Bless me Fish, for I have sinned. It’s been forever since my last confession, but I have to get a few things off my chest. My soul is weary with the pain and weight of iniquity. I yearn for absolution in the dark and cozy confines of the Fishfessional. Where shall I start? Well, in 1978, I had not yet …
The Oregon-Stanford football rivalry might not be the oldest or most polarizing, but for the last few years it has been the one with the most on the line for both teams. The rivalry is not new, only recently becoming intense enough to warrant the level of dislike and hatred between the teams and fan bases for it to be called a …
The long, slow, dull days of winter are over and Chip Kelly’s Eagles are crackling with activity. He drafted a solid if unflashy group of players (including Ducks Josh Huff and Taylor Hart), added a number of UDFAs (such as a savage-tackling kicker nicknamed “Murderleg”) and wielded some innovative technologies that caused a stir around the league. Better yet, Chip’s …
I’ve said that the success of a collegiate football program is directly related to how well their program can recruit highly talented athletes who fit the program; then some of the rest is coaching. Obviously, over the past decade, the Southeastern Conference has seen the most success in national championships and is viewed as the conference to beat. In addition …
“The difference between Tui Talia and the others is he’s got that ‘play on Sundays’ size.” That’s the mantra surrounding this solid junior college recruit. Standing 6’5, Talia weighs 270 lbs. Well, at least he did before the Ducks delved full force into spring training. Like many of his fellow teammates, Talia has been very serious about lifting weights and bulking up for the coming …
The NFL Draft has been in place for nearly 80 years, and in that time it has changed significantly. With no Internet, no combine, and few formal scouting reports, executives used to draft players that they had never seen work out and, in many cases, had never even seen on film. At the time of the first draft in 1936, the NFL minimum salary …
Football Recruiting News Oregon’s push into the summer camp cycle is gaining momentum as one of the west coast’s top linebackers, Cameron Smith (4-Star/Granite Bay, CA) is slated to visit over Memorial Day weekend. The 6-foot-2, 240 lb. “Mike” defender is said to be interested in the Ducks after an offer was extended March 3. Oregon’s no stranger to prying recruits …
The “Fire Zone Blitz” is one of the effective blitzes that the Oregon hybrid 3-4 defense uses to pressure a Quarterback. The Ducks do a great job of bringing heavy pressure with 5-man zone blitzes, and then bringing 4 or often, only 3 pass rushers, but there’s another weapon that helps Duck defensive linemen get to the passer. Having success from a …
The safety: the last line of defense, constantly going in and out of attack mode, able to sift through offensive structures and break them down. Arguably the position that gives the quarterback the most trouble, due to the safety’s ability to move undetected. The Oregon Ducks have seen several players come through this position who have had a great impact. Now it’s …
A lot can be said about Larry Scott, but he certainly does one thing right. As someone who leads an organization founded around the activities of college students, he models perfectly what it takes for those students to be successful at a job: talk a big game early, reference wild innovations to the organization, deliver early returns, and it masks a …
Sometimes you have to just love the off-season, where the media tries to turn any little quote into a major breaking story. You have to be glad for that, since there is no actual football being played. Just ask Coach Nick Saban at the University of Alabama. As this off-season progresses I will slowly try to change my format for …
The spring season has come and gone in the college football world, it was a teaser sticking around just long enough to leave everyone wanting even more in typical George Costanza-style. It’s often hard to project success or failure based on a few spring practices, and in terms of scheme, most spring games are as bare-bones as it gets. That being said, …