Charles Fischer

(From Oregon Athletics Press Release) Question: What did you learn from your coaches from how they conducted themselves at this time of year? CRISTOBAL: "Sure, I mean Coach Johnson was – but also Coach Erickson– he was awesome, great teacher and mentor. I think it's different because we’re in a conference. It's almost like our talent disparity on the team, I was fortunate to play on, really, really talented – those are all Hall of Famers– I'm not but they were, my teammates were, and man I just – the games weren’t paired with conference games where you had these challenges week in and week out but it was really focusing the team on that one game, I don’t – I think every coach that I’ve played for or worked for has always emphasized the same stuff and a lot of it we get from that. Just being 1-0. That's the way to handle it is to just be real man, there’s no other – there’s no faking it. There’s no-nonsense, it’s being very real and truthful and honest with your team, working hard with them and putting in more time than they are so that they know that they know you are putting in that time so that they value you as much as you value them and love them up when they need to be loved up and bring it as hard as you can when you know that they need to be forced to be a little bit tougher and little bit stronger and a little bit more callus and as an organization we have that relationship and I think that’s what Coach Johnson had with us as players and he could push us, he could push us to the limit and all we could do is come back and ask for more because we knew it was the right way – it was the way to a 1-0."

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics) Question: What does it mean to you to be 9-1 with two regular season games left? CRISTOBAL: "We are 1-0. The clock will strike midnight here in about 30 minutes or so. We gotta get back at it. We have to make sure the guys get a good night’s sleep, get some good food in them, and get some good rest. We are getting better and better as a program. Our run game continues to improve, the way we defend the run continues to improve, we defended the pass well for the most part tonight. A lot of parts are coming together. Our special teams units and coverage units were way better tonight - drastic improvement. We worked on it, and showed up. I have got to mention Kris Hutson, because Kris Hutson’s tackle on the fumble, or what they called a fumble. I don’t have a good TV angle, maybe you guys saw it better than I did, but that thing was getting returned. But, Kris Hutson getting that defender on the ground and making them settle for three, when that really could have turned the game around the other way. That could have been a huge momentum swing. Credit to him for doing that. Things like that are things that stick out. Mykael (Wright)’s kickoff return, Verone’s interception, the defensive stand after Kris Hutson’s tackle. All of those things are just the catalysts, they really are big time plays. Against an excellent - I want to give them a lot of credit - they are a really good football team. That is a team that is very hard to prepare for. They are very unique in what they do on both sides of the ball." Question: On the crowd at Autzen Stadium… CRISTOBAL: "Awesome, Awesome. We needed that, needed to have it. Everyone had a great time, it sounded like everyone had a great time. I know our prospects and recruit’s families had an awesome time. Running out there to start the game and seeing that, and feeling that noise level. We knew it was going to be special. We felt it, it makes our players a couple inches taller and a few pounds heavier and stronger every time the Autzen crowd comes out like that. We really appreciate everyone there tonight. We have got to keep bringing it."

(From Oregon Athletics Press Release) Some interesting comments by Coach Mario Cristobal about the defense on Saturday... Question: How do Brandon Dorlus and Kayvon Thibodeaux complement each other? CRISTOBAL: "They do [make it difficult on offenses]. Brandon Dorlus is as explosive and effective as you’ll find now. He’s big. He’s powerful, extremely smart, athletic as can be so he has first, second, third down value. He doesn’t have to come out of the game. And when he is playing at the high level like he has been playing at lately it changes us. They can’t just focus on Kayvon. Good to see a guy like Jayson Jones also get his first sack of the year. He’s been playing a lot better, developing more and more and more. But a lot of guys - Bradyn Swinson played well, I know Mace [Funa] played well - so a lot of guys stepping up and playing good football." Question: Can you talk about the impact Verone McKinley III and Bryan Addison had at safety? CRISTOBAL: "Yeah, I’ll tell you when it’s 7-0 and Verone gets that pick, that was another huge bolt of energy to our sideline. Our offensive guys fed off of that big time. That’s what Verone does, he is a game-changer for us, as well. He got that interception, [Washington State] tried to hit us on that deep corner ball, and he played it just perfectly. He almost came out of that, too. They had him by the jersey, and the face mask, I would have liked to see tacked on some more yardage. Then Byran Addison getting his first interception. BA has been through a lot, done a lot and it is great to see him now - his role expanding and getting out there and making such an important play to seal a game like this one. I am proud of him." Question: On not allowing many explosive plays, especially in the run game… CRISTOBAL: "They are [keeping people in front of them]. A couple of times they broke contain on us and a good chunk of those yards are on that last drive when we were playing a lot of the guys we need to get better. We were playing a lot of reserves so certainly that first unit and the guys alternating with the first unit really stepped up. Block construction is playing off. We’re really striking blockers. We’re getting off blocks better. We’re making plays. They run the ball well. They really do. They have great running backs. They have two great offensive tackles. They really spread you out with those big splits and our guys just did a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides and at the end of the day it was the difference in the game."

