Smith72

Great article David! You described the "soft under belly" perfectly. Sewell and Flowe (especially) were lost in space. But that 3rd down and long conversion malady has been a Duck problem since Leavitt and Avalos. I agree that the Spring game revealed the tight coverage that we can expect in the Fall. I'm so thankful that Lanning and Lupoi have upgrade the linebacker position. Offense and Defense - 2023 season is going to be exciting! By the way, it looks like the punting game will be improved by the addition of Dunne. Go Ducks!

For me "It's a West Coast thing!" Pac-8, Pac-10, Pac-12, and Rose Bowl. Call me a traditionalist old timer! 😄

Another great article Coach Eric! Thank you for writing today's look into Coach Stein's offense. Did you notice how open the left wide receiver on the crossing route was? This play action pass should put lots of stress on a defense!

Excellent point about the defensive secondary, "The amount of YAC, (yardage after completion) was low due to much better tackling technique, and fewer missed tackles than last year." I saw many short passes that last year would've gained 5 or 6 yards end up with no gain because of better tackling and close db's. I forgot to mention Saturday that the move of Jamal Hill to linebacker will greatly improve the Duck defense. He's a quick and sure tackler. I didn't realize at the game that the running attack had so few yards. Thanks for pointing that out in today's article! On a side note, I don't know how many times I've called Chase Cota his dad's name. I claim my old age and the fact that Chad was one of my early heroes as my excuse. Sorry Mr. FishDuck I guess I'm not the only one. 😉 Thanks Charles for writing today's excellent article! Your information, for instance "Bird Bomb" and "Georgia Havoc", is much appreciated!

The PA announcer Don Essig (spelling?) said attendance was about 45 thousand. Good crowd yelling "GO" one side and then "DUCKS" on the other side was very loud. Had to impress the recruits! Then singing "Shout" with the Oregon legends toga party video on the big screens was the icing on the cake for everyone there - including those recruits!

WR Traeshon Holden was strong. Appears he and Bo have a connection already. Thompson was improved from last year. Progress. You can tell the coaching is improving his abilities, and maybe his maturity is coming around. Khyree Jackson is a force at boundary DB. Cole Martin contested everything thrown his way. Great hands by defenders fighting for the ball causing many of the dropped balls by receivers. Donte Dowell is everything advertised. Quick to the hole, sets up his blockers, and man talk about power! Overall a fun day to be in Autzen and watching Duck football! Go Ducks!

Transfer TE Casey Kelly looks to be an athletic pass catching TE. Article from The Clarion Ledger has a good montage of his catches. After ads load for a few seconds you'll be able to see the pictures. Just touch the title again and they will appear. A look at Ole Miss football tight end Casey Kelly WWW.CLARIONLEDGER.COM Here is a look at Ole Miss football tight end Casey Kelly, whose hometown is Niagara Falls, New York.

Haywarduck is correct. Traeshon Holden was reinstated to the team. After the last scrimmage Coach Lanning acknowledged that Holden had some good catches. I agree with Haywarduck that Burch and Jacobs will make a difference on defense.

Great job Coach Eric teaching us the Insert ISO! I like the slice path of the tight end and the resulting trap block. I'm sure linemen (and TE's) always love a trap😁. I'm impressed with the effort of all players to be physical and aggressive. I'm hoping that is a hallmark of Coach Stein's offense he installs at Oregon!

I love the concepts Charles. Thanks Mr. FishDuck for writing today's article! Throwing the deep ball is complementary to a strong running game. They help each other. If the opponent wants to take away the great runs by Irving and the other Oregon backs by loading the box throw deep. If they defend deep then the runners will have lots of yards. I couldn't understand the previous coaching staff's love of short crossing routes, sideline passes, and hardly ever throwing deep. Here's hoping the Coach Stein era will ignite the Oregon offense and average 45 points per game! Go Ducks!

Thanks, Alex, for giving us an optimistic plan for Nix and the Ducks! Here's hoping this happens! Go Ducks!

Pogo comic strip 1970, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Wasn't the Wisconsin game played during Finals week? Students take passing their classes seriously.

