Spring Practice Update: Alex Balducci Talks Technique and Leadership

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Jordan Ingram interviewed Oregon Football defensive lineman Alex Balducci yesterday for FishDuck.com at the University of Oregon Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. It’s not often that linemen make the headlines, especially for the Oregon football team. With such a potent offense, the Ducks’ defense often gets overlooked. However, many fans got to know the impact players on that side of the ball; Ifo …

Players Who Wait Outshine Current Recruits

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Lost in the excitement of the returning stars and the hope of stars to come is the quiet backbone of any football team. For the most part, these are the guys who didn’t grab the headlines their freshman years. They’ve been in the program for a year or two or three, possibly redshirting, biding their time behind …

Oregon Defensive Line Secrets: Stopping the Run

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis

Oregon’s defensive performance against Arizona in the Pac-12 Championship ranks as one of the best ever at Oregon for a game of such importance. The majority of the credit goes to the Duck defensive line which shut down the inside running game of Arizona using techniques that we have barely covered before at FishDuck.com. Let’s take a look at the …

Ducks Run Defense Will Be the Difference Maker of the 2014 Season

Rob Liggins FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Having a Heisman-hopeful, such as quarterback Marcus Mariota, is always exciting for a team. However, the timeless saying “Defense wins Championships” has been proven correct time and time again. With that being said, the Duck defense — which is arguably the best it has been since the departure of Defensive Coordinator Nick Alliotti — is possibly what could finally land …

Winning the Trenches: The Key to the Oregon Ducks and Philadelphia Eagles’ 3-4 Defenses

Joe Kearns Analysis

There is a reason why defensive line guru Jerry Azzinaro was the one Oregon position coach who joined Chip Kelly on the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff. The 3-4 defensive scheme and two-gap technique are just as important to Kelly as the fast-tempo, zone-blocking, and packaged plays. Azzinaro was Kelly’s right-hand man in installing the 3-4 as the base defense at …

The FishDuck.com 2014 Spring Game Analysis

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis

By Charles Fischer and the “Grizzled Ol’ Coach” Mike Morris We have ALL been fooled by Spring Games of the past, as players who starred in these May games would not ever see the light of day on the football field in the fall – or they transferred out.  Yet other times they have shown us glimpses of the potential some of …

Oregon Football: Six “Other” DLs to Watch in the Spring Game

Josh White FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon Ducks football team is scheduled to play its annual Spring Game on what should be a picturesque Saturday inside Autzen Stadium.  And with it, the 2014 season will be officially under way. And, like every season, another batch of seniors have graduated, which leads to a bunch of question marks heading into the Spring Game coming up on Saturday.  Some of the …

In Defense Of: The Duck Defensive Line

Casey Fluegge FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Gone from the 2013 Duck D-Line are such stalwarts as Wade Keliikipi, Taylor Hart and Ricky Havili-Heimuli.  All very good players who will be missed, but the cupboard isn’t bare.  Though some fans panicked at Oregon’s inability to close on a couple of highly regarded D-Lineman on LOI day, there remains much to look forward to from the Duck’s DL …