HappyToBeADuck

Good read, for sure. As a Duck fan, I am so thankful that the Oregon defense is not the Trojan defense. The trojan portal transfers on defense have done little to fix their 2022 problems. For usc 2023 may be worse. Coach Lanning recognized the glaring weaknesses of the Ducks 2022 defense and went to work to fix the problem. Thankfully the defensive portal transfers, new recruits and some great returning starters have helped the D vastly improve. UW, WSU and usc have offenses that can score big. The 2023 Duck D may very well be the difference maker. GO DUCKS.... PS: No matter how bad or difficult things may seem, remember you are not a usc fan......

Charles and Log Haulin great posts! Talent, with depth, playing at a high level has been lacking on the D side of the ball at Oregon for most seasons...... Injuries to key starters has usually meant a serious drop off in performamce. The backups, in most cases were gamers but not as talented, gifted or skilled. If overloading talent at skill positions to create competition is what the elite SEC schools do, well I hope DL keeps it going. IMHO, the Ducks have yet to be tested by a complete or near complete team. DL and staff built game plans to exploit the opponents weakness. The players, not used to being on the sidelines, come in hungry and perform at a high competetive level. Some bring a fierceness and violence to their play. Because of this quality depth, the Ducks get stronger as the game progresses. The next 3 opponents are not complete teams, either. However, the talent level they bring is Top 20. And 2 of these games are on the road and mosy likely be decided late in yhe 4th quarter..... Penix will be the 2nd QB off the board, the Cougar starting 22 are a talented handful and the Utes with Rising, at RES will be better balanced. A talented, 2 deep elite SEC team that makes the CFP would win all 3 games. If you want to be elite then the D needs all their parts to operate smoothly and pull that 105,500 pounds up the grade. This is a 3 game stretch that these talented players have dreamt about all their lives.... Charles fantasy of 12-0 is about to face its roughest stretch. We are about to see, first hand if DL's SEC strategy will payoff. GO DUCKS.......

QB is critical and replacing Bo, his leadership and vast experience, will not be easy. In replaying the games i have noticed Bo, once again, is calling audibles and moving players around. Often as the Ducks come to the LOS. This comes from 50 plus games as a starter. Replacing a QB who will leave with 58 to 61 starts may not happen. TT will really have to step up to fill those shoes. It is obvious he has improved and perhaps he will grow leaps and bounds as the starter. The system may be plug and play but the player may not be. It will be Coach Lanning and Steins greatest off season challenge. Even a top QB transfer with 25 plus starts will have to learn the system. And he may not have earned the veterans respect. All but a handful of schools would trade their starting QB's for Bo. That is a scoreboard statement. I agree with Log Haulin that top level recruiting and portal choices can change the landscape. DL and staff have exceeded my expectations. Doesnt mean lightning cant strike twice...... However with Bo at the controls this is the Ducks best chance since MM walked off the field almost 10 years ago to win a Natty. Go Ducks...15-0 It's time for Charles and PK's fantasy to come true.......

Fantasy versus reality? What turns a wish, a fantasy or a dream into reality? Many motivational speakers and writers of the last century preached about Positive Mental Attitude, believe and you can achieve or if you can percieve it then you can achieve it. Do the Duck players and coaches believe they can go undeafeated? I am certain they do believe...... Are they willing to put in the work to improve and beat 1 nameless faceless opponent week in and week out? It appears they are willing to work hard and we are about to find out very soon. Now if the coaching staff has the team mentally prepared now we move to the intangibles. IMHO, just as Georgia had a talent advantage over their opponents in 2021 and 2022 (multiple first rounders) the 2023 Ducks have a talent advantage of their PAC opponents. This cant be understated! Coach Lanning has first hand, real time experience working for Coach Smart thru a championship season. Experiencing how Coach Smart kept his ultra talented team focused, motivated and on track.... Not 1 Duck opponent has a starting QB with as much starting experience as Bo. Penix and Williams are potential #1 picks and they can beat you. However they have not faced a top 10 defense like OBD's. The Ducks are 2 deep with talent on both sides of the ball, except at QB. Bo is exceptional and must be healthy for all 15 games to the title. None of the Duck opponents will be 2 deep on both sides of the ball. Also, as David mentioned, the Ducks have a balanced offense that can beat you with the run or pass. Have any PAC teams faced a 2 dimensional offense? Hec what other team in the PAC is 2 dimensional on offense?????? So now it boils down to 1 game at a time and execution in all 3 phases of the game. As the Ducks navigate the season the trap games are just as dangerous as any of the PAC high scoring machines. That trip to the desert scares me the most.... Rarely, in life do we get a chance to turn our wildest dreams or fantasies into reality. Afterall, there will be only one National champ for the 2023 season No reason the Oregon Ducks cant be that team.......

