HappyToBeADuck

Fun for us fans but so unlike the national media to lavish praise on the ducks. Sure is nice to hear.. Hope the players are not listening to any of this fluff. Cal will give them their best shot Go Ducks! One game at a time. Beat Cal. ..

David it is beginning to look alot like 2014..... I agree with Log Haulin that the 2023 team, on paper is better. Especially at QB and the D. In replaying the game I noticed Bo seemed to be getting his team to the line, eyes focused on the Utes D and making multiple audibles. Marcus had more speed but may not have been an on field, play calling coach like Bo. That is an intangible to consider. The 2023 D is built to win and maybe dominate. There is not much drop off, if any, when substitutions are made. They still need to shut down Williams and or Penix to evem get to the CFP. We shall see. Lots of football ahead though. Fun topic to ponder but much left ahead to be handled. Before we can compare 2023 to 2014 this years squad must handle business and get to the Natty. Go Ducks......nothing matters but beating Cal.....

Hard to tell who was booing. My gut feeling was the student section. They had a great deal of passion wrapped up in the day. Many of them probably stayed up all night to be on site at 0 dark thirty for CGD. They had energy, passion and hope Hours later the Ducks literally kicked their teams arse and sucked the life out of the entire Ute fan base. Consider that they have not been thrashed and dominated at home in forever. My home was filled with Utah/BYU fans for both Natty games rooting for our Ducks to win..... Our own student section can be one step above asinine at times, too. Go Ducks.....

Thank you Charles for the article and all the time you invested in the breakdown and analysis. This article today is what makes OBDF special and over the top. Well done. DL, Stein and Bo seemed to have a pipeline to the Utes D signals. Bo adjusted to what he saw, audibled and made the Utes pay. Bo had wide open receivers for easy first downs. The Utes D was off balance and overwhelmed...... Whats most impressive, to me, was how KW made adjustments after it was 21-3. Those adjustments slowed the Duck O down. Those adjustments kept Utah in the game. However Stein made halftime adjustments and Bo kept calling audibles. After the Ducks first drive of the 2nd half, because of adjustments, the Utes were no longer in the game. Now thats impressive...... First 4 quarter, complete game of the season by the Ducks according to DL. Let's see the Ducks make it 2 in a row against Cal. Go Ducks.........

Lots of football left to play, including championship games. But fun stuff to ponder, for sure. All the Ducks control, at this point, is how they prepare for and execute against Cal. Nothing matters without sending the Bears, south for the winter with a loss. The committee has rewarded the teams who have avenged regular season losses in their league title game. As long as both teams were CFP worthy. Ducks best chance for a CFP invite is to beat a 12-0 putrid dog team in Las Vegas. Both the putrid dogs and the defensive juggernaught know as Oregon should beat SC. 12-0 Washington and 11-1 Oregon would be CFP worthy. Remember either OSU or Michigan will have 1 loss when they most likely face off for the Big title. The loser will not be a conference champion. That has always mattered to the committee. The PAC has not been invited to the CFP because the champ has 2 losses. No bias involved, simply 2 losses. (A one loss Utah would have been in in 2019 but the Ducks took them to the woodshed in the title game.) No bias, just a second loss. Will be interesting to see if strength of schedule matters to CFP after Tuesday night. If it does, then Michigan shouldnt be in the 4. THEY HAVE PLAYED NO ONE....... For me: tOSU, Georgia, FSU, Washington, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Bama. We shall see if my streak of bad guesses will remain intact. Go Ducks....beat Cal

The Duck staff game planned very well against the Utes. The D executed that game plan beyond expectation. They made the Utes offense 1 dimensional, took the crowd out of the game and Bo and company did the resy. While i am exciting about how the Duck D dominated the game yesterday, personally I am trying to keep this in perspective. This D unit is basically the same as 2 weeks ago. Same talent, same coaches, etc..... Yet the huskies scored 36 and utes scored 6. Why? The difference in talent level coupled with playmakers on the field. The putrid dogs have NFL talent at the skill positions and the seriously injured Utes, not so much. Penix can release both quickly and accurately under pressure. The Utes, without Rising, not so much. If and when the Ducks dominate Williams and company, then that would be something..... Lets dominate Cal first.....

