HappyToBeADuck

Charles, at this point, an increase in scoring average and a decrease in points allowed is plenty of reasons for excitement. We have left first downs and points on the board this season. Even last Saturday DL left points off tbe board. 2 minutes left in game, ball on 11 after interception and penalty and we take a knee. Day, Cignetti and other coaches would have punched it in and run up the score. I expect our scoring average to go down the last 4 games. Weather will play a factor, maybe! 3 of the four teams we play have defenses. Only usc plays sandlot or street ball. As long as the defense keeps improving we could see a 7-6 game against the Hawkeyes. The last four games are playoff play in games and they could be decided by the defense. I do not have the high expectation for this team that i had before the Indiana game. This version of OBD's is still a work in progress. Not criticism just you dont know what version will show up If they play like they did against Whisky then they will win out and maybe get a CFP home game. A 13.4 per game scoring average travels well and translates to wins if the offense plays clean and runs the ball down our opponents throats. GO DUCKS.....

David spot on i would love for JD to start because he brings power and agility to his carries. Perhaps that may bring a quicker jump start to the Duck offense. This old Duck fan owes DL and WS an apology. I have never commented on the game thread until this Wisconsin game. I was critical of the play calls and O line energy and performance. As an old coach who cut his teeth in the Roman Coloseum, i know better than to criticize during the game. A football game at this level is a high stakes chess match. Calling plays to see how the other teams D reacts. Looking for the other teams tell signs. The chess game may take all 60 minutes and the only goal is to win. DL said, because of the wind and rain that there wasnt going to be much passing. OBD's needed to run the ball to win this game....and that the BIG plays great run D and Whisky was strong against the run. On the first few drives NW and JD ran into stone walls. DL said in his post game comments that Wisconsin had tells from film review. And the Duck O had to run different plays to expose the tells. This took awhile but once they did, then JD found a little room and they moved the ball. NW was running designed plays to set up future play calls. On the 99 yard drive, once they got breathing room on the 3rd down pass conversion, then they exploited those tells. Moved down the field and scored.OBD's owned the last 4 minutes of the first half. Then inspite of Dante going down on the 3rd play of 2nd half, Brock came in and the Duck O continued to exploit those tells and controlled the first 4 minutes and beyond. And Whisky could not stop the Ducks. Only 7 penalties, some drive killers and a lazy holding penalty by MU kept the Ducks out of the endzone. These tells and adjustments opened up the running plays. Didn't matter whether NW or JD carried the ball. DL and the team were proud of Brock. DL said Brock called and executed his check downs. They even carried him on their shoulders in the locker room. We may all be underestimating his performance...... Before the start of the 99 yard drive the Ducks had very few rushing yards or any yards for that matter. DL acknowledged that they ended up with over 200 plus rushing yardsl Thats impressive and this fan says kudos to the Duck O. Its fun, exciting and also frustrating to watch these games. It's even more fun to read the game thread comments. The highs, the lows and all that goes into those 4 plus hours during the game. So sorry DL, WS and the O. That was a coaching masterpiece and I criticized it while it was being created. The Duck D dominated Whisky and repeatedly gave the O the opportunity to win this game. I think the pollsters recognized this solid win...... GO DUCKS.......

The money that the big schools will be throwing at the top coaches to leave their current school may very well reach the absurd Gonna be a wild ride. There are some extremely talented players who can transfer out of the schools firing those coaches. The coaches who stay put could certainly bolster their rosters. Early signing day is just around the corner. Committs may be decommitting. At the beginning of the year, Kelly and Franklin were considered top coaches. So they will be on the merry-go-round and where it stops no one knows..... Hope DL stays at Oregon until he gets that Natty.

In reality, the way the voters are enamored with the other 3 P4 conferences, as JJ points out, Iowa, usc and udubs are in PO elimination games against are Ducks. Flip that script and OBD's may themselves be playing in elimination games against those opponents.. We will see how OBD's are viewed by the selection committee coming out of their 2nd byw week.

