From The Locker Rooms: Double Duty Addition

Josh Hall FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Pasadena, Calif. —  Welcome to a sunny, special addition of FishDuck.com’s “From The Locker Room.” Due to UCLA players taking longer in their locker room postgame than a twelve year old daughter getting ready for school in the morning, the FishDuck reporter on site was able to gain insights from both the UCLA and Oregon perspectives. Obviously after this contest …

Parallels Run Deep Between Oregon and UCLA

Will Denner FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Oregon and UCLA were considered the favorites in their respective PAC-12 divisions going into the 2014 season. Now, a little over a month into the season, the loser of the Saturday contest between the two teams may have to kiss college football playoff aspirations goodbye. As far as the similarities go between these two teams, though, that is just the …

Battle of Future First Rounders: Mariota Ready for Hundley and Co.

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

I bet you wish you were Marcus Mariota. I bet a lot of people wish they were Marcus Mariota. Heck, for a while there I wished I was Marcus Mariota. I mean, what’s not to like? The starting quarterback for a top tier football program that’s sponsored by Nike, a future first round pick in the NFL, millions of dollars …

Big Upsets Lead to Turbulent Week In College Fantasy Football

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

No, sad Oregon fan, you are not alone. If you watched any games this past weekend in college football, you know just how crazy it was. It started with us, No. 2 Oregon, being upset by Arizona. Then BYU lost to Utah State on Friday. Next, No. 3 Alabama went down to Ole Miss, followed by No. 4 Oklahoma losing to TCU. The No. …

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out: Chin Up, Campers!

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Besides being disappointing to those who came out on the short side of the upset stick, this weekend had to wreak havoc with the playoff selection committee members’ digestive systems. At this point in the season it is hard to imagine that four teams are going to distinguish themselves as being truly above the rest. Settling it on the field …

Ducks Success Hangs in the Balance

Alex Towne FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony.” – Thomas Merton After attending college for three years now and absorbing as much enlightening knowledge as a naive 21-year-old is capable of, I feel that I can say one thing for sure. Life is about balance. Balance of work and play. Health and vices. Pleasure …

Arizona Wildcats: “Lightning Strikes Twice”

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Arizona Wildcats upset Oregon for the second year in a row Thursday night, and coach Rich Rodriguez was exultant after the game. “I don’t know if anybody picked us. … Not on the road. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. In fact, [the end of] our video we showed our guys last night actually showed a guy getting hit by lighting …

Stars Look to Bounce Back in College Fantasy Football

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

To get this out of the way now … I have lost my place as No. 1. It was a great run while it lasted, but for now I have been banished to (I hate to even speak it out loud) fifth place. I didn’t have a bad week necessarily; I finished with 178 points, which was actually my third-highest scoring …

Opponent Analysis: Preventing the Wildcats’ Big Play

Rory Davidson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Thursday is known as “upset day” in the Pac-12. Be wary of Thursdays! Oregon State shocking No. 1 USC comes to mind. So does Washington surprising No. 8 Stanford in 2012. And, of course, there was Stanford’s takedown of the Ducks last year (sorry for reopening that wound). But these are just a few of the upsets that have occurred on …

How Royce Freeman Saved Marcus Mariota: Oregon Spread Offense Pass Protection

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Fish Reports

I know you’re shaking your head at my title; “Charles is shameless in how he tries to get hits.” There is truth in the shameless part, but there is also truth in how Royce Freeman made a huge play to help his teammates score a touchdown AND protect his quarterback, Marcus Mariota, from serious injury. Coach Tony Hoolulu in Hawaii …

Pac-12 Conference Update: Sit Back and Relax

Steven Holstad FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Another college football weekend in is the books, and although there was a lack of big time ranked teams going against one another, the weekend provided some real drama. Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks were idle this week, and retained their No. 2 ranking in the AP poll. They now prepare for the University of Arizona Wildcats in a “pay-back” game on …