Feature Photo by Kevin Cline Rivalries are the best part of sports. The Passion. The Intensity. The Hatred. We all love to hate the Huskies and poke fun at the Beavers (and their stupid new logo), but don’t we all watch a game and say, “I want to play that team?” What if we could actually get teams to Autzen …
When the news arrived Friday that Dwayne Stanford, the lanky, 6’5″ true sophomore receiver, was going under the knife to fix a potentially serious knee injury, panic began to spread amongst the Oregon faithful. With Mark Helfrich now leading the charge, it’s expected that the Ducks could be looking to the air more this season, which will require the receivers to …
I’m taking my wife to see “42” tonight. The “based on history” story of racial strife, cultural change and baseball in the late 40’s is right in my strike zone. Of course, I’ve never spent two consecutive hours rooting for the Dodger, but that’s a story for another day. Thinking about this movie brought me to mind of other …
“If you flip Montana, there’s no going back.” – University of Washington President Raymond B. Allen, 1948 Alright, I made up that quote, but a conversation to twist the knife on Oregon took place that fall. With Cal and Oregon tied atop the Pacific Coast Conference, a tiebreaking vote amongst the members was set. The legend goes that the rivalry …
About a year ago, I wrote a post attempting to list the greatest “Oregon” Ducks of all-time - University of Oregon athletes, regardless of sport, who were either natives of the state of Oregon, or at had least moved here at a young age and thus “grew up” in Oregon. I originally planned to do a “top 10”, but early in the research it …
It’s 2013, and statistics are ubiquitous in college football: yards per play, 3rd down conversion rate, points per game, defensive efficiency, time of possession, attractiveness of fake girlfriends, turnover margin, blah blah blah blah. We’ve got all kinds of “objective” statistical methods to “measure” how “good” a football team “is.” This clearly ain’t Knute Rockne’s football. The problem with all these objective …
In an increasingly specialized football culture, almost all players are limited to one specific position or role. Since the return to the two-platoon system in the 1960s, college athletes have focused their efforts and development on one single facet of the game. As a result, we have nickel backs, pass-rushers, slot receivers, and numerous other specific positions that have led …
Football Recruiting Visits/Offers A somewhat quieter front on the recruiting trail, Oregon’s D-Line brass made waves offering in-state talent Henry Mondeaux (3-Star/Portland, OR) and southwestern-based Jalen Jelks (3-Star/Phoenix, AZ). “I was down in Eugene Saturday and I spent I think around 10 or 11 hours around the school and football team,” said the 6’5″, 245 lb. Mondeaux. “I watched practice …
Courtesy of Kevin Cline Photography I recently read that many pundits think the Oregon State Beavers might actually be a contender; not just in the Pac-12 North, but in the Pac-12 in general. I have also heard this same statement from many of my friends who are Beaver fans. To my friends I must nod politely while trying not to smile and …
This multi-week series will attempt to take a reasonable, logical and unbiased look at Oregon’s recent recruiting successes and failures while analyzing the program’s recruiting philosophy under Chip Kelly. The series will then look at how that philosophy already has and may continue to evolve under Mark Helfrich before ending with a detailed breakdown of the author’s ideal recruiting blueprint. …
With the turn of another calendar month, we have finally, mercifully, reached April, which brings about the beginning of spring ball in Eugene. New coach. New hope. New beginnings. With Mark Helfrich at the helm for the first time in his career, Scott Frost getting his much deserved attempt at running an offense, and Marcus Mariota taking over the leader …
The story is just now coming to full light, but according to Sports Illustrated, in 2010 Auburn coaches were only interrupted in giving hundreds of dollars to their players by the need to get busy changing their grades to keep them eligible. Gene Chizik apparently DID NOT appreciate having to call first half timeouts so that his players could run …
