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Drake

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Posts posted by Drake

  1. Cristobal is perfect for Oregon, his work ethic sets a very high standard, and is an example for everyone associated with the team. He is recruiting at a level never seen before in Eugene. He is bringing in high caliber players that may give us another shot at a National title. 

    Will he win a championship? I don’t know, but players and coaches are noticing his recruiting success. That makes the Ducks an attractive destination for both. 

    I say don’t change a thing. 

  2. What do I want as a Duck fan?...never lose to the Rodents is high on my list. It just makes Rodent fans even more annoying. However, I have to admit that I always cheer for OSU whenever they play UW. 

    Young players make mistakes and we certainly had a lot of them on the field last year. So many variables contributed to make 2020 a disappointing year for Duck football. What excites me now is the number of young players that now have game experience, they should play much better as a team going forward.

    The coaches are definitely bringing in young talent with a lot of potential. I am very interested in watching how far that potential can take us.

    Go Ducks

  3. I think Herbert’s interviews make him even more lovable as a fan. This guy just had the best NFL rookie QB season that we have ever seen, and he steers all the questions about his success towards his surrounding teammates abilities. 

    I think Herbert’s struggles to win games as a freshman while at Oregon, and his teams subsequent success afterward, better prepare him mentally for the tough losses in the NFL. My guess is that Herbert’s success in the NFL has a much higher ceiling than Tua, and many other young QBs. 
     

    If you look at rookie highlights, Herbert’s last for over 30 minutes...Tua, maybe 3 minutes...lol

  4. I agree with the reasons to be optimistic. His reasoning makes sense. I believe that we have both players and coaches that are capable. The biggest factor that will decide whether this team will have a “monster” season is also our biggest unknown.  

    Who plays QB?...and ultimately, how well they play, will determine how far this team will go. I really think this team will see a lot of improvement on offense and defense. Realistically, I am thinking we are still probably a year away from a monster season. 

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  5. “Fixing” the PAC 12 will require time. Whomever had oversight of Larry Scott is also largely responsible for the problems that are being faced by the conference. Long term contracts, poorly managed expenditures, and ownership of a network that has not delivered the type of revenue projected, are signs that bad business decisions were made by more than one person. 

    The conference needs capable leadership and oversight. The conference will be preparing to renegotiate network contracts in a few years. Therefore, it will see an increase in revenue from that source. However, while money can help eliminate red ink, it doesn’t solve all the issues faced by the conference. 

    If money solved all issues in sports, Paul Allen’s Portland TrailBlazers would have won a championship. There are underlying issues that need to be managed beyond money. Whomever is hired will have their hands full. 
     

     

  6. Good article. 

    The timing of Tyler Shough’s transfer surprised many of us. His date with stardom at Oregon was short lived. I thought both our offense and defense started to unravel during the UCLA game. So many variables led to the Ducks sporadic play during the shortened season. 

    I am optimistic that 2021 is a better year in so many ways.

     

  7. With Ashford, Butterfield, and Thompson vying for playing time we are loaded with potential. Brown provides experience, and he is probably the guy to beat for the starting job. If Brown starts and struggles with passing, or his decision making, I think we see one of the young guns taking over quickly. 

    Ashford is intriguing to me as a two sport athlete and competitor. The obvious problem is going to be some growing pains on offense, and our toughest opponent will be tOSU early. However, the team should get better as the season unfolds barring injuries to key personnel. 

  8. Timing for Shough starting was less than ideal, he was either going to sink or swim. He had to follow one of our very best QB’s, had an inexperienced offensive line, and new play book to deal with. Expectations were for the Ducks to dominate the PAC 12...no pressure at all. Tough decision, wish you luck in the future TS. 

    With him exiting the program, an opportunity is presented to someone else. May the best man for the job win.

    Watching talented young people get beaten down is the hardest part of being a college football fan. But, that is the reality of a program striving to be the best....sigh.

