First, the news that everyone already seems to know: Matt Lubick will be the next Oregon offensive coordinator. He wants the opportunity and, as Mark Helfrich well knows, he definitely deserves it. Matt’s first game might be very interesting. The Ducks offensive play caller must match wits with arguably the best defensive coordinator in college football — Gary Patterson of TCU. …
With the Ducks currently on a bye week and just over half-way through the season, it is a great time to reflect on the first half of the season and look forward to the final five games. Oregon Offense Through Seven Games Despite the exceptional talent at RB and WR and a solid O-line, the struggles at the QB position have slowed …
In a previous analysis I discussed Oregon’s Run-Pass Combo. In this follow-up analysis, I will look at how the Ducks use the same strategy to attack defenses by focusing on a single player. With the Duck offense, any defender can be the focus of an offensive play. Tendencies, leverage and spacing are all key points that coaches ponder when calling a specific play. In the …
Saturday night stung. A loss by three on the road to a top-5 team shouldn’t eliminate Oregon from the College Football Playoff hunt (though it makes the road significantly more difficult), but it sure feels like this was a missed opportunity. Duck Sports Authority’s AJ Jacobson wrote a recap of the game published this Sunday detailing exactly how the Spartans …
As a flagship program in college’s premier sport, football, Oregon faces consistent media scrutiny. If a team is able to find success, it is expected to maintain it. Oregon is no different, and in a year when the team loses arguably the best player it has seen this century, members of the media are eager to write Oregon off. ESPN.com releases an annual …
One of the most complex pass routes to complete is the Fade Route, especially when used in the Red Zone, and even more so inside the five-yard line. Oregon has had difficulty completing this pass in recent years (fourth down against Stanford, anyone?), and a couple of us have been pondering if the unique touch of Vernon Adams throwing to freakishly athletic Kirk …
Football is a game of position and space, and coaches spend a great deal of time analyzing their schemes to incorporate wrinkles and techniques that will influence the opposition. In most cases, causing a slight hesitation, or a few small steps in the wrong direction, can result in a big play. Option football, which includes the zone read, is predicated on this. …
Judging by the numbers, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of the best NFL offenses last season. They ranked third in scoring, fifth in total yards, sixth in passing yards, and ninth in rushing yards. However, PhillyVoice writer Jimmy Kempski persuasively argues the fast-tempo positively skewed the Eagles’ offensive statistics. Apparently, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly also decided the numbers didn’t add up, …
It was 1993 and I was a senior in high school playing running back for the South Salem Saxons. I wore No. 43 before Darren Sproles made it cool to wear the number. The Ducks running back in 1993, Sean Burwell, finished with 457 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on the season. Last season, Oregon ran for 301 yards in …
Although Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014, it is not a stretch to say the man protecting his blind side saved the Ducks’ playoff hopes. Jake Fisher was not supposed to be Oregon’s left tackle last year. However, an ACL injury to the slated left tackle Tyler Johnstone forced Fisher’s move from right tackle to left, where he had …
When the Ducks begin spring practices on March 31st, most of the attention will be on the quarterbacks. While Vernon Adams will still be finishing his degree at Eastern Washington, five other Ducks quarterbacks will be jockeying for position to beat out Adams in the fall, and the national media will be watching closely. All the focus on the quarterback position …
The greatest Oregon Duck to ever wear the green and yellow is now preparing for life in the NFL That’s old news. So what does the future hold? Could a new quarterback bring changes to the Oregon offense we have become so familiar with? To begin, I don’t think we will be a bad football team without Marcus Mariota. There …
