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It's a small world after all! Fernando Mendoza's Dad, Fernando Sr., played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. One of his teammates was another Cubano, Mario Cristobal. Cannot make this stuff up.

Does Dante Moore Need Another Year in College Easiest question of the day. Yes. 1000% yes. If he was drafted by an NFL team right now and shoved into a starting role -- which would almost certainly be the case, NFL players would eat him alive. However, I think he has the potential to be a great future NFL quarterback. But if he came out now and was forced to start, the NFL would eat him for lunch. The kid is absolutely not NFL ready. Indiana is clearly college fast. But all NFL players basically operate at other-worldly, semi-warp-like, speed. Every NFL player who steps onto the grass is an incredible freak of nature, and our young man is simply not ready for that... yet.

Assuming DM stays, keep Mehringer coaching the tight ends (huge success) and get a QB guru for Dante. Not blaming it all on him, but unfortunately he has had his worst games when it mattered the most. That's on the coaches IMHO.

The fact that there were two open receivers (JMac and RB with a blocker out front) tells me it’s a good call. The fact that Dante never looked elsewhere and stared down Benson tells me it’s poor execution. I think we get into the habit of blaming Stein, but he makes the play call with the assumption that his QB will make the correct reads. For example, Benson had a CB to his side with a safety over the top. The other side had JMac, Sadiq, Johnson and Hill (in the flat) being covered by a CB, a safety and a OLB. If Moore reads that side first he sees the safety come up to cover the flat while JMac blows past him as he is likely coached to read deepest to shortest route.

I realize that our offensive line has and has had some injury issues.. Nonetheless, this qb performance was concerning. I do not believe Dante is another Thompson. Will he develop as Herbert or Dixon? Let's hope so!!

Vegas Duck, You stated, "...the biggest disappointment is playing with OSU and Indiana during regular season and then getting destroyed by them in the playoffs. This does not compute." Point to leadership when assigning fault. Our coaches are part of the team's leadership, and they must be watchful of short and long-term trends and threats to quality control in mental attitude, preparation, and readiness to compete individually and as a team. They tripped up after Penn St., allowing our team to become too high and sure they were better than they really were/are; our leaders did not recognize Indiana was a major threat to defeat OBDs, and while the Indiana HC worked the officials on the sidelines, I don't believe our HC did that IOT protect our QB, and our QB became banged up; Indiana's coach was wrong, and our HC was right, but wrong. Dante seems still fragile, and his fundamentals and attention-to-detail are not yet set in cement. He must understand his actions (such as progressions and details) affect the whole team, right then. Our team needs our leaders to be a "Major Payne", to be hard and unrelenting until our players are tougher on themselves WRT details, decisions, and timings, and they become great leaders. Best regards. That was a tough game to watch because we have a good-to-great team. Our only losses were to an incredible team that executed and performed, and the final championship games' outcome does not matter. That was an interesting win in the Orange Bowl, and I look forward to a championship game in the Peach Bowl with a more favorable final ending for OBDs. By-the-way, "progressions" refers to an assessment of more than one receiver/target. This is a great forum. Thanks and VR, KCDuck1

There was plenty of time to look for other open receivers. Also, Dante focused entirely on the quick out and his eyes were easily read by the defender. Another predictable Stein call that cost us much. I hope that we will get a new coordinator who will drastically change the Stein model, the model that never works against quality opponents.

I'm actually excited for the Akili Smith Jr era to begin. In my mind, it's why Novo portaled out before Moore declared anything. I would rather let Jr grow into the position even if they take a couple Ls than just portal in someone with experience.

I, too, like Dante as a young man, and wish him the best. However, on a discussion forum like this, perhaps a question ought to be raised. By analogy, is he Justin Herbert, Dennis Dixon, or Ty Thompson? Herbert? "The NFL is not a developmental league," one pundit says. On the contrary, a good QB coach (with the Chargers, not Mario's Ducks) developed Justin, and he is now a pro-bowl player. Dixon? An introvert prone to self-doubt, a bit of an ugly duckling, but one who somehow transformed into a Heisman quality player in his senior year. Thompson? Dante has some good personal qualities in addition to his physical gifts. However, the ability to speak well, or for that matter to do theoretical physics, does not guarantee that one can determine where to pass a football in 2.5 seconds.

The season is over. We all collectively thudded back to the ground after believing that maybe we could hang with or even beat Indiana. My mind immediately jumped into the off-season mode and let me tell you, it is murky. First and foremost, does Dante stay? As a fan, I was hopeful that his announcement would come very quickly after the season ended, regardless of how it ended. I get it has been less that 24 hours, but this is serious stuff!! The traditional deadline to declare for the draft is January 14th. This creates a muddy situation as those potential targets in the transfer portal may elect to determine their landing spots before we hear from Dante. If we miss on a transfer, Brock Thomas is our most seasoned QB as a redshirt sophomore. Granted, this is all the musing of a fan who has no inside track into the workings of the program. My ultimate hope is that DL and staff have a transfer in their back pocket ready to offer if Dante leaves. Or, we could maybe see deja vu. Like when Darren Thomas left and we started this freshman kid.....can't recall his name. 😊. Maybe Akili Smith, Jr will be the next Mariota. I hate the unknown, I dislike waiting. If you see this message Mr. Lanning, help a fan out!!