David, as always, thank you for taking the time to write this article. Your assessment and anaysis are spot on....... Oregon's balance on both sides of the ball truly separates them from the rest of the PAC. Contributing to that balance is how Coach Lanning has built depth, on both sides of the ball, with top level players. There has been very little, if any, drop off in performance between the 2 deep players. The execution on both sides of the ball has been well above average. Especially on defense! Interceptions and sacks by the D have throttled the Duck opponents the last few games. Can the D throttle the top offenses in the land? uw, usc and WSU can light up the scoreboard....however they have not faced a top 10 defense. One that defends the run or pass, applies pressure and gets to the QB...... Just 1 turnover on offense in 5 games has certainly contributed to averaging just north of 50 ppg! Clean up the penalties, control the clock with long scoring drives and the husky crowd will be sitting on their hands. No one better than Bo to execute long click eating scoring drives.... Pressure and sack Penix effectively and the Duck D could be the difference maker in a hard fought victory. GO DUCKS! Come home from Seattle 6-0.........

JJ that uscsuck schedule is brutal. Who has LSU and ND on their OOC schedule. Then Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, UW, Ucla and Oregon for conference games. Should be any minute now that the Trojans hold a press conference blaming rhat Oregon did this to them and PK provided the cash. GO Ducks......

Thanks Coach for the insights on these plays. It is fun to look for them when i get the opportunity ro rewatch the games. As Charles mentioned this play has gained the Duck O a ton of yardage. As long as the O lineman fire off at the snap and bring there pad level down against uw this play will be an effective weapon. That first 18-20 minutes against FURD some of the O line had no energy and were just standing up at the snap. GO DUCKS! Beat the dogs......

Charles thanks for posting these great defensive numbers. Awesome way to end this great weekend. As 5 of out last 7 conference games will be against Top 25 teams this Top 10 defense will be instrumental in those outcomes. While not all of our opponents can match the Ducks scoring production. Just uscsuck and the huskies.....WSU, Utah and the Beavers can and will battle till the end. So the Duck defense can make the difference.... Especially in the trap game Nov 18th against ASU in the desert. If the Duck offense falters I fully expect the Duck D to shut out the Sun Devils offense. Gosh its fun to get excited when the Duck D is on the field... GO DUCKS........

As noted above winning on the road is difficult. Beating TT on the road took all 60 minutes to accomplish...... Winning against the huskies, in Mountlake, has been relatively easy the last 20 years..... It will not be easy this year. Most likely it will take the same effort, if not more than it took to get a road win in Columbus, Ohio. IMHO, the huskies will be the toughest and most difficult team on the 2023 schedule. A complete game, bolstered by a dominant defensive effort will be needed for a Duck victory. Dont be fooled by yesterdays Husky game in Tuscon. They will be fired up and motivated in front of the home crowd on national TV. There is no yardstick in previous games played to measure this game against. Best executing offense, coupled with the dominant D will win this game. GO DUCKS.......

