Things are bad. Really, really bad. The Eagles were somewhat cheered by a stronger second half against the Atlanta Falcons in their Game 1 loss, and hyped up their home showdown against the hated Dallas Cowboys with a cheeky video that poked fun at New Jersey governor and Cowboys fan Chris Christie. Then they rewarded the large national TV audience with …
News Originally slated to make his program choice later this afternoon, Oregon’s top uncommitted defensive back target Nigel Knott (4-Star/Madison, Miss./Rivals100) has delayed his announcement. Following what appeared to be an eye-opening visit to Eugene over the weekend, Knott has been given much to ponder as his collegiate career edges ever closer. Many thought it would take a lot to sway …
Dear Mr. Mullens: I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore! I have been a fan of Oregon football for years (well, I started following Oregon when they went to the “Natty” in 2011) and I just cannot sit idly by and allow you and the coaches to ruin my team! I know insiders, people who …
In a previous analysis I discussed Oregon’s Run-Pass Combo. In this follow-up analysis, I will look at how the Ducks use the same strategy to attack defenses by focusing on a single player. With the Duck offense, any defender can be the focus of an offensive play. Tendencies, leverage and spacing are all key points that coaches ponder when calling a specific play. In the …
Predicting a game is hard … ask any athletic director in college football, who are often required to anticipate the quality of their opponents as far as a decade ahead. Contrast that challenge with the fact that TV networks rarely make scheduling decisions sooner than 12 days before broadcast. The variables are myriad. From weather to attendance, to finance … …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out It’s incredible and yet it’s still surprising. Beating Georgia State, 61-28, using a generous helping of second, third and fourth stringers just wasn’t enough blood for too many fans. What seems to be forgotten is that September 19 is still fairly early in the season. We’re still only half way to the selection committee’s first way-too-early declaration …
Everyone knows that Oregon goes fast. Duck football is synonymous with speed and tempo and heaps and heaps of points. This article, however, will delve into the mental aspect of the uptempo pace the Ducks have favored is seasons past, as experienced by the Ducks’ opponents. I want to know if there is a hangover effect from playing the Ducks. Before we go …
When Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston said after last year’s Rose Bowl that the blowout game could have gone either way, it was laughable. When Georgia State’s players and head coach talked after today’s game about having an opportunity in the second half to make a comeback against the Ducks, it was hard to deny. Though undone by four turnovers, …
In college football today we often expect our athletes to be involved with a second sport. Lamichael James, Kenjon Barner, De’Anthony Thomas, and Devon Allen all have participated in track and field. There are rare athletes that take this a step further and take on more than just football and track. For example, we have Liz Brenner and her mission to participate in every …
Two weeks into the season and as expected, the Ducks offense hasn’t faltered. Vernon Adams Jr. fought through a broken finger to throw for more than 300 yards and extend Oregon’s streak of games with a passing touchdown to 70 in last week’s defeat at the hands of Michigan State. The defense improved in a much tougher contest than the Week …
“Did his head just bob? Was that a face-mask tug on Vernon Adams?” Steve Richardson, a long-time astute Oregon observer and fellow football analyst, stated aloud what I was thinking. We played the run back and yes, it appears that the defender reached up and grabbed the face-mask of Oregon’s new starting quarterback. A minute later we saw the replay up close …
This week’s game against the Georgia State Panthers may not have the hype last week’s game had, but that’s why this can be a dangerous, early season trap game. The Ducks are emotionally and physically drained after travelling to East Lansing and getting in a dog fight with the Spartans. The Pac-12 season also starts for the Ducks next week, so …