Ryan you are so correct in your observation about the talent gap between the Ducks and Utes....... Especially when all that talent improves weekly and then executes their individual assignments, thus playing as a unit. The offense has been playing at the highest level all season. After the first 3 Duck scores, KW made adjustments that allowed the Utes D to slow the blow out. However it did not matter..... The talented, experienced D took the running game away and made the Utes one dimensional. The D dominated completely! I am tempering my enthusiasm because the Ute QB is not Williams or Penix throwing to future NFL wide receivers. Not taking any kudos away from the D. I watched in absolute silence, stunned at the defensive performance. The Utes QB and wideouts are not on the same talent level as uw and usc. Ryan you are correct that Rising would not have made any difference. Dorlus and company would have dominated just the same. Do that the next 4 games and my only response will be WOW! The Utes had the ball the last few minutes of the first half and first few minutes of the second half. KW had to feel confident that they had stopped the Duck's offense on 2 drives in the first half. So take the 2nd half kickoff and go down and score. The D gave them nothing, absolutely nothing. The Duck O's halftime adjustments worked and Bo and company scored easily. The game was over..... KW knew it. Everytime the national TV cameras showed his face, KW looked dazed and confused. KW and staff had no answers. The crowd was silent! This Duck fan was in awe....... Now comes the real challenge for the Ducks. No looking ahead to the Trojans. You didnt win the Natty in SLC. Dont take Cal lightly. Great job Ducks. Cant wait to see how much each unit improves against Cal......

FINALLY...the Oregon Duck defense has arrived on the national stage! This is as impressive and dominant as you can get. I am just as excited for the defense to step on the field as the offense. Well done Ducks.....

We owe the Utes a stomping before the PAC 8-10-12 becomes a footnote in sports history. If the D dominates the Utes run game then this could be a blowout. Going to be a a difficult first half but the Ducks will score often in the 2nd half. Go Ducks......

Afyer a 14-10 first half with Utah leading Ducks Win 45-17 1 TO 3 Sacks 279 yards passing by Ducks DL and staff make adjustments at the half and Duck stars silence the Utah crowd... Go Ducks......

Its a toss up for me at the QB position. However, as a coach, if a game smart, talented, proven, experienced QB is available and fits my scheme, i would take him. One injury to TT and a redshirt freshman or true freshmen at the helm? No thanks. Look at the mistakes the freshmen QB at UCLA has made. The QB at Arizona stepped in well, however he hss yet to face a D. The Beavers D will be a big test. No substitute for game day experience Staying on topic, i would be excited for any high quality, mean, nasty DL/OL portals that fit DL's needs. Does usc have any of those?

Discussions about player development(PD) have certainly layered the Fishduck landscape since MC became the Duck HC. While the level of recruiting moved to Top 10 (or near) it was pointed out by Charles, the gifted writers and Forum members that many players were not remotely reaching their potential. Coach em up filled articles and posts. We all were excited as the Duck roster began filling with future NFL talent level players.....yes! Yet each season the Ducks had weaknesses in all 3 phases of the game. (Not to mention MC throttled down the QB's and the offense) So.....either 1. The HC and staff lacked the ability to develope the players 2. The high level players didn't want to be developed. They knew MC and staff wouldnt make them sit or replace them. 3. The HC and staff recruited ☆stars☆ not players who could fill specific needs to eliminate weaknesses 4. All of the above....... IMHO, DL and staff are proving that their PD program is evidenced on the field. Take the improvement on D. Last season the D could not cover the deep ball, cover over the middle, pressure the QB, get sacks and stop 3rd and long........ (did I miss anything?) That is the recipe for a 6-6 or 7-5 season. Yet DL and staff took the under developed talent and carved out a 9-3 season. If not for a Bo injury and DL coaching decisions shoulda, coulda, woulda been 11-1. DL admitted he did not have the skilled, developed players to run his D scheme. They adjusted and simply outscored 9 regular season opponents. Thats a combo of coaching and talent. Not the case this year. Thru recruiting, the portal and PD those D weaknesses are greatly reduced.. It is obvious, to me, that on a DL team, you best take the coaching and improve each day or you may not see the field. Thats a great motivator..... Charles, whether DL builds a PD program with longevity like Coach Belotti or KW depends how long DL stays a Duck. That will always be a big "IF" I ponder on how much Belotti and KW have done and accomplished with 2 and 3 stars mingled with 4 stars. My heart skips a beat and my hopes soar as I ponder what heights the Ducks can reach when you PD repeated classes of 19 plus 4/5☆. The future is bright under DL. Thanks for this safe haven for an old Duck to share his thoughts. Life takes so many turns on its journey, some are not pleasant or easy. Its a blessing to have a like minded community to share ones thoughts with. As always looking foward to the Forum posts. Especially on game day crazy...... Go Ducks! Beat the Utes......

