Charles Fischer

Unbelievable. Great throws over the middle....who was that guy? Grateful to have him now...

Everybody is knocking each other off, and you cannot tell who really is good! I guess we need to count our blessings at the moment, and know that while we have tough games ahead of us--the team is improving. And we do officially now enter a stretch that I love each year... Husky Hate Week! Husky mascot taunting an Oregon fan in 2016...

EUGENE, Ore. — November could be a month to remember for the Oregon football team. The No. 7 Ducks will enter the final month of the regular season at 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 play after beating Colorado in Autzen Stadium on Saturday, 52-29. With the first College Football Playoff selection committee rankings of the season to be released Tuesday, Oregon figures to be in the thick of the conversation for a playoff berth along with a third straight Pac-12 Conference title, "The best part is, they know we can get a lot better," UO coach Mario Cristobal said. "They know there's still a lot of meat on the bone." Three weeks of slow starts came to an end Saturday as Oregon raced out to a 21-0 lead. Quarterback Anthony Brown was marvelous for a third straight week, and the early lead allowed the Ducks to get experience for some exciting young talent. Not only did Travis Dye account for three more touchdowns, giving him seven in the last two games, but freshman running backs Byron Cardwell and Seven McGee rushed for scores as well. Freshman Troy Franklin caught one of three passing touchdowns by Brown, who finished the game 25-of-31 for 307 yards. "It's good, especially to get a win," said Brown, who is 74-of-98 passing (75.5 percent) for 847 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions since Oregon's lone loss of the season, at Stanford. "Still trying to build off of it, because there were some things I missed on the field. Just gotta move forward from it, and keep going." The Ducks have thrived with a "1-0" mindset each week this season, which they'll take on the road next week at Washington. Oregon plays all three of its Northwest rivals in November as well as at Utah, and the stakes each week with ratchet up now that the playoff committee will be meeting. "I think we showed that, when we play our starters, and when we play and execute, we can be a pretty good football team," Cristobal said. "And what makes us good is, we know we can play better." Oregon's lone turnover Saturday was an interception in the fourth quarter, by backup quarterback Ty Thompson. Brown re-entered the game and directed the game-clinching touchdown drive, which was finished off by McGee. "We took control of the game relatively early," Cristobal said. "In the second quarter they got a couple scores, but our defense came out in the second half and immediately shut the door. We wanted to play a lot of guys that were not only backups but guys down the line who deserved playing time." Dye opened the scoring with Brown's first passing touchdown of the day, and Cardwell made it 14-0 later in the first quarter. The Ducks had trailed after the first quarter in three straight games, but that streak came to an emphatic end Saturday. Cardwell finished the game as Oregon's leading rusher, with 127 yards on just seven carries — an average of 18.1 yards per rush. "It was a dream come true, something I've always prayed about and seen myself doing," Cardwell said. "To finally get the opportunity, thankful for the coaching staff and the line up front, and thankful to the Lord making things perfect for me." The Ducks played without center Alex Forsyth yet again, starting TJ Bass at left tackle and George Moore at left guard, with Ryan Walk again anchoring the line in Forsyth's place at center. They lost starting safety Steve Stephens IV due to injury and receiver Johnny Johnson III to a targeting ejection in the second half, and yet they didn't flinch. After Franklin's first career receiving touchdown early in the second quarter, Colorado finally mounted a scoring drive to make it 21-7. Dye's second touchdown of the day also was answered by the Buffaloes, before Camden Lewis closed out the first half with a 27-yard field goal for a 31-17 halftime lead by the Ducks. Dye's third touchdown of the day and Brown's third passing touchdown of the afternoon, to Devon Williams, put Oregon up 45-14 entering the fourth quarter. Colorado scored early in the final period, and after Thompson's interception the Buffs drove to another touchdown. An onside kick recovery by Oregon stanched the bleeding, and Brown led an eight-play drive that took 5:13 off the block before McGee joined Cardwell and Franklin to make it a trio of freshmen finding the end zone for the first time Saturday. Oregon finished the game with 568 yards of offense, a well-balanced attack with 312 yards through the air and 256 on the ground. They were 7-of-10 on third down, and 5-of-5 on red-zone chances. "Coach had a great plan for us and we executed well, from blocking to catching to running," said Brown, who was on the field for eight possessions and led the Ducks to scores on all eight. "That was a really big key to our fast start this week." Now, as the calendar turns to November, it's all about how the Ducks finish.

That is a stat line from a great QB performance from any of the greats in the past. Again--very happy for him.

Like all the games--there are lots of items we would like to see improved. There is a lot to like on offense from today's game, and I am still confident in the defense when the clutch situations occur in the future. We won by 23 points...and I had predicted a spread of 22 points (38-16) and while I wish the defense did not give up so much--I am delighted to see more scoring today.

A great game, and it has to be a huge confidence-builder for him. I am very happy for him and Oregon fans.

We have a Game Thread with tons of comments...

Again...I stated twice in the first post that this was not to be a rehashed discussion about the merits or booing or not. This thread was about the spin by the media; it is you who is steering it away from the topic.

Jon...I think you are being very kind. I look on this as yet another confirmation that Cristobal does not know what-the-heck he is doing on offense, as he is without a system and clear objective. So the times during the game when he should be scoring more--he doesn't want to, and at the time during the game when he should be burning clock...he wants to score?

I have the video cued up to the replay, so click below, watch No. 3, and tell me what he is doing!

Because Oregon fans are known across the nation--even been promoted as "intelligent" by prior coaches and even the sportscasters in question--it is news when they boo. And that is news that they will promote heavily because of the clicks you refer to, regardless of the whole truth of the issue. Funny how Oregon fans are being panned now, when before we were praised for our intelligence? Whatever fits the current narrative? And that makes me even madder...

