Any time a star athlete the caliber of Marcus Mariota moves on, his successor will inevitably be compared to him. It happened to Steve Young when Joe Montana left San Francisco, it happened to Andrew Luck after Peyton Manning left the Colts and it’s happening to Vernon Adams now that Mariota is gone. Many comparisons have been made between Mariota and …
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 …
Over the past three years, Marcus Mariota made it easy to forget that Oregon football’s modern identity heavily revolves around a dominant running game. The Ducks have provided college football fans with some of the most explosive ground attacks in recent memory, featuring a long line of star backs. Although you could argue that there are two or three future …
In a mere 10 days, the charcoal grills will ignite once again, the beers will be cracked and the masses of loyal Duck fans sporting the vibrant green and yellow will make their way across the Willamette River and through the woods to enter the shrine that is Autzen Stadium. Simply writing these words down stirs up the euphoria I have …
In Eugene, the days of losing seasons seem to be far in the rear-view mirror. With two national title appearances in five years, and a slew of BCS bowl wins under the program’s belt, the Oregon Ducks have ascended to the top of the college football landscape. Without a doubt, Oregon has one of the most talented rosters in college …
As a flagship program in college’s premier sport, football, Oregon faces consistent media scrutiny. If a team is able to find success, it is expected to maintain it. Oregon is no different, and in a year when the team loses arguably the best player it has seen this century, members of the media are eager to write Oregon off. ESPN.com releases an annual …
Great players come and go through every program, but eventually they have to move on. The hole they leave is oftentimes the most talked-about topic of the off-season. This off-season it is an especially hot topic, after losing the best player ever to come through this program. The most asked questions around Eugene are “Do you think Jeff Lockie or Vernon Adams …
It looked like it might get rough for a while there. Our beloved former Duck Marcus Mariota got off to a less than perfect start in his debut with the Tennessee Titans, throwing an interception and having a fumble returned for a touchdown on the two first possessions of his NFL career in a preseason matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. Leading …
For a second consecutive season, the Oregon Ducks will have to figure out a way to win without star RB Thomas Tyner. On Sunday, it was announced that Tyner will miss all of the 2015 season due to shoulder surgery, a blow to a Ducks’ offense already struggling to find an identity in the wake of Marcus Mariota‘s departure. Famous for their running …
Understanding the game of football can be a complicated process, but just being a fan and sitting down with your friends and family to cheer for your favorite college football teams on Saturday afternoon is simply fun. There are many words a football coach in Kentucky could use to describe the Oregon Ducks, but the one word that I always equate …
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, …
This past year we witnessed something special. For the first time in the history of Oregon football we had a Heisman trophy winner. Coming into the year, we had little doubt that Marcus Mariota would be taking home the hardware. However even as historic as this landmark was, Mariota should have been the second Heisman winner at Oregon. Way back in …