HappyToBeADuck

The Ducks should be the underdogs against Utah in SLC. The Ducks would probably be favored in Eugene. Our beloved Ducks best bring the A plus game Saturday. Utah is capable of beating us on their home turf if we don't bring it. When we bring it, I don't feel Utah will have an answer. They didn't have an answer for BYU or SDSU. This Duck team is vastly more talented than those 2 teams. However, the games are won on the field not with statistics. The talking heads just spout stats. They don't know anymore than you or I. Go Ducks. Bring it and bring it all game long. The Utes have not stared down this rushing juggernaut. They have not played anyone with a defense with KT or NS. 1-0

Tandaian great stuff. Food for thought. I wonder how many teams in the 21st century can say they never trailed tOSU in the second half? In the shoe, nonetheless....... When's the last time tOSU lost a conference game at home. Like a tootsie pop, lasts a long time. When's the last time Michigan, MSU, Iowa, Wisconsin or Penn State beat tOSU in the shoe? Well done Ducks......

30 Duck you are so right that it is a great time to be a Duck. Time to beat Utah and go 1-0 this week. I could sure use a 9:00 am kick off this week. Anticipation is brutal.

David this offense is becoming more watchable. Thankfully...... Nice observation and well explained article. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us IMHO the JM offense is very sophisticated and difficult to defend. Each formation has multiple but unique options that require the defense to sit back, momentarily, and watch the play unfold. That hesitation, coupled with the correct QB read, allows the offense to move the ball with ease. As 30Duck mentioned "It is becoming harder for us, and the opposing defense, to no what is coming" The defense cannot be overly aggressive. When they try they take themselves out of the play. For me, a 5 to 8 minute Duck drive is beautiful. Fun to watch...."Becoming more watchable" The last 3 games our rushing attack, coupled with the Ducks aggressive defense has allowed the opponents about 25 minutes of time of possession. Take out garbage time and Colorado has 14 points, WSU 17 points and the puppies got 16. That's impressive. Ball control and time of possession equal fresh aggressive defenders. As I have rewatched the games the long passing attack has been there for the Ducks. AB has not connected. The receivers have beaten the defender deep. Should have been TD's. Or big yardage. If those passes had connected we all would have felt excited. When I watch the JM offense it's like watching a chess match. Just that moves take place within a 40 second clock. Enjoy these last potential 5 games because chances are JM will be gone. I will always keep watching Duck games. They are more watchable now and the future maybe even be more so. Let's hope the future QB's have equal execution ad AB, but better downfield vision.

Great comments on this topic. Thanks..... I wonder how different the receiver out look would be if AB had connected on a number of those long. passes. The kind where the receivers beat the defender deep and should have been TD's As I have reviewed all this seasons games those plays were there multiple times. Every game. The receiver did his part but the ball was nowhere to connect 8 or 10 long pass plays or touchdowns this season maybe tell a different story. Oh well, shouda, coulda, woulda..

Hope this is not the beginning of things to come? 4 and 5 star players are used to touching that ball. Being involved, being the star, its in their DNA. It takes a QB, with all the tools, to allow the entire play book to be opened wide. It takes a very unselfish player to work this hard, for months, to get no touches. Team first and the win is the goal. Not saying MP is selfish. I simply admire those talented players making personal sacrifices for the team. For the win. MP just couldn't stay in that role. Great success for him and a blessed future.

After all the conference championship games are completed the coaching dominoes will fall. Can't blame any coach for getting an opportunity and the money that will come their way. All these articles, this season, showing and explaining Coach Mooreheads plays just leaves me wanting more. Great stuff. Hope JM stays around a little longer. Would love to see the whole playback opened up. Especially around the young guns in waiting. First things first. Utah is no easy out, home or away. I feel confident JM has a few new tricks up his sleeve for the Utes.

