Oregon Fans: A Glimpse of a Jim Leavitt 3-4 Defense

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

Remember the announcement recently: I will continue to write as will a few other writers, but we will only be running two or three articles per week. Sign up for the newsletter above so you won’t miss any of my or the GOC’s articles, and to make sure you don’t miss upcoming videos!  –Charles Fischer It was fun in yesterday’s …

How Brady Hoke Got Mark Helfrich FIRED

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

I am done defending Oregon Head Football Coach Mark Helfrich. Sure … it really does not matter now as he twists in the wind during his final days at Oregon, but it is also because he no longer deserves my support with the travesty on defense that we saw in the 120th Civil War. He allowed what I have chronicled throughout …

Middle Linebacker Technique: Jimmie Swain Is Making Plays!

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

This fall, we have often used examples of the poor technique by the Oregon defense to help learn more football. However, the Utah game showed us glimpses of how Jimmie Swain is emerging as a solid player for the future of the Duck defense. He’s becoming a legit Pac-12 starting linebacker (good enough to be a defensive strength, instead of …

Linebacker Analysis: “Scrape to Contain” is a Fundamental

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

I continue to maintain that, as fans, the more we know about the game of football, the more we will enjoy the game - win or lose. This season has proven that principal to me, as I am learning why the Oregon defense is so bad, which stems the tide of frustration (somewhat). Previously, we have discussed the important “Fill-and-Spill” fundamental for …

Linebacker Technique Analysis: Taking on the Blocks

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

Much that has been written about the Oregon defense and why it is one of the worst in college football has been centered around recruiting and the lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball. “We are being overpowered on the line-of-scrimmage and do not have enough 4-star defensive players to take on the sophisticated offenses and talented …

How Oregon Destroyed the Blitz With the “Rub-Cross” Strategy

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

Oregon fans were understandably apprehensive going into the Arizona State game. They knew the Sun Devils blitzed a ton, which would be problematic for four redshirt freshmen offensive linemen and the Ducks’ true freshman quarterback Justin Herbert. Could Oregon counter these blitzes? How would the coaching staff handle obvious passing situations against the blitz and keep the coveted new QB protected? Fortunately, …

Learning More Football: Gaps & Techniques

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

In an effort to help us understand the FishDuck.com analysis articles going forward, it helps to have an understanding of how an offense views gaps at the line of scrimmage, and how a defense will line up in numbered alignments, or as coaches will call techniques correspondent to those gaps. Using the illustration below, let’s get started learning about what the different gaps (letters in …

What Went Wrong: Defensive Tackle Leverage in the 4-3 Defense

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

It is frustrating as fans to see gashes in the Oregon defense and know that something is going wrong, but not be able to pinpoint what it is. We are fortunate to have the guidance of the Grizzled Ol’ Coach, Mike Morris, to help us understand not only what went wrong in the game against Washington State, but to help …

Oregon Playbook: The Counter Play Reappears

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

After a tough loss we have to consider the prospect of learning more simply to enjoy the game of college football, but it is especially important when you lose a game. In my case, I wish to offer youth and high school football coaches around the nation a peek at Oregon’s playbook, which is large, yet the Ducks do not …

Scathing Coaches Comments: “… It is a lack of discipline …”

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

My friends, this article might be the most informative about the current situation of Oregon football as you will read, yet while I wish I could take credit, I cannot as it comes from those who are currently or have retired from being paid to coach football. My reaction and feelings were published yesterday and look to learn in this article …

The Run-Pass Option: A Mid-Line Sweep Read w/Bubble Threat

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis, Fish Reports

As a fellow fan, it’s tough to lose a game – especially the way the Nebraska game transpired. Nonetheless, we wish to continue to build the “Oregon Playbook” within FishDuck.com and continue to learn from the evolution of the Oregon Spread Offense. There are ongoing permutations off of fundamental plays such as the Sweep Read, which we wish to identify and understand …

Oregon Offensive Scoring Records will Fall due to BRADY HOKE?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis

ALERT: The following quotes by Defensive Coordinator Brady Hoke are NOT accurate. He stated a very polite version of what you will read, and  I dramatized it to make a point. (I am known for drama … but I always back it up as you will see) Coach Hoke cleared his throat and eyed the 60-70 high school football coaches …