class, headlined by recruits such as Kayvon Thibodeaux and Mykael Wright. Quarterback Justin Herbert and linebacker Troy Dye are also returning for their senior seasons. With the returning seniors and …
The offensive coaching staff was the biggest disappointment of the Ducks’ 2018 season. Some of you will hem and haw and throw out lame excuses like, “they need time to adjust to a new system,” or, “the wide receivers were sub-par,” or even, “a coach needs four years to get his system in place.” You get four years when you’re …