ESPN is simply a shadow of its once proud self. Remember the more these clowns make outright blatant, controversial statements, the more clicks and hits they get. When it's time to renew their contracts, the little mouse kingdom looks at who drives the ratings highest. Stupid, outrageous and controversial sell. So far the only common sense statement was from Heather Dinich. She mentioned she would not be surprised if the IC had tOSU jump the Ducks in the rankings. Beating a top 10 team should have value. Head to head should have more value. Unless it doesn't fit the narrative. I guess beating cream puff G5 teams has more value than playing a tough P5 schedule. Do any of you feel that Cincinnati could close their schedule with away at Utah, home vs Oregon State then away at Oregon? Or better yet Home vs Baylor, away at Oklahoma then home vs OK State the little mouse kingdom and its IC insults all P5 conferences and the value of their schedules.

MC is on the verge of something great. He and his staff have laid the foundation for the next 3 years. Glad someone has a level of common sense. What a great time to pull up stakes and go fix a dumpster fire at Miami. Just like us at times the Miami fan base is delusional.......along with a few unqualified beat writers. ( Me too, sometimes) Some fans may not like MC. That's a personal choice. But he is not a quitter. Don't you feel he is built to finish what he starts?

Call me a Homer but I cannot compare Cincinnati's AAC schedule to any P12 or Big 12 teams schedule. Arizona, Stanford and the BIG 12 bottom feeders would WIN many of the games on the bearcats schedule. I will give them the ND victory. Do you feel that Cincinnati could win out if they closed with Oklahoma, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Or Utah, Oregon, ASU. Not a chance. This weak butt invitational puppet committee is cheapening the week in week out conference schedules. Not to mention the rivalries and bad blood games. Colin is right 23rd for Cincinnati....

Joshua thanks for taking the time to present your analysis. MC and his staff, most likely, have been preparing, scheming and practicing to exploit the very weaknesses you pointed out. The environment will be hostile. The Utah fans energize those players. The Ducks offense will need to sustain multiple 6 to 8 minute drives and score touchdowns. Take the air out of the ball and the crowd. 6 touchdowns should be the minimum goal. This D can and should control the line of scrimmage. Force Rising into scrambling throws. KT and safety blitzes will have Rising hearing footsteps. Don't let him set his feet and pound him often like DTR in the UCLA game. That may pay dividends latet on in the P12 title game. Eliminate the bone head penalties, turnovers and don't get behind the chains. Utah is well coached, they will make you pay. The game plan, on both sides of the ball will be difficult for Utah to handle. Oregon has better players,, too. Just as Joshua aptly explained.. Go Ducks. Beat Utah. 1-0 this week.

I wonder how many of these young, talented, players would be standing on the sidelines if any other P12 coach was the Duck coach? Thank you MC and staff.

30Duck solid point and observation. ESPN is probably butt sore that they didn't have the Oregon -OSU telecast. It was a ratings bonanza. Positive thoughts that this crazy, wild Duck team can prove them wrong. Get in this year, with the 2 deep roster packed with freshman, covid freshmen and redshirt freshmen, and we could become a invitational main stay.

Gotta love that intellectual prowess. Sleep tight little puppies and dream of the powerhouse coaches lining up to coach your dumpster fire. Great comments from all. Thanks.

It's probably just me but the so called experts (talking heads) always seem to doubt the Ducks ... Do they really know anything more than the group on this site? Hec no. Is their a scenario where they follow the Ducks as closely as some on this site? Not a chance. They just spout personal opinions like we do. Fact: Utah will be a great challenge this Saturday and in the P12 Championship. Beat em Saturday and chances are good we play them again. That game will be a greater challenge. Fact: The Beavers will give us one hec of a game. Most times they do, however they don't travel well. It's a short bus ride but they will be traveling. But they will bring it. Now can anyone give me the reasons why Utah and Oregon State can handle what the Ducks will bring to each game? Will either team field 16-5 stars like tOSU did in the shoe? Nope..... As always only this Duck team can beat this Duck team. Limit the penalties and turnovers and good luck Utes and Beavers. Anything can happen on the field but this Duck team eats chaos like it's a nutritional supplement.

30Duck do you think Baylor and a few other Texas schools might have made a nice addition to the PAC? Would have opened at least a couple of games a week in the CST zone. Not to mentions Texas 4 and 5 stars watching those games.

