Charles Fischer

These are new and fantastic to see!

Super-Ducks to the Pac-12 rescue again? It is up to Our Beloved Ducks to save the pride of the Pac-12, after that ugly beat-down on Colorado by a mid-lin Big-12 team? That was a worst scenario outcome for the conference...

Great article by David Marsh about a topic we thought we would never see at Oregon; an emerging defensive tradition. Read the article right here, as there are some really good points-to-ponder! Thoughts?

This year was marked by an underachieving defense from the outset. However, it is worth reiterating that a great deal of the defense’s underachievement came as the result of Jevon Holland, Brady Breeze and Thomas Graham opting out. At the end of the season, though, we can say that this is the start of a new era for Oregon’s defense. Mario ... Read More Source View the full article...

I wrote of this before, and boy is this sweet; five sports events in four days! Thursday, December 31st, Mens Basketball, Cal at home at 7:00 PM at 6:00 PM on Pac-12 Network Friday, January 1st, Womens Basketball, USC at home at 6:00 PM on Pac-12 Network Saturday, January 2nd, Football-Fiesta Bowl at 1:00 PM on ESPN Saturday, January 2nd, Mens Basketball, Stanford at home at 7:00 PM on ESPN2 or ESPNU Sunday January 3rd, Womens Basketball, UCLA at home at 1:00 PM on Pac-12 Network

Very cool; the Men are No. 21 and the Women are No. 8 and I think both are going to be rising!

This would not be good for Oregon, as this is what was said in the Cristobal's Press Conference. Of course another tease about Cam McCormick; even if he did play--there is two years of rust to knock off and I'm happy with the play of Kampmoyer and DJ Johnson. (Below)

As good as Buckner is....there is only one defensive lineman better who would require double and triple teams these days, and that is Haloti Ngata. He was a true freak of nature, and such a good person as well.

It’s a common phrase at the NFL level to say your team is a “quarterback away” from being a playoff contender. The same could be said about many college football programs, and although the Ducks may not be particularly needy at the quarterback spot, they may be one all-time great player away from being a College Football Playoff contender even ... Read More Source View the full article...

SAN FRANCISCO – Start times and television selections for the Oregon women’s basketball team’s first six games of the 2021 calendar year were announced by the Pac-12 office on Monday afternoon. The No. 8 Ducks (7-0, 5-0 Pac-12) – riding the nation’s longest active winning streak at 26 straight dating back to last season – will return to action this Friday, Jan. 1, at home against USC at 6 p.m. PT before hosting No. 11 UCLA on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games are set to be broadcast on Pac-12 Network. Oregon will then head to the Bay Area to take on top-ranked Stanford on Friday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m. on Pac-12 Network. The Ducks will play California in Berkeley on Sunday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m. on Pac-12 Network. The Ducks’ contest against No. 6 Arizona in Tucson will be nationally televised on ESPN or ESPN2 at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, with a showdown at Arizona State to follow at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17, in Tempe (Pac-12 Network). Jan. 1-17 Game Times & TV Selections: Jan. 1 vs. USC – 6 PM PT – Pac-12 Network Jan. 3 vs. #11 UCLA – 1 PM PT – Pac-12 Network Jan. 8 at #1 Stanford – 6 PM PT – Pac-12 Network Jan. 10 at California – 1 PM PT – Pac-12 Network Jan. 14 at #6 Arizona – 4 PM PT – ESPN or ESPN2 Jan. 17 at Arizona State – 11 AM PT – Pac-12 Network

FishDuck writer Ryan Robertson is pretty sure of this and gives his reasons why right here. Thoughts?

Oregon is going to win the Fiesta Bowl. There, I said it. Iowa State is a really good football team. They were a few plays against Louisiana and Oklahoma from having a case for the college football playoff. They have a good QB, a really good defense and one of the best coaches in the country. They have a unique ... Read More Source View the full article...