Nevada Dawg and other Real Dawg fans on OBDF, you are correct that the team showed 4th quarter grit and determination. Congrats on a critical come from behind victory. That victory could very well bond and jell the 2023 squad and shape their identity. Our Ducks have certainly improved since their 4th quarter, come from behind win against TT. Winning in a hostile environment against a physical team builds confidence. It cannot be easy to have the pressure of a 3 peat on your shoulders. Especially playing in the 2nd best football conference in the land behind the vanishing PAC 12. So much is riding on each game. Its important for the Real Dawgs to get to the CFP. They have a date with an entirely different Oregon Duck team. Fun to dream.......

Ryan, great to have you back and your always interesting articles back on OBDF. Thank you. Am I starting to believe in the Duck defense? Well my eyes certainly believe. As the season has progressed the D unit has started to gel. Players are playing their position and trusting each other. Open field tackling, blanket coverage, limited YAC's and front 7 pressure have dramatically improved this season. Chaos, disruption, intense QB pressure, TFL's and SACKS (12 the last 2 games) have totally disrupted the Ducks opponents. Since Bassa's pick six against TT the Duck 2 deep have dominated. With the exception of 1 scoring drive by Hawaii and Furds 2 sustained first quarter drives (which only surrendered 13 total points) the Duck D has dominated the last 3 games. I dont count Colorado's face saving TD against the freshmen and walk on players. Whether we believe the Ducks D has improved is not as important as i am sure the Ducks opponents believe! So Ryan, yes my eyes believe! However, i will be the first to admit that my heart will be filled with anticipation and the butterflies dancing in my stomach everytime Penix, Williams, Ward and maybe Rising take a snap. Those 4 are future NFL QB's and we will not face any QB' s or scoring offenses better than the trojans, huskies and Cougars. So my heart is still on the fence.... Hec the Duck D could play very well and still need the Duck O to score 45 points to win. My confidence is high that the D can get it done and this Duck team will be 8-0 whem leaving Rice Eccles Field in Utah. This prediction is based on the Duck O not taking 20 minutes to get a first down. Could be 2 or 3 scores down by then. TOP 25 teams will make you pay if you come out flat. So get healthy, rest up and keep improving because the competition is about to get real........ GO DUCKS!

Just as I Iove to see JJ (Jon Joseph) post on OBDF, I would love to see JJ (Jestin Jacobs) be healthy enough to play today. You just can't go wrong with a JJ on board........ His veteran game experience will be needed as the competition and stakes increase. While Bassa and Hill are playing and executing, at a high level, please look at the competition PSU and Hawaii were no threat to the Ducks D and its talent level. The weak Colorado O line, with no run game allowed the front 7 to feast on Buffalo meat...... TT, with a balanced offense, experienced QB and O line put up 30 on the Duck D. That game could hsve been lost but for one great play by Dorlus and Bassa. The Cougs, uscsuck and huskies bring an entirely different level of offensive fire power to the field. If Rising plays then Utah, at Rice Eccles will be balanced. No better way to build a first round pick resume than to sack first round picks Penix and williams. Ward and Rising are no slouches and will most likely play on Sundays Jestin Jacobs will be needed in those 4 games. His minutes and big game experience will help inspire Hill and Bassa, as well as keep them rested. As Log Haulin pointed out he needs to knock the rust off and get in game shape. No better time than in a glorified scrimmage against Furd. This sets up nice for JJ to create a story book ending as his collegiate career moves toward sunset. Go Ducks....do not take your foot off the throttle. Destroy Stanford!

The Standard is to bring your A plus game on every play. Play clean and execute at a high level. Every player on the roster knows that Coach Lanning will play 22 freshmen/walkons if necessary. IMHO, level to meet The Standard will increase each week......

Unlike ucla, the pond rats can play defense. Withoit Cam Rising the Utes will struggle to get points. DJ is back to being sporadic. This does not bode well for scoring against Utah. Beavers 19 - Utah 12 MC ball at its finest.

