HappyToBeADuck

Thanks Ryan for your thoughts and recap of the coaching decisions made by DL and staff in yesterdays exciting game. It goes without saying that within the excitement a heavy dose of emotional distress was presribed for Duck fans by DL and staff. But let me be clear that as a Duck fan, i am proud of how they played yesterday. And going forward, this talented team is capable of winning out. And perhaps a rematch with the huskies. My take, may not be suitable for OBDF members still suffering emotionally from a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. It's long, boring and not suitable for a hangover..... IMHO, no players are to blame for the outcome of this game. This is all on the coaching staff. But not based on a few decisions that we get to second guess......... The Ducks didnt lose this game because of DL gambling and taking chances. Ryan, you are correct, we should have put 60 points on the dogs. Well at least 40! Why didn't the Ducks score 40? I am not sure the game plan that Stein used would allow the O to put up 40. In a previous post i was confident the dogs would score between 35 and 42 points. Even with a great defensive effort......so Stein should have made adjustments to that fact. As a Duck If anyone had told me that with 5 minutes left to play in the game, with the lead, that the ball would be in Bo's hand, behind that great Oline, coupled with great RB's, well I would have been estatic..... In spite of a weak game plan on both sides of the ball. This overall game plan is where i put the blame. While caring for my sweet wife the last 2 weeks I got to watch alot of sports talk shows, listen to blogs, view highlights, etc. This last week much of the talk was about the premier match up between the Ducks and huskies. Repeatedly, those with knowledge said that a husky victory hinged on stuffing the run in obvious situations, not letting Bo beat you with his smarts and legs. Pressure Bo and make Bo beat you while scrambling to pass. Bo is not completing 80% of his passes when out of the pocket. Bo's success comes from great play calls and audibles that keep the opponents off balance. Their advice was to stack the box, stuff the run and flush Bo out to the side with the least receivers. Why run straight up the middle on critical 3rd and 4th downs with 8 defenders in the box? I thought Mario's playbook left town with him? The overall offensive game plan was solid but play calls in critical situations were predictable. Thats on the coaches. They made it easy for a great husky team to pull out a victory! These analysts also discussed how the Husky offense takes the edge away from defensive units. They use a running set, then shift so that a player can be in position to seal the edge player. As well as put a man in motion for added blocking. The edge rusher sees the ball carrier coming his way. He has his hands tied with a 330 pound tackle, too. But he then gets sealed by the wide receiver. The lead blocker blocks the cornerback and the running back turms the corner for 8 to 10 yards. They run this play early and often. Why? As the defenders start to creep up and adjust to stop this play, Penix just finds the isolated receiver and drops a dime for a long pass or TD. I viewed numerous versions of the play so there is no way it wasnt on the game film for the staff to view. I cannot blame any Duck defender who gets beat, one on one by a future NFL WR. Especially with Penix dropping dimes. They did a great job in overall coverage or the huskies would have put up 60. Many posters here and on other sites are complaining that the Duck safeties were late or out of position. Maybe...but its difficult to blame them until you see the game film. Offensive formations are designed to deceive the D players. I am not comfortable criticizing when I Only see 2 or 3 of the 22 players on the field. Just not fair to the players.. Make no mistake this husky team is a legitimate CFP contender. Yet we had victory in our hands Our awesome players, with 5 minutes left had silenced the rabid husky fan base. 4 minutes, 3 minutes to go, more silence! As the ABC cameras scanned the stands we viewed distraught, distressed and saddened husky fans. They knew they were going to lose this game. DL's decision to go for it on 4th and 3 was the right call. The preceding play calls were predictable and forced the 4 down situation. Better play calls coach, please..... Stein had nothing in his playbook? Nothing creative? Nothing that the huskies hadn't seen? GEEZ! Turning the ball over on downs at midfield was better than punting. Why? An extra 40 yards may or may not have stopped Penix. I would just be second guessing.... A 90 yard drive would have chewed clock and maybe not given Bo a chance to win or tie the game. What did the Ducks in was predictable play calling that the huskies were counting on..... The loss is on the coaching staffs game plan and play calling. Not on Cam's foot. We proved we can play on the road against a CFP caliber team. Let's make that rematch happen... Go Ducks......

