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Yes, in fact OJ's only college games under 100 yards were against the Ducks. Of course, when you tackle him like this, makes you kinda hesitant to run the ball!!!

As a Boy Scout in Eugene in the late 1960's I had the duty/opportunity to serve as an usher at Autzen stadium for some of the Ducks games. One game in particular has stuck with me and I think exemplifies the Duck football experience prior to Mike Bellotti. Late in the season OJ Simpson was in town with USC and the Ducks were giving them more than they could handle. It was the fourth quarter, the score was close, I think a small Duck lead. The Ducks got the ball fairly deep in their own territory and were struggling to move the ball. It seemed to me and probably most in the not-sold-out stadium that the Ducks would have to punt and USC would drive to win the game. Then an incredible play happened - a Duck receiver got behind everybody by about 20 yards, caught the ball and was headed to a sure score. He was chased by two Trojans but maintained an insurmountable lead. I was close to the 50 yard line and not very far from the field. As the receiver came opposite me he stumbled, fell down and lost the ball. While the ball bounced about five yards away the receiver just lay there. Get up! Get up! I was thinking/shouting, but he didn't. The Trojans caught up a few seconds later and collected the ball, returning it back deep into Duck territory. If the receiver had simply lurched over to the ball the Ducks would probably have won the game. USC went on to beat Notre Dame and be ranked number one at the end of the season. What could have been. I suspect the receiver assumed he had succumbed to inevitable Duck fate and that there was no hope. The "we can't have nice things" attitude that shows up even now sometimes. I have never seen anyone else recount this occurrence, even though there were probably over 20,000 in attendance that witnessed it. Does anyone else remember this? Losing in the semifinals of the playoffs? Losing two previous championship games? My how far we have come!

One thing consistent about all 3 of these rematches, in addition to final outcome, is that the 1st quarter went dramatically worse the second time around then in the first game…

In 2023 Washington was that team. A great coach with a great QB and receivers and a roster filled with seniors that decided to run it back one more time. In 2024 tOSU was that team. A near NFL ready offense and defense with a sketchy floor but also a spectacular vaulted ceiling. In 2025 Indiana is that team. A roster stacked with 5th and 6th year seniors and awesome coach and a Heisman QB. The 2026 Ducks are starting to look like that team. A large group of NFL ready players deciding to run it back one more time, a four and five star roster at every position and even with a mass exodus to the portal, a two deep with four stars at every position. As for the coach? He is 17-1 in the BIG including 9-0 on the road. I know that SUC is the undisputed wait till next season champions but I think things are shaping up nicely for the Ducks to make a real run at a Natty.

Honestly, it revolves around recruiting. Does anyone think Mario is the second best coach in the nation this year? Coaches are only as good as the talent and depth they recruit. Mehringer is considered a top recruiter, and the same for Hampton. They are young and fit the mold that DL has stuck with since he was hired. Mehringer is not a grizzled veteran, but also not wet behind the ears. DL has hired 3 OCs in 4 seasons, and two are head coaches, with one making a trip to the CFP.

“ Underutilized” for sure! Maybe even wasted. In the same way that Mario wasted Justin Herbert. Wish him success in the league. Maybe he can go play with Herbert.

I'm sorry to have used the term 'blowout' instead of 'very convincing.' I can't parse the difference between the two, but that's just me. IMO, the games I cited in my response were 'very convincing' wins. In two games that were not 'convincing wins,' as Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza did in both games against the same teams, Moore led the Ducks to late scores to win close, hotly contested road games. Moore went 13-2 with the two losses coming against the playoff No. 1 seed. Other than Mendoza, was there a QB this season who produced better results? Trinidad Chambliss comes to mind with a loss on the road at Georgia and a close loss to Miami. Texas Tech's Behron Morton was injured and did not play in the loss to ASU. But Morton and his team's offense were exposed in the Orange Bowl. Carson Beck has two losses, but the losses to Louisville and SMU did not come against playoff-quality teams. Julian Sayin, with losses to Indiana and Miami, should also be included in a list of QBs with a record arguably equal to Dante Moore's. That's pretty good QB company to keep. If I offended you, I apologize.

Awesome article Darren. I guess we will have to wait before we start knashing our teeth over the coordinators. Everything happens in its own time. I believe Lanning has learned lots. How you develop coordinators matters as much as giving them the reigns. I saw marked improvement from Lupoi and Stein this year. But it wasn't enough. Of course, the players have to step into their roles and execute. But it starts with the coaches.

His readiness to take over the team was most likely the reason they brought Raiola in. That, and to breed competition at the QB position. It will make them all work harder and that’s why Lanning does these types of things.

I predicted this would be his decision based on his willingness to sit for a year and learn. And really this was the only decision he could make. He doesn’t have the chops to play in the NFL and Dante would have to be deluding himself to think that he does. Dante didn’t strike me as delusional. The truth is, Dante needs probably two more seasons at the college level. Look what it’s done for Mendoza. And look at the mistakes Dante made this year. The delta between the two is enormous. The NFL is not a development league and I’ve read the floor for collegiate starts for an incoming QB teams would ideally like to see is 34. Obviously Dante has raw talent so a team was going to take risk and draft him with a high pick after only 20 starts (we’ve all seen the crazy stretches teams are willing to make for a QB) but I think he would have been a bust. If you want a future in the league, you want to get as many starts as possible at the collegiate level. The game only gets faster at the next level and your weaknesses get exposed. Yes, you learn in the NFL as a QB but you need to already be operating from a solid fundamentals platform. Work on improving and excelling in a more forgiving environment. I don’t think Dante can iron out and master all of his issues in one season. Dante will leave after next year, yes, but I would argue two more years at Oregon will buy him a healthy second contract in the NFL which should be the overriding objective. I say that as someone who wants to see Dante succeed, not as a Ducks fan.

