WOW… This past season brought us a 12-2 record, a Pac-12 Championship and a Rose Bowl ring. Two years into his tenure, coach Mario Cristobal has a 21-7 record and two outstanding recruiting classes. One could say he’s developing Oregon into “U$C North.” But with football still eight months away and expectations sky high for next season, let’s ask the …
In a busy week of sports, we saw a weekend full of exciting NFL playoff games, LSU claimed the national football championship and Duke basketball had a rare loss in an ACC matchup against unranked Clemson. After the College Football National Championship Game, the Associated Press released their end of the season polls. The Ducks finished at number five, and …
Oregon fans owe Mark Helfrich an apology. I can still remember the rumblings of frustrated Oregon Football fans on Twitter after the 2016 campaign ended with a dismal 4-8 record (2-7 in Pac-12) to finish dead last in the North Division. For many, the answer was simple: #FireHelfrich. Admittedly, I was frustrated as well. In four years as head coach, …
There’s no doubt 2019 was a special year for Oregon football. Most expected the Ducks to be Pac-12 title contenders, but not many foresaw a 12-win season and a victory in one of the wildest Rose Bowls in recent memory. But as great as the ending to Oregon’s season was, we can’t forget the journey. The 2019 Ducks never failed …
Oregon’s “smash mouth” offense was put to the test in the 2020 Rose Bowl. The Ducks produced only 204 yards of total offense due to Wisconsin aligning one or two more defenders than Oregon could block when running the inside and outside zone read. Yet Oregon was able to adjust the assignment of one player in the backfield, producing all …
Oregon started the 2020s right, beating Wisconsin 28-27 on January 1st in front of a massive crowd of more than 90,000 screaming fans. The Ducks started the previous decade in the Rose Bowl as well, falling to Ohio State. The following year they lost the BCS National Championship to Auburn, before finally getting their first bowl win of the 2010s …
What a season it was for our mighty Oregon Ducks. The Ducks went 10-2 in the regular season and then continued their dream season with wins in the Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl. The success of the 2019 Oregon Duck football team relied not only on talent, but on the players’ genuine desire to play for one another. The 2020 …
Oregon fans are undoubtedly on cloud nine after the Ducks’ exhilarating, down-to-the-wire victory against Wisconsin in an instant Rose Bowl classic. After the potential program-changing victory, the arrow is definitely pointing up in Eugene. But as the dust settles and we look back at the season as a whole, it’s apparent that Oregon kept a pretty big weapon under its …
By almost all metrics, Oregon shouldn’t have walked out of Pasadena with a victory. They had 118 fewer yards, 21 fewer plays and almost 17 fewer minutes of possession time than Wisconsin. The Badgers ran for 70 yards more than the Ducks. But metrics don’t really tell the story of a football game, and the Ducks didn’t lose. Turnovers Justin …
Is that one of the most beautiful photos ever of the 2012 Rose Bowl (above) versus Wisconsin? Future NFL players in Russell Wilson of the Badgers and Kiko Alonso of the Ducks clashed on that day, just as many on the field today will play on Sundays. As always, I wish to discuss the game before, during and after and …
LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama are currently the four best programs in college football. They are the elite, and the Ducks would love nothing more than to crash that party. A solid victory over No. 8 Wisconsin could serve as a solid “best of the rest” steppingstone in Oregon’s quest to join them. Five Thoughts on the Eve of the …
As we count down the days until the start of the 2020s, I figured it appropriate to take a moment to recognize the exceptional quarterback, and even more exceptional young man, who carried Oregon through its darkest period of the decade. Justin Herbert grew up near the banks of Willamette River in Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, only a 10-minute drive from Autzen …