After the tough loss in Seattle last year, the teeth were gnashing in Eugene about some fourth down-short yardage play calls by Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein. While it was true that quarterback Bo Nix missed an open receiver in one of those plays, the focus of the blame from the Duck fans were directed at Oregon’s young OC. In …
The Answers I’m Watching for With the 2024 Ducks
I’ve been surprised with my disappointment with the 2024 football team, and upon reflection I’ve been surprised as to why. A third of the season has passed, and this team has not yet put together a full four quarters on both sides of the ball. We had eight good offensive quarters between the last two quarters versus Boise State, the …
Oregon Ducks Football: UCLA Takeaways
Alright, this game went about as expected — but there’s a lot to work on, too. Aside from a handful of plays, Oregon had the Bruins on their heels from the snap, and Dillon Gabriel led a nearly-unstoppable offensive attack. There also were avoidable mistakes and sloppy penalties that put the Ducks in some bad spots. Here are some observations …
Oregon’s Roster Rotation: Have YOU Figured it Out?
I know, no Oregon game on today and it leaves us wanting for more of Our Beloved Ducks. Yet this is also a good time for pondering some of the curious substitution patterns we are seeing as well as players who are emerging and declining that even the die-hard Oregon fan would not have anticipated. I took some time from …
Oregon’s “Sniffer” Powers Duck Running Game
Yes, the “Sniffer” is a thing in college football. While we look at who that player is in the Oregon offense, it is also important to recognize the innovations we are seeing from Offensive Coordinator Will Stein. I had to take some time away from my fun at The Division 2 to break down this new addition to Oregon’s rushing …
Progress Update: Better Blocking Brings Better Results
Last week we looked at some of the worst blocking I’ve ever seen as an Oregon fan and analyst over the years. This week Our Beloved Ducks continued to have some nightmares in the first half with four sacks by the Broncos, but things turned around. In fact a couple of areas that I noted as weaknesses last week looked …
Oregon Fans Reappraise Expectations, or NOT?
I write this going into midnight after the game, and I am a muttering-mass-of-protoplasm. I am happy to win, I am frustrated with the mistakes, I am delighted with the progression of the team, but I am disappointed…as it dawns on all of us that this team is not as good as we hoped. Had we lost, I would have …
Idaho Issues: We Can’t Duck the Blocking Analysis…
My FishDuck Friends, this is a difficult analysis to do because I cannot sugar-coat it as I would like. You all know that I love what Dan Lanning is building at Oregon and I believe fervently that he is the coach who can take us to a first ‘Natty, but I will not suck-up to any coaching staff as other …
With a Lefty QB, It’s Time to Flip the Offensive Line
Oregon’s offensive line play last Saturday left a lot to be desired, and that feels like an understatement. The Ducks might be lucky enough to have Matthew Bedford back as as starter this week, and it still may take a couple of weeks for Dave Iuli to rotate back into the offensive line as well. But it feels like there …
Gabriel Game-Plan: Ignore the Longer Passes?
My FishDuck Friends, I was going through the game looking at the failure of the offensive line, (upcoming article on Friday) and I could not help but notice how Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel seemed to only have eyes for Terrance Ferguson, or other short routes. As much as I loved my fun at exclusive LeoVegas bonus and taking advantage of …
Idaho Test: Is Oregon’s Positional Depth for Real?
With all that has happened, it is hard to believe that Dan Lanning has only been at Oregon for two years. Yet the talent stacked up from both high school and portal recruiting has been the most impressive to me in all my time of covering Duck football. I had to take some time away from my fun at ducky …
Evaluating Oregon’s Odds in the Big Ten Conference
What has been the general word about Oregon moving to the Big Ten Conference in college football circles? As the Ducks will battle through a new set of challenges and opponents, what are the odds that Oregon can win the Big Ten Conference? This article is going to examine Oregon’s chances by considering team history, competition within the conference, and …