Losing Leavitt? Why Leavitt WON’T LEAVE

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

My friends, you would think I would be wiser after having my head handed to me from my last ill-fated prediction about a coach. But I’ve been gathering some data and some thoughts, and while I would love to end up 50/50 on my coaching predictions, it may not happen. Yet … it could. Let’s look at some reasonable aspects …

Next Oregon Head Coach: The Case For Kevin Sumlin

Coach Eric Boles Editorials

This week has been a gut punch to the University of Oregon and its community. I know as well as any just how tough things have been with Willie Taggart deciding to take the Florida State head coaching position. I have defended Taggart a good number of times in my articles this season. I’ve defended his play-calling when it was …

Charles’s OSU Game FishWrap: Intriguing Ponderings from a Rout

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Normally, there is not much to say about a rout other than one team is much stronger than the other. Although the readers that come here are not as numerous as those who go to other sites for Oregon sports news, they love to kick the concepts around and ponder as I do. And this has been the best season …

Textbook Defense, Herbert’s Return Energize Duck Victory; Civil War Next

Coach Ken Woody Coach's Opinion

In one of the most complete games played by an Oregon defense in years, Jim Leavitt’s defensive unit put the kybosh on the most explosive player and team in the Pac-12, and Duck quarterback Justin Herbert returned to action prompting a surge of adrenaline that awoke a somnolent offense for a 48-28 Dad’s Day win over Arizona. The win gave …

Charles’s FishWrap: Taggart Tactics Topple ‘Cats

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Takes you back to the old days doesn’t it? You know, Oregon scoring 45-50 points, the other team scoring 27 to 34 points and the fans screaming at Nick Aliotti for allowing that much? Boy, has our perspective changed! That was the biggest darn victory that I did not see coming, and yes … my perspective has changed, and I …

Power on the Edge: Buck Sweep in the Willie Taggart Offense

Coach Eric Boles Analysis

With it being a bye week for the Oregon Ducks, I have decided to go back a couple weeks and take a look at a play Oregon used against the Utah Utes. The play is Buck Sweep, often referenced by Mr. FishDuck on the site as the Sweep Read. This is a play Gus Malzahn has famously run at Auburn; former Duck …

First Growth Spurt: Burmeister Shows Progress

Coach Eric Boles Analysis

Against the Utah Utes, we didn’t have to wait very long to see where Braxton Burmeister’s game has improved. On the first drive of the game we saw a good amount of growth in the passing game from the young quarterback. In this analysis, we  take a look at four plays in the game’s opening drive that show how Braxton is …

Growing Up Is Painful: Burmeister a Work in Progress

Coach Eric Boles Analysis

It hasn’t been pretty. It rarely is. Braxton Burmeister is a true freshman quarterback thrust into a starting role before he’s ready for the speed and complexity of the college game, and he has looked the part. This whole situation really started to take shape in the spring. Oregon had good depth at quarterback going into the 2017 season, and …

Charles’ WSU-Oregon FishWrap: “Two Steps Forward and One Step Back”

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

I am going to write something that is dumber than my usual. In the comments of last week’s article, I expressed my concern about the Ducks getting their butts kicked against the Cougars. It was due to the loss of Justin Herbert at quarterback and how neither QB remaining had neither the skills nor the game experience to carry the Ducks …

Only the Strong Survive: How the Ducks Dominated Cal and Prepare for WSU

Coach Ken Woody Coach's Opinion

Coach Willie Taggart notched his first Pac-12 conference win behind a strong push from not only a much-maligned offensive line and a fierce pass rush from an improving defense, but also a host of capable replacements who were thrown into action after a succession of key injuries cast a pall on the Autzen Stadium crowd. Going into Saturday’s key match-up with unbeaten Washington State …

Charles’ Cal Game FishWrap: “Who Needs a Quarterback?”

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Have you ever had such conflicting feelings from an Oregon football game? Such despair at all the injuries and such pride in how the defense continues to improve in perhaps one of the greatest games by a Duck offensive line – when the team really needed it. Simply put … “I am pissed at the coaches, yet I am proud of what …

Charles’s ASU-Oregon FishWrap: “Growing Pains”

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

My wife burst into the infamous FishDuck.com ManCave late Saturday night and shouted, “What was that huge THUD out there?” I told her … “That was us Oregon fans coming back to Earth.” There is no sugar-coating that game. The Ducks lost to a 1-2 team known for poor defense and are known by all to be in the bottom half of …