OK...this is a GameDay thread, and the game is over. Let's move to other threads on the front page, or create a new thread. Thanks.

Cig cites the key play. My Take: It happened when Indiana boarded the team bus? 🙃 Oregon Ducks On SICurt Cignetti Doesn't Hold Back After Indiana's Win Over...The No. 5 Oregon Ducks suffered a loss against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl. After a strong playoff ru

And this! I still hear the drums, Fernando. Drum on to victory in your hometown! Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Fans Will Love Fernando Mendoza's Classy Move Afte...The No. 5 Oregon Ducks fell 56-22 to the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl, as their dreams of winning their fi

I think the biggest disappointment is playing with OSU and Indiana during regular season and then getting destroyed by them in the playoffs. This does not compute.

Yep, Cig is trying to vacuum up CFB. 🤑🤪

Thanks, Gat. Yep, Cig and his Hoosiers have the chance of breaking the BCS/Playoff Blue Chip Roster ceiling. I hope it happens with homeboy Fernando taking down fellow homeboy and Cubano, Mario.

I don’t see it as a good call. Progressions? Was there time for that? It appears to me that Moore was going with the quick out as soon as he received the snap, never looked elsewhere, and the DB anticipated it. Great play.

I was impressed with Harris' effort with one foot out the door. A true display of the type of character you hope to have in your teammates.

How about this class move by a Duck - Oregon Ducks On SIMost Powerful Moment After Oregon’s Loss To Indiana Wasn’...ATLANTA - The Oregon Ducks’ 56‑22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals ended their national championship dreams, leaving hear

Definitely coaching weakness. Mental toughness

Like everyone else I was disappointed at how this season ended. We knew our offense needed a perfect game to win, and one play into the game that was out the window. I donate generously to the athletic fund, and school each year. However, as a realist, without Phil Knight’s generosity, Oregon is not on the national stage in football. I will attend games until traffic gets so bad on the freeway that it absurd to attend games from Portland…and that appears to be getting closer than a National Championship. As a fan i stand on the shoulders of other donors, coaches, past and current players, that really have put Oregon where it is today. Want and need are two different things. I want to see Oregon win a Championship in football, and am happy to see seasons where winning 13 games is disappointing.

He definitely hurt his NFL stock last night. In fact, I hope it doesn't kill his confidence even as a Ducks QB. He will need time to boune back, so playing against softer D in college may be the answer. However, college O lines also are not as good as pro, so who knows - if he managed to drop his stock enough, he may not end up with the Raiders and actually get better protection in NFL to make his throws. On the other hand, NFL is not dumb enough to miss his inability to scan the field and make good decisions. Would be interesting to see what transpires in the next few days...

Smitty, you know I love you, my Forum Friend, but Nostradamus, assisted by Tom Brady, could have been calling the plays last night, and it would not have mattered. Cig put OBD in a blender and hit the Ice Crush button. We witnessed a Rose Bowl sequel in the Peach Bowl. "Blue Chips? We don't need no stinkin' Blue Chips!" Like Dan and like Dilly, Will and Tosh are heading to greener pastures. There is a tide taken at the flood ... Dillingham went home to ASU. Tosh is heading home to Cal. Will is returning to his home state, where he played his college ball. If there is fault here, the fault lies with the FUBAR CFB calendar. A calendar that had Will, Tosh, and Dan in the midst of a PO run, working to protect and add to their rosters. Curt Cignetti has had the same top drawer OC and DC at his side for eight-plus seasons. Curt and his assistants were coaching in the Little League. Cignetti's assistant coaches have both been given big (B1G) raises, but his coaches will inevitably leave for the opportunity to be a head coach, just like Curt took a huge pay cut and left Saint Nick and Bama so he could be a HC. Losing S-U-C-K-S. But OBD made one more PO step forward than it did last season. Danny and Ducks are on the PO title path, competing in what is arguably the best football conference in the USA. With an NFL PO reseed, Indiana should have played Miami in the semis, and Oregon should have played Ole Miss., hosting the games in Bloomington and Eugene. So it goes. Wait 'Till Next Year, when the champ game will be played in Vegas and the champagne will flow!😍

Cig just changed the CFB game by his coaching alone. It's no longer about star ratings. Anyone with me when I say this - when he coaches in game and looks like staring, he is actually mind-controlling his players. That's how IU is so freaking good 😡

hahaha, I see what you did there. Mine says it too - but I did pick IU to win yesterday, by half of the points though ☹️ Agree with your 97% comment as well. We had been closer to the Natty twice before this year, so we still need to get back to at least that final game. As succucessful as OBD has been, it's just frustrating that we can't seem to get there. Being frustrated and disheartened doesn't make me less of a Duck fan. But having been a Duck fan for nearly 40 years does make me a sarcastic realist sometimes... We will heal and hope OBD and Lanning will sooner. Go Ducks!