Utah has given up, like 105 points in 7 games. Thats pretty stout. They have only played 1 high scoring machine and they surrendered 32 points to usc. Victories over Florida and Baylor boosted their national perception. However Florida will be 4-3 on the season after they play the Real Dawgs and Baylor is 3-4. That trojan game was a road game against a team that plays very little defense. When they went on the road to Corvallis the Beavers held them to 7 points. Beavus has a solid D and stymied the Utes at every turn. Ask your self these questions: is Oregon's defense more like the Beavers or Trojans? Is Oregons offense more high scoring like the trojans? Utah will have to deal with a balanced, high scoring Duck offense and a nasty D that will shut down the Utes running game. Make the Utes one dimensional and sacks and interceptions should follow. This game should be 41- 17 Ducks! Now comes the howevers. The Duck O must play smart, efficient and clean. Only penalties have stopped Duck Drives. All game at TT, first half at Stanford and some decision making at uw. Notice the key component "At". We will be AT Utah. At Rice Eccles and against the most experienced coach on the west side of the country. I expect some of the Ducks will be anxious, nervous and make some critical mistakes. Mistakes that take points off the board. I like as mentioned above a 11 point Duck win. 28-17. Doesnt have to be this close but it will be. Go Ducks .......anything less than making and winning the PAC title game will be a ley down.. ..

Log Haulin, DL was certainly subdued in those presses. Seemed to be fatigued..... No way to know if anybody got their wings clipped. I asked myself why would anyone (the AD, PK anyone?) clip the wings of a HC who is 16-4? 98% of the FCS schools would want him as there coach. The other 2% will chase him if they need to. DL is a rising star, gaining valuable real time in game experience at a Top 10 level temperature. Mistakes are part of the job! Let DL do his job.... Wing clipping is an off season, behind closed doors, out of the heat of the moment type of thing. Mostly for losing record coaches. Who in their right mind would criticize or clip the wings of top producers? Gee Dan, we know you are 16-4, #2 in ypg and ppg, top 10 ranking, top 10 recruiting class, up graded the D and added more weapons for Bo, but......... Not a chance, imho.... After watching and rewatching the Coug game, just dont see where going for it on 4th down was necessary. No gambling needed. This game was never in doubt and no need to do anthing but ram down the cougars throat ala #88. At Rice Eccles, Log Haulin, rest assured DL will gamble and take chances. He knows the table stakes against the Utes. I like that version of DL. But FG's do count! CFP hopes are dashed for the loser. I wonder if the OBDF members feel OSU has a better defense than the Ducks? Or does Utah have a better offense that the huskies? I don't and this game shouldnt be close. Barring mistakes, Utah should struggle to put 21 points on the board.... Only the Ducks can keep themselves from scoring 38 points. Not the Utes! Go Ducks..........