Near the end of the video Coach Stein comments, "Coach Kitley really has his team greased up... We need to keep scoring. We need every point we can get..." When the team you're playing is hot and scoring it's best to keep scoring. It is not the time to slow down, go conservative, and try to hold on to your slim lead. I like this philosophy. I'm excited with Coach Stein as Oregon's offensive coordinator.

Four Strong Flag concept vs man coverage. Interesting teaching points. I'm really liking his philosophy. The whip pattern (our coaching staff called it a swirl) versus man with quick receivers is an awesome route. I also liked his comments about ball security and not going out of bounds. Enjoy the video. Spring practices continue next week! Yay!

Another FishDuck writer! How very fortunate we Duck fans are! Thanks CAMERON JOHANSSON for the memories!

Well said David! I agree with your conclusion, "The death of the Pac-12 would signal yet another end to what makes College Football so great." Thanks for writing this article today, and especially for being one of the FishDuck writers!

Thanks Coach Eric, it's always great to read your analysis articles! They are much appreciated since we've had our share of new offensive coordinators. With a QB like Bo Nix and receivers like Franklin, the slant pass to the Wide Receiver is open. The DB is head up giving away the inside. Many RPO options available. Spring practices will continue to reveal more of Will Stein's offense. Go Ducks!

NevadaDawg said, "...football will remain relevant in the South for as long as the game is played." NevadaDawg, I love your posts and appreciate all the input you provide to our forum. You are a true gentleman! I agree with you that the South really really loves football. Instead of relying only on my intuition I checked for articles about high school participation in football nationally. The first article from 2019 was interesting. Numbers provided by the National Federation of High School Associations. High School Football Participation Is On A Decade-Long Decline WWW.FORBES.COM A survey finds high school football participation at its lowest level in nearly 20 years. Texas is the No. 1 state for participation (of course), but its participation-per-school rate is dropping quickly. In 2016-17 it was 153.3; in 2017-18, 135.3; and in 2018-19, 125.6. In 2019 national football participation was at its lowest since 1999-2000. In my humble opinion, I think the downward trend will continue. But hopefully football will still be #1 for the rest of my life! Go Dawgs! (My #2 favorite team). Go Ducks!

Thanks, Charles, for today's article and Our Beloved Duck Forum! You make interesting points to consider. After the traitors have been in the BIG for 2 or 3 years we'll know more about their plight. We'll know about the Pac-10 (12-16) and whether becoming the Clemson of the west coast develops. However, I worry about the future of football. I love the sport! Fantastic game. But one only has to look at the decreasing numbers of high school youth playing football nationally to question whether the sport will be relevant in 20 years. It is already impacting the viewer numbers in the West. Another point I ponder about is the injury concerns with football. Traumatic Brain Injury is nothing to ignore! I worry about my 8th grade grandson who loves football. He will be a good high school player next year. He's the kind of player who has and will play while injured. For me, my desire is to remain in the Pac-? as long as possible. Leaving would be hypocritical! At my age I'm going to just enjoy as much Oregon Football as I can. Go Ducks!

Joshua, your article is a great read to start thinking about Spring practices! I agree with you; "Anything less than significant improvement should be cause for concern." I love offense and that will continue to be a strength. However, you hit the nail on the proverbial head - a lack of improvement in the defense caused the two late season losses. Here's hoping our prayers are answered this Spring. Go Ducks!

Couldn't read article either.

Thanks, Coach Boles, for the film review of a great passing concept. QB does have an easy read! RB was wide open - nobody picked him up. Easy for QB to check down to him if he wanted to. Spring ball is coming. Go Ducks!

Thanks Darren for your calming insights! Much appreciated. I love your point about adding teams, "A nightmare scenario is to expand first only to find out the new teams add little to no value and drive down everyone’s slice of the pie." I agree there is no need to rush things. Whether it is done yesterday or next month, it's best to cross all the t's and dot all the i's.

Excellent points to consider Alex. Thanks! I would like to add one more to your list. Please, Coach Lanning, give the back up quarterback the whole offense to work with. Please don't go into the mindset the game is won so dialing back the offense prevents mistakes. Not only is this unfair to the backups, but it guarantees a loaded box. This causes a quick 3 and out and gives the ball back to the opponent. Being nice, not trying to run up the score puts undue stress on the defense. Being ultra conservative prevents success. By the way, priority must be placed on getting the backup QB ready for the season!