Charles Fischer

Oregon State’s spring football game was held on Saturday at Reser Stadium. CORVALLIS — I was minding my business on Saturday, watching Oregon State’s spring football game from the end zone at Reser Stadium, when an interesting thing happened. David Coleman, the Pac-12 Conference’s Vice President of officiating, waved me over from his position near a corner pylon. Coleman is a pleasant guy. He’s been in charge of the conference’s officials for seven years. But it struck me as we talked that the former United States Army officer is facing a critical season as the supervisor of Pac-12 officiating. A report surfaced late in 2020 revealing that Coleman’s on-field experience as a game official was limited to two major college football games. The conference is now led by George Kliavkoff, a commissioner with fresh ideas. And a Pac-12 source told me there’s a special emphasis this spring on training and improving the football officials. Coleman reports to Merton Hanks, the Pac-12’s supervisor of football. Hanks told me near the end of last season that he thought the officials had a good year and said, “Officiating is a tough job and we can never rest on our laurels.” None of the Pac-12 football teams qualified for the College Football Playoff invitational last season. The bowl teams went 0-5 and the Pac-12 had its worst non-conference performance in football since 1983. Is it possible the officiating was improved amid all that carnage? It sort of felt that way. Or maybe we were all just happy to be back inside stadiums. But certainly what was absent last season were glaring and embarrassing in-game officiating errors that require the Pac-12 to issue a public statement. A lot of us know the 2018 season was a disaster for the conference officials. A well-documented instant-replay scandal involving former executive Woodie Dixon rocked public confidence in the officiating. The mess prompted the conference to introduce new protocols and commission an independent review. In 2019, the Pac-12 had three occasions in which it had to issue public statements related to large-scale officiating miscues. In 2020, that happened only once. Last season? Zero. On Saturday, Coleman wore a blue “Pac-12” trucker-style baseball cap to the Beavers’ spring game. He observed from a vantage point near the corner of the end zone. Jack Folliard, a long-time Pac-12 referee and prominent retired trial lawyer in Oregon, was present and in street clothes. Folliard held a notepad and pen and jotted down notes. The crew working OSU’s scrimmage warmed up and treated it as if it were a live, regular-season football game. Afterward, the officials walked off the field together. As they passed by, one of them looked up, smiled and said, “Be nice to us.” I’m trying. Seeing the officials work the scrimmage helps. Because it’s evident that the football players weren’t the only ones getting reps on Saturday. At one point, for example, a Beavers’ tight end caught what appeared to be a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone. The offense celebrated. The sideline erupted. The closest official blew his whistle, came sprinting in, and waved off the catch — incomplete. He ruled the ball was juggled as the tight end went out of bounds. Players complained. The crowd jeered. But I was a few feet away, and despite the protests, it sure looked like the official got it right. The Pac-12’s training program for officials includes video review, detailed reports and analysis after each game and weekly evaluation meetings with officials. Also, it includes offseason training sessions and spring scrimmages. Said Hanks: “We are constantly training our officials.” What the conference has to get real about, though, is how vital it is to retain the best officials. Too often in recent years the Pac-12 lost top officials to other conferences. That can’t happen if the conference wants to be at its best on the field. Coleman’s predecessor, Tony Corrente, quit because of chronic meddling from former commissioner Larry Scott and Dixon, per a source. Said one person with knowledge: “Those two weren’t qualified to weigh in but never let it stop them.” Kliavkoff won’t make that mistake.

Comments from the Skipper... (He is much more gracious than I)

I am not sorry, although I should be ashamed at having so little nobility in victory. But sweeping the Huskies in Baseball really helps our team stay up in the standings. Later tonight...the Ducks will tied in the number of losses with Oregon State and the two of us will be at the top of the conference. Sweeping Utah when we did was HUGE, because they are catching fire now. (Beat Arizona two-out-of-three!) And sure....we needed a little luck to pull out the last game with the Huskies but... Huskies SHOULD be on the WRONG END of things...

Epic..fun stuff!

This was an awesome interview, and thanks for posting it Coach!

Actually…that is a GREAT idea…have a Utah writer pretend to be as indignant as USC fans…”being ignored as your primary opponent is bulletin-board material for the Utah players!”

It is a labor of Duck Love for him…

That title is EPIC alliteration, and I LOVE IT! So much thanks to ICamel! Down 5-1 and they come back? These are FIGHTING DUCKS!

