The Oregon football team has begun their annual Spring practice period, and will be breaking in a new Defensive Coordinator for the first time since 1999. The now-retired Nick Aliotti had been a part of the Duck football landscape off and on since 1978. He was on the sidelines when the Gang Green defense roamed the Autzen turf and when …
Inside the Crystal Ball: Autzen Expansion and Oregon’s “You vs Yesterday” Mindset
Quick, answer a seemingly impossible question, “What will Oregon’s football program look like in 10 years?” What about these, “Who will be the powerful programs within a conference as up in the air as the Pac-12?” ”How long will the college playoff system remain at only four teams?” (Some might even predict that the NCAA won’t even be around in a …
Danny Mattingly: The Next Big Hitter
What does it take to be a dominant linebacker? Strength, agility, competitiveness and leadership, all of these qualities in combination set the great apart from the journeyman. Additionally, strong linebackers help set the tempo on that side of the ball and become the “glue” of the defense. Oregon redshirt freshman Danny Mattingly is an exciting linebacker ready to contribute this …
First Year Results: Mark Helfrich vs Oregon’s Coaching Greats
Oregon’s 2013 season was without question one of the greatest in school history, as the Ducks finished with 11 wins for only the fifth time ever. The year started out about as well as it could have with the team setting a school record 772 yards of total offense against Nicholls State on its way to a 66-3 win. Oregon …
Draw the Line
Peppered with talent, various levels of success, and featuring a new man calling the shots, it’s time for Oregon’s defensive line to draw the proverbial “line in the sand.” We’ve all heard the knocks on Oregon’s teams over the past few seasons, critics talk about their perceived lack of physicality; if you slow the game down, their neon jerseys just …
Oregon Football Recruiting Analysis: It’s Still About the Offense
The Oregon football program is not regarded as a defensive juggernaut. An elite defense wasn’t the catalyst behind the evolution of the Oregon brand. In this new era of Oregon football, where fans expect championship runs, the offense seems almost to have become an after-thought. Improving the defense has become the focal point of radio pundits and TV personalities. Let’s …
Are You the BEST Oregon Fan — or is This Guy?
Meet Josh White. Realtor, a father of two, and a die hard Oregon Duck fan. White was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon where he currently spends his free time playing golf and/or hanging out with his Family. Since he was young, he has religiously followed the Oregon Ducks. Every weekend, whether it be purchasing from scalpers or stubhub, he …
For Oregon Football, the Time is Now
For the last half-decade, Oregon football has been one of a handful of teams that has been, at some point during each season, a true contender for a national championship. For a variety of reasons they have fallen short of attaining this goal. They have come very close on multiple occasions, but have failed to close the deal. In each …
Grief Counsel for Your Beaver
With this week’s unceremonious ouster of Oregon State from the Pac-12 Basketball Tourney, the Ducks have once again plunged a knife into the soul of our friends from Corvallis. I, for one, feel bad. It must be hard to be a Beaver over the last, oh, 100 years. Much is made of the fact that Oregon State’s Head Coach is …
Nick Saban Needs a Swift Boot in the Rear
The College of Cardinals, er, the NCAA wasted valuable time this week, time that would have been better served making compliance more arcane and difficult. Brought before this august body was the suggestion that college football offenses should be prohibited from running plays within the first 10 seconds of the play clock. The thought, from Nick Saban’s mouth to God’s …
DAT’s Replacement by Committee
As Oregon’s 2013 football season came to a close, the majority opinion was, “the sooner the better.” It’s a testament to how high the bar has been raised at Oregon that another double-digit win season, capped with a bowl victory, was cause for disappointment. However, amid the gloom, hope for next season came when quarterback Marcus Mariota and his teammates, …
New Depth and Bulk Will Make 2014 Rushing Attack Elite Even by Oregon’s Standards
Over the past decade, Oregon’s rushing attack has set the standard in college football. This has been particularly evident since the arrival of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator in 2007, as the Ducks have finished in the Top-10 nationally in rushing during each of the past seven seasons, a truly remarkable feat. Dating all the way back to the early …
