HappyToBeADuck

Freddy D thank you for being so gracious. That was a hard fought game between 2 top 15 teams. Utah has been a grest addition to the PAC. Great fans, great student athletes and school. While this Duck victory helps erase some of the vomit taste from last years 2 brutal beatdowns, it wont be fulfilled until a few more Duck victories are in hand. I expect the Utes, Ducks and the putrid dogs to carry the PAC standard for years. Enjoy your holiday season.....

Well I had already resigned myself to the fact that we were out of the CFP invitational. For the sake of discussion, if all the miracles needed were performed, I agree that the Ducks could maybe receive consideration. uscsuck must beat ND. The higher they are ranked the better. Consider this that while Bama, LSU, etc. were playing weaker opponents this last weekend, the injured Ducks beat a top 10 team. I know the CFP Committee is SEC biased but thats a big win. Should count for something. Also while OBD's are battling a Top 4 USC team for the PAC Title, Bama and the tOSU/Michigan loser will be sitting at home. (They will not have a Conference Title on their resume). If uscsuck wins out they are in the CFP. When/if Oregon beats uscsuck they will leap those teams sitting at home on Championship weekend. But I support 1Ducker1.....one game at a time.... Beavs are as tough an out as anyone on their home turf. Nothing matters for the Ducks except 3 things ● Get healthy ● Defense bring it again ● Beat the Beavs Go Ducks..........

The benefits of an 8 game schedule allow schools to schedule an extra patsy. Or play a power 5 school. The SEC has convinced the football world that playing their conferences foes is tough enough. The CFP Committee has bought into that concept. Fair enough. As the PAC moves to an 8 game conference schedule, in the near future, they will face the same option. Schedule a patsy game that no Network will pay top dollar for or schedule a solid power 5 school and maybe lose. I am certain Portland State would love a couple of million dollar pay days against the Ducks and Beavs. PSU would make much needed revenue. But the Ducks and Beavs might lose money on that game. Only the PAC Network would cover the game and they don't pay that much. Will be interesting to see how GK gets those games scheduled when it gets to that point.

I was reading an article covering what the Utes HC said after the game. His words may be the best compliment any opposing coach could give without giving it. He told the media/press that he expected to win the game on their last 2 offensive possessions. But their offense couldnt get it done. Losing the game never crossed his mind. WHAT HE DIDN'T SAY: The Ducks D shut them down and preserved a hard fought victory. The better team won the game.

My hat is off to Bo for his mansize, gutsy effort. It's an all time Duck performance to remember. Well done...... Congrats to his offensive team mates for protecting Bo. Many of those big boys are hurting, too. Bo is a true leader and you followed him to victory. Congrats to the defensive players for a season saving effort. I doubted and criticized you and am gladly devouring my humble pie. Coaches, you are a confusing bunch to understand. Please protect Bo and all the hurt Ducks the next few weeks. They may have mansize bodies but to this graybeard they are still boys. Savor your sweet revenge victory over the Utes. Rest and heal up. Then go beat the Beavs. Afterall its the used to be civil war week........

Well the Canes deserve what they are getting. The sample size on MC was very large and they ignored all the signs and facts. They paid, no they grossly overpaid for a HC with almost 10 years experience and overall losing record. And that $8 or $9 million dollar buyout sure settled nicely into the Oregon bank account. Sure is interesting how some things work out.........

Jordan, very timely article, very timely........Your intro paragraph sums up the very essence of a trick play. The execution of a trick play should catch the opposing team off guard. Even if this play had been executed with " dazzling precision" the Utah defense was not caught off guard. The entire left side of the Utes D stayed home. Fundamentally sound football. What did DL and Dilly expect the Utes would do with Ty in the game? Ty was not going to catch the Utes off guard with a long pass downfield. They new the play would be basic and simple. The well coached Utes just stayed home and protected the backside with precision. Jordan, you were right about the result being humiliating or embarrassing. The Duck coaches got both. Of course hindsight has perfect vision. Its easy to second guess others mistakes. Coach Lanning and Dilly appear to have a little river boat gambler in them. From day one they told us all they want explosion plays. Well sometimes explosions backfire. This play sure did. That's why its called gambling. I hope they continue to roll the dice........ Personally, the reward for the solid defense's opening series should not have been a scoop and score by the Utes. However, thats part of football! Big win for our Ducks. Hats off to all the players and their efforts. Way to step up D. O Line great job protecting the warrior named Bo.... Now lets kick some Beaver tail.

