I am delighted with the hire of Mario Cristobal as head coach at Oregon, and have been since his introductory press conference where he impressed the audience with his presence and his answers to me afterward concerning the Oregon offense. Any questions we had about his ability to recruit has been set aside considering how he achieved one of the …
One of the strongest passing plays in the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ playbook during Marcus Arroyo’s time in Stillwater, and one that is still persistent in the offense today, is the post/dig concept. Post/dig is really just the explanatory title for the Mills Concept. Any time that an offense pairs a post route with a dig route, this is known as …
In the aftermath of signing day, as we try to make sense of it all, I compiled a chart (see below) covering the past twelve years of Oregon recruiting to help put things in perspective—from the end of the Mike Bellotti era to the beginning of the Mario Cristobal regime. At first glance, it’s clear that things took a dip …
Just as Jake Locker got schooled on a blitz in the picture above, I learned about some new aspects of football recruiting this year, none of which I particularly care for. I am developing some ways to mentally prepare for them, some FishDuck Philosophies if you will, which will help overcome the roller-coaster ride that has become the modern day norm in college football recruiting. Consider …
Lately I’ve heard and read reactions from fellow fans about the 2018 recruiting class such as, “this was an unmitigated disaster” and “pretty good considering all that happened!” In the end–both opinions are correct, as it just depends upon your perspective in addressing the results. I have a usual positive spin from the predicable context angle, but I also want …
Are you fretting like I am about how Oregon’s football recruiting class will turn out? I should be more mature than to put so much thought into the whims of 18 year olds–yet a ton of men are paid a hefty amount of money to turn those whims into signed letters of intent (LOIs), so maybe it isn’t so silly …
I know you read that title and are now thinking, “oh brother,” but bear with me and try to examine this with new eyes as we contemplate the hiring of Mark Helfrich as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach of the Chicago Bears. I truly believe he will be the Blockbuster Sleeper hire of the NFL this year, and will fare better …
Oregon Football has been built on a foundation of continuity, innovation and those diamond in the rough players that we, as Duck fans, have loved over the years. Our program has felt like a family, with familiar faces on the sideline and in the locker room. We were comfortable, we were confident and each year, when our recruiting class was …
More than any other hire that the Oregon has made this off-season, I am excited about the hiring of Jim Mastro as running backs coach, whom Head Coach Mario Cristobal was able to lure away from Mike Leach and Washington State. Mastro’s biggest calling cards is that he helped Chris Ault create the Pistol Offense while at the University of Nevada. A …
I remember thinking about it and saying to myself, “Yes, I would take the Devil’s Deal.” Would you? From the mid-1980s until the 2008 football season, the Ducks were on a roller-coaster of success and disappointment: from terrible seasons when quarterbacks were hurt, to the highs of the ’94 Rose Bowl team and the Joey Harrington years, as well as a …
It looks like the beginning of another tumultuous off-season for Oregon, but this time it might be for the players. The massive changes new head coach Mario Cristobal is implementing may not align with some of the upper classmen; could a large transfer-out wave be in the making? Let’s look at some information I digested over the last week to see if your vibe on …
We’ve entered that post-championship time of year when we turn our attention towards ways we can make the game better. In other words: Which would be the best playoff model for college football to adopt? I’ve taken it upon myself to end this childish debate. A Six-Team Playoff is the Ultimate Solution First, playoffs were never designed as a full-proof …
