Haywarduck

I would say the Ducks had too many questions before the Fiesta Bowl, and those questions continue. The first question is who is going to lead this team. This question goes deep, as the leadership question isn't just behind center. The qb posiition will figure itself out. With an offseason and talent coming in, the cream will rise to the top. We will have a qb who knows the offense, can lead and will develop into a great qb. It was obvious we didn't have a qb who truly won out the qb competition. We then had a loss in confidence that fed off itself. From what I saw we also don't have a qb who can throw the long ball, nor get the ball over a defense. This is why we saw so many curls. The last interception, as the broadcaster stated, was going to hit the LB in the head if he hadn't caught it. That has to stop, get the ball I think the problem with the defense is we need both leadership and everyone to be on the same page. As Ryan stated there may be leadership on the field, but it isn' t getting the defense to jell. I am not too worried about this one as the talent level is so high, the defense will continue to grow. Even without Avalos we will see a defense that can help win games. The real question on leadership is game day decision making with Cristobal. Can Mario give the ball up on game day? What we saw in the Fiesta bowl wasn't an offense that had evolved. The offense was way too predictable. The other question is can Cristobal make a special teams move? Two onside kicks were successful against us, we looked like the keystone cops out there at times. We also aren't a threat with out special teams like we have been in the past. This needs to be solved in the offseason. Not too much, but some critical questions need to be answered, or figured out. For now we have an amazing basketball program, Go Ducks!

I think the coaching staff was trying to see if they had one qb who could lead the offense. Right now we don't have a true leader at the qb position. Since Marcus we lucked into Herbert, but haven't had much luck since our Heisman developing, or recruiting the next great one. Maybe he was on the bench or is headed to Eugene this spring, but the next great qb didn't show up today. There is hope, and that will have the biggest impact on the season, at least the biggest thing we can change.

By the way, we lost 42-17.

Can Shough turn it around, not against a guy he was 0-4 against. This is another telling sign of the recent Oregon recruiting failures. We haven't picked the right guys. Whether it has been the RB's or QB's, we go after the rating services star ratings, rather than ratings and intangibles. Same thing has been happening with our kickers. We are getting talent, but not the intangibles at key positions on offense. Go back to Tua, where we again didn't see a guy with the 'it' and a drive to bring 'it' to Oregon. We should have fought for that guy! It is time to adjust our recruiting to better reflect, the it, we are looking for to lead our team. I remember a buddy talked about how he would test people, put them in tough situations just to see how they performed. To me this was brilliant, don't just look at how they win, hit the perfect play, at the perfect time. Look at how each recruit reacts when things go wrong. We want guys who never give up, problem solve, bring guys together and make them better. I think that was one of the strengths of the Oregon Program under Brooks, Bellotti and even CK. That trait has trailed off, time to go after that again. My season ending observation, and again, I know I am not completely correct, but that is the feeling I get.

Congrats to Iowa State that was fun to watch a well coached team with a very good qb. They are also the type of team I like to watch be successful. They are a lot like the Ducks and show the future can be bright. They have the same very good coaching staff with a group of players who have been together longer. Now we can be frustrated we didn't pick Purdy as our qb, but that is not how Oregon rolls anymore. We pick the elite talent and sometimes get the elite play. Next season we may get that elite talent with our 5* recruit coming in. We no longer look to the diamond in the rough. I don't think we even signed one guy who wasn't lauded by the recruiting services. We either have the elite guy who makes it big at the college level, or just a guy who has some very good measurables. Believe me I was frustrated, because I still love an underdog. Unfortunately we still lose to underdogs and we aren't an underdog anymore. Also we lost 4-0, that was what mattered and the final score was 42-17, not 34-17

I suppose the analogy begs the question, can Cristobal move beyond what Ernie brought us? Ernie just couldn't coach his kids up, nor scheme a game plan to win the really big games, against great coaches. Can Cristobal become more than Ernie was, which was an excellent Oregon coach, but a flawed coach.

The winning teams have speed and know how to use it. These teams have 'explosive plays' we don't have, yet. The dimension of a Devon Allen or DAT, just isn't part of this Oregon offense. In 2021, I want a qb who can fling it, run it, but what I really want is that explosive player again!

When Iowa State has lost they score 21 points (2), or 14 points (1). Oregon has averaged 37 points when they win. The averages of when Oregon's wins and Iowa State's lose's comes out at Oregon 37 Iowa State 19, so 37-19 Oregon. We knocked off #13, time to knock off #10! I have to believe Oregon's defense is going to show up today. When Iowa State lost, the last two times, their qb was sacked multiple times and was under great pressure, multiple qb hurries. Thibs is going to lead this defense, again, to victory!

It is almost like we have Ernie Kent coaching again. Ernie could recruit and he ran a great program. The kids loved him, graduated and there wasn't any real scandals. The problem was he needed a point guard who would take over the game or his coaching would lose it. I think the Oregon Football Program is under an Ernie Kent like spell. We need elite qb play or the coaching liability will destroy the talent level of the team. This may not be the perfect explanation for what is going on, but it is my most recent analogy to what is going on today. So for me it comes down to qb play. Can Shough turn his play around and show the talent he has? Does Moorhead see the struggles Shough is having and put Brown in to lead this talented group of players to victory. This is the only question I have for this game.

As I stated before, the barn door has been left wide open for a young man to come and take over the qb job. The battle will be fierce, and it won't be for back-up.