You've been feeling that the defense is getting better and better? Peaking at the darn-fricken-right-time? Take a look at those numbers below from the Oregon Athletics Press Release and be proud!

Those rushing stats and third down conversion ratio lately is jarring to the positive. These stats are from Oregon Athletics after the WSU game, and every time I see 300 yards rushing (as an old offensive lineman) I just go nuts. The blocking is incredible! And it does not matter WHO the coach is...when you rush for that much yardage...it is pretty darned good and you will win most of your games. Kudos to Cristobal! The way I'm getting into it? I'll take the nickname from a former LA Ram coach,...call me, "Ground Chuck."

I am pretty impressed with how Cristobal does so well at Autzen, (21-1!) and now this is becoming "a thing." Thoughts?

Just Ducky just nailed the exact score of 38-24 and he also predicted correctly the number of sacks. (3) This is the first time in the two years we have been doing this that someone actually predicted the precise score, and I just wish I had a prize for him!

Jeremiah! GREAT to see you here, do jump in often. I really do not have a comparison among QBs, although if Reggie Ogburn was placed in our offense now--he would also be a superb runner and perhaps questionable at passing as Brown is beyond 20 yards? Greybeard-age OBD members...what do you think of that from what you remember of Ogburn?

Well ... Huskies are not great at catching anyway....

Darn. This is making it really hard for Washington to keep him, and I really want him there at least another year. He will drown in difficulties of his own making...

As my mother used to say, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

If everything came together....got the big men going, continued the focus on defense and got some luck--the Final Four are a reasonable goal, IMHO.

I have pull for tickets, but not for this kind of thing. Someone else needs to make it their mission, because I have one right here--serving everyone on OBD and keeping it free.

A loss to Baylor looks better than a loss to Stanford; we need OU to lose two, and they could if they lose this one and Bedlam.

It is not what this old-fart wants, but the world is changing and Dana is adjusting better than I am. 'Aspirations of Moving On;' Dana Altman Plans to Only Have 5-star PG Dior Johnson for a Year by Zachary Neel of Ducks Wire

Two 5-Stars in one signing? I would say that the Nike connection and the emergence of NIL has boosted Oregon's chances with recruits...

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics) EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Dana Altman announced Friday the signing of three players as part of the 2022 recruiting class to National Letters of Intent. The Ducks inked two five-star prospects, Dior Johnson (No. 13, 247Sports) and Kel’el Ware (No. 20), in addition to the leading scorer in junior college, Tyrone Williams. The class ranks No. 23 nationally according to 247Sports, with JUCO players not accounted for in the rankings. Johnson (6-3, 180) is the No. 1 overall point guard in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports. He is ranked 13th overall and is a five-star prospect on ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com. Last season, Johnson averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game for Mayfair High School and will play this season for Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., one of the nation’s premier basketball academies. Altman on Johnson: Dior is an ultra-quick and fast point guard. He’s a great facilitator that can score at all three levels. He has the ability to make others better and we are excited to have him and his family join our program. Ware (7-0, 220) is ranked No. 20 overall by 247Sports and is the sixth-ranked center in the 2022 class. He is rated a five-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, and is the second-highest rated player out of Arkansas. Ware led North Little Rock to a state championship last season, averaging 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game. Altman on Ware: Kel’el is a seven-footer with great mobility and versatility. He has skill to both step out and score at the rim and is a very good shot blocker. We are excited to have Kel’el and his family join our program. Williams (6-5, 200) led Grayson Community College to a 19-3 record last season as an NJCAA second team All-American and was the nation’s leading JUCO scorer with 27.6 points per game, shooting 55.1 percent from the field. In five games this season, Williams is averaging 28.0 points per game. Altman on Williams: Tyrone will bring length and scoring to our program. He’s a lefty scorer guard that has a knack for scoring at different levels. He also adds a defensive presence to our program. We are excited to have Tyrone and his family join our program.

