DuckIt

It's not only the inexperienced youths who are underperforming. Moore, a senior, completely whiffed on that block which led to that fumble before the half.

Why does Brown continually throw short of the sticks on 3rd down? Is that the only open receiver or is MC thinking 4 downs in Cal territory?

Unless the Ducks can't grow by leaps and bounds quickly which includes the coaches, this is not a playoff contending team.

"this is just not a very prepared team" I wonder why? This is a poorly coached team.

If Oregon is going to continue to throw these short passes and run the ball, no back will survive this season. These teams have all been watching film, and they aren't threatened by Oregon's passing game. I wouldn't be. They are going to continue to stack the box, until AB makes one of these vertical passes. Even then, I still think our opponents like their odds. The last game, both Verdell and Dye had to work way too hard just to fight for 5 yards. You could see, it was wearing on them. Verdell injured himself for the season, and Cardwell had to relieve Dye on several critical downs, on Oregon's final possession, before the end of regulation. If Oregon's game plan is to run the ball, then they need to unleash Benson. He should be running the ball, not Cardwell. Here's what Dye had to say about Benson: He’s coming in here every day, ready to focus and ready to go. His mentality and physicality is almost out of this world. I’ve never seen a back like it. Trey has a huge future here. I think he’s going to be one of the greatest to ever come through here. He’s very powerful, very fast, very smart, and when you put all of those together, you’re going to have a great football player.

KT is a beast. He often is being double teamed and still manages to collapse the pocket and pressure the QB.

Instead of Oregon being focused on picking the right recruits, maybe Oregon should start at the root of the problem and hire the right coaches. Oregon needs competent coaches who know how evaluate, recruit, and develop talent to maximize their players' potential. Oregon has been lacking that since CK's departure to the NFL.

I wish it were that simple, but Oregon's issues run deeper than just injuries. There is a lack of coaching as well as player development. The play calling also is not cutting it on either side of the ball. And don't get me started on the QB limitations. The main reason, the Ducks went 4-0 to start the season, is by winning the turnover battle by a huge margin. In the Stanford game, they finally lost that battle, with Stanford coming away with the only turnover. Having some difference makers back like Swinson, Flowe, and Williams back, could help in that department but it wouldn't solve their other problems, just help to mask their deficiencies. Unfortunately, Flowe and Williams are out for the season.

On the last possession, how many times has the losing team been unfairly rewarded with 3 penalties (targeting, roughing the QB, and PI) called against their opponent, leading to 30 free yards, and one untimed down?

ASU exposing Stanford. If Stanford sucks, what does that say about the Ducks?

If MC were open to change and could learn from his mistakes, there might be some hope for him. The fact is that he is too set in his ways, and his ways aren't producing. The only exception is recruiting.

I think its correlated to the offense playing better and sustaining longer drives in the second half. The defense has more time to catch their breath.

Tough break for Verdell. Wish him a speedy recovery. The coaches are asking him and Dye to do too much with too little. Time for Benson to shine and see what Dye has been raving about. Here's what Dye had to say about Benson: He’s coming in here every day, ready to focus and ready to go. His mentality and physicality is almost out of this world. I’ve never seen a back like it. Trey has a huge future here. I think he’s going to be one of the greatest to ever come through here. He’s very powerful, very fast, very smart, and when you put all of those together, you’re going to have a great football player. So why did MC play Cardwell instead of Benson, on those critical downs against Stanford?

Bye week couldn't come soon enough. Most of our star players have been banged up and playing injured. Sewell has been lingering on the turf every game.

How much of the offensive struggles are to blame for the injuries to the Ducks defense? With the offense struggling to move the ball and stay on the field, the defense has been playing a lot more minutes which is taking its toll on those players. It's not only on the offense's play calling, DeRuyter could get the defense off the field sooner, calling more blitzes on 3rd down instead of this soft coverage, rushing three or four. The Ducks can't continue to play this way. Between the conservative, predictable play calling, and AB's passing limitations, they are making the Ducks more vulnerable to injuries. The opposing teams that play with tempo, further strains the defense, without the chance to substitute. The Ducks have been really unlucky this season, being hit hard with the injury bug, but how much is their own doing?