John you raise a great point on the culture of game day prep. Does Mario's support and love for his players create a too buttoned up mentality? It is time for the Ducks to let loose. As far as opening the door for a qb battle next season, the barn door is wide open right now. The only thing Shough can do is start pushing it shut. Even moving it in the right direction won't get it shut. I hope he has a great game and we have a good competition, but it will be a competition. The barn door is wide open and a cyclone is coming, time for Shough to get it shut!

The question, is Moorhead getting more comfortable with Brown as the season progresses and less comfortable with Shough? There are signs this may be true, and come game time we will see if it is the case. I tend to think Shough is the one who is getting progressively less comfortable as qb and that is a problem. If Shough starts and struggles then the question is when will Brown see the game. Shough ended the SC game with a 28 QBR, the previous game he rated in the 50's, the game before that the 60's, before that 70's, before that 90. Much like the yips in golf they don't go away with more pressure situations. The Fiesta Bowl, close to home, may cause an even more severe case of the qb yips. I hope he rises up and conquers his demons, but Moorhead has to be ready to help this kid out in the offseason, and put Brown in during the Fiesta. It is not like the '96 masters where Norman had to try and finish out the tournament. If Shough continues to struggle, then let somebody else finish out the season, win the Fiesta.

Also you kind of lost me at 'Washington thinks."

I would argue the new era arrived when Leavitt took us from the worst to more than respectable. The problem is that era went on life support until Thibs decided to put the defense on his shoulders and brig it back to life. I will say the new era looks to have legs, lots of legs going forward. With Sewell, and others coming into their own, we can rest assured we won't see, what looked like sudden cardiac arrest, of our once healthy defense. Hopefully we will see a thriving defense throttle the cyclone and become a dominating force in college football going forward. I know I don't need to see such struggles, not good for my heart!

Back in the day the dawgs lost Jstew and now they are losing two of the top, elite, athletes to other states programs. Until they can recruit in state talent they are doomed to continue to be preseason champs and a program that was almost, but never really. Oregon lost some talent to other programs as the Helfrich era unwinded. Helfrich even joked about losing Talanoa cost him his job. Oregon is now getting the instate talent and the CA talent along with other. The article was insightful, but it comes down to recruiting to give a program a chance. Oregon has a chance, the dawgs, not so much. As far as Oregon basketball, the end of the Kamikaze Kids was when Harter didn't sign Danny Ainge. You have to sign big in state talent, or the job of coaching becomes much harder.

Agree, 30 is Ronnie Lee, there is no time limit to the appreciation Oregon should give to the number 30. A mistake to give that number to anyone, I don't care who he is.

Not sure how this new system is working, but posted this the old way and seems the discussion is going on here now. One word, Ngata! Try to kick a field goal blocked (7), block with one guy doesn’t work, run against stuffed, could cover a TE, quietly made everyone better, a lot better at 6′ 5″ 340lbs, and ran a 5.1 40. In 2005, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, First team All-American, and I would have given him the Heisman. Pretty much what happened to any one man who tried to block him.

There were three players who changed the way I viewed the sport they played and how I live. First was Prefontaine in track and field, not an exciting sport, until Pre. Nobody ran like Pre, you weren't suppose to just go as hard and long as you could, that wasn't done. The next was Ronnie Lee, you weren't suppose to dive after loose balls, that wasn't done. The last was DAT, a guy who could break it all the way on any play, and you could't afford to miss even a minute of the game. These guys along with Phil Knight have made The Oregon Athletic Department famous around the world. The combination of talent and effort of these three guys has defined the way I live and experience sports. I try to give it my all because, as Pre said and lived, to give anything less is to sacrifice the gift that was given you. Ronnie Lee taught me to look for opportunities where few thought there were any, never give up. DAT taught me to always appreciate the talent in others, be grateful for the moment you are in. They were great to me, because they live within me everyday.

I would also take J.T. Tuimoloau as a surprise gift, but a team like LSU has too many DT's and the top DT in the nation coming in. I agree the D we dream of includes a dominant DT.

We need to effectively use the TE's we have first, right? We also have quite a few on the roster and two 4* recruits signed, adding to the total. We don't have any DT's on our recruit list, nor coming on. A dominant DT is a destructive force. With the LB's and Thibs the defense would be even more formidable with a DT transfer, IMHO. If I was a DT sitting behind a few guys, at say LSU, and saw the opportunity at Oregon, it would be of interest.

If you could pick up an elite transfer at one position which would it be? For me some programs have stockpiled the big ugly's, DT's, and it would be interesting to see us pick up an O-line wrecker. We have some talent, but it would be nice to see a little more competition at this position.

Completely agree, and he came in at a big disadvantage with little prep time or knowledge of the system. The offseason will tell which guy has it and don't count out Ashford or Thompson with plenty of reps and prep. I can't make out the next great Duck qb so far, but we will know when we see him. The other item is there is little information coming out of practices at this point. In the past we would hear rumors of a freshman killing it in practice, Herbert, LaMike, but we now hear nothing. Next year will be the time to, again, hear the rumors of the next great talent moving their way through the masses.

Shough and Brown are the short term answers. Who leads us to winning in the bowl game, not sure. The long-term, it is going to be one of the young guns, IMHO. I do think once a guy steps on the field you have a sense of if he can lead the team. The players also get this sense too. Right now nobody seems to be leading the team as we have come to expect. Brown may be the short term answer, but long-term we have an exciting mystery to see unfold. My bet is before next season we see some transfers, and our highly touted freshman beats out the dark horse, Ashford.