We always have his depth chart available at the top of the site and it is now updated for Spring Football! For mobile...touch the three lateral lines at the top left of your phone and a drop down menu will have all the options, of which the "Repository" is one of them! New ones added for Spring: Jahlil Florence No.6 DB - Fr. Justius Lowe No.10 ILB - R-Fr. Noah Whittington No.22 RB Chase Cota No.23 WR - Sr. Kilohana Haasenritter No.24 RB - So. Devon Jackson No.26 ILB - Fr. Donovan Dalton No.30 DB - Sr. Harrison Taggart No.34 ILB - Fr. Malachi Hannah No.71 OLB - Fr. Michael Wooten No.77 OL - Fr. Cole Brosterhous No.81 WR - So. Malachi Russell No.85 WR - So.

Gets me energized...Coach Lanning is checking all the boxes...

How does this photo make YOU feel?

Man, I wish I could take one quote, and spin a short article out of it like that! But it is an exciting quote, and one that helps assure us Greybeard-age fans that explosion plays will return to Autzen.

Talk about “trying-too-hard,” as he is going out of his way to be offended. Our OC was talking about Oregon, to Oregon media and to stretch it into a massive swipe toward the Trojans? Slow news day, and a reach for a topic to write about—I’ve been there!

The Husky announcer, just makes me ill, as I would just love to tell that suck up purple ba**ard to suck green Duck eggs. No way I can make three full games of this Husky hack… Makes me want to hurl…

Wow. You MUST listen to this...so much great information, and you can hear why Lanning wanted him...a coach who fought-scratched-kicked-and-clawed his way into the profession. His respect for Coach Campbell? I don't how a new RB coach could make me happier. Love this guy.

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Dana Altman announced Thursday the signing of junior college standout Brennan Rigsby. Rigsby (6-3, 180) helped Northwest Florida State College to the NJCAA national championship in March, scoring a game-high 24 points on nine-of-14 attempts, including hitting four-of-seven three pointers. On the season, he averaged 11.6 points (.461 FG%, .370 3P%) 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 33 games. “Brennan has really grown as a player and we can’t wait to get him on campus,” said Altman. “We believe Brennan will work hard to continue to develop as a student-athlete and has a very bright future.” The De Beque, Colo. native attended Wasatch Academy in Utah, before joining the Raiders for one season and has three years of eligibility left. Rigsby hopes to follow the same successful paths as former Ducks Elgin Cook and Chris Duarte, who both played for NWF before suiting up for Oregon.

Very cool..,

If 5-Star players are leaving Georgia...then that means the system there spit them out, and they did not want to work that hard. Or perhaps felt playing time was "a-given" considering their status. I warned Oregon fans in an earlier article that this program, if emulating the Bulldogs....will be very hard on players. Those who leave it may not be the ones to pursue?

As I wrote before....some of our former players Are Not On the Fans Team at all. At some point--Joey would be advised to "shut-it" before his legacy with us completely goes down the drain.

He felt that installing an Up-Tempo offense will be a challenge because "Kenny hasn't done it before." News Break....nobody had installed it until Chip came along, and it was the first time for him too. Every OC had to do it for the first time. I think it was an ignorant swipe by Bartoo on this one...

In the process of gathering information about Lanning from them for my six-article series....they have been nothing-but-classy through the whole process. These are like Tennessee SEC fans, not LSU SEC fans, and I believe we will have fun trading information about our teams over the summer.