What a suprise performance from the Duck D! My apologies to the players, I was critical of their efforts and performances all week. This was a tremendous effort. They made Utah earn every yard, as well as stop some critical 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts. Best humble pie ever........ GO DUCKS!

2021 was a football year to forget. This fan was absolutely frustrated at MC's stubborness. Even the victories were gut wrenching and I am ashamed to say that i had lost interest in our Ducks...... The fun and joy was gone for this fan. After the first quarter of the first Utes game i turned the channel snd did not watch another Duck game until this year. The offensive Ferrarri that MC was given the keys to had turned into my Grandpas plow horse of the early 1950's. Even though Georgia took us out back of the woodshed for a beating, the offense moved the ball. Sometimes with ease. Unfortuneately, the moment was too big for OBD's, in all 3 phases of the game. However the offense was creative and different. For the next 9 games the offense was fun to watch. The loss to Washinton was tragic. But for a few mistakes and lapses in judgement by the coaches, well we shoild have put 50 on those putrid dogs. David, you are so right! The Utes will not be facing a one dimensional offense tonight. If Bo is even at 75% then the Utes will have their hands full. If Bo can't play? The Utes will put 8 in the box and force Ty or Jay to beat them with their arms and legs. That's just part of football. At least this year the Ducks have Dilly's creative play calling. Just need a QB to execute those plays....... GO DUCKS.........

Well wether Bo plays or not I feel Utah will score 31 to 45 points on the pourous Duck D. The Duck O needs to score and score often. There's alot of talent on the Ducks offensive roster. They havent lost the ability or talent to score points. If needed, somebody has to seize the opportunity and step up. Step up and lead. Going to be a great game with 2 top 15 teams going at it. Hope all the players avoid injuries and Utah has a quiet flight home. Go Ducks........

This has been a great thread to follow. Very diverse comments, thoughts and opinions Just wanted to add that running the ball against Washington was possible because the putrid dogs had to respect Bo. They had to play defense against Bo's arm, legs and most of all his smarts. Once the Duck O came to the line, Bo assessed the D's formation and called the audible. Bo took what the dogs gave him. He never came to the line and saw 7 or 8 defenders in the box. With great O Line blocking the running lanes were wide open. Dilly and Bo's audibles made that possible. If Ty starts, he will face 7 or 8 in the box. Running against Utah will be difficult because they will dare Ty to beat them with his arm and legs. Running lanes will open up when Ty completes passes or scrambles for first downs. The more Ute defenders that are forced out of the box will open up the powerful Duck ground game. Hopefully, DL and Dilly make adjustments that play into Ty's natural strengths. Like his arm, legs and athleticism. Roll him out, make those big fatties chase him in the 1st half. Tire them out. 2 back sets for blocking and dump offs. Coaches know better than me. Turn this game into 7 on 7 and my money is Ty. Dump offs and check off to Oregons awesome backs, in space, should generate chunk plays. Go Ducks.......

Alex, thank you for the article. You presented a great deal of "what ifs" to ponder. Personally there are too many layers to consider than can the Ducks beat the Utes without Bo Nix? Or can Ty play the best game of his life? Even at full strength with the #1 offensive line and Bo healthy OBD's would have their hands full beating Utah. The pourous Duck D forces Bo and company to score on nearly every possession. This version of a Ducks Defense cannot be counted on to stop the Utes. A unit littered with 4 and 5 star talent, backed up with mostly 4 star talent cannot get off the field. It baffles me! And DL and his D staff have had spring ball, fall camp and 10 games to get those problems fixed......... The better question may be can the Ducks beat a good top 25 team with this defense? Alex, if Bo can't play, it will be a difficult and tall task for TT to generate first downs let alone touchdowns. This is not criticism directed at Ty. Cutting your teeth against the best, experienced HC in the PAC is a big ask. Utah will pack the box and take the Oregon running game out. They will force TT to beat them with his feet, arm and quick decision making. Ty has the talent, feet and arm. He lacks the experience to read yhe D and make repeated quick decisions. Utah will do their best to keep TT and the offense from finding their tempo. If Ty stays in the pocket and locks in on one receiver then we will see interceptions and pick sixes. Hopefully, Dilly will roll Ty out with a safety valve receiver. Make the Utes get tired chasing him. Short 4 yard passing completions are as good as a run. If Bo can't play then I hope Ty has the game of his life. Hope Ty and the entire offense rallies behind him. Better yet for a wish! I hope the 11 players who step on the field for the defense "shine"........ It's a team game D. Pull your weight and let's beat Utah. GO DUCKS......

