Heisman Hype, Meet Vernon Adams Jr.

Mark Weber FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Ask most Oregon fans and they’ll tell you Royce Freeman is the Ducks’ best chance at bringing the Heisman Trophy back to Eugene after this season. That claim isn’t entirely false, as Freeman is an electric running back who has surprising speed despite his power back frame; he can run between the tackles and on the outside, he excels in pass protection – most …

Maneuvering the Battle with the Spartans

Rory Davidson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

One of the premier non-conference matchups of the season is a rematch from last year. This time though, the Ducks are traveling to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Last year’s matchup at Autzen set the Ducks on the path to the National Championship Game. This year’s game could have the same ramifications. Now something you might notice in …

From the Bench to the Skies, These Three Ducks Will Soar in 2015

Max Thornberry FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Oregon’s incredible depth has been one of the biggest storylines of the summer. The unbelievably deep position of wide receiver caused Alex Ofodile to redshirt when many assumed he would be make an impact straight away after enrolling back in January. The loss of RB Thomas Tyner for the entire 2015/2016 puts a small wrench in this offense, but it won’t be its undoing. Royce …

How the Ducks Will Stop the Soaring Eagles

Rory Davidson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Wow, are you fans ready for another season? I know I am. It is going to be hard to top last season, as we had the Heisman Trophy winner, won the Pac 12, and went to our first annual College Football Playoff Championship. The only way the season could have been better was if we had gone undefeated and won …

Oregon’s All-Underrated Team for 2015: Defense

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Last Sunday I explained the plummeting stock that analysts have in the 2015 Ducks, particularly members of ESPN. I then went on to highlight one player from every position on offense who was being overlooked or undervalued.  Here we are one week later, and it’s time to do the same for our defense. Without further ado … OREGON’S 2015 ALL-UNDERRATED TEAM: …

OC Scott Frost Knows a Thing or Two about QB Life

Sam Felton Editorials

In a mere 10 days, the charcoal grills will ignite once again, the beers will be cracked and the masses of loyal Duck fans sporting the vibrant green and yellow will make their way across the Willamette River and through the woods to enter the shrine that is Autzen Stadium. Simply writing these words down stirs up the euphoria I have …

History of the Oregon QB Battle

Henry Swift History

Great players come and go through every program, but eventually they have to move on. The hole they leave is oftentimes the most talked-about topic of the off-season. This off-season it is an especially hot topic, after losing the best player ever to come through this program. The most asked questions around Eugene are “Do you think Jeff Lockie or Vernon Adams …

Three Underclassmen Who Will Be Household Names After the 2015 Season

Tyler Timm FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

With fall camp underway and the entire 105-man roster now practicing, we can look deeper into the questions surrounding the 2015 Oregon Ducks. The team lost a lot of experience and productivity when several teammates graduated, and the 2015 Ducks will have to replace them. Many names that were staples on both sides of the ball over the last few years are now gone, and …

2015 Duck Darkhorse: Tony Brooks-James

Brian FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Versatility is the calling card of the Oregon Ducks football program. Multi-threat athletes are at every position, giving the Ducks a huge advantage on the gridiron. Oregon football is recognized for its quarterbacks of the past such as Dennis Dixon, Darron Thomas, and Marcus Mariota and their ability to fool defenses with a very diverse running and passing attack. Year in …

Ducks Miss on Another LB Recruit, but Future Still Bright at LB

Aaron Lewis FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Friday evening, the Ducks experienced a blow to their recruiting momentum. Highly-recruited four-star LB Bryce Youngquist committed to the Oklahoma Sooners despite saying in June there was a “90 percent” chance that he would commit to Oregon. This comes on the heels of Oregon narrowly missing on many of their top linebacker targets in the class of 2015. More recently, in addition …

The Butterfly Effect: The Spread Offense’s Effect on the Philadelphia Eagles’ Inside Linebackers

Joe Kearns Analysis

What if the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil began a chain reaction that set off a tornado in Texas? This notion raised by MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz has  implications for causation in physics, economics and yes, football. The rise of the spread offense in the 21st century generated a butterfly effect on defenses. Coaches in bastions of the …

The Legend of Kiko Alonso

Henry Swift Men of Oregon: Players and Coaches

Most legends we hear about have one thing in common — they revolve around heroes. These legends also follow the same pattern of having a hero’s story arc. The hero comes in as a savior with a bright and promising future and has a major fall — only to rise again stronger than ever. During his time in Eugene, Kiko Alonso …