Lanning Can’t Accept Defensive Mediocrity in 2023

Joshua Whitted Editorials

When people talk about Oregon Ducks football, very seldom is the defense mentioned. And if it is, it’s not in a positive way. For as much as Oregon’s offense exploded in Dan Lanning’s inaugural season with the Ducks, its defense failed to deliver far too often, ultimately costing the Ducks a shot at the conference title and a potential Playoff …

How Does Oregon’s 2021 Defense Stack Up Against 2014’s?

David Marsh Editorials

Oregon’s 2021 football team has the hype and personnel to make a run at the College Football Playoff and maybe even a National Championship. Last week, I looked at how this year’s offense stacked up against the 2014 team, and today we turn to the defense to compare 2021’s team to the last Oregon team to reach the Playoff and …

Avalos Adds Another Wrinkle to His Unpredictable Defense

Joshua Whitted Editorials

Spring football — and the sports world as a whole — is understandably at a standstill at the moment. But luckily for all of the sports-deprived Oregon fans, there’s still plenty to digest from the Ducks’ initial spring practices. One of the most interesting takeaways was that stalwart cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. worked out at the nickelback position and spent …

Oregon’s Million Dollar Defense

Jordan Ingram Editorials

If you don’t think winning is expensive, just ask Alabama. Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban is the second-highest paid head coach at $8.9 million, behind Clemson’s Dabo Sweeney ($9.3 million). The Crimson Tide also has three of the highest paid assistant coaches in college football, including defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who receives a $1.1 million annual salary, according to AL.com. …

Are the Defense-Minded Ducks Built to Win It All?

Joshua Whitted Editorials

The transformation of Oregon Football under Mario Cristobal is in full swing. The days of scoring 40 points a game are officially over, as it’s clear his strategy is to grind out hard-fought wins by using his team’s size and strength advantage. For Oregon fans who grew accustomed to high point totals and exciting offensive highlights, this new style is …

Avalos/Salave’a: How They Create Oregon’s Conference-Leading Pass Rush

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Analysis

Funny how things reverse when you least expect it, isn’t it? It wasn’t that long ago the Oregon offense was scoring boatloads of points, and so many people would be screaming at the defensive coordinator for giving up so many points. Now we have the reverse, and while the offensive woes do frustrate us, we do need to enjoy this …

Oregon’s Relentless Defense is Dominating

Ryan Robertson Editorials

It has been eight quarters and nine seconds since the Oregon Ducks gave up a touchdown. In the last two games, Oregon has allowed a total of nine points. Through three total games, Oregon is allowing only 272.3 yards per game. The Oregon defense has absolutely dominated the early season. Here are some reasons why. The Ferocious Front Seven Through …

The New Oregon Defense: Defensive Line Stemming

Coach Eric Boles Analysis

Stemming across the defensive line is a simple yet effective tactic that new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos will implement in the Oregon Duck defense. In short, stemming is a shift from the defensive line, right before the snap of the ball, used to confuse the offensive line. The better the defense is at recognizing the offense’s snap count, the more …

It’s Time For Oregon’s Defense to Step Up

Joshua Whitted Editorials

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Oregon fans. As if a failed comeback attempt in the midst of a 27-point deficit against Washington State wasn’t painful enough, the following week Arizona shellacked the Ducks 44-15. There are plenty of reasons that the Ducks find themselves staring at a potential three-game losing streak, but chief among them is their …

Could Oregon Football Become LINEBACKER U?

Steven Smith Editorials

The hiatus between spring practice and fall football camp allows us time to ponder possibilities regarding our defense, specifically the LBs, who are vital to stopping our opponents. Creating turnovers and getting off the field are crucial for a double-digit win season in 2018. We get that! Do we have the talent, coaching, athletes or recruits coming in to fulfill …