Ty has all the physical tools to lead the team. However, he lacks almost 40 starts under his belt. He lacks the game time reps necessary to bring the offense to the line of scrimmage with Dillys play. Then in a few seconds, read the defense, bark out an audible and execute that play. That key ingredient keeps defenses off balance........ Bo and Dilly, together, worked it to near perfection after the Georgia game. That uneasy feeling i had earlier today, about Bo, has turned to into a knot in my stomach. But that's part of football. For TT or JB the rubber may very well meet the road this Saturday. This Duck fan will support either one 100%. This would be a great time for the future NFL players on the D to step up and meet their potential. That could be all the difference in a victory or a defeat.

I sure admire how Coach Lanning will not say anything negative about his players. Those players know that he and the entire coaching staff have their backs. That sequence left me feeling a little uneasy about the health status of Bo. Nothing definitive just uneasy. Sure glad DL has confidence in the back up QB's............ Go Ducks. There is no tomorrow. Just Saturday against the Utes.

Thanks David for laying out the possibilities for the different paths to the PAC Conference Title Game. Hopefully OBD's can dig deep and bring their execution levels up a notch. The PAC championship race is exciting for sure and fun to watch. Sometimes painfully fun to watch. Utah finally tasted a PAC title last year and they are defending that title very well. The Ducks, hopefully want it more this Saturday. The only chance for a Duck victory is for Bo and Forsyth too play. And be able to play at a high level. Injuries and timing are a big part of football. True chanpions find a way to win. GO DUCKS........

The Ducks high scoring, clock eating offense has bailed the defense out in more than a few games. The defensive weaknesses have existed since the spring game. Actually since the 2019 season... Probably going to be fixed beginning in spring of 23........ What wont need fixing is Coach Lanning's willingness to own the problems. DL and his staff are probably losing much needed sleep over a defense that cant pass rush, apply pressure, pass cover and get off the field on 3rd down. However, win or lose, it's a team effort. Every play thru out the 60 minutes matter and contribute to the final score. Coaching mistakes or player execution? Offense, defense and special teams, well it doesnt matter. Its on the team.... What matters is the Utah game. I am confident that the coaches and players will work on those weaknesses and bring their A plus game on Saturday. No one, i think can say they didnt see those players give everything they had. I am proud of the effort and grateful for this coaching staff. This season could have been much worse.......

Drex you make some good points and thanks for the topic which is timely and painful to ponder. Personally i agree with Log Haulin that this is a player personell problem, not a coaching problem. Let's go back to the Spring Game. All 3 QB's moved the ball, with ease and put up points. Almost 700 yards of offense. The coaches saw how easy it was to pass on the back 7. Now the D got a lot of touch sacks but the QB's were scramblimg away when they got touched. Both TT and JB torched the Duck D. Yet they cant make the field or execute on the field. At least 5 of the QB's we have faced will play on Sundays. We face another one this week. Any wonder our opponents can light that scoreboard up? Whether this waved a red flag (with the coaches) or not, well i don't know. However the coaches moved forward installing the D scheme and teaching players responsibilty thru fall camp. Then the brutal Georgia game. The Dawgs scored at will. The Ducks got no pass rush, didn't or wouldn't hold the edge and the D backs were repeatedly beaten. Nine games later we saw all that against the huskies, again. WTH? After the Georgia game, in a nice way, Coach Lanning said they installed to much, to soon for the D. The coaching staff then backed off and went into a bend don't break scheme. So after all those practices and games the players cannot get the bend don't break system down? Those 2 long TD's were on the players not the coaches. Players are responsible for their execution. The Dawgs did not and do not play a bend don't break system. They attack, apply pressure and create chaos. Coaches coach and players execute. Coach Lanning and his staff have not forgotten how to coach. The players are struggling with execution. No knock on these players and yheir efforts, however they may not fit the scheme. As fans, we may have been blinded by 8 straight wins and 40 plus points a game. That output covers a loy of weaknesses. We just didn't score 40 against the huskies. So we lost. In spite of the pourous D the Ducks were one play from scoring 40 points and winning the game. That's all about coaching and execution. Coach Lanning doesnt have to change coaches. Just recruit a few key players that fit his system. Or bring those players to Eugene via the portal. GO DUCKS! Beat the Utes......

