The Oregon hype train is picking up steam. The Ducks are the popular pick to win the Pac-12, and many pundits have them pegged as a playoff dark horse. ESPN is the latest to jump on the train, placing Oregon at No. 10 on its 2019 Football Power Index, far ahead of several Pac-12 rivals and one spot behind their …
Oh, how times have changed! Under former head coach Willie Taggart and current leading man Mario Cristobal, Oregon has undergone a complete recruiting transformation. Seemingly overnight, the Ducks have gone from good-but-not-great recruiting classes to king of the Pac-12 recruiting hill. In late July, still a month away from football season, the Ducks are already close to having a full …
In football, the quarterback is far and away the most important position on the team. His performance is pivotal to success. Oregon has a quarterback who should hear his name called early on the first day of the 2020 NFL Draft. So, what’s the problem? As much potential as Justin Herbert has, he hasn’t necessarily lived up to the mounting …
(To the tune of ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas”) She’s the sweetest little rose (bowl) bud that Texas ever knew, From Eugene to Dallas, few Ducks have ever flew. You can talk about your Clemsontine and sing of Coach Swinney, But that Duck named Puddles is the only one for me. Gus, he was the OC when Tigers ate Duck …
When it comes to having a good defense, the number-one priority is usually stopping the run. Defenses like Alabama’s and Clemson’s have won titles by adhering to this basic philosophy. With championship aspirations of its own, Oregon hopes to join the Tigers and the Tide and have a shutdown run defense in 2019. Here’s how the Ducks will be trying …
During the 2018 football season, the Ducks had clear-cut leaders at running back with CJ Verdell and Travis Dye. The two accounted for 1,757 of Oregon’s 2,392 rushing yards — over 73 percent of the team’s total. While an impressive statistic, it was considered a down year in rushing. In 2017, the Ducks had 3,284 rushing yards, and the top three …
The question I’ve posed aloud numerous times on this site for the current coaching staff at Oregon that has never been answered is a big one … “When the Oregon Spread Offense under Chip Kelly/Mark Helfrich from 2008 through 2016 averaged nearly 43 points a game, (42.8) and it became the brand of Oregon football and what we were known …
Oregon is stacked at quarterback for the foreseeable future. Even though current starter and likely first-round NFL draft pick Justin Herbert will be gone after this season, the Ducks have former four-star prospect Tyler Shough and intriguing true freshman Cale Millen on deck. Furthermore, the Ducks recently secured a commitment from top-100 prospect Jay Butterfield, one of the best high …
I wonder about the best Oregon football team ever, as we have three great teams as candidates. Everyone would assume that the 2014 team with so many stars highlighted by Heisman winner, Marcus Mariota, would be the natural selection, but I keep looking at that 2001 team as one that was loaded with Oregon stars and future NFL players. That …
Those of you who frequent this site are well-versed in the happenings of the Ducks’ offseason, from Justin Herbert staying, to Jim Leavitt leaving, to Kayvon Thibodeaux and Andy Avalos arriving. It’s clear Oregon has improved this offseason. But the Ducks aren’t the only ones who’ve had a successful spring and summer. Here’s what our fellow Pac-12 North members have …
For those longing for a return to the program’s peak offensive production of the past, the finality of spring football did not offer much for an Oregon Duck team that ranked 41st in total offense, 49th in passing offense and 54th in rushing offense in 2018. This is not entirely surprising however, as head coach Mario Cristobal emphasized that the …
Washington State head coach Mike Leach has graced the Pac-12 with his presence and entertaining press conferences since 2012. Before arriving in Pullman, Leach coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a then-competitive Big 12 Conference where he was quite successful. Overall, at Tech, Leach went 84-43 from 2000 until 2009, when he was relieved of his duties. Over the …