The Oregon Ducks won nine football games in 2018. The overwhelming majority of pre-season predictions had the team at either eight or nine wins. A few fan sites (I’m looking at you, FishDuck.com comments section) were certain the team was destined for ten wins, but the majority of people thought eight or nine would be progress considering a third head …
There’s a 6’6″, 233-pound elephant in the room. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, one of the best players out west and a highly regarded NFL draft prospect, has a decision to make, and fans are holding their breath in anticipation. Will the strong-armed phenom take his game to the next level after the Ducks’ bowl game, or will he play his …
When Oregon learned of its potential bowl opponents, there were several interesting candidates. Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin each would have been fine choices. But there’s no question that the Redbox Bowl committee struck gold when they matched the high-flying Ducks with their familiar cross-country foe, Michigan State, for their third meeting in five years. The rubber match won’t be for a spot in …
The 2018 Oregon Ducks had their share of superstars. The team that has become famous for producing some of the fastest, most dynamic athletes in the country once again fielded a number of quality players who became household names this season. But who among them was the best? If you had to choose the one player that impressed you the …
Head coach Mario Cristobal savored two Thanksgiving treats: dinner with his team and family, and the next day, for dessert, a 55-15 win over rival Oregon State in a Civil War game that was never as close as the final score indicated. The outcome revealed that Oregon could dominate the line of scrimmage and run roughshod over the worst Pac-12 …
8-4. By all accounts an up and down season. Perhaps some optimism but in general most fans are not completely satisfied. There’s a general feeling of mediocrity, underachievement, and that things must improve. Welcome to modern day Oregon football. For historical perspective, in 1990, the Ducks went 8-3 and went to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, CA. Fans were elated. At …
The 2018 Oregon Ducks have been like a box of chocolates: when they take the field, you never know what you’re going to get. One week, it looks like they could go toe to toe with the best teams in the country. Another, it looks like they’d get smoked by conference bottom-dweller Oregon State. Fans are growing restless with the team’s hot …
Oregon’s offense is stagnant. Constant complaint from fans and poor performances against below-average defenses make it abundantly clear that there are some serious flaws. Article after article details the issues that the Ducks have with play-calling and running the ball inside even when there are nine defenders in the box. But this is not why Oregon’s offense is stagnant. The culprit …
Coach Mario Cristobal had to be thankful that UCLA made a ton of mistakes in Chip Kelly’s return trip to Autzen Stadium. The Bruins are very young, with fewer senior starters than Oregon: one on offense and two on defense — which might account for the five turnovers and 11 penalties, not to mention a flurry of dropped passes. Cristobal …
Hopefully, Oregon isn’t there already. The Ducks went 7-5 in Willie Taggart’s first season. We all felt a little better about that because we knew with a healthy Justin Herbert the Ducks would have cruised to a 9-3 record. Coming into this season with “Slick” gone, a new coach who we trust, recruiting up, an improving defense, and a healthy …
The Duck defense couldn’t tackle or put pressure on the quarterback, and the offense had an Alamo Bowl half where it couldn’t get the snap count right or protect its own quarterback. The end result was a perfect storm for Washington State as the Cougars had their best day ever in knocking off a no-longer cocky flock of Ducks. Oregon …
Oregon’s lost to Washington State has brought Oregon Duck fans clarity on exactly where the program stands: Improving, but not there yet. The loss to the Cougars exposed, among other things, the Ducks lack of depth at receiver and lack of defensive play-makers. Most importantly, it showed the lack of experience Oregon has at bouncing back after an emotional victory …