Lots of solid viewpoints on this thread. Much to ponder and maybe even rethink, for sure. It's obvious that mistakes were made by coaches(their decisions) and players(their execution), alike. Sometimes you can overcome them and sometimes you cant....... This was a can't situation........... Sure saw alot of heart, will power and determination by the Ducks players. Yes, the loss was brutal but we can be proud of these young men! IMHO, i don't feel Coach Lanning got out coached. Lanning and the offense took the air out of the ball in the 4th quarter. And Deboer and his staff had no answer. The Ducks score a TD and the game is over. The Ducks stopped themselves. That was execution not coaching. It never crossed my mind, until the final whistle blew, that we would lose that game. That game was all about 2 high powered offenses and who would outscore the other. I feel The Ducks were out scored but not out coached. GO DUCKS! Let's beat Utah.

Ducks 62-24 3 3 472 passing Let's go Ducks D. Make this game your coming out party. Pick six, scoop and score. GO DUCKS!

Spot on Alan, absolutely spot on..... My wife asked me why i appeared so angry this week and yet had not stepped in it to deep with her once all week. ( normally very happy and always annoying her). I reminded her this was husky week and that the stench from the north was headed to Eugene. That's a great deal of you know what to clean up along the I-5 corridor. Born and raised in Spokane (Cougar fan by geography) I hsve been forced to endure those pompeous, arrogant, self-righteous butt wipes since the late 1950's. GEEZ...... Alan, yoir article is yhe best ever at painting the true picture of what they are and what the represent. WELL DONE....... Does anyone know if the current sleaseball president of usc was a husky? She sure displays all the traits of a dog......

Alex, your article covers all of the main reasons the Ducks will prevail against the huskies. One additional point is that the huskies defense is terrible. Teams, with less high profile players have had no trouble scoring a lot of points against the little dogs. The huskies won 7 games because those teams couldnt score enough points. Just as uclasuck and ASU did the Ducks will score points and light up the scoreboard...... Truthfully, if Beavus had a passing attack they would have blown the huskies out of their own stadium. Alex, while it may be telling to see OBD's come from behind in the 2nd half, well I sure hope we dont put ourselves in that position. At this point in the season the committee is looking for teams to dominate weaker opponents. IMHO, the huskies are a weaker opponent that the Ducks should dominate. The huskies are a lot of other things but if i go there this post will get blocked and I would get a suspension. For certain....... GO DUCKS! You can never score enough points against the leg lifting, academic prowessed, entitled, stench from the north to satisfy this old gray beard.

It's just a hunch but Coach Lannings family and their happiness may play a key role in the future. DL has commented in interviews that he wants to plant roots for his family. Not move the kids around anymore and let them settle in. When DL says he wants to stay at Oregon as long as he is wanted, well i believe him. His parents raised that young man right. Win or lose he appears to be humble and cut from the cloth of previous Duck coaches. We are fortunate to have DL and the staff. GO DUCKS.....

This particular week brings so much joy. Husky fans will have to suffer and endure terrible traffic out of Seattle, endure terrible traffic thru Portland, suffer with slow traffic down I-5 to Eugene....... Then endure a beatdown at the hands of this fun Duck team. Endure the humiliation of getting taken to the woodshed on national TV Then head north and endure the reverse traffic snarls Just knowing they will suffer is icing on the cake. Unhappy husky fans make for happy Ducks fans. Go Ducks.......

Losing early, very early is the best way to go. Especially on the road against the defending national champs. The committee has forgiven early season losses. If not, I am not sure the Ducks woild be ranked #6. Late losses overshadow a weekone loss. But winning out is a must. Destroying the next 3 opponents, with a combined win/loss record of 20-7 sure wont hurt. The loser of tOSU/Michigan and Tennessee will be watching football while the Ducks play a top 10 usuck or uclasuck for a conference championship. That win and title will not be overlooked by the CFP committee. (A TCU loss wouldnt hurt) Georgia winning out helps the Ducks. Rece the know it all will have no say in it. Neither will Klatt. It may just be The Real Dawgs and The Ducks destiny to meet again in the CFP. Wouldn't you be proud of both teams? HOWEVER: Winning out starts with beating that foul stench from the north. No other game matters. GO DUCKS!

I wonder how many high profile games has Penix played in? How many big games have their O line played in, too? The little doggies have put their numbers up against weak a$$ opponents. The only team they played with high level talent was ucla. The Bruins took them to the woodshed. The game was on the road against the Bruins, in front of like 12 people. On Saturday they will face a legit top 10 team in front of 58,000 plus screaming fans. On the road...... Get Penix off his mark, disrupt his timing and turnovers will follow. This game should be a big time beat down. GO DUCKS!