Redefining The Up Tempo Runner: Royce Freeman

Noah Smith FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Chances are if you are only a casual Oregon fan, or even a Ducks hater, your idea of an Oregon Ducks running back is a tiny little scat back. You wouldn’t be alone if you think this. In fact, according to Gary Campbell (Oregon’s running backs coach) he gets film all the time from high school coaches with the perfect …

A Poem on the Civil War 2k14

McKalie Bellew For the Fans

“Everyone has somewhere to go.” Head Coach Mark Helfrich made this statement earlier this week when someone brought up Thanksgiving. I imagine if another player, coach or friend didn’t take in our out-of-state Ducks there would be plenty of fans in the area that would be more than happy to have a few Oregon football players sitting at their table, …

Mariota and Freeman On Pace To Set New Records

Omar Garibay FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Tomorrow’s matchup against Stanford has important ramifications for the No. 5 Oregon Ducks. A victory against their Pac-12 rival will likely thrust them into one of the playoff slots, while a loss will undeniably eliminate them from the national championship picture. You can bet that Mark Helfrich, Marcus Mariota, and the rest of Oregon’s team are highly motivated to end their two …

Charles Nelson, Oregon Ducks Freshman Phenom, Is One Speedy Sandcrab

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Ever been to Daytona Beach? Tucked in on the Florida coast northeast of Orlando, south of Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach is famous for, well, its beach – the one that usually looks like a tailgating party’s about to break out in a sandy parking lot before a Dolphins game, boasting RVs and barbecues as far as the eye can see. …

A Duckling Profile: Arrion Springs to Life in the Fall

Lawrence Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

True freshman Arrion Springs may not start this year, but expect him to rise to prominence early in his collegiate career. The Oregon secondary not only lost three starters this season, but also standouts Brian Jackson and Avery Patterson. So the spot across from All-American defensive back, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, is wide open. Ironically enough, the Ducks landed four-star recruit Springs who shares a very similar …

How the University of South Dakota Will Try to Defend Oregon

Levi Steier Coach's Opinion

The Ducks will kick off their 2014 campaign against the University of South Dakota (USD) on August 30. As members of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, the Coyotes will be outmatched at virtually every position on the field and will have to play an amazing game, as well as catch a few breaks, to stay competitive against Oregon.  South Dakota’s Strength USD, …

Scott’s Turf: Claiming Dignity

Scott Reed FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Coming out of the closet. This is a trend in athletics that has caught many off guard, some not so much. One thing is for sure, though, that the announcements of high profile players that they are gay has stirred plenty of debate and commentary across the board. Some are for the announcements, some against. The more troubling trend, though, …

Scott’s Turf: Unacceptable Behavior

Scott Reed Editorials

Last fall, during a game at Autzen Stadium, I witnessed a moment I am most embarrassed about; the booing of a college player. Has there ever been a more maligned player in Oregon history than Alejandro Maldonado? Criticism of players is fair game in my opinion; it is what we do. But as George Wrightster told me last week, it’s …

While Duck Fans Cheer, Haters Pray for Oregon’s (Imminent) Collapse

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

No Mark Twain quotes here. No rehashing of the great author’s famous statement about his death being overstated. Yet, as Duck fans, many of us can relate to that phrase. Every year Oregon’s detractors predict that the end is nigh, that surely this year the Ducks will face some sort of collapse and fall flat on their feathered faces. This year, the …

Scott’s Turf: Does Stanford Still Have An ‘Oregon’ Problem?

Scott Reed FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

A couple of years ago, as Andrew Luck suffered another 20-plus point defeat to the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium, a familiar statement was circulating around that “Stanford has an Oregon problem.” Of course, this refers to the fact that Stanford, but for a loss to Oregon in two consecutive years, would have been in the BCS National Championship Game. …