Charles great observations of Coach Lanning and thanks for sharing them with the Forum. What DL did with the personell in the off season layed the foundation for the first 4 games this season. While Coach Sanders made the bold move to turn over 80 plus players, Coach Lanning quietly turned over around 50 players. Coach Sanders had no base foundation at Colorado so his rebuild will take longer and have growing pains. DL had a solid foundation at Oregon. He just didnt have HIS plsyers for HIS system. So far, the recruits and transfers are making solid contributions on the field. DL and staff chose wisely..... Playing so many true freshmen is a blessing for their growth and development. However, we will see if that continues against Furd. Many shirts will get burned this weekend. Playing the true freshmen also sends a signal that you earn your playing time. Recruits and their parents have eyes and ears. They know DL means it when he says you earn it you will play. GO DUCKS...... PS: Charles, writers, editors and moderators, THANK YOU....... To any knuckleheads out there this is a first class, one of a kind Forum. It is a privilege to be a member. LAST WEEKEND SUCKED not being able to share that Buffalo butt kicking with our Duck buddies.... We wont miss you if you get banned. You simply miss out....

Alex thanks for the article and your 5 keys to OBD's leaving the Farm with a victory. As you pointed out, Stanford has held their own against the Ducks in the last 10 meetings. As long as the Ducks come focused and minimize mistakes and penalties this game should be over by halftime. Not to take Stanford lightly but Oregons talent level and depth should make this a mismatch. However, the game has to be plsyed, so the Ducks need to take care of business. And do so again in all 3 phases. Protecting Bo for the rest of the season is critical to winning the PAC. I still hold my breath everytime he runs the ball. I was truly disappointed in the 2nd half of the Buffs game. The first and 2nd team D played superb but the offense seemed to have lost their edge. If DL wanted more the O did not deliver in the 2nd half. Did Coach Sanders and his DC make adjustments? The O moved the ball but only 7 second half points? Hopefully, Ty Thompson gets the 2nd half to keep gaining valuable playing time. He certainly has improved but....... Would like to see him lead the Ducks down the field, keep their D guessing and score some points. I recognize he is leading rhe 2nd unit O and/or with the the freshmen. However TT is a superb, gifted athlete with a rocket arm. Time for him to take his game and leadership up a notch. Read the defense and exploit their weakness. These opportunities are so valuable for Ty because anything can happen in the game of football. GO DUCKS....destroy Stanford!

David, if flying under the radar and being disrespected keeps this group of players on track, then bring it on. As you and Log Haulin pointed out there was a level of badas, focus and intensity rarely seen on that field. They will need it going forward. As it stands now and depending on which poll you use, in the next 6 games OBD's face 4 teams in the top 16. No room for a let down and each week player and team improvement will be needed to run that gauntlet. My confidence is high on 2 counts.. First the Ducks will be overlooked by the media and talking heads right up to and thru the husky game. Second the Ducks will continue to improve each week. That schedule is brutal going forward and only the A+ game by all will get it done. Let the fun continue.... GO DUCKS..

Just a personal observation by myself and as my fiesty wife has mentioned to me over the decades. "When did i give you the impression that your observation or opinion mattered?" She's so awesome..... So based on that pisitive reinforcement, here goes. Ask yourself are the Buffs a better team now than they were against TCU? There performance at home against CSU says they are not. CSU gave that game away with mistakes and penalties. With Hunter out, no next man up will fill that loss of an NFL caliber player. Ask yourself are the Ducks a better team now than they were against TT? This game is the next yardstick in measuring and answering that question. Feels like they have improved on the defensive side of the ball. Pressure and better coverage. Is it improved enough to contain a future NFL QB. We shall see. The offense, with Bo and all the talent is as good as any top team in the counry. The Ducks should score points on every possession unless they committ penalties and play outcof control. Should be 59-24 Duck win. Only the Ducks can keep the Buffs in this game...... Go Ducks..........