Iowa, usc and udub will be challenging games to win. Victories over those 3 teams will not be overlooked by the CFP committee...... Those teams will challenge OBD's to the limit and should the Ducks be victorious, they will be better prepared for the top level opponents in the CFP. If the Ducks can't win out then they don't deserve to make the CFP....... DL has done a great job against unranked teams but in my opinion Iowa is a top 20 team, Udub top 25! Regardless of what sportswriters or coaches feel. Losing to tOSU or Indiana are not bad losses. Does anyone feel that Memphis, Navy or Houston can go into Iowa or Seattle and beat those teams? Gonna be a wild finish with a group of highly skilled teenagers who are not always consistent. Go Ducks!

Charles, I was very suprised that the Ducks held at #6. Expected a,couple of teams to jump them. Glad they didn't..... I feel that Iowa, SC and udub would beat the 5 BIG 12 teams that are ranked. Or at least split with them. The upper middle section of the BIG is not getting a great deal of respect. Not that it matters in the toilet bowls. However, it does for a CFP bound team to have wins over ranked opponents. GO DUCKS......

Coach DL was asked the question in a interview as to why Novosad and Moga did not get playing time and Brock did? DL said that you earn your way onto the field by your effort and performance in practice. And Brock earned the playing time. Says it all right there! Personally there is no mystery here. Brock beat the other QB's out for playing time. No matter our expectations of any of these QB's, they are not performing well enough to beat out Brock. The best players who earn it play in the games. 4 RB's are watching 2 freshman getting the snaps. Let's hope Brock keeps improving each week. He played well in some monsoon conditions. Handled some bad snaps and did not turn the ball over. Need better than that from the back-ups moving forward to win if starters go down. Go Ducks......

Last night only 3 running bacls had carries. JD, NW and DH. That means 4 highly talented running backs did not get touches or perhaps even make the plsying field. If we hold DL to his response about you earn playing time in the game by your effort and performance, then those 4 other RB's need to step up in practice. For me, it doesnt matter who starts or how many carries they get. What matters is how well the O line blocks for them. NW ran into walls in the first 4 drives. The O line was standing straight up and not firing out and moving the Whisky front 7. JD may be the best all around back and his sample size so far backs that up. If we actually make the CFP and win a Natty then we are just halfway thru the season. The formula of who starts or not and how many touches they get may depend on who we play, too. Iowa is going to be a difficult road game, especially if the Duck O line takes plays off or comes out flat footed. Last night, Whisky made this a hard fought rock fight in a monsoon. OBD's kept fighting back until they got their footing. Iowa will be another hard fought rock fight but on their home turf. JD and all the backs will go as far as the O line takes them. Our Duck D will need to play their best game of the year because this may be a 7-6 ball game. As an old Duck fan, i am glad we have JD and all these great backs. GO DUCKS......

My grandsons are watching the game and telling me the plays that OBD's are going to run before they run them. It appears Whisky can pre-read, pre-snap, also.... Another listless offensive game plan.

How the Duck O can come out so flat, at home is Absolutely mind-boggling. They have no passion! The O is uninspired........... Whisky is doing nothing special. The O line is not firing out. They are letting the defense come to them. Lets go D, shut down Whisky until the O decides to show up.

Ducks win 31-3 3- Turnovers 3 sacks 212 yards passing Go Ducks

Charles, great analogy referencing the ancient Rocky movies, themes and life lessons. I support all your comments and strong view points. Especially how well DL and staff prepare themselves and the players after a loss. They do take care of business and beat the teams they should beat. The one exception is the let down loss to Beavus in DL's first season. There never is nor ever will be an excuse to lose to the rodents........ In the IU game I expected the Ducks to be Clubber Lang and demolish the Hoosiers. That game should be a wake up call for the Ducks. It would be great to have a rematch in the CFP. I feel, as you do that we win that rematch. Go Ducks.......

Alex, great thoughts in your article and a great question to ask...... Are the Ducks ready to go on a run the last 5 games of the regular season. 80% confident they are. Dante still lacks game experience against a strong defense like Iowa or even udub. Dont be fooled by the Rutgers game. DL and WS put Dante and the O in attack mode. On the road can Dante recognize the D alignment and audible out? Its a fair question......... As for the CFP games. The talent will be on the field. The depth will be on the sidelines, oozing with youthful energy and talent. My concern, is our young coaching staff! Do they have what it takes to make in game adjustments? Will they be out schemed or out coached? I am 50/50 on that! Because of the youth and lack of experience with on field leadership? Well the coaches have to fill that gap. Very excited to see what legacy this team leaves. Remember, OBD's cannot fall below #9 to make the playoffs. 10, 11 and 12 are ACC, BIG 12, Group of 5. Ducks must win out! Go Ducks!