DM will be wanted by the NFL, but not the Ducks? I enjoy the fact that we are competing at this level, and it isn’t because of me that the Ducks have been to the CFP in the NIL age. I have at least bought a few pairs of shoes at stupid prices, for my son, via Division Street’s website. Anyone else donate to Division Street? If not, then every little bit helps. https://www.divisionst.com/ Nobody owes me a championship for donating. I do it because I am blessed to be in a position to do it, and hope for the best.

Once again, lots of very good comments. I hope DM is already in the film room. I hope he is already working with the 25 guys that need work on offense and defense honing their skills. The pursuit of a title started "yesterday". I also hope everyone on the team gets an individual analysis from a pro scout on their skills sets. An objective analysis will work wonders in that aspect. That goes for the coaching staff also. It's muscle memory time. Thousands of hours watching film, drilling specifics, and becoming the best because you work at it. I always think of the Matrix, when Neo says " I can do jujutsu". The clock is ticking ..

Those questioning Dante seem to ignore a season end plagued by receiver and running back injuries. The entire offense was being reformatted.

No idea whether I like this. Basically seems like everyone is being given a 5th year. If a player or team wanted to they could easily find 3 games for a player to sit out in order to preserve the redshirt. This seems especially unfair when you think about how other sports don't have this, so on top of all the things that football players get compared to other "student" athletes they also get another year of eligibility.

In an era where fewer kids are waiting and "trusting the process" as Nick Saban says, it appears big changes are coming. How do we feel about this? ESPN.comFBS coaches' vote favors 9-game redshirt ruleFBS coaches voted unanimously Tuesday to adjust the redshirt rule to allow players to participate in up to nine games while preserving a full year's eligibility in the sport.

That is gold. We're all posting opinions. Some of us wish we were in the room with the coaching staff. We have to trust them. That's hard when we want a title so badly. The discussions are cool. We get to hash out a passion we all enjoy. As long as we're on the path, it's more difficult to complain. Sometimes you gotta get lucky. But not if Clint Eastwood is saying " so do you feel lucky, punk"!!!

Be still my pounding heart!

Dante has started 20 football games. Bo and Dillon Gabriel had 60+ starts. Comparing Dante to these two is apples and oranges. He will improve next season. This is Moore's 3rd season with OBD. How far along would a true frosh QB be entering his third season? Had he entered the draft, Moore would have been picked in the top 5. I hope Akili Smith plays terrific football for Oregon someday, but he will not beat out Moore next season.

We are ALL thinking that, but isn't that part of the entertainment? To see if he can beat-his-demons in the off-season? Even if he doesn't....we are winning a boatload of games in 2026! (But I think he will)

Let it be so! https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/01/14/oregon-football-evan-stewart-return-ducks-2026/88184479007/

Great post, and yep...I am frothing at the mouth for Baseball season. When we get to the week of the first series...I will put up some posts of information to help everyone, and whet the appetite. UCLA not only returns most of their team, but they got two incredible players in the portal. They will be a national power for sure, but Our Beloved Ducks are going to challenge them! Big-10 Champions of 2025!

Nothing wrong with questioning so long as you follow-up your criticism with ideas on how to make it better.

Question: What kind of man passes up the chance to sign a $50 million dollar contract to play in the NFL for another year of college football? Answer: A man with unquestionable leadership ability who can be trusted and followed by other young stars with mega talent and lofty goals. Go Ducks!

From Canzano...a good take. Announce it on SportsCenter on Wednesday? Use the glow of the worldwide leader to elevate the brand? It was nothing short of orchestrated marketing genius. Give Moore’s camp some credit there. While in college, the QB has learned well from Oregon/Nike PR machine. I first heard about Moore’s impending announcement from a friend, who saw Adam Schefter’s tweet on Wednesday morning. Wrote Schefty: “Oregon QB Dante Moore is planning to announce his decision about whether he will or won’t enter the NFL Draft on ESPN’s SportsCenter at 2:30 EST.” Moore popped up on the screen, right on time. “With this decision, mainly all my life has just been about being as most prepared as I can for any situation I go into,” Moore said on TV. “And when it comes to me making my decision, I just want to do what’s best for my situation, especially as a quarterback. “With my decision, it’s been very tough. I’ve prayed a lot about it, talked to many people — my mentors and people I look up to. With that being said, of course I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and reach our goal and be national champions.” Again, he’s 20 years old. Where were you at 20? Gabriel would have stayed another year if he could. Bo Nix stuck around for one final season. So did Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert. The precedent was set in Eugene. Quarterbacks don’t go to Oregon to use the place as a quick hop to the NFL.

Grateful Duck, you need this T shirt. I found it somewhere on line but a bit of warning. It has been washed three times and has gone from an XL to a small large so it is risky. I apparently went to high school with Bob Wier but it was a large high school and I was two years older so I did not know him. He just passed thru for a few months enroute to a private boarding school perhaps in Arizona. His class also had Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Menlo Atherton High School in Menlo Park, CA.