So many of these comments reflect why I love learning from this community. I do want to say latracey, that you have contributed some superb commentary since you recently joined us. Please do continue--especially when I disagree with you! On this issue? You are quite right, as this all part of the Pravda that is Oregon Sports Information at times. (Like GoDucks.com) Their actions reflect a disdain for the people who make it all possible....

It was also founded on truth...and the freedom of the media--that has now been corrupted into a spin machine--even with our Ducks. Again...the media are portraying the fans as the problem as did Cristobal the other day. The people who pay the bills of the athletic department, the ridiculous contracts of the coaches....whose tuning in on TV make the sportscasters rich....they are the problem? It makes me mad as....

In the case of the media? I do not believe that. They are well-versed on what is going on as they spend a ton more time with the team, coaches and film than the rest of us do. In the time since I wrote the first post--a fellow who knows Tannen phoned me told me of how they spoke about the booing and he made the point to Tannen that the booing was primarily directed at Cristobal. Yet Tannen goes on the radio and spins his own narrative, despite knowing the truth. The media being dishonest, of spinning their narrative when they know the truth is what I object to.

Oh....I like this one!

A Duck-Buddy of mine pointed out how Herbstreit was going on about the booing of Anthony Brown...and the next play he threw the first interception that was just a bad pass. After the second interception, Herbie was doing all he could to keep from characterizing it as a terrible play. Of course now Herbie and Fowler know why the fans who were booing Brown, did so. But again--the majority of those booing were making a comment about the coaching, and that was ignored by the media. At any rate--I am really happy after the win with so many positive things to discuss--then I hear Tannen spinning "Group-Shade" (that we don't allow here) on the radio and I got really ticked off. Thanks for listening and being patient. Rant over.

The topic of this thread is not whether booing is right or wrong, or what you think of it. The topic is the media spin of Oregon fans and how it really ticks me off. Throughout the Saturday telecast...you heard Herbstreit and Fowler talk of the booing of Anthony Brown. Now...is that really what the booing was all about? What about how the majority of the fans on this site have some issues with the coaching. Not enough to want him fired, and not enough where the majority of us would boo. The fans were booing the underperformance of Oregon over a several game stretch, and were primarily trying to get through to Cristobal, but what did the media people have to say about about that concern of the fans? Crickets. I'm driving back to office and listen to Steve Tannen on the radio (locally) bash the fans who booed Anthony Brown and he invited Nigel Burton, the Pac-12 analyst on the phone to participate. Neither one said a thing about how the dissatisfaction was primarily with how Cristobal coaches the team in some areas. Nothing. I get angry at the media spin in politics, but now to see it occur during a telecast of Our Beloved Ducks, and then locally on the radio just ticks me off. I quit listening to Tannen because of how often he went into politics, and this one time I listen in over a year, (I like listening to Nigel Burton) and he is doing a spin to make all the fans who booed look bad? It is dishonest. Again....this is about the media spin, and not about the booing topic itself. Nigel Burton

They really did, and it is not something you see very often, let alone against "the best offensive line in the conference." Incredible to watch on replay again!

Agreed. They have the added emotion of loving to hate the Ducks...

Now let's hope it sticks!

There is an article in the Register-Guard, (subscription needed) about applying the 1-0 mentality to daily life for Oregon football players. "It can really be boiled down to anything thing you're doing at any moment just take it 1-0," offensive lineman Dawson Jaramillo said. "When I wake up in the morning when I'm preparing my body for practice, I'm 1-0." "I'm 1-0 when I'm stretching, I'm 1-0 when I'm in the meeting room trying to take notes. If you can dominate every moment of every day, it is easy to go 1-0 on the day. But If you look at it as 'I want to be 1-0 on the day,' then it can get lost throughout the different things." Hmmmm. This sounds kinda familiar? I wonder where I've heard a similar philosophy? Let me give you a hint...

Oh...that was a GREAT example to pull up!

So....the consensus so far is that this game could help our defensive "points allowed" average to get lower!

'We were Supposed to Win a Championship;' Sabrina Ionescu Reflects on Closure in Return to Eugene by Zachary Neel of Ducks Wire

I was watching the game again last night, and was noticing the jump in improvement across the board with the defensive line. Keep in mind that many on that broadcast and the Oregon State Pac-12 Network broadcast were declaring the UCLA offensive line the best in the conference. We all know about Thibs as an elite defender and how his presence opens things up for others, but I also saw great technique that would have worked regardless. Popo Aumavae had some very quiet, but big plays in run defense that contributed to many TFLs. Treven Ma'ae used superb hand technique to not only blow up a few Outside Zone Reads, but in one case defeated a double-team to create a tasty TFL. Brandon Dorlus has a swim move that has him often at the QB, but also in the backfield for running play TFLs, and we are seeing it even more. Bradyn Swinson had a great game, considering it was his first major effort coming back from injury. His performance was like so many of the other Duck D-Linemen--he pressured the QB into bad throws often, and while he did not get credit for a sack, he created incomplete passes. And he had a blocked pass that created an interception, and another blocked pass that was not noticed. A real high upside there! I believe Noah Sewell was not meant to be pass-rushing as much as he is, but because he is so good at it--he should replace Mase Funa for all passing situations, and get a fast MLB to replace his spot on 3rd downs. I cannot count the number of times he forced quicker throws that were either not accurate or purposely thrown out-of-bounds. Jeffrey Bassa is a candidate for the aforementioned, as he is making it impossible to keep him off the field--even if he is undersized to be a linebacker. And we are starting to see some excellent inside blitzes from Tim DeRuyter that we heard about, and now are enjoying. Bottom line? This defense is really blossoming and coming to maturity at the right time in the season!