DP it is mind boggling. It has caused the fans angst, nervous anticipation and in game anxiety. The post Stanford week was the worst. We controlled that game for 59 minutes, especially that last 29. So glad the players stay focused to the end of the game. It took 00 on the clock and 2 weak calls by officials to give the Ford an opportunity....... Positive thoughts that we go 1-0 this week. Positive thoughts that the officials bring their A plus game and ABC brings enough cameras.

Well stated Jon. The more they anger fan bases then the more people tune in Three more convincing wins by the Ducks and then we will see the Disneyland Invitational Puppet Committee show their real colors. Go Ducks. What a ride.

From past history, MC and his staff get the players UP for good opponents. Thankfully....... Thankfully any game from here on out will be good opponents. With a dose of DP Destiny each opponent will be better. Bodes well for MC and the warriors. I really hope the Ducks play well enough and don't get shut out of the Disneyland Invitstional. Why? Call me crazy but this team will fight Georgia, Bama, Ohio State or whomever, tooth and nail. Just call em an underdog and it's on. Our own paranoia sometimes puts us Duck fans on the defensive. We worry about this team can do, etc .. Make no mistake about it, this team brings alot to the table. Any team we play knows what we did to tOSU in the Shoe. When properly motivated it appears they can bring it any time. Georgia, Bama, Utah and Oregon State have not faced the schemes and game plans the Ducks bring. Just ask tOSU how difficult that task is.

It's been a crazy ride with this young, talented group of players. If you can, go back and watch the early games this year. This team has grown immensely. Because of those injuries players were playing at positions they never had before. True freshmen stepping up, playing hard and learning on the job. Destiny comes packaged in many wrappings. Some beautiful and others ugly. IMHO, after rewatching the games, when the young Ducks focused the other team had no answer. (tOSU, UCLA, Colorado, uw, WSU) In my years of coaching we didn't call it playing down to the opponent. It was a lack of focus both in practice and in game execution. Lack of focus kept passion and intensity from taking the field. The last 3 games do any of you feel the Ducks lacked focus, passion and intensity? ( Compared to some of the other games, i feel they came to play, dominate and win). This Duck team only controls how they prepare and execute in the game. They can be 12-1. As for destiny the story should be told on the field.. However,, that story is controlled by the invitational committee and the cheapskates at Disney. If they don't care about how the quality of the product they were selling was presented with the Duck/WSU game, then I don't expect the IC will truly respect what happens on the field..... The teams that will drive ratings have the upper hand in making the invitational party. The business and money will drive this Disney destiny train. (Here's hoping for Alabama and Cincinnati to lose) Go Ducks. Be focused go 1-0 this week. It's the only way to 12-1.

I would rather play Georgia than a repeat game against tOSU. Unless it's in the Natty. The price to pay when u knock on the door of the promised land. An undefeated Cincinnati is a big concern. Cinderella darling of the game day crew. If Bama beats Georgia then it's 1. Bama 2. Georgia 3. OSU 4. Oregon or Cincinnati Assuming all win out except Georgia. Take care of business and do it with dominance. Go Ducks......

Mike West great statement. Statement Victory against the Utes. Shut the talking heads up. I think it's coming together for this team. If they get jumped by tOSU this week it may really motivate them to a higher performance level.

All 3 phases of this Duck team are improving. It's a plus it is happening in the stretch run....... One thing is certain whether the invitational committee jumps tOSU over the Ducks this week or next... We all know the Ducks must win out and win strong. When they do win out we may need a Cincinnati loss or Georgia win over Bama to get in. We control nothing but the next 60 minute game against Utah. Go Ducks....,Beat them Utes. 1-0

Thanks Charles for that detailed explanation and analysis. That play and many others the last 2 weeks has been poetry in motion. Fun to watch even with ESPN going on the cheap. Even their low cost production couldn't diminish the high quality of execution on display. Cardwell showed mature patience allowing the blocks to unfold. 1-0.......

CJ, if they stack the box then AB and the TE and receivers will make them pay. Just ask UCLA.... JM will game plan to AB's short to medium passing range skill. That sets up the running game on the edges We have blockers and backs to capitalize on this. If we play a clean game on offense then Utah has their hands full. Go Ducks......