Can Oregon’s Offense Work Without a Star QB?

David Koh FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

With the NFL draft rapidly approaching and mock drafts coming in from every analyst with an internet connection, Oregon fans are getting used to the bittersweet feeling of seeing star alumnus Marcus Mariota top nearly every board in the country. Sweet because we love to see a young Duck take wing. Bitter because of the empty nest he’s leaving behind. Mariota owns nearly every …

Denver Broncos: Draft Interest in Ifo-Ekpre Olomu, Ducks

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Former Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu continues his road to recovery after suffering a torn ACL just weeks before the CFB Playoff National Championship game. While the three-time All-Pac-12 cornerback has missed opportunities to perform at the 2015 NFL Combine and Oregon’s Pro Day, his talents have not gone unnoticed and his stock continues to rise amongst NFL scouts and draft analysts. @ifo14 pic.twitter.com/d1fFjze1kr — Brennon (@BDethlefs6) …

Spring Practice Begins

David Koh FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon Ducks open spring football practices on Tuesday, and the team is bound to look a little different from the dynastic dynamo that came up one game short of a national title in January. Gone are Heisman field general Marcus Mariota and line anchor Hroniss Grasu. Here to stay (hopefully) are a slew of fresh faces headlined by line-beasts Canton …

3 Reasons Oregon Ducks Rely on Running Backs in 2015

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The college football off-season has seen an immense trove of educated guesses as to how the Oregon Ducks football program will adjust to life without Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Marcus Mariota. Today, we are exactly 1/2 year away from opening kickoff. Never too early to start counting down is it? #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/bA1eWYQyTc — QuackCave (@QuackCave) March 6, 2015 Indeed, the future looks bright …

Enough Already, Coach!

Dave Kensler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Bret Bielema is a very good football coach. At the University of Wisconsin, he won 17 of his first 18 games, among many other accomplishments. Now, he appears to have Arkansas headed on a similar path to success. Bielema is not very good, however, at arguing against hurry-up offenses. He advocates a 10-second “waiting period” rule on each play before the ball …

A Tale of Two Games…and Two Offensive Lines

Levi Steier Analysis

Charles Dickens famous opening to A Tale of Two Cities perfectly captures Oregon football and illustrates the vast range of emotions that its fans have endured in the last five years. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, …

Linebackers Development in Spring Key for 2015 Success

Aaron Lewis FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Ducks begin spring practice in less than two weeks. As I wrote previously, most of the attention will be on who replaces the greatest player in Oregon history, but the Ducks should be just fine at the quarterback position next season. The position group that needs to make the biggest strides this spring is the linebackers. Last year’s Oregon defense, under …

Oregon in the Driver’s Seat to Land 2016 Top Recruit

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Just a few short days after landing four star WR Theo Howard, Oregon appears to be the front-runner to land five star recruit Brandon Jones. The safety from Nacogdoches, TX is the No. 14 ranked recruit on ESPN’s top 300 list, and is the top ranked safety in the class of 2016. Yesterday, after receiving the official offer from the …

Mariota and “The Curse of Skip Bayless”

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Johnny Manziel. Tim Tebow. These are just a couple of the latest NFL ”quarterbacks” who have received glowing reviews from Skip Bayless, one half of the ESPN two headed monster, First Take. Bayless, who has very little success predicting the future of college quarterbacks in the NFL, has made it clear that he believes Oregon’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota should not be selected in the …

Erick Dargan’s Gets NFL Opportunity at Oregon Pro Day

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

A FishDuck.com exclusive report from University of Oregon Pro Day at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. The measure of any talented, dedicated, and dynamic college athlete often comes from how they respond to adversity. For Oregon safety Erick Dargan and team-voted Most Valuable Player, a trial of his character came when the All Pac-12 Second Team defenseman did not receive an invitation to the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine in …

Chip Kelly: Man or Myth

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The unprecedented success of the last decade of Oregon football has attracted some of the nation’s most talented players and innovative coaches. For the Ducks, the point of no return was when Chip Kelly arrived, implementing a fresh, “Win the Day” philosophy that elevated the program to the national spotlight. When Kelly left college football for the Philadelphia Eagles, his legacy in Eugene remained intact, a …