Great article and great comments! Since i have no life to speak of I have viewed all 3 games no less than 3 times. They have been fun and exciting for sure. Just like in the CK years and thru MM's last season, I expected the offense to score every time they touched the ball. They usually did but stopped themselves with penalties and unforced errors. Otherwise it was video game numbers. I expect the 2023 squad, with Bo at the controls to score everytime they have the ball. With an almost 59 points per game average, well they have scored on many possessions. The O has used a mix of ball control, balanced attack and NO TURNOVERS to score at will. No defense has stopped them in the small sample size of 3 games. The Ducks have only stopped themselves with penalties. Losing focus amd getting behind the chains. TT stayed in the game because of Duck penalties. Not because TT took control but becsuse the Ducks left 10 to 24 off the board because they stopped themselves. As others pointed out clean that up and the Ducks will be fine against the Buffs The Buffs D will not shut down Bo and the Duck offense. The Duck defense also allowed TT to score points because of 7 penalties including 2-15 yard PI calls that moved TT down the field for a quick easy score. Really the Duck D starters have keot most offensive plays in front of them and minimized big chunk plays. If my math is right the Duck D is surrendering about 19 points a game Stay under control, apply pressure and give no free penalty yards and the Duck D can keep the Buffs under 25 points. A 59 to 24 Ducks victory is possible. No turnovers, no careless penalties and a nasty attitude is in order.Do this in front of a 7 million plus viewing audience on national tv.... Go Ducks......

Great thoughts and posts, once again from OBDF members. Charles, to me, it really doesnt matter if Duck fans or Duck fans on the forum disagree with you and want a more powerful run game. The proof is in the pudding. Darn near 59 points per game worth of pudding with 3 wins for topping. As a fan, i will take that every game. Run pass or pass run? Whatever lights up the scoreboard. Watching Duck football is fun again. Beats the pants of Mario ball. We just need 1 more point than our opponent. USCless and Butsniff U will like up the scoreboard against us. A run first Duck offense will not put 50 plus on the scoreboard. Do what works until they stop it. Go Ducks

Annie, the only certain thing that we know about next years football schedule is as follows: 1. USC wont be happy 2. UW wont be happy 3. Oregon and PK will be blamed. Different season, different conference, the same 2 whiners. Go Ducks.........

Excellent article Charles and spot on assessment....... Who cares how the Ducks win the game? The receiver room is loaded and has depth. The RB's can catch the ball in space and pile on the YAC's. Why not utilize both rooms and score points ro win games.... It is much better than seeing your QB get injured running the ball like last year. We will not beat some of the teams on our schedule without Bo....... Last year most teams loaded the box on obvious running plays. On most plays that there was a RB in the backfield, the Rainbow Warriors, also stacked the box. Last year, the OC allowed Bo to run the ball on the RPO plays. 14 rushing TD's to be exact. That forced the opposing D to play honest and minimized stacking the box. That recipe, coupled with a cheap shot, cost the Ducks a title shot. Besides the pass blocking has been solid so far. The receivers are hard to cover. It adds up to trouble for Duck opponents. Whether it was a 3-4 or 4-3 look, someone had to account for Bo. Last years O Line could open holes because there were not 8 or 9 in the box. Thankfully Bo is not running the ball this year. No need to against PSU and Hawaii. Howrver, the run game was shut down for 42 minutes in the TT game. The offense was stagnant with only 18 points on the board. It cannot be stressed enough how well TT's D played in that game. The last 18 minutes of the game Bo ran the ball, just enough to get TT off balance and back on their heels. He ran on one critical 3rd down to make a 1st down to keep the scoring drive going. Everytime Bo ran the ball, i held my breath. It was needed to win the game but comes with a high risk. The Duck backs can catch in space, so why not use them? So Bo did just that. The result, a win! Consider that we are seeing a balanced offense with exceptional talent on the field. Balance is one of the components to winning a title. A balanced offense keeps the D honest. A 5th year QB starter in his 50th start, with this many weapons should beat you.... When you get a chance to rewatch the Hawaii game there are 2 plays that show the stacking of the box. On the flea flicker play Hawaii had 9 players in the box. It was an obvious short yardage run situation and it was going to be stuffed. At the last second NW turns and flips the ball back to Bo. (Tell me you weren't suprised) Bo had no time to set his feet to throw because he was going to be sacked. So he took off to his right and hit a wide open receiver for a big gain. 2 defenders cannot cover 3 receivers. Especially receivers who will play on Sunday........... The other play also included NW. Its 4th and short. Hawaii put 9 in the box and the run play was stuffed. But NW bounced outside for a big gain and a first down. Fortuneately the Ducks won those plays. Other times, when the box was stacked, the backs got only 2 or 3 yards. As a fan it is unrealistic to exspect the O line to open a lane when the numbers are stacked against you. When the box wasnt stacked the O line blocked well and the holes or lanes were there. On NW's and James TD runs the blocking was text book. Taking what the D gives you is smart, effective and usually works. With the offensive weapons at Bo's disposal this is a recipe for success. This talented receiver room is a weapon and Charles i agree should not be wasted. Bird Bombs force the D to play deeper and when they hit these plays can devastate your opponent. If Bo had put just a little air under the ball he would have at least 3 more passing TD's. How many future Duck opponents have the talent to cover this outstanding group of receivers? Whatever it takes to win is what matters. Run or pass doesn't matter. Just win. Go Ducks. Keep improving and enjoy the week because the circus is coming to town.......