Great topic Santa Rosa Duck! A good one to ponder... 1. I do think Autzen will be opened up if enough can be vaccinated up to then. 2. Yes we should be vaccinated and be able to show proof, as I want to know the people in the stadium will not get COVID, sue the university and ruin our Oregon Sports. 3. I absolutely will get vaccinated as soon as I can, as I am age 64 and will be around a ton of retired people and do not want to inadvertently give them the disease. 4. If I am vaccinated--yes I would attend, but I would not advise the university to allow those who are not vaccinated, IMHO. How did I did do Single Spacing? At the end of the sentence when I would hit "Enter" in my PC, ("Return" on Mac) I would first hold down the "Shift" key in the lower left corner, and then hit "Enter" and BINGO...we have a single space. It is amusing...on FishDuck, the problem with the comments was automatic single spacing and asking people to hit "Enter" or "Return" twice every three or four sentences. But this site automatically makes a double space when you hit "Enter" and now we have to explain how to single-space for times needed. What a hoot. All the advice on how to do things are in the Pinned Topic at the top of the forum called, "Directions."

What has surprised me is how fast the Men and Women both have jelled in a year of so many newcomers and with the weird COVID pressures taking place. Coach Nordy...it is wonderful to have you back writing with passion about Our Beloved Ducks on the hardwoods!

Basketball season is officially in full swing, and it sure is a great thing. Albeit a little bumpy at times, it’s happening. Through schedule changes and postponements, the season goes on, and we have another fun and exciting set of Oregon Men’s and Women’s teams to watch and root on as we bring in the New Year. Watching these two ... Read More Source View the full article...

Scott Roussel of FootballScoop (who tracks the coaching job openings and coaches) is stating that his sources tell him the Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore is the target of Boise State for the their HC spot to fill. If things go well--the deal should be done over the next couple of days. And that could keep Andy Avalos here in Eugene! Thanks to Notalot for providing the information...

From our great member of this forum, Notalot... Charles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Know your enemy is a mantra of both war and sports. Survival in conflict whether on the football field or the battlefield is reliant on out maneuvering the opponent. As the Ducks begin the ramp up of a game preparation for the Iowa State Cyclones the coaches and players are studying the team, its schemes, personnel, and tendencies. As fans it will serve us well to learn something about Iowa State football. Given that the team is from conference outside of the PAC-12, is from a midwestern state and it is not one of the darlings of the powerful sports media we have much to learn about. The Iowa State Cyclones are the football team at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The team is coached by Matt Campbell. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference and are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the NCAA. The Cyclones went 8-1 in the Big 12 standings, and 8-3 overall in the 2020 Season winning the conference title. Of the three total losses over the 11-game season, two of the losses came at the hands of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State with a combined shortfall of 8 points. ISU is a good and powerful football team with balance in all facets of the game, and with few weaknesses. The ISU Offense averaged 32.8 points per game while the Defense held its opponents to a paltry and impressive 21.8 ppg. #8 – Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Junior. At 6’ 3” and a rangy 207 lbs. Hutchinson led the team with 60 receptions on the season, averaging 12.7 yards per catch. #88 – Charlie Kolar, TE, R-Junior. Standing 6’6” and 257 lbs. Kolar has prototypical size for a Tight End. On the season he booked 39 catches for 538 yards averaging 13.79 ypc. On the defensive side of the ball the Cyclones are stacked with power and speed. #23 – Mike Rose, LB, Junior, 6’4” and 245 lbs. Rose registered 90 tackles in leading the team for tackles while recording 10 TFL. #3 – JaQuan Bailey, DE, R-Senior, 6’2” and 261 lbs. is a tackling machine giving QB’s fits with 13 TFL while showing relentless push while rushing. You may be wondering if ISU has a star Running Back? The answer is a resounding “yes” in Breece Hall. Hall is a powerful threat running, blocking and out of the backfield. #28 – Breece Hall, RB, Sophomore, 6’1” and 215 lbs. Hall gained nearly 1500 yards averaging almost 6 yards per carry. He is a consistent, tackle breaking running threat who seldom settles for lost yards. So, who is the leader of the pack? Who is the IQ of the team on the field and how good is he? ISU is led by #15 Quarterback Brock Purdy who with a QB Rating of 143.5 threw for 2594 yards with 18 TDs and 9 interceptions. Purdy ran for 343 yards with 4 scores. Though more prolific as a passer, Purdy is a dual threat. The Ducks are stacked with talent, but young. Oregon played a short season, and with the rest between the PAC-12 Championship game and the Fiesta Bowl, the team should be rested and eager to play. With the thrill of the Bowl game and a last time to take the field this season, expect the Ducks to be prepared and emotionally jacked up to face the Cyclones. On the other hand, ISU has fought its way to the Fiesta and the big stage of a national audience in prime viewing time on January 2nd. Now that we know more about who we are going to play let us see how our Beloved Ducks perform. What can you add in this discussion of the enemy?

