College Football Nation: Big Blue gets Big Win; ‘Horns get Hooked

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Week 2 is in the books and the excitement has only just begun.  We have had some great upsets again this week, along with some surprise results.  Alabama had a week off to get ready for “Johnny Football,” while most of the Top-10 took care of business. One thing to pay attention to right now is how long can the ACC …

Oregon Rides Roughshod over the Cavaliers!

Josh Hall FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

OokaBoo.com This beautiful fall afternoon, yellow-and-green clad Duck fans filed into Scott Stadium from all across the eastern seaboard — and points west — for the kickoff against the Virginia Cavaliers.  This remarkable Oregon team left them plenty of reason to stand and cheer.  The Duck offense erupted for four touchdown plays of 30 yards or more, and the offensive and defensive lines …

Pre-game Analysis – Oregon Ducks vs. Virginia Cavaliers

Bob Laws FishWrap

readthehook.com This week Oregon plays in Charlottesville, Virginia, at 12:30 pm Ducks time.  The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off of a 19-16 home victory over BYU, with good performances from three marquee players.   I visited Charlottesville years ago and I remember it as a town with a good number of historical attractions, an easy air about it and, though …

No Tyner, No Surprise

Sam Arney FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline Now that we are officially one game into the season, I can breathe a sigh of relief and satisfaction at finally having watched an Oregon Duck football game again.  As expected, there were very few surprises about Saturday’s game.  And, given the predicted outcome, here are five things that did not, in fact, surprise me: Mark Helfrich kept it under wraps Oregon …

Hidden Key to the Pac-12 Championship and Possible Nat’l Championship: Stanford’s O-Line

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline  As Duck fans, we have to face the facts.  Stanford beat us last year.  That night they were the better team.  Don’t anybody accuse me of “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” because I don’t have any. It’s the responsibility of the superior team to put enough distance between itself and the competition such that it doesn’t come down to a …

The Duckling Profile: Devon Allen is Oregon’s newest dual-sport threat

Michelle Friedlander FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline Every elite quarterback covets a great wide receiver (not to say that Oregon’s starting receivers aren’t good enough, because we all saw how well they played last Saturday), cue fresh-off-the-boat true freshman Devon Allen. The 6-foot-0, 187 pound wide receiver from Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix, Arizona, was also one of the country’s top hurdle and sprint …

Five Revelations from the Nicholls Game

Jackson Long FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Craig Strobeck Disclaimer: The Oregon Ducks played a very weak opponent on Saturday, and while the boys finally got to hit someone not wearing green and yellow, Nicholls was about as far as it gets from the caliber of opponent Oregon will face later this season.  With that disclosure out of the way, Oregon did play 60 minutes of football for …

What Nicholls Taught Oregon About This Season

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Craig Strobeck The first game for any new coach is bound to be challenging, but for the head football coach at Oregon, it has been historically very difficult.  In fact, only one head coach in the last 65 years, Mike Bellotti in 1995, had won his debut game[1].  On Saturday, Mark Helfrich would try to match Mike Bellotti and do …

Ducks Plaster the Nicholls Colonels, 66-3

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Craig Strobeck The Oregon Ducks demolished FCS doormat Nicholls as expected Saturday afternoon, by a score of 66-3, but the game gave the plucky Colonels some reasons to feel proud, and the Ducks’ coaches areas to improve this season. Speculation that the Ducks would pass more under Coach Helfrich proved unfounded on Saturday.  For the first time in history, three …

College Football Nation: Roll Tide and Clemson Does the Unthinkable!

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Was it worth the wait?  After spending all day on my couch watching college games, the last seven football-free months seemed to just melt away.  In week one of the season we have had all the excitement a fan could ask.  The week saw several FCS teams upsetting FBS squads, BCS schools losing to NON-BCS challengers and a few exciting …

Defeated But Not Downtrodden: Inside the Nicholls State Locker Room

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline Nicholls State had just lost 66-3.  Oregon had three 100-yard rushers.  The Ducks had a school record 772 yards of total offense.  Yet when quarterback Kalen Henderson and running back Marcus Washington walked into the visitor’s tent to answer questions from the press, their demeanor was not one of a team who had just gotten shellacked, but rather, …

Pregame Analysis, Nicholls State Colonels at Oregon

Bob Laws FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

photo.al.com/thenewsportsguru.com The Ducks begin their season with an interesting ‘tune up’ game versus the Nicholls State Colonels from Thibodaux, Louisiana.  The Colonels’ win-loss record over the past couple three years isn’t impressive, however the team boasts three great players that could have big days if the Ducks don’t come to play.  Let’s examine what to watch out for as Oregon fans! …