Saturday’s loss to Nebraska has me conflicted. The optimist in me wants to look at this game as a learning experience for a young football team that will propel it forward to a satisfying, if not wholly victorious, end to the season. The pessimist has other ideas. My optimism wants to tell my pessimism to go jump in a lake. …
With the exception of a few lightning-in-a-bottle plays, the only thing electric on the field Saturday night was the Ducks‘ yellow uniforms. Against an over matched Virginia Cavalier team, the offense looked anemic in the second half, and the defense was pedestrian for most of the game. The victory was hardly ever in doubt, but with the clock winding down …
Given that the landscape of the Pac-12 has changed so dramatically it’s worthwhile to dive into the schedule and attempt to project the teams that will present the stiffest tests for Oregon. We lost to Washington State at home last year but so far this year they look like a train wreck. The teams at the bottom of the Pac-12 (Colorado, …
As most know, Oregon is known for going for surprise two-point conversions during the usual PAT process. The recent game against UC-Davis provided some superb examples for us to learn what works and why, along with what does not work, and why. While I (Charles Fischer) am writing parts of this article, the primary analysis segments are provided by new …
As it is time to reveal my 2016 Oregon football predictions – and the reasoning behind them – I look back to the last two weeks and marvel at how some notable sports journalists got called out here on FishDuck.com. Senior Editor Mike Merrell eviscerated Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports and then skewered Todd McShay of ESPN a few days …
Something I worried about going into last season was the skill Vernon Adams had in throwing the long-ball, and whether the coaches would allow him to do it. It took awhile, but it became apparent to all that (even with the occasional interception) the odds for a completion were good, and sometimes for big scores at big moments. I know this …
Oregon has gone from rags-to-riches in quarterback recruiting in just one year, and it has created an interesting quandary for us as fans to ponder. Should Oregon forget about a quarterback recruit for 2017? I don’t have the answers here, and it was one of the interesting little items that sit back in my mind – wondering what the Duck …
As summer approaches, many Duck fans await their favorite season of the year: football. The Ducks will look to bounce back strong after losing their star quarterback and key members of their coaching staff. After promoting Matt Lubick, the 2012 wide receiver Coach of the Year, to offensive coordinator and hiring ex-Michigan head coach Brady Hoke as the defensive cordinator, the team looks to build …
As a retired high school football coach, I had the opportunity on a Thursday night (3-31) to hear Brady Hoke speak at the Oregon Coaches’ Clinic, and the next morning I got to watch my one-and-only practice of the season. I thought I would share what I noted, and what you might want to look for at the Oregon Spring Game. Some …
We are making a major editorial shift at FishDuck.com for the first time in our four-and-a half-year history, as we are going to allow negative articles to be published on the site. This is a movement that is certainly out of my comfort zone, as my attitude has always been that there are enough good things to write about concerning our …
[A confessional from an old, retired coach. But first a warning to potential readers: There may be nothing in this article about Oregon Duck football. This article is about a SPECIFIC 4-3 defensive system, and the Ducks will be using the 4-3 next season. But the two systems might — probably will — differ a lot. The system Brady Hoke …
Last week I investigated the Oregon defense by comparing key metrics over the past 10 years. In doing so, I was able to discover how the Ducks have evolved on the defensive side of the ball. By establishing a baseline comparison to past performance I can now confidently compare the 2015 defense to other Oregon teams. Because team offense has an …