Against the Utah Utes, we didn’t have to wait very long to see where Braxton Burmeister’s game has improved. On the first drive of the game we saw a good amount of growth in the passing game from the young quarterback. In this analysis, we take a look at four plays in the game’s opening drive that show how Braxton is …
In the beginning, Oregon’s 2017 season did not feel like its disastrous 2016 season, which resulted in the firing of the entire coaching staff. A new coach had already won the recruiting season by convincing key veterans to return (Royce Freeman and Tyrell Crosby), bringing in a stellar 2017 class and building the foundation of an historic 2018 class. But …
My friends, in the last week I had disconcerting conversations with two other FishDuck.com writers Dr. Mark Weinrott, and Dr. Steven Smith, (who both wrote articles in the last week) about the stagnant Oregon offense under Coach Willie Taggart. I sadly came to a conclusion that unless Coach Taggart changes and looks at opening his offense up some more–much of …
Coach Willie Taggart has shown remarkable restraint on the sidelines the past three games, all defeats for his Ducks, who have gone down under a flurry of penalty flags, missed assignments and classic gaffes that border on insubordination and attention deficit disorder. Against UCLA, Oregon fell behind quickly 14-0, but worked their way back into the game to tie at …
Three years of college football playoffs have clarified the team selection criteria. The most heavily weighted variable, aside from won-loss record, seems to be strength of schedule. The 2017 College Football Playoff committee looks favorably on those who challenge themselves out-of-conference even more than it values a conference championship. Recognizing that schools have no discretion in their league schedules, the only …
Can you believe what a cool picture (above) that is featuring Max Unger, Jonathan Stewart, and Dennis Dixon? Unger looks like he is taking aim on the linebacker he is going to cream and has proven with Hroniss Grasu, that agile, athletic offensive linemen can play in the NFL. Fun memories… My friends, you simply need to know to look …
Welcome to the sixth installment of X’s vs. O’s. In this series, we will analyze ways in which Oregon utilizes different schemes and techniques to both attack and defend the opposition. Today, we are looking at a play-action pass scheme against a zone blitz. We’ll briefly review the passing concept, the QB’s play fake, and the pass protection scheme before …
Yes, hoops season is finally here. Every team is undefeated, and optimism runs high. In basketball, the Ducks are a bonafide contender again for the BIG Dance under the tutelage and direction of Dana Altman and staff. In his eighth season at Oregon, a tradition of winning and excellence has been established. It wasn’t always that way. Time travel back to his first …
It could have been worse. It could have been 2007, on the heels of Dennis Dixon’s knee injury against Arizona, when the Ducks stumbled into the Rose Bowl and couldn’t score a point, losing 16-0 to a hapless and free-falling UCLA. Though the Ducks had national championship aspirations that year, which had vanished in Tucson the week before, they still …
I am going to ponder with you one positive (among many) from this game. I am also pleased to announce what my Halloween costume will be this year, as I think at least it will be a winner. It is pretty simple. I take a long strip of white cloth and make a sling around my neck and wrap it …
Oregon’s 2018 recruiting class looks like it might be the best in Duck history. With a little luck it might be the best in the nation as well. The Ducks have three players who’ll be leaving the program after this year: Roman Sorkin, MiKyle McIntosh and Elijah Brown. High 4-star Miles Norris and 5-star Louis King are already committed. The list of …
Since the loss of quarterback Justin Herbert, long-suffering Duck fans have watched Oregon’s offense curl up and wither. Still “PTSD’d” from the Alamo Bowl two years ago, it has blurred the brighter, optimistic future that was on the horizon. After Braxton Burmeister threw two interceptions, Coach Willie Taggart threw away his pass play sheet and decided he would attempt a comeback …