For me, YES! The Utes are the real deal. The are almost unbeatable at home. Ducks must exploit the Utes few weaknesses and their own tendencies. The game is a toss up. USC is simply an offensive highlight machine. As a team they are more fluff than substance. OSU will not be able to pound the ball and overcome a 20 point deficit. DL has a stout front 7 built to stop the run. When the Ducks play clean they are unbeatable at home...... All 3 games will be exciting, physical and nerve wracking. However, the only game thats on the Duck 1 game season is Utah..... Go Ducks.....

Thanks Coach for taking the time to create and share this article. I hope we see a little more of the Y-Pop RPO against the Utes. Punishing a LB who vacates his duty of covering the TE will help keep the Utes honest, get a first down or 2 and maybe points. Bo is experienced and capable of making the right decisions in the RPO sets. Utah, just like our Ducks, has tendencies, too! On both sides of the ball.....take advantage coach..... No matter what the line is on this next big game (believe Ducks are a slight favorite) IMHO, its a toss up. Could go either way. The talent advantage goes to the Ducks, head coaching and home field advantage to Utah Just a few plays will decide the outcome of this game. Maybe the Y-Pop RPO will be one of them. Go Ducks.........

Ryan, thanks for your article. I like your obserations and viewpoint. And once again, the Forum posters are just spot on. What a great Forum Charles has created, with awesome writers like you Ryan! Sleepy start? Maybe..... Heres my take....... Normally the first 2 series each team is getting a feel for the other teams game plan. Then the adjustments are made. Cougs opened with 7 plays, 1 first down and a punt..... Ducks opened with 5 plays, 75 yards and TD. But a holding penalty negated the TD. Next play Ducks get most of the yardage back but miss the FG attempt. Cougs take over on downs and slowly move down field and put 3 on the board. Ward scrambled and converted a couple 3rd down plays. Ducks start their 2nd drive at the 25 yard line. 4 plays and 65 yards later they are at the Cougs 10 yardline. Then one play later 3 Duck lineman were flagged for being illegally down field. 3 failed plays later 3 points on Cam's FG. (Happy for Cam and his parents IMHO, it wasnt play calling by Stein but penalties that kept 14 points off the board. Clean that stuff up on offense big boys...... The Duck D, minus 2 key defenders, as others have mentioned, made the Cougars earn every yard on every play. Well done holding Ward and the Cougs well under their scoring average. The Duck D has held to scoring machine offenses with NFL QB's well below their scoring averages. The 2 deep unit is improving each week. A true improvement! So what happened after the 2 possession feel out period? The Coug coaching staff knew that only the Duck offense would stop thenselves from scoring. So best we keep Bo and company off the field. They also realized the Duck D would give them nothing easy. So they took what Oregon gave them. About 300 first yards and what 13 ooints? The Cougs chewed clock and limited the Duck offense's play opportunities. Didn't matter once the adjustments were made by Stein midway in the 2nd quarter. Ducks scored 5 TD's the last 37 minutes of the game. This game was never in doubt at halftime.. If Bo had more possessions there would have been more Duck points. I think the Cougs had 8 more minutes of possession time than the Ducks. The Duck D adjustments at the half were spot on. 3 second half points and a late garbage time TD. For me, nothing to complain about compared to last year! I try not to judge the first 15-20 minutes of any competitive game. The opponent is fresh, fired up and working a game plan based on game film, patterns and tendencies. It's the adjustments and the player performance that counts. Along with the the scoreboard 38-24 Duck win. The putrid huskies never adjusted to Dillys game plan. They played just like their name, putrid. ASU had to find a way to give the huskies a win. The Cougars never had a chance! 6-1 going to Utah is right where most people figured the Ducks would be. Top 10 team with a great deal of national air time. Now we play a team that finds a way to win, whether home or away. They are almost unbeatable at home. They are the 2 time defending PAC champs...... However, this Duck team is vastly improved from last year. Balanced offensively with multiple threats. The Duck D has skilled talent and depth. We will know around 4:30 pm next Saturday afternoon if this Duck team is a CFP caliber team. A CFP team will win this game...... Go Ducks......

Ducks win 59-20 2 - turnovers 3 - sacks 279 passing yards Go Ducks......... All 3 phases today!

