We have seen the Ducks’ defense start to come together as the season progresses and the players get comfortable with the system that Defensive Coordinator Don Pellum has overhauled in the last year. This Saturday the Ducks will face a unique challenge in the Utah Utes who use two different quarterbacks. While this might sound like an inability to pick …
Offense is fun, offense is exciting. We want to see the big plays. We want to see Royce Freeman bulldoze his way to the end zone. We want to see Marcus Mariota drop back and complete a 50 yard pass, and we want to see the Ducks light up the score board. There is one problem, however. Can you rely solely on offense if …
This week we put the two football analysts doing the Tuesday analysis, (Charles Fischer), and the Thursday Opponent Analysis, (Rory Davidson), together to talk about what the Oregon fans should watch for in the upcoming game against Utah Saturday night. Charles: The loss for the year of their go-to receiver in Dres Andersen has slowed the Ute passing game to under …
Salt Lake City is quite possibly the most unusual, exotic town in America. This is hardly surprising, given its history. Founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and his followers, Salt Lake started out weird and has stayed weird over the ensuing decades. Anyone who’s spent any time between flights at the Salt Lake City Airport knows what I mean. Which brings …
The Philadelphia Eagles won again, beating Houston 31-21, and have the second best record in the NFL at 6-2. They also lost three more key starters to injury and continue to play poorly in many respects, leading to lots of crazy statistics. For example, the Eagles have the second lowest red zone efficiency in the league, yet they are the …
Marcus Mariota has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with only two interceptions this year and is well on his way to becoming the most efficient passer in NCAA history. Yes, an accomplishment worthy of celebration, but Mariota couldn’t have done it without great young receivers, including Darren Carrington, Dwayne Stanford, Charles Nelson and Devon Allen. How did these players develop into …
Beloved readers and fellow fans — game day is just around the corner, which means it’s time for me to start getting those nauseous/anxious butterflies in my stomach I’m always talking about. However, I must say the way our men have been playing these past few weekends has transformed my stomachache from anxious to excited! I honestly believe that team is …
Last Saturday, the Ducks finally defeated Stanford — the team that killed the Ducks’ past two seasons. Plus, Oregon completed this task in an emphatic fashion, annihilating the Cardinal 45-16. The Ducks are currently getting back into their groove after experiencing a heartbreaking loss to Arizona earlier in the season. Now, next up are the Utah Utes, who have the …
In an interview for FishDuck.com Thursday, I spoke with Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. Oregon’s matchup against No. 17 Utah is getting closer by the minute, and the Ducks have already had a long week of practice to develop the right game-plan. One of the main things the Ducks have been preparing for is Utah’s ability to give …
The Ducks travel to Utah this week for a key Pac-12 match-up with the Runnin’ Utes. FishDuck.com has a great deal of respect for what Utah has accomplished since they arrived in the Pac-12. After all, their 12-20 conference record since joining the Pac-12 is exceeded only by, well, almost everyone … but good try anyway! FishDuck.com thought it would be nice to …
This year’s Utah team bears a passing resemblance to the 2009 Sugar Bowl Champion team. That team beat heavily favored Alabama, and ended up ranked #2 in the Coaches’ Poll. The defense was underrated and the offense showed sparks, but was somewhat inconsistent. This year’s team isn’t as good as that team, but they do have the chance to upset …
Utah may be the largest hurdle that remains between Oregon and its playoff dreams. The Utes are 6-2 and have lost their last two games by a combined four points. The atmosphere in Salt Lake City this Saturday night could be the most hostile environment the Ducks will face this season. While reporting for FishDuck.com at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex today, I had …