Cameron Ward received a $90,000 package from the “Cougar Collective.” When five-star offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. picked Oregon over USC, Michigan, Miami and Washington it caused a stir in the Pac-12 Conference booster world. The Division Street Collective — established to help UO athletes maximize their endorsement power — became an important player in the recruiting equation. Six figures for Conerly Jr.? Seven? And what else is happening on the endorsement front in the Pac-12? I reached out to a member of Washington State’s “Cougar Collective” on Thursday who confirmed that the entity put together a lucrative package for transfer quarterback Cameron Ward. Ward jumped in the portal in January and transferred from University of the Incarnate Word to WSU. He figures to be an integral part of the Air Raid 2.0 offense that new offensive coordinator Eric Morris is implementing in spring football. Ward’s total haul: $90,000. His deal includes a contract with a housing firm for the school year that provides an apartment in Pullman. Also, Ward gets the use of a new pick-up truck for the year from a booster-owned car dealership. Also, he collects $50,000 in cash in exchange for promotional appearances he’ll make in the next year. Said one member of the WSU collective: “For smaller schools to compete, it’s going to be very important. Our donor base is strong but nowhere near some of the big hitters.” The “Cougar Collective” doesn’t have a required minimum contribution from donors. It also doesn’t collect fees or turn a profit. It’s solely there for the benefit of athletes. The group formed and put out the call for “like-minded business owners” and then placed an emphasis on the connections that the current and future athletes could form with business owners and leaders. Said the donor: “We would love to be able to show any athlete, no matter what sport, that we can offer them some financial support to make college life a little easier.” Ward won’t have to worry about transportation, housing and he has $50,000 in walking-around money now. Also, it’s above board. The initial foray into this world was all over the place but we’re starting to get an idea of the general market rate for players. I have WSU athletic director Pat Chun on the statewide radio show today. We’ll talk some about the “Cougar Collective” and what he’s concerned about. I wonder if the athletic directors are concerned that booster donations to collectives are cannibalizing university gift giving. The NCAA is woefully behind the curve on all of this, of course. Coaches and athletic directors are already speaking out. I support the right of a college kid to earn from his or her endorsement. But the WSU donor raised a great point. The potential separation between the “haves” and “have nots” on the college landscape is problematic. Also, where is the line and will the NCAA ever draw one? WSU and some others are doing it right and appear to be in it for the athletes. But we all know what happens when the ethics get skewed and the deals rise in value. Renderings of the plans for Reser Stadium. HOT TICKET: Oregon State’s football season-ticket renewal campaign is tracking well, per a university source. The Beavers have renewed 87 percent of the season tickets from last season and hit a 95 percent sales rate (renewals + new tickets) this week. Athletic director Scott Barnes has to be thrilled. Those figures are the best renewal rates since 2013 when the football program was coming off a 9-4 season under Mike Riley. The Beavers are confident that the figures will result in overall season-ticket growth from 2021 to 2022. Reser Stadium is undergoing a renovation of the West side of the stadium. Season-ticket holders on that now-demolished side are being relocated to the East side next season. The capacity for the 2022 season has been set at 26,407. OSU’s spring game is Saturday. Admission is free to the public and gates open at 9:30 a.m. The game itself will air on the Pac-12 Network at 11 a.m. JT Daniels is transferring to West Virginia. OVER AND OUT: Journeyman college quarterback JT Daniels announced this week that he’s transferring from Georgia to West Virginia. He and his father showed up at an Oregon State spring practice a few weeks ago and observed. The Beavers knew Daniels was shopping as he declined an offer to take some photos wearing OSU gear during his visit. But the most interesting part of his trip to Corvallis was how it was viewed by current players on the roster. Everyone knows Daniels was looking for a promise of playing time or maybe even a guarantee that he’d start. Said one veteran OSU player: “He won’t get a guarantee of playing time here — no way. That’s not how our coach works and how would that go over in the locker room? He’d never have guys behind him. Also, some of us were talking about it… I mean, it was like he was there scouting our other quarterbacks to see what the competition was like.” Is his decision to attend West Virginia a vote of confidence for incumbents Chance Nolan and Tristan Gebbia? Maybe. But the bigger endorsement came when I told that same veteran Beavers’ player that I wondered if Jonathan Smith still needed to find a quarterback capable of winning games in the final two minutes. The player shot back: “You’re wrong there. I think we have at least two.”

Below is a quote from a Georgia fan answering me on a Georgia forum... I read your article asking if Dan Lanning is the next Saban? We Dawgs think that he is, and we lamented that he would be ready to be a head coach before Kirby retired--as that means we lose him...as we did. We've lost coaches (Pruitt, Chaney, Hankton) we were glad to see go, and others that were so good, we hated losing them but appreciate them so much the overwhelming sentiment is support in their new role. (Lanning). Oregon got an extremely good coach. We are not surprised Lanning became a head coach, we are surprised Oregon was smarter then every other NCAA program to get him. His first season may not be a W/L success, it takes a while to get there, but Oregon has one of the finest coaches in football. Whew! Can you get praise much better than that?

I do NOT understand the third starter....