Charles Fischer

Mike, my photographer at the game called me at halftime and was apologizing in advance for upcoming bad pictures from the game. He said, "with the huge gusts of wind and pouring rain....at times it is raining sideways, and I cannot keep my camera lens dry." 1) I would say that was extraordinary conditions and 2) without a bogus penalty the score would have been 31-16, which would have reflected more dominance on such a terrible weather day, and 3) any time....ANY TEAM, whether the coach is Chip Kelly or Mario Cristobal who rushes for 324 yards in that weather against an opponent that knows it is coming--did-one-heck-of-a-job.

If we end up that way--we have no choice, but it is kinda boring to play a team twice in a season, and it is VERY hard to beat a great team twice.

Good to see, as this is crucial for Oregon's season. Kelly Graves has Optimistic Outlook for Nyara Sabally after Knee Injury in Season-Opener by Don Smalley of Ducks Wire

Some very good points made in this article and the quote that bothers me the most...."the Ducks, despite a win at OSU, could be on the outside." College Football Playoff Ranking Reaction: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by Ross Dellenger of SI The committee is sending mixed messages on the importance of head-to-head results.

My pleasure Santa Rosa Duck, as you are also one of the Core-from-Before that we just have to be hearing from! If any of you are reading this, and cannot get into the site with complications due to being registered before, the old FishDuck comments, your password auto-fill....contact me and I can help you get in. I have been successful every time! So email me and I'll get you going! charles@fishduck.com

As a fan who is "Greybeard-age," I will never forget the tormenting of those times, and the subsequent joy. No matter the records--this will always be the biggest game of the year for me. Besides, we have a dozen victories to go, to even up the historical record between the two teams. When the Huskies start winning again--their fans will be insufferable, and winning this border-war is the only thing that will shut them up. Now with that said...David brought up some great points in his article that is handy for later, so THANKS!

Quackanadian! One of the "Core" from before, and so great to see you. And we always need a "lead-off hitter" in the early morning (EST) to get things rolling. I've missed your takes on things, and I am delighted to welcome you back! And I agree with you; I believe this will be high scoring with Oregon winning by three....and the only question is...can Oregon score enough?

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics) EUGENE, Ore. — Will Richardson had 20 points to lead four scorers in double figures as the Oregon men's basketball team opened its season Tuesday with an 83-66 victory over Texas Southern at Matthew Knight Arena. Six players made their UO debuts in the game, including three starters. The Ducks got off to a slow start offensively but led 36-26 at halftime thanks to stout defense, before the game opened up in the second half. "We weren't hitting shots (early), but our energy was good," UO coach Dana Altman said. "… I thought we made pretty good plays for each other; only had eight turnovers. Did a good job from the free-throw line. So some really good positives there — other than letting them shoot 51 percent and score 40 points in that second half." How It Happened: Jacob Young, the younger brother of Oregon's former Pac-12 player of the year Joseph Young, hit a three-pointer on the first possession of the season for the Ducks. He added another moments later to cap a 13-4 run to open the game by Oregon.file:///C:/Users/CHARLE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif From there the Ducks went cold, making just two of their next 23 field-goal attempts. The game was played with 7,037 in attendance, and Eric Williams Jr. said playing in front of a crowd for the first time since spring 2020 might have played a factor in the shooting slump. "It's been a minute since I've seen fans," Williams said. "I think I just had first-game jitters, honestly. I think we'll be fine moving forward. "(But) it feels good. Going into games last year felt more like a scrimmage. Now it feels like you're playing for something." Oregon shot just 32.4 percent in the first half, but made six three-pointers and held Texas Southern to 39.1 percent shooting to lead 36-26. In the second half the Ducks shot 48.4 percent and made another six three-pointers, enough offense to survive the increased output by the visitors. De'Vion Harmon and Quincy Guerrier, two of the new faces in the starting line, made back-to-back threes early in the second half for a 44-28 lead. A three-pointer by Williams and a dunk by Franck Kepnang pushed the UO lead to 54-35, and Rivaldo Soares completed a three-point play for the Ducks' biggest lead of the night, 63-40.file:///C:/Users/CHARLE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif Who Stood Out: Richardson had 20 points with four three-pointers, Harmon added 15 points and Young scored 14. Guerrier finished with eight points and 12 rebounds, and Soares had 10 points with five rebounds. What It Means: The Ducks and Tigers met for the fourth time in five years, and Tuesday's win was Oregon's most comfortable of the series. Oregon won 74-68 in 2017 and 84-78 in 2019, while Texas Southern won the 2018 matchup, 89-84. "We're going to be a work in progress through December," Altman said. "But I like the depth of this team. I like the guys — I think if they become a cohesive unit defensively and offensively, that we can have a good team." Up Next: The Ducks host Southern Methodist in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network).

