If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When it comes to Oregon’s offense over the past decade, this is certainly a good philosophy to follow. Under Chip Kelly, Mark Helfrich and Willie Taggart, the Ducks’ offense has been among the most exciting and innovative groups in the country. Apparently, Mario Cristobal didn’t get the memo. We got our first look …
There really wasn’t anything about Willie Taggart that I was going to miss when he decided to head back to Florida. His game planning was pedestrian, his in-game coaching was sub-par, his media persona was “car salesman-esque,” and his running of Justin Herbert up the gut as if he were Jerome Bettis was utterly mind-boggling. These things ultimately cost the Ducks a very successful 2017 season, not to mention destroying the 10-win prediction …
From Gatorade baths, to billboards, to throwing out the first pitch at softball games, there is a spotlight constantly shining on the head coach of a major college football program. While he has embraced his role as a university ambassador wholeheartedly, the spotlight that Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal cares about most is the one he shines on his own team. While much of …
Spring football games are usually yawners, but Oregon’s annual rite was interesting in many places and actually exciting in others. Heisman candidate quarterback Justin Herbert was not at his best, but was impressive at times: throwing accurate strikes on deep sideline and hook routes, but missing a couple of deep balls that need to be completed in the fall if …
Is it September yet? Well, no, but even though we still have to wait five months for our thirst for real college football games to be quenched, we were given a nice little appetizer in the form of the 2018 Oregon Football Spring Game. Although we played against ourselves, unlike a conventional game, we as fans gained our first exposure …
Football, like our real lives, has its ups and downs, and we can’t ignore either. So while I have some reservations about the new developments in the Oregon offense, I do acknowledge that some good things are happening and I wish to cover them, too. But in short, I do not believe you should deviate from the CK/MH offense if …
You know how it is; Oregon Spring games are hard to truly gauge for accuracy going forward. I could list a ton of examples from the past, but I’m sure you have experienced frustration and fascination from what has unfolded in the many Spring Games you’ve witnessed in the past. For the moment–I simply wish to give those who did …
In my discussions with retired college coach Ken Woody, we have noted the decline of the Oregon passing game beginning in 2016 and how far it appears to have descended. Is it due to limited routes and pass plays, the lack of receivers’ skills or a lack of confidence in the wide-outs? Let’s take a look at a few examples from …
We really have no idea what to expect from a Mario Cristobal-led Oregon team, as we certainly hope the Las Vegas Bowl was not an accurate indication of the future. Hence this spring has as many questions for me about the coaches as it does about the players. Below I consolidate eye-witness reactions to the Spring Scrimmage at Portland’s Franklin High School …
I once heard a great leader talk about about the Three Phases of Change and couldn’t help but relate it to what we’ve seen with our Ducks and college football nationally. The Three Phases of Change Phase 1—Denial: We can all remember the days of being called a “gimmick” offense while we routinely racked up 50 points. We’d hear the traditional …
Congratulations, everyone, WE MADE IT! We survived the football dead season and have made it into the football teaser season. Spring football is here and it brings with it a delicious taste of the sport we love. But even though football is back, the spring can be bittersweet. Although the team returns to practice and we get a fresh influx of …
The Pin and Pull is something I’ve lightly touched on twice in the past year. Once was in the article about the Oregon’s Buck Sweep play, and the other was in a piece I wrote on the Stretch play that the program started to run at the end of the season. The fact that Coach Mario Cristobal brought the scheme …