In every fan base there are wackos, and we have ours.

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics) EUGENE, Ore. — The No. 13 Oregon men's basketball team buried Southern Methodist under an early avalanche of shots, and withering UO defense kept the Mustangs from digging themselves out in an 86-63 nonconference win for the Ducks on Friday at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon (2-0) made seven straight shots to open the game, racing out to a 23-6 lead. The Ducks ended up shooting 51.6 percent for the game, but the team was even happier about holding SMU to 37.7 percent shooting. "As long as you can get stops, you're always in the game," junior transfer Rivaldo Soares said. "Coach, when he holds teams under 70, 60 points, they have a great track record. That's what we're trying to do. We know we have plenty of talent on the offensive and, and that'll come throughout the season." How It Happened: Jacob Young scored Oregon's first six points of the game, and by the time Eric Williams Jr. hit a three-pointer after the first media timeout, all five UO starters had scored. That shot put the Ducks up 19-6, and Williams put home two second-chance points on the next possession. A blocked shot by Quincy Guerrier led to a basket in transition for Will Richardson, giving Oregon a 32-13 lead. Back-to-back second-chance baskets by Guerrier and Franck Kepnang pushed the lead to 36-16, and though SMU closed within 40-28, Richardson scored eight points late in the first half to give Oregon a 50-35 lead at the break. "We popped them pretty good there early," UO coach Dana Altman said. "If we could have hit some free throws" — the Ducks were 5-of-12 in the first half — "we would have jumped them real good." Oregon started fast again in the second half, scoring the first eight points including threes by Guerrier and Richardson. Soares hit a leaner for a 70-46 lead, and though the Ducks made just two of their next 15 shots, tough defense kept SMU from cutting into the lead significantly. A dunk by Williams and a layup by Young got the UO advantage up to 84-59, the largest lead of the night. Who Stood Out: Williams led the Ducks with 19 points and added five rebounds with three assists. Richardson and Young scored 18 apiece, and Soares had 10 points with seven rebounds. Guerrier added nine points with six rebounds, and Kepnang had seven points and six boards. "We basically played seven guys," Altman said. "I sure, especially early in the season, would like to get that to nine or 10." What It Means: The Ducks are off to a 2-0 start, having jumped out to comfortable leads in the opening minutes of each victory. "Coach is doing a good job staying on us, making sure we're prepared for any game, making sure we don't take our opponents lightly," Soares said. "Texas Southern and SMU are two good teams." Up Next: The Ducks host BYU in the Phil Knight Invitational at the Moda Center in Portland on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN). Rivaldo Soares

My friends, with all the experience, all the ball handlers, all the shooters--it is the best I've seen of a Dana Altman team at this early stage.

I went back and replayed it, as it is very apparent that he is IN the Oregon culture. And having fun with it as we do...

Hello My OBD Forum Friends! Lets get these predictions started and remember I look for the spread with then the closest score that has the spread correct. The data I need from you is: (entries without all the information are invalid, and predictions on other threads don't count as I am not going to hunt them all down) --the winner --the score, and the tiebreaker information needed from each of you is... --the amount of turnovers Oregon creates --the number of sacks Oregon records on the opposing team --the number of passing yards. My guess is: Oregon 27-21, 1, 1, 190 Note to all: GameDay threads seem to remove the filters we have within us during the week. Writing negative about the Ducks on GameDay is fine, (as we write about negative every day here) but let's not be venting on fellow Duck fans. There is a difference and I think most of you know when it is. Hopefully that won't be an issue this week!

Some pictures below....Dana is killing-it like I could never imagine!

I cannot help but laugh, although I imagine the Huskies would wish Oregon would!

To me, the difference is entirely the choices of the Athletic Director, as he has made the choices that have worked out for us. I always use the example of the late 70s when Oregon State had three final candidates for a new football coach and it was down to Craig Fertig, Terry Donohue and Rich Brooks. What if they had selected Brooks, and then Brooks brought Bellotti to Corvallis, who then brought Chip to the Beavers? All our history could be theirs due to a decision of the Athletic Director? But I do agree with you in that there is luck, as our AD had lucked out at times too.