With the conclusion of the NBA and NHL Finals, baseball has taken center stage, meaning that football is right around the corner. Bringing with it many questions, hopes and fears for Oregon fans. Is the Pac-12 the best division in college football? Can a team without a definitive quarterback take them to another National Title game? Will Oregon put up …
In my last analysis, I took a look at the linebacker position, giving some thoughts on why backer play was inconsistent in 2014 and why I believe it will be better in 2015. In that analysis, I discussed how linebackers are taught to “read” keys to help them diagnose and react to the play. Let’s quickly review these reads and how …
Oregon is certainly not Notre Dame or USC with their rich histories of great football, but we still have had our fair share of great players — from great running backs and wide receivers to a host of great quarterbacks. This is my list of the top five Oregon football players on the offensive side of the ball. 5/4. Bill Musgrave …
There are coaches on the hot seat in every college football season. Although Oregon football head coach Mark Helfrich isn’t listed in AthlonSports.com‘s College Football’s Coaches on the Hot Seat: Spring Practice 2015, he may be entering his most pressure-filled season to date in 2015. His hot seat is one that is filled with the high expectations of a program that hasn’t …
While Duck fans know Oregon football for its high-powered, speed-kills offense, they also know the Ducks have a nagging need to get bigger and faster on defense. Enter Austin Maloata, a true sophomore defensive lineman looking to move up the depth chart this season. While he didn’t play much his freshman season, Duck fans should look out for his intimidating 300-pound frame, topped with …
The quarterback battle going on in Eugene has certainly received its share of local and national press, and justifiably so. The Ducks are replacing the single greatest player in program history, who also happened to occupy the single most important position on the field. While I do not want to diminish the importance of this position — indeed, Oregon cannot …
Pressure is something Marcus Mariota knows well. From his days in college, he understands that his team’s successes and failures will all fall on him. He understands how to thrive in situations when everyone is looking to him, needing him to come through when it matters most — either on the field or in the community — whether that means working at a …
Rich Brooks, Mike Bellotti, and Chip Kelly are all coaches responsible for great seasons and the current state of the Oregon football team. As fans, we attribute success and failure to the head coaches, but it is never just the head coaches that are responsible for the success of a team. Too often we give the head coaches — and sometimes …
As I write this article, I am also preparing for my family to fly into Eugene for my graduation from the University of Oregon. While my career at UO has come to a close, I, along with the rest of the Class of 2015, will join the exclusive life-long club of Oregon alumni. While we will no longer attend classes or spend …
While watching ”The Sandlot” the other day, I couldn’t help but get caught up in my nostalgia. Babe Ruth comes into Benny’s room and gives him advice on his predicament, and before he leaves, he says, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” I began to think about Marcus Mariota. His contributions to the Oregon football program go far beyond …
Former Ducks football players can be found across the NFL. Oregon even had the distinction of having more former players starting in last year’s Super Bowl than any other college team with three. Over the last 20 years, 71 Oregon players have been selected in the NFL Draft, including nine first-round picks. In the 2015 draft, Marcus Mariota became the …
The Oregon Ducks defense last season was very inconsistent, both dominating opponents and being dominated by opponents. The most obvious example is the juxtaposition between Oregon’s destruction of Jameis Winston and FSU and their own destruction at the hands of Ohio State. While the defense didn’t always play up to their potential, they did pretty well most of the year, …