MC already stated that AB gives Oregon the best chance at winning, and that the backups are not up to AB's level. Looks like we are going get more of AB in the coming weeks.

I see your point Charles, but Meyer may not love it. It would be a challenge to bring a championship title home to the Ducks. It's never been done before, and he would be making history. Since Oregon is not a recruiting hotbed, that in itself poses a challenge.

In spite of the recent scandal and philandering, I would take Urban Meyer in a heartbeat, if the opportunity presented itself. Like Nick Saban, Meyer might be discovering that the NFL is not his cup of tea. However, both coaches have proven that they can win championships at different colleges. Not only would there be no dropoff in recruiting, he would restore our offense to greatness. Urban has picked CK's brain on several occasions. So those of you who are longing for a more CK style offense, will get your wish. I want someone proven for a change. As impatient as that sounds, I want the Ducks to strike, while the iron is still hot. What I mean is, the Ducks have accrued several classes of good recruits, even if they are underdeveloped. And who knows? Oregon's recruiting could take a big hit, depending on who USC fills their head coach vacancy with. MC has been killing it on the recruiting trail, but I tend to believe that a big part of that success is attributed to USC and UCLA having down years. That could all change. If Urban Meyer were to take over midway through the season or at the end of his season, he could make an immediate impact, without having to rebuild. Furthermore, Phil Knight isn't getting any younger. I'm sure he is more motivated and invested than anyone, to see the Ducks crowned champions in his lifetime. For him to make Meyer a Duck, Uncle Phil is going to have dig deep into his pockets and offer him a salary comparable to Saban's paycheck. That is how the Ducks will attract a championship caliber coach to Eugene. Having Nike as your backer couldn't hurt.

It's both. AB is overthrowing the ball, trying to go vertical, and the WRs are seldom getting separation. On those crossing routes, AB has been throwing behind his receivers. The only consistency he has had throwing the ball is to the sidelines. Thorton and Franklin should be the ones running those deep routes. Thorton is probably one of the faster receivers, since he runs track.

A smarter team would have took any of Oregon's previous games and treated them as wake up calls. All of them, the Ducks were on the verge of either losing or having the momentum switch to the other team in critical points of the game. Even in that Stoney Brook game, things were looking bleak for the Ducks in that second quarter. Oregon's offense was sputtering, while Stoney Brook's offense was marching down the field, unopposed. If not for the interception by McKinley to stop that drive before halftime, that game might have finished a lot closer.

I love MC's work ethic and how everyone is always ranting about him outworking everyone else, but I want him to start working smarter too. When I see him botch games like this that would have been in the bag, for any other coach, he looks like a rookie coach that's in way over his head. There has been no progression to his on field decisions and clock management since his first game as Oregon's HC. If MC can't see the error of his ways and learn from it, then he's not fit to be HC of any team.

Helfrich never would have gotten to a championship without MM and Chip Kelly's cycle of recruits. Those recruits on defense were developed by Alliotti. When those recruits had graduated and moved on to the NFL, Oregon's defense was the least physical during the Pellum and Helfrich era. Guys had trouble wrapping up which resulted in a lot of missed tackles and blowout losses.

Might as well demote him back to OL position coach and make him the head recruiter. Ducks can't win a championship under that type of inept coaching and leadership.

I don't know what's more frustrating...having a QB that can't throw or a HC who is too obstinate and afraid to make the change? MC needs to sack up and start TT.

I'm not defending Cristobal. I have been critical of him since he took over. There has to be more to a HC than just recruiting and being likable. Sure, he says all the right things but can he lead on the field? The jury is still out on that one.