I am certain the the Buffs were looking right past the Rams and sneeking a peak at Oregon.... and USC. You cannot overlook any P5 or G5 opponent. CSU came to play. Sanders is all about flash, big time and the national spot light. No criticism meant because he backs it up. But Sanders and his players are playing to win the PAC title. They know that dream will come to an end starting in Eugene. Then ending the following week at home against the pre crowned champs, USC. Unless they leave it on the field the next 2 weeks. Big time Prime, i expect will bring it. The next to weeks, i expect the Ducks and Trojans will handle the Buffs. Not without a fight Darn its going to be a nerve wracking season. GO Ducks....

Mic, just curious.... Who would you want Oregon to play that you feel would better prepare them for conference play? With the portal and NIL teams need some cupcakes on the schedule so the 2nd and 3rd level players get playing time. The NCAA needs to allow players to play in 5 or 6 games and still redshirt. Its a different world now.... Or players will transfer out...... As for Colorado. What have they proved, so far? TCU is a shell of last years roster and will struggle to finish 4th in the little big 12. Nebraska is a bottom feeder to mid level team in the BIG. They specialize in losing close games to the bottom and mid level teams in their conference... Those were good wins for the Buffs. However, alot of bounces, ref calls and unforced opponent errors went CU's way. CSU, a MWC team came to the Buffs home turf and gave the game away. The Buffs had ZERO answer for the RAMS offense and its plays. Does this forum feel that the Rams offense is equal to the Ducks? Make no mistake the Ducks should run the Buffs out of Autzen. They must play clean, smart and bring the A+ game The Buffs will have to prove they are more than just hype, to me. Go Ducks...

Next week the contenders and pretenders will begin to emerge as the PAC 12 clock ticks toward its final midnight. One game at a time and by the end of Saturday night the cannibalization will be in full swing for the PAC. Cougs and Beavs on national TV. Cougs are tough on the Palouse but Beavs are well coached and one of the best O lines. This will be the beginning of an annual rivalry that may decide the MWC title in future years. (As Charles, Sir Fish Ducks might say, "Who cares"...... Utah's defense and crowd must disrupt Moore or they could lose big. The Utes cannot win a shoot out with Bruins or any PAC offensive juggernauts. Ducks, in a hard fought battle, pull out a vicrory over "The Circus" as long as the D brings pressure and containment of Sanders. This is a must or the Duck secondary weaknesses could be exposed The other 3 matchups should go as Vegas predicts. The OOC games are over except ND vs usuckless, the conference game is a foot..... GO DUCKS......