As Charles Fischer pointed out in yesterday’s article, the Oregon offense did take steps forward in the first half against ASU. This was encouraging to see and showed that the coaching staff was willing to open up the playbook to things that have WORKED at Oregon, and weren’t absolutely hell-bent on the conservative power-game that wasn’t working. Having said that, …
I could not believe my eyes. I have written extensively about how this staff could not win a National Championship someday unless there were massive changes and Coach Mario Cristobal became more flexible on offense. I felt there was a very low chance of that happening, as it appeared that he was going to be stubborn about “establishing the run,” and …
My friends… we have had great fun discussing our Beloved Ducks after the games over the last month in the comments below the articles. I thought I would start it early — for those who want to weigh in before the game, during the game, and after the game. Like before — this discussion will continue into Sunday and I …
Oregon’s offense has undergone a facelift, and the results haven’t been flattering. The once ultra-exciting and innovative unit that produced historically great results now looks ordinary and predictable. Finding something positive in the midst of such offensive regression is challenging, but there has been one resounding bright spot: Dillon Mitchell. The former illustrious recruit from Memphis has become a bona fide …
Head coach Mario Cristobal has to be frustrated with the Oregon football team he inherited. Going into his first season, with a couple of all-stars on defense and a Heisman candidate quarterback leading his offense, it seemed that contending for the Pac-12 Conference championship was a goal within reach. Unfortunately, injuries and the collapse of both his defense and offense …
Writing this article came about by way of a strange coincidence. The morning of the Oregon v. Washington game, I received a text message from a coaching friend in Oklahoma. His question was simple: “You think GT Counter Read works from Pistol?” Neither of us had seen anyone do it before, so we weren’t sure of how the timing and exchange …
Last Monday felt like the earth moving in Oregon, as my article sent shock waves among Ducks fans on both sides of the conundrum. My objective was to declare my thoughts about what I was seeing, and it gave permission for others to voice their concerns about the future of the team as well. We had spirited debate all last …
As part of a new tradition on this site–we have an article published soon after the game to simply allow us to discuss it in the comments. I began this after the Washington game for the first time in seven years, and it is highly participated in and now a part of what we do. We will continue after football …
The 2018 Oregon Ducks have been like a box of chocolates: when they take the field, you never know what you’re going to get. One week, it looks like they could go toe to toe with the best teams in the country. Another, it looks like they’d get smoked by conference bottom-dweller Oregon State. Fans are growing restless with the team’s hot …
Oregon’s offense is stagnant. Constant complaint from fans and poor performances against below-average defenses make it abundantly clear that there are some serious flaws. Article after article details the issues that the Ducks have with play-calling and running the ball inside even when there are nine defenders in the box. But this is not why Oregon’s offense is stagnant. The culprit …
Coach Mario Cristobal had to be thankful that UCLA made a ton of mistakes in Chip Kelly’s return trip to Autzen Stadium. The Bruins are very young, with fewer senior starters than Oregon: one on offense and two on defense — which might account for the five turnovers and 11 penalties, not to mention a flurry of dropped passes. Cristobal …
Hopefully, Oregon isn’t there already. The Ducks went 7-5 in Willie Taggart’s first season. We all felt a little better about that because we knew with a healthy Justin Herbert the Ducks would have cruised to a 9-3 record. Coming into this season with “Slick” gone, a new coach who we trust, recruiting up, an improving defense, and a healthy …