This will be the first FishDuck article linked from here, with so many years ahead of us... You may read the article right here and we can discuss in this thread; the beginning of quite a new era...

The Oregon Brand has changed with the massive improvements in recruiting, which the fans love, but that change has also marked the demise of the high scoring offense that made Oregon known nationally, which a great many of us have lamented. But let’s face it folks: the recent extension of Coach Mario Cristobal‘s contract has cemented Oregon’s new “tough” label. ... Read More Source View the full article...

We know the players love Mario Cristobal, but that is touching. (The players are Mase Funa and Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, Noah Sewell is giving the coach a Man-crush)

The plan was never for defensive coordinator Andy Avalos to spend his entire coaching career at Oregon. The budding star has seen his stock rise over the past few seasons, and it was only a matter of time before schools with head coaching openings came calling. That time is now. Auburn recently hired former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin ... Read More Source View the full article...

HO, HO, HO! Come on JJ! Why after going 2-3 last week, are you laughing? Have you no shame, Sir? Wizard? Wizard! All right. I must cop to the fact that like the Wizard of Oz, last week I was a good man (I hope, you may want to check with my spouse?) but a very bad Wizard. I got ... Read More Source View the full article...

In my very first article for FishDuck, I wrote about why Oregon would be the team to save the Pac-12 Conference. I wrote that this would require Oregon getting to the playoff and making it to the National Championship Game. But this year, with all of the unexpected setbacks from COVID-19, we have to settle for a non-playoff New Years ... Read More Source View the full article...

(This is an example of Press Releases sent to Credentialed Media and will be posted as we get them when this forum goes public on December 26th. We will strive to bring the Duck Sports News to you!) OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2020 EUGENE, Ore. – Following a dominating defensive effort in a win at USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game, Oregon nickel Jamal Hill and defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux claimed conference honors with Hill earning defensive player of the week recognition and Thibodeaux claiming the defensive line award. Hill recorded his first two career interceptions in Oregon’s 31-24 win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The sophomore from Rex, Ga., became just the third player in Pac-12 Championship Game history with two interceptions. His first-quarter pick setup an Oregon touchdown that made it 14-0 and his second came with under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter with USC in Oregon territory. Thibodeaux earned the Pac-12 Championship Game Most Valuable Player award after making five tackles, two tackles for loss a sack and a pass breakup in the Ducks’ win. He also recorded 12 quarterback pressures, which is the most by a Pac-12 player this season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Thibodeaux had a key tackle for loss on fourth down in the first quarter and a sack late in the third quarter. Hill Notables » Finished with career highs in both tackles (5) and interceptions (2) in the Pac-12 Championship Game. » One of just two Pac-12 Conference players with two interceptions in a game this season. » Broke up a career-high four passes vs. UCLA, including one on the Bruins’ final play of the game to seal the win. » The four PBUs were the most by an Oregon player since Thomas Graham Jr. had six vs. Arizona State in 2018. Thibodeaux Notables » Second career Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week honor (Oct. 7, 2019). » Has 3.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and 10 tackles in two career Pac-12 Championship Game appearances. » Named Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. » Received freshman All-America recognition from four different outlets in 2019. Jamal Hill is below....

This will be a great debate for the entire off-season because we've all seen players come back with fire-in-their-eyes and perform well the next year. Or they transfer out... I would not like both Shough and Brown transferring out as we would start another year with an inexperienced QB...not good.