Charles, i like where we are at now! We still get to play usuck and the leg lifters up north. Sharing first hand in their annual misery Add in tOSU, Michigan, PSU, Indiana (now) and Iowa in different years. Thats awesome.... Plus we are in a conference that the 3rd or 4th place team can make the CFP. That did not and would never happen is the PAC 12 was flying the colors. This year and many years OBD's will not have to win the conference or be in the title game to make the CFP For this old gray beard we are in the big time and right where we belong. Just my feelings. Go Ducks......give Whisky a reason to fire there coach and the stubborn AD who supports 20 points in 4 games, total.

David thank you for the article and placing some focus on the dominating play of OBD's defense....... Most national articles written just rave about the 750 yards of offense and all the long runs and TD passes. Deservably earned...... However, The D just kept giving the O the ball back time and time again. After the Duck turnover on the 3rd play of the game, the D gave up ZERO yards and set the tone for the rest of the game. When DL came to Oregon, this is the kind of D play that I hoped for. Chaos and havoc (just like my first wife) resulting in 3 picks, 3 sacks, multiple TFL's, tipped balls at LOS, tight coverage all day. Just wreck the opponent like my ex did! The only way to improve on this is to shut out Whisky and put some points on the board. Aren't we due for a scoop and score? Go Ducks....

The minute the Gator AD heard Franklin say he was gonna win a National Champioship somewhere, i think HR and legal started drafting the termination papers for Billy. Franklin has all the ingredients to return to the SEC......why not at Florida? He is a step up from Napier for sure. Billy will land on his feet, afterall he is a good coach. Go Ducks! Beat the whiskers off Whisky.

Very suprised that Stein used a few counters and misdirections in the running game. Those play calls froze the Rutgers linebackers and left them flatfooted. this took pressure off DM. IU linebackers were on their toes movIng and forcing pressure on DM. The biggest surprise was designed runs for Dante. All of this, coupled with strong blocking helped light up the scoreboard. It was exciting to see a massive Duck O lineman and Sadiq 40 yards downfield blocking for Dante when the turf monster got him. Go Ducks.....

Ducks win 44-24 2 turnovers 3 sacks 215 passing yards Go Ducks

Jordan, great article, thank you! You summed it up and left no stone unturned. Last night while out at dinner my youngest son echoed your opinion about never seeing Dante throw a screen pass or execute a check down again. He played corner in college 20 years ago. He said thosr are surrender plays when the. OC and QB have no plan. Naturally the QB takes most of the heat after a loss. But you are correct that this loss was a blend of Dante, the O line and play calling by WS. Get creative coach! Darn........ After 6 games it is evident to this Duck fan that Dante is no tbreat to run the ball. Both Bo and Dillion had designed run plays to keep the D off balance. Many times, when the pressure came both Bo and Dillion were running straight ahead, in a lane, for positive gains, first downs and some touchdowns. In the Ducks first 3 BIG games the offense has struggled. Scoring 34 on NW, 17 points in regulation against PSU in regulation and a pathetic 13 points, at home against IU. OBDF members I dont have the answers to what is causing the Duck O to stall out. In my coaching days we ran the ball until they could stop it. Or they packed their defense to plug the holes and then i would have a 2 back set, fake a dive to show run. The other back stays home to block and protect the QB. Then hit slants, post or flys and my check down was the TE dragging over the middle. Just old school, forgotten football from ancient lore. Rutgers can be a redemption game for OBD's. If the Ducks dont put up plus 40 on the Rutgers pourous D, then my frustration will turn to concern to worry. Like you Jordan, i trust the coaches. Go Ducks!

Good for Cignetti, double good for Indiana and there fans. I respect Cignetti for being loyal and for the AD stepping up to keep him. The AD got out front of his coach being poached. . Now that Indiana settled this issue, can we now get back to the real task at hand? Getting the Duck O Ferrari back on the track? LOL Go Ducks.....

