“Once a Duck, always a Duck.” And, “It’s not like he went to the Huskies.” Those are the first two things that came to mind when I heard Thomas Tyner was going to graduate, transfer to Oregon State and resume his football career for a year. The former all-everything back at Aloha High School and former Duck says he’ll be …
Oregon Ducks Recruiting Update: Top Prep Mascot Coming to Eugene
Coach Willie Taggart once again waves his Florida magic wand to secure a major recruit. Kenny Johns, a 5-star mascot performer out of Gainesville, FL, has committed to the Oregon Ducks. Johns confirmed his commitment to 247Sports later that day: “Duck yeah! I’m a Duck!” The 5’10” Johns (ninth-ranked mascot per 247Sports Composite) is an excellent foot stomper and can reel off …
Training Camp Review — Mariota Proves to be NFL Ready
During mini-camps earlier this summer, both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston impressed their new teams and were praised for their accuracy and leadership qualities. In the relatively low-intensity practices, the quarterbacks looked good and impressed their fan bases, coaching staffs and their teammates. Thus far in the preseason training camp, Mariota is without an interception in his first five practices, …
College Football Needs More Non-Conference Games Between Power 5 Teams
College football finally got a playoff last year, and based on the record-setting television ratings for both the semifinals and championship game, fans really enjoyed it. The playoffs gave us what we wanted — the best college football teams in a playoff on the biggest stage. That is of course unless you were a Baylor or TCU fan which finished …
Stewart Mandel on Oregon: Taking that Last College Football Step
College football has been one of the most talked about sports in recent memory. Whether it’s been the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) dominance or Florida State‘s off-the-field issues, it has kept people glued to their seats. However, despite the fact that the southern portion of the United States is known as “football country,” west coast football has been on the rise, …
Mariota Losing Ground in QB Battle? ESPN’s John Clayton Thinks So
This year’s class of NFL hopefuls has provided intense speculation. The most anticipated position battle thus far has been Marcus Mariota vs James Winston. Many thought the Rose Bowl earlier this year cemented Mariota as the top quarterback in this year’s class. After the season ended and draft speculation heated up, the question as to who would be taken first became more and more …
Thanks For the Memories: Tribute to Our Skinny Hawaiian
With the upcoming departure of Marcus Mariota, I’d just like a moment to review and reflect on our beloved Skinny Hawaiian’s astounding career. In the coming days you will likely hear from ESPN how Mariota’s stock has fallen because of the Championship Game, and in the case of some, they might even say he shouldn’t be a first round pick …
Anatomy of a Drive: The Method to Scott Frost’s Play-calling
When Chip Kelly left Eugene for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, he left two major voids in the Oregon football program. Kelly had not just been the face of the Ducks, he was also the play-caller for the renowned high-octane spread offense. As much as head coach Mark Helfrich deserves credit for leading the team to a national championship game in just …
How The Mighty Have Fallen: SEC, Pac-12 and Ranked Bowl Games Review
Oh how the mighty have fallen. West Coast football fans have been saying it for years, but finally the SEC took an undeniable turn and it wasn’t in an upward direction. The storied “powerhouse” conference saw it’s least successful bowl season in years among ranked teams, of which it led the nation with seven. When the final bowl game with a …
‘Bama and Buckeyes Beware: These Ducks Are Headed South
This one was over early. The sun hadn’t begun to set over the San Gabriel Mountains by the time the lights had gone out on Jimbo Fisher and Jameis Winston, whose Florida State team suffered a humiliating 59-20 thumping at the hands of Mark Helfrich’s fired-up Oregon Ducks squad. After losing world-class sprinter and outstanding wide receiver Devon Allen to a …
Oregon vs Florida State: 200 is the Magic Number
At 2 p.m. today, the Ducks will play in the 101st Rose Bowl game against the Florida State Seminoles. “The Granddaddy Of Them All” has multiple storylines this year: a matchup of Heisman winners in Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, traditional powerhouse Florida State facing off against the modern day power Oregon, east coast vs west coast, the come-from-behind Seminoles …
The “Underdogs”: An Analysis of the Seminoles
Principal’s Note: Instead of the usual analysis of Oregon, I felt it important to focus this week upon the opponent we are facing. Rory Davidson has done an outstanding job teaching Duck fans what to look for in the other team, and this week is no exception. I will be back next week, but do look for a short joint …