Ordinarily I wouldn’t do this: write about a specific new defensive coordinator when there are still several important games left in the season – games in which the Ducks could significantly improve, or the new DC’s team could get blasted. But I really don’t think either of those things is going to happen. I believe I have enough evidence to present …
Charles Nelson Finding His Comfort Zone on Defense
Ashley Young of FishDuck.com caught up with Charles Nelson yesterday at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex following football spring practice. Nelson’s transition to the defense lit a spark of conversation about the capabilities of the overall Ducks’ defense forecasted for 2015. An incredible athlete that made his presence felt downfield on offense and special teams last year, Nelson is now learning how to break …
Defense Wins Championships?
Is this statement a little dated? Let’s be honest — when you watch the Oregon Ducks, what is the first thing you see? An up-tempo offense that gets the job done, or which uniform they will be wearing this week? The Ducks are peaking at just the right time this season thanks to the exceptional effort on all sides of …
The Secret Formula: A Defensive Game Plan from Coach Don Pellum
“It’s an awesome day because we have a wonderful opportunity to go out and play this weekend. There are a lot of people that are not playing, and we have the opportunity to play. So we’re really fired up about it,” said Coach Don Pellum, the Ducks defensive coordinator. Insightful words of wisdom coming from a cool-handed Pellum in reference to this …
Clear eyes. Full Hearts. The Ducks Play with Motivation.
Clear eyes and full hearts. This is something my Ultimate Frisbee coach used to tell our team when something tragic had happened. No one could have anticipated the number of injuries during last Saturday’s game vs. Utah. The Ducks suffered injuries to three key players including center Hroniss Grasu, safety Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and tight end Pharaoh Brown. The Utes also had their …
Oregon 51, Utah 27: Ducks Defense, Mariota Seal Tough Win in Salt Lake
Going into tonight’s game against the 17th-ranked Utah Utes, Coach Mark Helfrich and his team knew they were in for a battle. Utah didn’t disappoint, battling toe to toe with the No. 4 Ducks into the early stages of the fourth quarter, when Oregon, as it does so often, stepped on the gas pedal and left the home team in …