  9. QB1 for the Ducks needs to have a firm grasp on reading the key defensive players in the RPO offense. He should not feel the need to win games by himself, but could certainly lose games with bad reads and poor passing decisions. I think Shough made those mistakes in the games that the Ducks should have won. 

    I try to always be optimistic, but until I see better play at QB and RB, I won’t be expecting the Ducks to “run the table” in the PAC 12. The exciting thing is I believe we have the players to be a dominating force, they just lack experience. Young QB’s and DB’s are prone to mistakes. It will take an amazing effort by everyone to overcome that fact. 

     

     

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  10. 10 minutes ago, Charles Fischer said:

    Amen Haywarduck, as everyone knows what a passionate fan I am, especially of football.  But I call it the way I see it, and the beauty here is being able to...and yet people still have to be nice.  (by our rules)  What I wrote would have brought about quite a wretched wrath against me on other sites...

    Eeyore.jpg

              Or maybe I'm just feeling.....MONDAY.

    “I always get to where I am going by walking away from where I have been.”   Winnie the Pooh

  11. 47 minutes ago, Charles Fischer said:

    When he made the decision to dump what worked for nine years averaging 43 points a game...."preventing" is precisely what Cristobal did.

    I am resigned to waiting for enough years and lost games before he learns....

    A coach that doesn’t recruit well, but has a good offensive scheme, is still doomed. Helfrich, arguably one of our best OC’s, proved that. I think it is safe to say that an offensive scheme by itself doesn’t score the points. We still need capable players to execute. Remember our melt down at the Alamo Bowl? 

    I do agree that a predictable offense can be easier to stop, and we certainly have seen that happen. However, recruiting has helped to get us back into the CFP conversation. I think when Moorehead gets a capable QB, and RB duo, that his offense will score points. Combine that with a potentially strong DeRuyter defense and you start something cooking. 

    Go Ducks

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  12. Read an article that stated Jeff Choate’s base salary at Montana State was $206,000, with added incentive clauses. Choate left Montana State to become a “Co DC” at Texas.

    If Ken Wilson is looking for a better opportunity, then leaving the Ducks for Montana State is probably not a great career move. If our defense plays to it’s potential, Ken Wilson will get national exposure as a Co-DC at Oregon, and will probably get more opportunities offered. 

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  13. My “journey” with Ducks Football started in the seventies. For years, if we happened to have a decent team, we would be considered “overachievers” . The Mike Bellotti era completely changed that perception, and he helped put the Ducks into the National Championship conversation. 

    Since that time, have the Ducks thrived?  We all know that the Trophy case is missing one major piece of hardware, but I have to say that we have thrived, and so have some of our coaches. 

  14. Herbert really didn’t have the luxury of a lot of highly talented receivers while he was at Oregon. Our receivers often struggled to get open, and at times, had problems with catching a well placed ball. 

    I think being drafted by the Chargers has worked out pretty well for him. While being a number one draft pick would mean more initial  money, Herbert won’t be worrying about paying his bills anytime soon. 

    Herbert is a class act, and it is exciting to see him excel in the NFL. 

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  15. DeRuyter will be able to recruit. I think Cristobal is passionate and has a vision that connects with young athletes. If nothing else that passion and vision rubs off on the players and the coaches connected to the program. 

    We have hired a proven coordinator, and with the players he has available, the defense will be formidable. That will definitely catch the attention of prospects that are looking to land in a top program. While recruiting may not be DeRuyter’s strength now, it will be easier to recruit to an Oregon program which is on the rise, vs. Cal.

  16. On 2/1/2021 at 8:11 AM, AnotherOD said:

     

    Thanks for the video. His ability to react to the ball is impressive. A player either has that, or doesn’t at the college level. 

    While our defense may not need to be “saved”, an addition like this would certainly make DeRuyter smile. Adding a player with speed, proven talent, and experience to a group that already has huge potential would be like finding a forgotten $100 bill in your favorite jeans. 

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