Mike fun tboughts and thanks for sharing. For many reasons the Duck offense needa to get a whole a lot louder NOW! Right now starting in NJ...... OBD's have 6 steps on their ladder to reach 11-1 and a berth in the CFP. They control their own narrative. So the offense needs to step up NOW against BIG 10 defenses. There may not be any soft defenses in the CFP? Any loss to Rutgers or Whisky would be viewed as a bad loss. A loss to either team would knock OBD's out of the top 11. They may fall to far to climb back in! Iowa is the place that offenses go to die, including their own. The Duck D needa to bring its A+ plus game because it could be a low scoring game. If OBD's offense doesnt get right a win will be hard fought. Wins over Minnesota, Usuck and the leglifters will require the Duck O to get right and stay right I believe that the Ducks can and will run the table and the offense will get very, very loud. If not we as fans will be crushed and disappointed. First step on the ladder, Rutgers. It all starts there. Go Ducks, get a whole lot louder NOW!

I have a great deal of respect for Dante after reading articles on his comments about the game. The young man felt that the offense was off its normal energy and tempo and that he made a number of pre-snap mistakes. He missed numerous pre-snap simple reads on the defense. Because of that he didnt make audibles to change the O's formation to block the pressure. IU played a simple pressure defense with a front 7 talented enough to bring it all day to the Ducks. Experience has taught us all that points are scored when the QB steps up in the box with his head up looking for the open man. Dante simply put himself and the team in a situation where his head was down, running to escape. Bo and Dillion had eyes downfield and their scrambles downfield not only put pressure on the defense but many times generated first downs. Dante will get there in time. Dante felt key penalties stalled the Ducks in key moments. He was right and we all saw it in real time. Couple all this that IU played their best big time game ever! While the Ducks couldnt find their stride. Credit IU for that fact and props to them. Cant wait for the Rutgers game..... GO DUCKS!

Jon, as you pointed out, both IU and tOSU have fairly easy roads to the title game. And for this Duck fan i hope both win out and go 12-0. After the title game the BIG should have tOSU at 13-0 and a fierce pitbullish IU at 12-1. Both will be in the CFP. As for the Ducks their road to 11-1 has 5 winning teams in its way. If they handle business they will be in the CFP. On the road to play an SEC team in the first round. They dont need to concern themselves about a repeat BIG title...do they? As David and geo pointed out JUST WIN OUT! With the massive SEC support i am not sure a 10-2 Duck team reaches the CFP. It is all in the Ducks hands now! Go Ducks

David, this article is right on the money reflecting on the performance of our Ducks on Saturday. The O line had very little fight in them for the most part. They got smacked in the mouth, out hustled and out schemed. Worst part, as you stated, Stein was not patient offensively! The runs up the middle coupled with uptempo kept IU just a little off balance. Who cares if we go 15 plays and chew up 7 minutes off the clock. Other than the 44 yard TD pass, very little worked in the passing game. As you mentioned and we all saw, the Duck O line could not protect Dante. For some reason DL and Stein either couldn't see it. If they did they had no answer. In just his 13th start, Dante lacked the game time experience to audible out, so he hit check downs to avoid sacks. Cosches offered very little help, imho! Overall the loss doesnt bother me as much as the lack of performsnce, effort and coaching adjustments. Especially coming out of a bye week. Every team has these types of games, unfortuneately OBD's had it on Saturdays biggest stage. Against a CFP caliber team no less. IU played a great game. They out played and out coached the Ducks. Yet the Ducks could have won this game! Playing as poorly as they did the Ducks had a chance to pull this game out. Coaches simply had no in game answers...... IU has a great chance to finish undeafeated. The teams they face are a combined 16-20. The bottom half of the BIG. Let their reward be in the title game against the Buckeyes..... Five of the 6 remaining opponents the Ducks face have winning records. All 6 will see this game film and try to duplicate what they saw. I am confident OBD's will grow from this and prove this was a one off game. This is the point in the season where DL, the staff and plauers decide to do what it takes to finish the season 11-1 or finish their season like Penn State I am betting we go 11-1. Won't be easy but i belirve in our team.... GO DUCKS......

Charles, i am so grateful that The Ducks became a team that could have a bandwagon to get off of in the first place. When I moved to Portland in 1984 I became a Duck Fan immediately. And they were bad to mediocre at best until Coach Brooks took them to the Rose Bowl. The influx of money, continued movement and improvement right up to the 2010 Natty. Fair weather fans and parents come with the sport, hec all sports! The Ducks WILL grow and build from this difficult loss. GO DUCKS!