DUCKED

Even if ALL you say is true, and it very well may be, Ducks’ chances of winning that game would have greatly increased had they chose to kick those two early field goals and punt the ball.

I see where you’re going with this, but I don’t agree. I think this is a bad loss. It was a very winable game, and questionable coaching decisions robbed the players of a victory on the road against an arch rival, a victory that would have catapulted the Ducks right into the playoff conversation. A huge opportunity was missed, due to little fault of the players.

Passion is good, as long as you can still make calculated decisions under pressure.

You took the words out of my mouth. Hasn’t Lanning learned the concept of risk and reward? The Ducks…I mean Lanning…took a potential 6 points off the board in the first half by going for it twice on 4th and short rather than kicking two relatively easy FG’s. And not punting the ball late in the 4th quarter is flat out inexcusable. This loss is on him.

Excellent take, but I have one issue. I don’t feel confident in a Ducks’ victory if we give up 45 points. If our defense has truly improved substantially since last year it has no business giving up that many points to a one dimensional offense that cannot run the ball.

I have no idea what you’re talking about…..but I love your last sentence.

My key….get on the Husky receivers early in their routes, forcing Penix to hold onto the ball a little longer than he likes. He’s not noted for his mobility and likes to get rid of the ball in a hurry. Even forcing him to wait just a second could pay huge dividends, leading possibly to sacks and more errant passes. If Oregon can do that….Ducks win.

Never kneeled! Mario must think it’s a sign of weakness, when it’s really a sign of stupidity. This was a blunder of epic proportions.

Thanks Alex. Great points, great article. While everyone acknowledges how huge the Husky game is, it’s far more than just a rivalry game. A win -on the road- firmly puts Oregon in the CFP discussion, and provides a safety net that, should the Ducks stumble down the stretch, might still allow them to sneak in.

That’s hilarious…. and you’re right.

Excellent points. I'll take a gamer over a great practice player every time.

I am shocked by the line. I'm sure the bloated number was affected by the expected loss of Travis Hunter, but that's a lot of points. I must admit, though, that most often when I feel the spread is out of whack, the oddsmakers are usually right. Still, I'm taking the points. I expect the Ducks to win, but by 3 touchdowns? I'll be a happy man either way....as long as Oregon wins the game!

But mom.....he started it!

The whole bulletin board thing, in my opinion, is a non-issue. If you need some slight to get ready to play, you're probably not going to win anyway. You win on the field, nowhere else.

Doubt that........I'm guessing Ducks -3.

Oregon opening the game by being penalized for having two players wearing the same jersey number was perplexing, as were the three false start penalties that stalled the offense in the first half…and another on the first play of the second half. That must be cleaned up. It was not a great performance by the Ducks, but they showed resilience and heart, and came away with a clutch win on the road against a decent team. There is work to be done, for sure, and this type of game is a great indicator of the areas that need the most attention.

I think you might be right…?

I’m not sure this will benefit Oregon. After laying an egg Tech will definitely be more “up” for the Ducks than ever, so the loss may actually help TT. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t the loss as a benefit to Oregon, other than possibly helping to tweak the game plan.

DumBO, smart as, well, you know……

Very impressive performance by the Ducks, but what really stands out to me is what Whitingham is doing at Utah with the fifth best roster.

“The Guy who went to the Cal and Stanford games.” As a Cal alum, that hurts. The truth always does. As a 10 year old kid, I sold programs at Cal games, when Joe Kapp was the QB and the Bears went to the Rose Bowl - and lost to Bob Jeter and Iowa - and in those days and subsequent years Cal drew decent crowds and was competitive. And, under former Duck assistant Jeff Tedford the Bears became a top five team led by QB Aaron Rodgers, an unknown kid from Butte Junior College, who had no D-1 offers out of high school. I have been back to Berkeley many times over the years, usually to see the Ducks, and it’s sad to see what has happened. The “crowds” are sparse and subdued, which is understandable. There hasn’t been much to cheer for. While I still root for Cal, I have been a Duck fan for 50 years (my kids and grandkids are Ducks). May no mistake….the Ducks are “my team.” But there still is something about the walk up Bancroft to Strawberry Canyon and Memorial Stadium on a fall afternoon, the scent of Eucalyptus the air……there’s nothing quite like it.

That’s impressive. Unfortunately Chase Cota and Brady Breeze didn’t make the cut with the Lions.

Great article today in The Athletic about Bo Nix……and the billboard in NYC.

Thanks Jon…..number 3 is a concern of mine. The Ducks’ roster is dramatically improved this year, and I hope the in-game coaching decisions, at crucial points, do not sabotage that. The Ducks could have won 12 games last season, and likely would have if not for a terrible call on 4th down against the Huskies and the inexplicable inability to stop the run against the Beavs in the 2nd half of the Civil War.

I don’t respond at all to the visiting team taking the field at Autzen Stadium. I save up my booing and whining for the officials, but I’ll admit that I groaned out loud last season at the occasional inexplicable play calls in crucial situations by Dilly.