How good has the recent history of Oregon football been? It was a challenge to determine what the most exhilarating games of the last ten seasons were. Over the last three seasons, the Oregon Ducks have had four losses, yet only three wins by two touchdowns or less. Close wins have been few and far between. (Not surprisingly, two of …
Recruiting Update: Baker to “Quack?”
Football Recruiting Commitments Oregon has never been the biggest player in the JUCO ranks due to a crop of venerable prep recruiting classes. Recently however, stars such as former offensive lineman Kyle Long seem to have upped the Ducks’ interest in the junior college pipeline. Last week, Oregon received commitments from two highly touted recruits in that of defensive end Tui …
PLAY FAST! How Oregon Wins 4th Down…
No play calls are more scrutinized than those made on 4th down and this subject provides an interesting study for students of the Oregon Offense. The decision to “Go For It” (and what type of play to run in that situation) often faces a head-on battle with conventional offensive wisdom. Often this wisdom is overly conservative, unimaginative, and in direct …
Switching Sides – Who’s Your Pick?
Dion Jordan came to Oregon as a 6′-6″ freshman, standing like a small forward on the hardwood at a lanky 210 or so pounds. Receiving reps at receiver for a short time before moving to tight end, no one could foresee the defensive monster that would be released a few years later. The Ducks are known for recruiting athletes …
Misty Watercolor Memories of the Way We Were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind Smiles we gave to one another For the way we were. Can it be that it was all so simple then Or has time rewritten every line If we had a chance to do it all again, tell me would we Could we? Memories, …
FishDuck Classic: Oregon’s Most Important Offensive Play
It may be summer, but that only brings us that much closer to fall, and the return of Duck football. Each Saturday, the FishDuck Classic will help familiarize readers with some our most important analyses. Today: Oregon’s Most Important Offensive Play. This article originally ran on August 28, 2012. Has Oregon’s emphasis on offense shifted for 2012, now that Mariota …
Searching Old Ducks For A New TAZR
Recently, I had a conversation regarding which former Ducks would excel in the current version of the Ducks offensive attack. It surprised me initially at just how quickly we could rattle off a handful of names and began discussing why each would or wouldn’t be a good fit. Deciding to write a few of these down, the list began as an attempt to identify which former Ducks …
Meet Your New Ducks: Have No Fear, Your Backup Cornerback is Here
After introducing Eric Amoako, it is now time to profile his oh-so-talented twin brother Stephen Amoako. You may not have heard of either of these guys; however, being that they were offered scholarships by Chip Kelly and spent a year under his watch warrants them some credibility right off the bat. Stephen specifically was one of the first commits of …
Recruiting Update: Top-5 Tailback Eyes Oregon
Football Recruiting Offers At the turn of the month, Oregon landed a haymaker against national competition. Prized backfield prospect Joe Mixon (5-Star/Oakley, CA/Rivals#4 RB) received a long-awaited Ducks offer and guaranteed an appearance in Eugene in the near future. “I was so hyped when (Coach Gary Campbell) was telling me I had a full ride to Oregon,” said Mixon. “I …
Floyd Rhea – One “Scrappy” Lineman
“Black Mamba”. “Super Mariota”. New additions to a prolific history of great Duck nicknames. Another great one? “Scrappy.” As in, Floyd “Scrappy/Scrap Iron” Rhea, one of the more interesting linemen to play for Oregon in the early 1940’s. Born in Rhea’s Mill, Arkansas on September 21, 1920, Rhea’s family moved to California shortly thereafter, with Floyd growing up in Fullerton. …
Have Football, Get Students
“…it has been my longstanding belief that The Big Ten’s schools would forgo the revenues in those circumstances and instead take steps to downsize the scope, breadth and activity of their athletic programs…” – Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, on how his member universities would react in the event that college athletes were eligible to be paid. It was the …
Are There First Round Draft Picks in the 2013 Signing Class?
If there was ever a way-too-early poll or mock draft, this is it. Oregon’s 2013 recruiting class was fantastic and boasts some of the unique features that the Duck coaches are looking for in a player. Many of those players are bound to get drafted, so when might they get drafted. Speed and athleticism are the name of the game …