Throughout a long off-season, I often find myself thinking of different plays I’d like to see added to a team’s playbook. Today I want to follow up on my last article with three new plays that I would love to see included in the Oregon Duck offense in 2019. Do I expect these exact plays to be added in the …
There’s no question that Oregon’s offensive performance in 2018 fell short of the standard set in recent glory years. As fans, we’re left with one question: What should we do about it? The internet’s popular theory is that if we don’t fire the offensive coordinator, we should at least have the decency to get our skivvies in a knot and …
All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for Washington fans, that sentiment may apply tomorrow afternoon, as the Huskies’ status as the premier program in the Pac-12 is in jeopardy. There’s no doubt that Washington currently sits atop of the food chain in the Pac-12. They’ve completely overhauled what was an underachieving roster and transformed it into a juggernaut. …
This week, we’ll dive into one of the many benefits the Pistol formation has extended the Oregon Duck offense. On deck in this article is the variety of play-action pass looks the Pistol allows. Where all play-action passes from the Shotgun look pretty much the same, those from the Pistol can look very different, depending on the call. It even allows for a cool little misdirection that …
In the game of football, it only takes a few seconds for euphoria to turn into tragedy. Just ask Oregon, who experienced this firsthand last Saturday in an instant classic. With 2:22 left in a wild fourth quarter against Stanford, the Ducks were reeling. After Oregon surrendered a 17-point lead that should have been even greater, the Cardinal were firing on all …
Running backs at Oregon are held to an elite standard. The Ducks have a history of churning out 1,000-yard rushers like Alabama churns out titles. Recent Oregon greats include Jonathan Stewart, Legarrette Blount, LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and Royce Freeman — some of the most prolific running backs in the country this century. And Freeman, the most recent superstar running …
It’s no secret that the Oregon Ducks have one of the most talented rosters in the PAC-12. However, the one position group that has given prognosticators pause is the wide receiving core. The passing game had its share of hiccups in 2017, and with a future NFL draft pick at quarterback, many blame the Ducks’ receivers for the offense’s inconsistency …
Justin Herbert is the heartbeat of Oregon Football. When he is in the lineup, the Ducks’ offense is one of the most intimidating forces in all of college football. The fresh-faced gunslinger from Sheldon can do it all. He can drop a 40-yard bomb at the flick of a wrist, thread a dart between multiple defenders or use his legs …
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When it comes to Oregon’s offense over the past decade, this is certainly a good philosophy to follow. Under Chip Kelly, Mark Helfrich and Willie Taggart, the Ducks’ offense has been among the most exciting and innovative groups in the country. Apparently, Mario Cristobal didn’t get the memo. We got our first look …
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 …
Remember the glory days of Max Unger or Hroniss Grasu (both now in the NFL) pulling from their center position and actually leading the running back on the edge? The speed and athleticism they had was not only amazing, but ideal for the Oregon Spread Offense under coach Chip Kelly as the Ducks unleashed a scoring assault on the country. To …
Oregon fans were understandably apprehensive going into the Arizona State game. They knew the Sun Devils blitzed a ton, which would be problematic for four redshirt freshmen offensive linemen and the Ducks’ true freshman quarterback Justin Herbert. Could Oregon counter these blitzes? How would the coaching staff handle obvious passing situations against the blitz and keep the coveted new QB protected? Fortunately, …