While it is always a great sense of pride when an Oregon Duck is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, especially in the Top 10 (Kayvon Thibodeaux was picked 5th overall by the New York Giants), it is of even greater frustration that no other Ducks were selected. I went to the Paul McCartney concert here in Spokane …
Former Oregon Lineman’s Injury a Failure of Leadership
It’s hard to see former Oregon Ducks football players and coaches seated in a courtroom. There is a stark difference between the electric greens and yellows of Autzen Stadium roaring with glee at full capacity and the hushed, drab, beige-colored rooms of the Lane County Courthouse. For most folks, this is not a happy place. They don’t sell nachos in …
Fun Matters More than Ever for Oregon Football
The biggest thing that keeps getting repeated during spring practice is that the team is having fun again. Mario Cristobal was and still is all about the “grind” — and there is absolutely a time and place for that. However, it really does seem like Cristobal’s culture was wearing thin on the players. By contrast, Dan Lanning has breathed new …
Could Ty Thompson be the No. 3 Quarterback?
Last week, while skimming through the OregonLive.com sports pages, something caught my eye that made my brow sharply rise as I caught a partial headline reading: “Jay Butterfield gets No. 2 QB reps.“ Hmmm… What a surprise it would be if the highly-touted Ty Thompson fell to third on the Oregon depth chart. I have not seen anything official on any depth charts …
Culture Cannot Be Just a Buzzword
In the age of NIL, culture must be more than a buzzword. Coaches love to throw around the term “culture” all the time, and each coach wants to claim his unique culture produces what it takes to win big. The reality is that there are few programs that have the culture required to win a National Championship, and that is …
Conerly Decision Boosts Ducks Cachet with Elite RB
The news of the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle recruit Josh Conerly Jr. choosing the Oregon Ducks over the USC Trojans and Washington Huskies shook the college football world to its core and send shockwaves throughout the social media stratosphere (If you are currently living under a rock and haven’t heard the news, check out Mr. FishDuck’s write-up). No doubt, Conerly’s …
The Transfer Portal: Embrace It or Drive Yourself Mad
A recent John Canzano article noted the intelligent move by Dan Lanning to have Ty Thompson take the first-team reps in the first spring practice open to the press. My summation of Canzano’s post goes like this: Thompson is a risk to enter the transfer portal while Bo Nix is not, so, with the job up for grabs, might as …
It’s Time for a Real Spring Game
The Spring Game is just a glorified scrimmage. It’s something all fans know, but we still get excited about the prospect of seeing new Oregon players show off their potential. It also gives fans something to talk about after a long and uneventful February. National Signing day is over, which is even less eventful now with the early signing period …
Oregon Hoops Fizzles Out; Former Ducks Lineman Dies
The past week has been eventful for Oregon fans, but not necessarily successful. The Oregon Ducks men’s and women’s basketball programs were both eliminated from the postseason this weekend, officially closing the books on a year filled with exhilarating highs, frustrating lows and inconsistent performances from both teams. Women’s Basketball For the first time since 2017, Oregon (20-12) was bounced …
The Targeting Rule is Not About Player Safety
The NCAA recently announced changes to the targeting rule. These changes are not yet in effect, but there will be a vote in April to adopt these proposals. In short, there are really no changes, other than that players can now appeal their suspension from a targeting penalty issued during the second half of a game to the conference. This …
Red Flags are Flying on Kayvon Thibodeaux
Must be NFL Draft season here at FishDuck as we hit on Oregon’s super-star Kayvon Thibodeaux for the second straight day. Unfortunately, as we draw closer to the draft, red flags keep rising on Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux’s latest transgression occurred this past weekend at the NFL Combine. Thibodeaux was expected to participate in drills after completing his solid 40 yard-dash (4.58 …
80 Plays Per Game is More Than an Offensive Goal
Back on National Signing Day in early February, Offensive Coordinator Kenny Dillingham said that his Oregon offense is going to play fast and put up a lot of points, with the goal of running 80 offensive plays per game. Coach Eric Boles outlined what he thinks this up-tempo, pro-style offense may look like this upcoming year. No matter what this …