On a sunny morning in Eugene, Defensive Coordinator Don Pellum watched the first day of scrimmage in a black sweat jumpsuit and a pair of shades. He walked up to the media swarm, and put on a Hollywood-sized smile. “How is everybody today? Wonderful.” In Pellum’s first full season as the defensive coordinator, the Ducks were able to reach the National Championship, not …
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 …
Throughout the history of sports there have been great dynamic duos. Montana and Rice, McNabb and Owens, Jordan and Pippen just to name a few. But on January 13, 2015, Eric Armstead (one the most crucial players on defense last season for the Ducks) declared his intention to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft one year early as a …
Only four of Oregon’s top 10 tacklers from the 2014 season will return to Autzen Stadium this year. Thankfully for Duck fans those four, Reggie Daniels, Joe Walker, DeForest Buckner and Rodney Hardrick finished 3rd-6th on that list. Along with their physical skill they bring leadership and experience to a defense that is still defining their style of play. Daniels …
The Ducks begin spring practice in less than two weeks. As I wrote previously, most of the attention will be on who replaces the greatest player in Oregon history, but the Ducks should be just fine at the quarterback position next season. The position group that needs to make the biggest strides this spring is the linebackers. Last year’s Oregon defense, under …
Moving on from the Marcus Mariota hype train was an experience filled with immense struggle. With the recent news of Eastern Washington standout quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr., deciding to transfer to the University of Oregon for his final year of eligibility; the fear of struggle has turned into hope for next season. Recently, a bleacherreport.com article analyzed the ten teams that are a ‘lock’ to win 10 games or more this …
Spring practices are due to start at the end of the month and second year defensive coordinator Don Pellum can’t wait to get to work with his defense. Despite the loss of some major talent to the NFL draft Pellum sees veterans in the locker room ready to pick up where they left off last season. According to Chantel Jennings …
Here’s a quick trivia question for all you Oregon or college football fans: When was the last time Oregon and Hawaii squared off with one another? It was all the way back in 1994. Over the upcoming decade, the Ducks and Rainbow Warriors will face off in a exhilarating triple-header. Starting in 2020, in Eugene, and will meet there once again in …
Disclaimer: I do not have any inside knowledge concerning Oregon’s recruiting philosophy or tactics. This is merely one man’s educated take on how and why the Ducks’ performance on the football field consistently outperforms the rankings of its recruiting classes. Having gone through the recruiting process myself (admittedly at the Division II and III level), and having played with and …
The myth that Oregon is small and can’t hang with the “big boys” is so tired, it needs a dirt nap. Throughout the 2014 season, the Ducks stood toe-to-toe with elite teams from across the country and were nearly perfect in the win column, producing a magical year that earned them a Rose Bowl victory, a Heisman trophy winner, and a second place …
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 …
Within the last couple of days, Oregon’s coaching staff has been on high alert in terms of recruiting players that they believe will be important to their team down the road. As the Ducks have recruited some outstanding high school standouts, three emerge as the most critical to the success of the football program. 1. Canton Kaumatule (Five-star prospect according …