For Duck fans, a field goal has become a gut-wrenching, last second act of desperation gone awry. The Oregon football program is no stranger to hanging its national title hopes on a fourth quarter field goal, and unfortunately, they have come up short and to the left … twice. Oregon’s prolific offensive schemes and stout defense can only take it so far; …
The Sky is the Limit For Addison
I always like to take a look at the starters who aren’t necessarily the main 1-2 punch for a team, but role players who can make or break a team down the stretch. Granted the Oregon Ducks have a fair amount of depth on their roster for offense, still there are some questions that must be asked. Who will have …
Ducks Heat up Heading Into Summer
The freshmen have been on campus for a few weeks and summer workouts are nearly underway. For the Ducks, there isn’t a whole lot needing to be figured out. The running backs look talented, though experience isn’t plentiful. Marcus Mariota looks to build upon one of the best freshman seasons for a quarterback in college football history, and the Ducks …
Oregon’s Offense is a 99, but Should It Be?
In a long offseason, these are the slowest days. The sports world mirrors the working world: everyone’s on vacation, but when we check in, we find little going on. For a sport with as much coverage as college football, the length of the season itself is quite short. To make the offseason more manageable, fans celebrate small milestones to break …
Is the Spread Offense Doomed?
First it was Nick Saban, then Florida coach Will Muschamp. Now, the latest high-profile coach to bash the spread offense is new Arkansas coach Bret Bielema. Three successful, smart, influential coaches, all of whom are calling for rule changes to slow down the spread offense and give defenses a better opportunity to substitute, get a breather and avoid injury. So …
Reggie Daniels – Layin’ the Wood and About to be Heard
If you haven’t heard about Reggie Daniels, you’re about to, whether you read on or not. The 6’1″ 200 pound redshirt freshman safety is said to be the real deal by program insiders. Ranked 4-stars by 247 Sports, Scout and ESPN coming out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, Daniels was the prized catch of defensive backs coach John …
Oregon’s Dominance Prevented Marcus Mariota From Being a 2012 Heisman Finalist
Marcus Mariota’s omission from the Heisman finalist group last season wasn’t the biggest travesty in world history, but he definitely should have been there. In fact, he played just as well as Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. Unfortunately, two things – both out of his control – prevented Mariota from getting the Heisman finalist spot he deserved: the team he played …
Post NCAA Decision, What Lies Ahead For Recruiting?
Today, June 27th, 2013, marks the first day in a new era of Oregon Duck football. The Chip Kelly saga, bowl-ban hype, and 2-year NCAA investigation are now officially over with. This teams past is no longer making headlines, coach Kelly is on the other side of the country, and mystery man Willie Lyles is MIA. While it seems as …
Chip shows true leadership in final act
It’s over and in the end, it looks like the Ducks did the right thing. The NCAA finally ended the 27-month Willie Lyles recruiting scandal by announcing sanctions on the Duck football program that included a loss of one scholarship for the 2013 and 2014 school year and a three-year probation. Oregon will be bowl eligible. A slap on the …
Could a True Sophomore Redshirt This Year?
True freshman make it on to the field every season in college football and just about every team finds one that they expect to become a big impact player. Barring injuries or off-the-field issues, many of those players find themselves a starting position by their sophomore year assuming the depth chart ahead of them isn’t loaded. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu played …
A Duck in Florida: Streaks, Malls, and the TSA’s Role in Recruiting
Third. Fourth. Second. Those have been Oregon’s rankings in the final AP college football polls the last three seasons. Three consecutive years of top four finishes are impressive for any school – Oregon is only school with a current streak that length – but what would it take to finish in the top four for fifteen consecutive years? That is …
Why Kickers Deserve a Break
Kickers might be the most polarizing athletes in all of sports. Their only job is to kick the football between two goal posts, often during the fourth quarter when games are close, so the results of their kicks leave room for two possible narratives; If they make the field goal, they’re heroes. If they miss, they’re awful, disgraceful, should-be-playing-soccer scapegoats. …