Opponent Analysis: How to Combat the Spartans

Rory Davidson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The excitement for Duck fans is rising by the hour, as they get ready to welcome one of the biggest non-conference regular season games in Duck history! It is the first Top-10 match-up of the college football season, and will have an immediate impact on the inaugural College Football Playoff picture. Both Oregon and Michigan State are appearing regularly in analysts’ playoff predictions; …

College Fantasy Football Leagues: The New Drug

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Starting Thursday night, you cling to the edge of your couch screaming for your fantasy team player to score a touchdown. You shoot up out of your seat and jump around every time your starting defense picks off the opposing quarterback. You curse and yell when you watch your No. 1 running back fumble the ball on the goal line. The …

Recruiting Update: Time Will (Marvell) Tell

Mark Flores FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Football Recruiting Commitments This past weekend’s 62-13 bludgeoning of South Dakota came complete with a “Quack” from one of the west coast’s top preps. Tabbed athlete Malik Lovette (4-Star/Redlands, CA/Rivals250) committed to Mark Helfrich and Co. prior to Oregon’s Saturday night romp, further stacking speed with likes of fellow commits Taj Griffin (4-Star/Powder Springs, GA/Rivals100) and Travis Waller (4-Star/Anaheim, CA/Rivals100). News …

Ready to Take the Lead: One-on-One With Keanon Lowe

Ashley Young FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let’s take a moment to re-live the Oregon vs Cal game from last season. We all remember the rain, right? In one of the wettest games in Autzen history, the Ducks marched onto a 55-16 victory over the Golden Bears. There is one play in particular that needs to be recognized. It was the first quarter, Marcus Mariota swung out …

Royce Freeman Embraces Oregon’s Straddled Triple Option

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis

There were plenty of surprises in this game to please even the most ardent fan, but for me — the most satisfying was watching new freshman running back Royce Freeman run Oregon’s Straddled Triple Option as if he were a senior and following his offensive line for years. His part of the play is the Inside Zone Read option, and most …

Playoff & Pac-12 Update: The Wait is Over

Steven Holstad FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s finally – finally! — football season! As the first weekend of college football wraps up, don’t expect any major changes when it comes to rankings, especially at the top. However, expect one major theme to be consistent with all top programs, there are still kinks to work out, and there is still work to do. Florida State Let’s start with the …

The Unveiling of Royce Freeman

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

With the Ducks revealing little in anticipation of next week’s non-conference pièce de résistance, it was two true freshmen left to dominate the storylines from Saturday’s game: The Unveiling of Royce Freeman Kickoff wasn’t until 7:30 Saturday night, but the texts came early in the morning: “Is Royce going to live up to the hype?” Of all the question marks that …

Mike Merrell’s Three-And-Out: Nick Aliotti Was Right

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

I know. He was fined. It was not politically correct. It was even against the rules. But it was honest, and it was the truth. Just as Nick Aliotti intimated (well, spouted off, actually), during garbage time of last year’s Oregon/Washington State game Wazoo coach Mike Leach should have been working on his running game instead of scoring two passing …

Three Reasons To Be An Idyllic Duck Fan After Week One

Josh Hall FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

1. You (likely) don’t live in South Carolina. After brutal beatdowns by a combined 48 points, both of South Carolina’s major universities are suffering from opening day hangovers that won’t be soon forgotten, even with copious consumption of bourbon and barbecue. If you also observed that poor Clemson fan the cameras repeatedly panned, with head in hands, play after disappointing …

From the Coyote’s Locker Room: Their Effort, the Ducks, & Autzen

Pat Pannu FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Not caring what the scoreboard was blaring for all to say, South Dakota Coyote’s head coach Joe Glenn came into the press conference with mostly good things to say about his team’s performance and the Oregon Ducks.  In his opening remarks he said that he was “really proud of our teams efforts” and that they “played hard against a very good …

College Football Nation: “Johnny Who?” and FSU Survives a Scare

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

  The moment you all have been waiting for is finally here! Kickoff! No more talk of lawsuits, arrest reports, or players hurting their ankles. We can finally talk football, and we may have been hoping for a few upsets today — but nothing really came as a shock. Let’s get right into the Top-25 to get caught up on this week’s …

Brandon McIver Excels Through Summer 2014

Rob Liggins FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The 2014 summer has been scorching for Ducks golfer Brandon McIver. After finishing his 2014 sophomore season as second on the team with a final score average of 71.95,  McIver has thrived in multiple summer amateur tournaments as well as competing in the 2014 US Open and the 2014 US Amateur Championships. While McIver is already well known and respected …