It was the hit heard around the sports world. In 2009, the Oregon Ducks had just lost 19-8 at Boise State. In Chip Kelly’s first year as head coach, it was a difficult loss on national television for the Ducks, who were coming off a huge Rose Bowl win the previous year. Postgame emotions were running high, to say the …
CJ Verdell is an anomaly. The junior running back has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in each of his first two seasons. Despite the high yardage total, Verdell has only just surpassed the freshman single season total of Royce Freeman, who had an astounding 18 touchdowns in his first season. Sitting at 19 career rushing touchdowns, Verdell seems to be …
Oregon is a running back powerhouse. Many great Ducks have been in contention for the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s best RB over the years, and some were even considered as Heisman candidates. Yet the Ducks have had issues at running back consistently for the last decade. Lache Seastrunk was a highly-touted five-star running back who arrived on campus in …
It could have been worse. It could have been 2007, on the heels of Dennis Dixon’s knee injury against Arizona, when the Ducks stumbled into the Rose Bowl and couldn’t score a point, losing 16-0 to a hapless and free-falling UCLA. Though the Ducks had national championship aspirations that year, which had vanished in Tucson the week before, they still …
I have to admit, I really got off on Win The Day. WTD with wings. So cool. Yeah, go Ducks! I wish I had thought of that bit of advice when I was a young father. I would have used it on my kids before they turned two and were two steps ahead of their father. The motto that Chip …
Every win is a good win, but there a few in recent memory that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Some particular characteristic that made the victory extra special, extra satisfying. A few games that bring a smile to your face whenever you remember them. Many others have made such lists about the Ducks, but this article will look …
In college football today we often expect our athletes to be involved with a second sport. Lamichael James, Kenjon Barner, De’Anthony Thomas, and Devon Allen all have participated in track and field. There are rare athletes that take this a step further and take on more than just football and track. For example, we have Liz Brenner and her mission to participate in every …
When did it happen? When was it that we stopped hoping to win and started expecting to win? Was it the pick in ’94? Nah, too early. Was it our #2 ranking after 2001? Nope, but we’re getting closer. Expecting wins is a more recent trend, but it’s not unreasonable. Unless you’ve been living in a hole for the past …
All programs have them and they are often overlooked by the fans. They are the people who transform incoming freshmen into future stars. These unsung heroes are the strength and conditioning coaches, and they are just as important to the program as each position coach. Without them, no amount of scouting or play calling would help the team win. Fans of Oregon have …
Versatility is the calling card of the Oregon Ducks football program. Multi-threat athletes are at every position, giving the Ducks a huge advantage on the gridiron. Oregon football is recognized for its quarterbacks of the past such as Dennis Dixon, Darron Thomas, and Marcus Mariota and their ability to fool defenses with a very diverse running and passing attack. Year in …
Most legends we hear about have one thing in common — they revolve around heroes. These legends also follow the same pattern of having a hero’s story arc. The hero comes in as a savior with a bright and promising future and has a major fall — only to rise again stronger than ever. During his time in Eugene, Kiko Alonso …
Oregon is certainly not Notre Dame or USC with their rich histories of great football, but we still have had our fair share of great players — from great running backs and wide receivers to a host of great quarterbacks. This is my list of the top five Oregon football players on the offensive side of the ball. 5/4. Bill Musgrave …