Thanks for the article and your keys to watch for against the wounded cougars....... My keys are pretty basic: Long drives, ball control and take care of the football on offense. WSU's time of possession is just a little over 28 minutes(opponents over 31 minutes) As you pointed out UCLA and Arizona ran alot of plays. Looking for the Ducks to run 80 plus plays and control the ball for 38 plus minutes. Score 45 plus points. I dont care if that includes 5 field goals. Just score more points than the Cougars. Score everytime you have the ball. When the Cougs have the ball they will find a Duck Defense that has filled its 2022 deficiences with experienced, skilled players. The D has depth and will wear down the Ward and his line. The 2023 unit plays fierce, fast and mean. Last week the D hit Penix hard and often. He played hurt. Ward is more mobile and quicker so i agree that the Duck front 4 must pressure him and contain him... Last year, sadly, the Duck D couldnt cover a floating feather over the middle. If the Duck D, on 3rd down schemed to cover the middle, well opposing QB's went deep. 3rd down conversions were easy in 2022, not the case in 2023. Ward should have a tough day and i expect the Duck D to bring him down 3 or 4 times today. As a Duck Fan, who has been walking along the emotional edge for a week now, need this game to kick off soon. Very soon...... A good 59-17 drubbing of the Cougs won't erase back to back &@#$%ing losses to the &@#$%ing huskies. However, it will be the first step toward a rematch...... Go Ducks.........

Alex thanks for your 3 areas the Ducks must improve on before this Saturdays game. I agree with you on all 3. And i love the comments posted from some heavy hitters on this forum. My take is a little different because for 57 minutes of this game the Ducks did everything right except take the points on 2 opportunities. Regardless of the right thing or wrong thing to do......but DL robbed the Duck D of 3 valuable points, they earned just before half. You win the game by making solid decisions and scoring points. The game was not on the line just before halftime. A field goal attempt is not playing to not lose. Points matter..... Had DL let Cam try 2 field goals and had he even made one, well the players and Cam would have been lining up for a game winner. A game winner...... Any kicker can miss on any kick but less pressure on Cam. If he misses then it goes to overtime. However, that horse has been beaten to death........ Here is my concern..... The Ducks played great in an amazing high profile game They controlled the clock, 500 plus yards, 33 first downs with great offense balance. The offense did everything but win the game. Now consider this, as Bo was slowly moving the ball out of the shadow of the goal post our Duck D had held the high scoring dogs to 29 points. Not many fans saw that coming. Great job D... No criticism of any Ducks thru 57 plus minutes of the game. Now its crunch time..... The offense cant convert a 4th down and we turn the ball over on downs. One play in crunch time and the game is over. The defense gives up a go ahead score on 2 plays, in crunch time.. Then Bo and the offense move down the field, clock runs down to nothing and Cam misses a game tying field in crunch time. How did this team control a game and then lose it in crunch time. Dammitt, the dogs did everything possible to lose this game. Yet, Deboer figured out tendencies and called defensive formations on 3 critical plays to steal the win.... I agree with Coach Lanning 100% that this loss is 100% on him. He left critical points off the board and got out schemed where and when it mattered. And hus team was not prepared to close out the game in crunch time. How did, a slightly above average defense hold the Ducks to 33 points? What was missing? The putrid dogs won crunch time and won the game...... Figure it out DL and staff. I think you are awesome. But losing to the leg lifters is never, never acceptable.