Think of how every college team's fans would love to be in our spot, save two. And yes...it could change soon, thus why I've got to dive in and savor it while I can.

The nastiest among them declared that, "You will NEVER stay at No. 4." You are right, as we are now No. 3!

It feels like we're being set up for a major.... (read below and then YOU finish the word) REACTION: Twitter Reacts to Ducks, Head-to-Head Controversy in Latest CFP Standings by Zachary Neel of Duck Wire

No sweat. I really appreciate people posting articles for everyone else and this will happen on occasion. It is a GREAT problem to have!

I do not share everyone's optimism. I see this as a close high-scoring game...

I NEVER thought I would see that sentence written, and my hat is off to him and the coaches. It reminds me of Alex Serna at Oregon State, when as a freshman he missed three extra points at LSU to deny the Beavers a victory there. I remember writing at the time that I'd get a walk-on kicker lined up immediately and he should just be dropped.... Then he goes on later to win the Lou Groza award and show what I know!

You know....sometimes I think Coach Boles, Haywarduck and Yours-Truly could provide a much more informative and entertaining broadcast than most of what we hear...

To beat the next three teams...we need to have a longer passing game to get the box unclogged. The defensive game-plan against Oregon is simple... I just don't know that he can do that.

Darren....that is a GREAT read, and so fun for us Oregon fans to experience through you. As much as they like Peterson....he was 2-4 against the Ducks. I could live with that! And I loved your picture and caption...

And I think your options are "good-or-good-or-good!"

The women are not on TV, but can be watched on your computer via live stream from GoDucks.com. Go to the schedule right here, and then click on the link provided for the game.

And THAT is a big problem right now, of the pass coverage of the LBs. Not only can he help there, but he is an ideal "Spy" to reign-in the mobile QBs.

My favorite words read today!

Agreed. It was a little tongue-in-cheek about how disrespected anything west is by the sports establishment. Although I cannot complain about being No. 4, and probably moving up this week.

We're moving up in the world! Below is what it was last week.... And Richard....thanks for posting an article for everyone to read and since you new...WELCOME!

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics) EUGENE, Ore. — Jeffrey Bassa has been named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for his performance in No. 4 Oregon’s 26-16 win at Washington, the conference office announced on Monday. Bassa – who has started the last four games at inside linebacker for Oregon after moving over from safety – joins Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell as Ducks to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Week this season. Oregon has now had 10 different players combine to win 11 conference weekly awards this season. The Ducks have had at least one winner in seven of the first 10 weeks. Jeffrey Bassa – Pac-12 Freshman of the Week » Six tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack, and one pass breakup vs. UW. » Matched career-high with six tackles for the third straight game. » Recorded his first career sack on a second-down play in the third quarter. » Had a half TFL on a key fourth-down stop in the second quarter. » A big part of Oregon’s defense that held UW to just 166 yards of total offense. » UO held a Pac-12 opponent under 200 yards for the first time since 2010. » Oregon’s highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus at 79.3. Oregon 2021 Pac-12 Weekly Award Winners Sept. 7 – Justin Flowe (Freshman) Sept. 13 – CJ Verdell (Offensive) Sept. 13 – Alex Forsyth (Offensive Lineman) Sept. 13 – Bradyn Swinson (Defensive Lineman) Sept. 20 – Verone McKinley III (Defensive) Sept. 20 – T.J. Bass (Offensive Lineman) Sept. 27 – Bennett Williams (Defensive) Oct. 18 – Noah Sewell (Freshman) Oct. 25 – Kayvon Thibodeaux (Defensive & Defensive Lineman) Oct. 25 – Noah Sewell (Freshman) Nov. 8 – Jeffrey Bassa (Freshman)

That is not how the play is designed, but just how it went with where the defense flowed, and the speed of Brown. It is an Inverted Veer play, and while Coach Boles has covered it--I may want to break down how it worked so well here and the TD called back in the Colorado game.