Of course the husky fans drink their own brand of purple kool aid just as we drink the duck kool aid. Its what fans do..... So awesome........ You can feel the angst in most of those husky rants. Especially the ones who havent watched a single Duck game. I ask myself why the great husky machine was playing MSU on Peacock while the Ducks were on National TV against the Buffs? I must be a Duck homer to have asked that question..... I happened to catch the last few minutes of talkin huskies on root sports just a few minutes ago. Softie played a clip from the leg lifters D coordinator. His concern was the powerful, e.xplosive Duck running game and how much it opened up everything for the Ducks. Then Softie asked, i think Cam Neeland his thoughts on the game. His thoughts were that the husky D needed to make Bo, one dimensional. Take the running game away and force Bo to throw deep. If they didn't and the Duck running game got loose then it was going to be a long, miserable day for the huskies. Real fans, just like talking heads know this game is a toss up. Both teams can score quick and often. Which Defense shines will determine this game. Dilusional husky fans, well that is another story.......and you would need a physco physicologist therapist, palm reader and a voodoo witch doctor to figure out...... Go Ducks........

Charles, thanks for the deep dive analysis on those key elements for tomorrows game. You took the time to research and share matchups that may very well decide yhe game. When most things are fairly equally the difference, besides execution, is playing to your strengths and exploiting subtle opponent weaknesses. We pressured Penix relentlessly last year but did not have the edge players who could keep him from escaping to extend the play. We have those edge players who can catch and sack him on this squad! When Penix escaped we did not have 4 secondary players who could cover the leg lifters receivers. Only CG could! Last year maybe 4-6 Duck D players were upto the task against the hated dogs. This year the Ducks have 18-20 defenders who are bringing it. They can get the job done this year against Penix and company..... The Duck D will play very well, but.. IMHO, the Huskies will score 24-28 points in the first half. Many on this Forum will be losing their minds. The half time talking heads will say Oregon has no answer. Adjustments will be made and limit the putrid, purple, non potty trained, prowessed dogs to 14-17 second half points. Huskies will score 38 to 45 points. With at least 2 stops by the Duck D the huskies could be held to just 28-31 points. Ask yourself can the butt sniffers defense limit the balanced, clock eating, high scoring Duck offense? NO, NO, NO, NO.......... Only the Duck O can stop the Duck O from scoring 45 to 49 points. Play clean, mistake free ball and limit the penalties. Leave Seattle with a 49-45 victory..... GO DUCKS.......

As long as the players feel good in them and are motivated to play at their best......go for it. My only preference is win the game. Win every game. I have 4 husky customer/friends who have been smack talking for almost a year. I liked them so much more during the 16 losses out of 17 games stretch The best husky is a quiet husky, knowing who the alpha is..... Go Ducks.

Great article Alex and great posts by everyone. You all covered the game plan beeded for victory. Love this Forum and the Duck koolaid it drinks. Nothing like being a Duck. IMHO, this is the kind of opponent, on the road a CFP worthy team WINS...... Win or lose, neither team is out of the CFP hunt. But i will hold my breath everytime Penix has the ball in his hand until he throws it away or is sacked...... Just execute at the level your talent dictates in all 3 phases of the game. Then fly home with a win and those........leg lifting, tail pipe sniffing mutts and their fans in tears. GO DUCKS!

Bo's best chance at the Heisman is for a 12-0 regular season. Not sure of the date the votes must be in. But 13-0 leaving the PAC Title game wouldnt hurt the cause.. That would mean that Bo helped lead the team to victories over Penix and Williams And most likely a 2nd win over one of these 2 great QB's for the title. IMHO, Bo wants a team title not an individual honor. He, like Charles, probably appreciates the teams offensive balance. GO DUCKS. .......

Speculating, wishing and hoping is fun and what fans get to do..... We all have been taught to not count your chickens before they hatch. Just sound advice..... One thing for sure, as we saw with TL was in the hen house on the weekend. I am confident that DL, like the fox or chicken hawk, is firmly planted in the hen house, too. Get em Dan......

