A Double Track Championship? Oregon Is in the Hunt!

Bruce Nelson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Wednesday marks the beginning of what could be the four most exciting days in Duck track and field history as the men’s and women’s teams have a chance to win dual titles for the first time. According to the usually-reliable Track and Field News’ forecasts, the men are favored to win their second title in a row by a scant …

How Oregon Uses Constraint Plays to Stay One Step Ahead of the Defense

Alex Kirby Fish Reports

Analysts love to dissect Oregon’s many packaged schemes and option runs, offensive plays designed to take advantage of whatever the defense throws at them, with an answer for just about anything and everything. There is, however, another part of any offense that is just as crucial, sometimes referred to as constraint plays. Constraint plays force a defense to hesitate, to think a little …

Defense Will Determine Ducks Heights in 2015

Spencer Thomas FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The quarterback battle going on in Eugene has certainly received its share of local and national press, and justifiably so. The Ducks are replacing the single greatest player in program history, who also happened to occupy the single most important position on the field. While I do not want to diminish the importance of this position — indeed, Oregon cannot …

Mariota Impresses Early in Nashville

Jimmy Friedricks FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Pressure is something Marcus Mariota knows well. From his days in college, he understands that his team’s successes and failures will all fall on him. He understands how to thrive in situations when everyone is looking to him, needing him to come through when it matters most — either on the field or in the community — whether that means working at a …

Gary Campbell — The Man in the Suit and Behind the Offense

Henry Swift Men of Oregon: Players and Coaches

Rich Brooks, Mike Bellotti, and Chip Kelly are all coaches responsible for great seasons and the current state of the Oregon football team. As fans, we attribute success and failure to the head coaches, but it is never just the head coaches that are responsible for the success of a team. Too often we give the head coaches — and sometimes …

Should Oregon Retire Numbers?

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

While watching  ”The Sandlot” the other day, I couldn’t help but get caught up in my nostalgia. Babe Ruth comes into Benny’s room and gives him advice on his predicament, and before he leaves, he says, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” I began to think about Marcus Mariota. His contributions to the Oregon football program go far beyond …

Track & Field at the Crossroads

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out With the upcoming NCAA Track & Field Championships – and with the utter failure of the preliminary rounds as spectator events — those who oversee the events ponder what to do to generate more spectator interest, and, presumably, therefore more dollars. But maybe efforts to promote track & field should be made with something besides dollars in mind. …

Mariota Looking to Buck Trend of Ducks Busting in the NFL

Aaron Lewis FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Former Ducks football players can be found across the NFL. Oregon even had the distinction of having more former players starting in last year’s Super Bowl than any other college team with three. Over the last 20 years, 71 Oregon players have been selected in the NFL Draft, including nine first-round picks. In the 2015 draft, Marcus Mariota became the …

Royce Freeman, Oregon Ducks

Unconventional Superstars — It’s Just the Oregon Way

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Easily the most highly touted player to come out of college in recent memory, Andrew Luck checked all the boxes. At the combine he measured in at 6’4″ and a stocky 230 lbs, and every time he threw a football people swore you could hear the laces sing in pure awe and glory. Seriously, the guy was the living, breathing …

SEC Quarterback Play, Football Biz and Stadium Scoreboard Replays

Dave Kensler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There is the Pac-12 which is THE Conference of Champions and then there is what is happening in college football around the country! Here is the latest… SOUTHEAST / ACC We are all familiar with the phrase, thanks in part to the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, “It is best not to mix politics and religion” — or something similar. …

FishDuck’s 2nd Annual Letter to Graduates of the University of Oregon

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Governor Kate Brown, President Scott (don’t call me John) Coltrane, incoming FIFA President Hope Solo, parents and family of the 2015 graduates of the University of Oregon, and graduates one and all. My name is Kim Hastings and it is my distinct honor (on behalf of FishDuck.com/wepaidhandsomelyforthispimpspot) to be invited to speak to you on this august June (?) day. Graduates, …