David, I was suprised on both 3rd and 4th down that the Ducks didn't line up in the 14-J offensive set. Great topic and article, thanks David.... The O line, as mentioned had its way against the dogs most of the day. Balance be damned! You are correct that the formation could be used in multiple ways. Offering Bo a number of options to be creative. Of course, after 57 minutes into the game DL and Stein had their own feel for the flow of the offense. Caught up in the excitement of a big moment, late in a big game. They rolled the dice and called a weak arse play. No one was fooled! Most calls in that situation are 50/50 odds. But with the massive amount of power, weight and meaness, at the point of attack, the 14-J odds are better than the plays that were called. More options offered and less predictable. The opposing coach admitted he felt the Duck's had tendencies in situations.... hummm! Hopefully that's a learning moment for DL, Stein and all of our awesome coaching staff. I am not trying to second guess, really! However, when the oppossing HC knows your first guess, well maybe you could throw a curveball as your second guess. Either way it was a great, high profile game played by 2 CFP worthy teams. The nation of fans and CFP committee are on notice.... Both teams need to win out and play again in Las Vegas. No let downs and no stumbles along the way. The winner of that game has a legitimate shot at being this years National Champ........ The Ducks need to handle a dangerous wounded Cougar team, next. GO DUCKS!

Charles, as a loyal OBDF member i dont feel you are criticizing Coach Lanning personally. Its his decision making you are criticizing....well I think you are.... Hec, some of Steins Marioesque, repetitious play calls didnt work and added to the loss. I am very excited about DL and the staff members he has assembled. They are building something special. Its okay to expect better choices and decisions from coaches. Those choices are part of the fabric of the game. DL and his staff have lost 4 high profile games in 2 years against 10 win plus teams. 3 of those losses by less than a combined 10 points. DL has to set the team up to succeed. Not put them in a position to fail. Guess what? Every team in the CFP will have more than 10 wins. So better coaching decisions will be needed going forward. Just my feelings......

Ducktails thank you for that deep dive into your feelings on your 30 year plus Duck journey. The ABC Wide World of Sports telling words of "The Thrill of Victory or The Agony of Defeat" rang in my ears as I read your heartfelt post. Prior to "The Pick" Duck fans were just a number on usc, ucla or washingtons journey to the rose bowl. Not much to emotionally invest in until that pick. Then the journey, each season to a possible Rose Bowl, BCS games, New Years 6 games CFP and Natty games captured Duck fans. You could hang your heart on the possibility of a special season. Every game mattered on the journey and all of us became emotionally attached. Their now was a reason to feel and show our passion. Your great post showed your passion and will resonate with many Duck fans. It did with me. Thank you! Most of the games that you listed had more emotion and passion involved because they were season ending games. Or losses that shattered Ducks dreams. Yesterdays loss is not in that category. No quit in the players, no curse, no missed calls kept the Ducks from victory! Just some coaching choices that were a 50/50 shot. DL put the Ducks on the wrong side of that 50/50 shot. I have read articles today where DL takes the blame and complete responsibility. Its no consolation but yesterday's loss did nothing to end the Ducks PAC Title hopes, CFP chances or a shot at the Natty. Win out and all is in front of our Ducks in 2023. The loss raised the 2023 Duck profile, image and brand. The Ducks are still a top 10 team and every member of the selection committee knows it. They damn well know it...... Thanks for sharing your deep feeling and have faith that this will be a very special Duck season. GO Ducks.........

I agree! On the road, TAKE THE POINTS! The half time mood and attitude may have bern different if the Ducks had put 3 on the board. Why? You reward the D for a getting a turnover by putting 3 free points on the board. The Duck O doenst leave the field empty handed going into halftime. You dont reward the Husky D and crowd before halftime by giving them a chance to make a great play. I feel it carried over early into the 3rd quarter.

Great take Charles...... Will DL learn? Only time will tell.... He is the right coach for Oregon and will do some great things. The brand will be even more elevated in the BIG. How many coaches have we had that gets a 4/5 star D line player to commit during hated husky week? With Penix on the field, in the same situation, DeBoer would have gone for it.....so no criticism toward DL for the call. Its the predictable play calls in those situations that is frustrating. Personally, i think DL and Stein wasted the fake punt play by Casey Rodgers in a game earlier this season. When the game wasnt on the line. If DL was okay with risking a turn over on downs at midfield then that fake punt may have beem better utilized against the dogs. That fake punt was an isolated play call that willnot be covered by 8 in the box . One good block and its a first down. Its waterr under the bridge now. Let's regroup and get a rematch in the PAC title game.