To me, if Oregon plays 1- OOC game it should be in Texas or San Diego. Being visible and easy for recruits/family to get to a game can pay dividends. In the year(s) we dont have a game in LA, maybe scedule SDSU. SMU or Houston for a Texas trip, maybe. The landscape and Duck footprint is changing. The Ducks will be on TV on Saturdays playing in the CTZ, so recruits can watch. The national prime time exposure could double or triple...... No longer being buried on the PAC Network. Of course I am just guessing. Coach DL has a plan, his sourcing network and a Top 10 program.... A great time to be a Duck......

Charles........ Your un-nobleness toward the men of huskyland is so appreciated. Please keep up the good work during "husky week". They will certainly be a bottom feeder in mens sports as they move to the BIG......Awwww the simple things in life.......

Those 2 losses last year (leg lifters and rodents) were emotionally draining....... As a fan I was proud of DL, the staff and players as they picked themselves up off the turf after that humiliating butt kicking in Georgia and won 8 straight games. Said a great deal about their character, didn't it? Going into that uw game the thought of another shot at Georgia in the CFP was starting to shape up. Then, for some, the home loss to uw brought the world to an end for a number of Duck fair weather fans. They spewed their vile disdain and floated away (some got banned) on angry gray clouds. Then the Duck D shows up (for 1 game) Bo plays hurt and the team ekes out a hard fought win against Utah. The fairweather flock returned. All was good again! Simply beat the upstart Beavs and its back to the PAC Title game. For 43 minutes the D showed up and dominated Beavus. Then for some reason, no one but the Beavers showed up for the 4th quarter....... It was so emotionally painful and down right disappointing for Duck fans. Imagine how the coaches and players felt? Then for some the anger couldnt be controlled. The moderators must have had the delete button kicked into overdrive. But when Charles says this is a safe, protected Forum, well he means it...... Most likely the Ducks will lose a game, maybe 2 between now and a potential CFP appearance. Some will not be able to contain or control their posts. Before hitting send consider these thoughts: 1. There are other forums or posting boards who will welcome your angry posts. They are not safe from criticism directed back at you. But you can let it all out! 2. Many on this forum expressed their anger, frustration and disgust. They simply did not direct it at the coaches, players or other posters on this Forum. When i or others disagree we simply include in our posts " Thank you for your post and I can see your point however i politely disagree and here are my views". All views, when presented nice, are aleays welcome on OBDF. 3. Consider, after a 4 hour game or even during the game, depending on how many brews you have downed, that may not be the best time to post. Dr. Pepper has a great commercial about fans overreacting. Fun commercial. 4. Consider It is just a game and nothing more. As a fan, sports are part of the entertainment in our lives. I try to remind myself that it is not my life. Winning or losing a football game is not a matter of life and death.. Due to a medical mistake my wife nearly died early Sunday morning. Thankfully the ER team saved her. She now has a long road ahead to recovery. That mistake was a life and or death situation. Now thats something to truly be angry about.

Indeed this is an experienced group of talented players who have the opportunity to bring a Natty to Eugene. Charles, another great topic to ponder..... The potential for a special season started once Bo (the QB with the most QB starts ever) announced his return and DL started recruiting and bringing in key players thru the portal to continue getting his guys. Charles when we talked a few times in the off season, you had a feeling this could be the year for something special. This squad is filled with smart, experienced players with NFL potential. Unfortuneately, many will be completing their college eligibility as you showed in your list. DANG IT! Hopefully, those still with eligibility and NFL potential will learn from Bo's decision to return. He has moved from a projected 3rd rounder to the first round. He made a wise choice and earned himself millions of dollars. Others like Dorlus, for example, stayed, played and has improved his NFL stock...... There is a big difference in being a 21 year old with NFL potential and a 22 year who is NFL ready. College is a game of Big Boy Football. The NFL a game played by men working for a living........ Choose wisely young Ducks. Perhaps the NIL Collective, Kendall Auto Group or Lithia Motors can gift the Duck starters brand new trucks. The Ute starters were gifted brand new Dodge Ram Trucks. In this new world of NIL and the portal, championships will be built around Coaches who can recruit at a high level, utilize the portal and develope the talent. Keeping that developing talent thru 4 years of growth will take saavy boosters or collectives that understand what 20 year olds want. In the meantime I will enjoy this 2023 squad. We will know just how special this team is very, very soon. GO DUCKS.....

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.