SoGaDawg

Yep, I’m not particularly a Saban fan lately for obvious reasons. But it’s hard to argue with results. Saban is the man. And indirectly Saban played at least a small part in GA being where they are now, as I’m sure Kirby learned a good bit in his time coaching under Saban. Alabama isn’t traditionally a big GA rival. The rivalry has only come to real prominence since Saban has been there, and GA coming so close so many times only to fall just short behind Bama. To be honest, before this past season it was a bit odd to call it a rivalry bc even though GA came close several times and almost always barely lost to Bama, we always lost the big games to Bama and Saban. It’s awesome to have great confidence in your team, but I can tell you from experience that patience can pay off. And beating Bama for the NC was a little sweeter after having come up just short so many times.

I agree. I look forward to reading your analysis of the Mint defense. I certainly don’t have a firm grasp of this defense. I do think this scheme is one of the reasons that GA has been so effective at stopping the run in recent years.

I believe the RPO can be very effective so long as the QB can make the correct reads. But the way that GA defense acts pre-snap with their alignment and attempts to disguise assignments and coverages will likely make it a tough job for even a veteran QB to consistently make the correct reads.

I see your Schwartz is as big as mine!

I’ll go with Seven McGee. From taking handoffs and catching passes to being explosive in the return game, he will shine as a plug and play star for the Ducks.

Your guys points are well taken. Duquesne isn’t exactly a powerhouse, and the tackling was very bad.

So many games are won or lost on the LOS. I completely agree, this game will be no different in that respect.

I agree. And the changes of transfer rules have absolutely effected how coaches go about managing players.

Yes, lack of experience absolutely showed up in the Spring Game. I still don’t understand why they got so little reps in games with the outcome decided last season. Of coarse Bennet didn’t go through that off-season as the starter so it’s possible that they wanted to maximize his reps I guess. I’m still not sure about the free agency of invasion of college sports. On one hand I can see how it can help athletes find the right fit and help teams in areas in which they are weak or struggling. On the other hand it is really hard for me to get used to it. For better or worse it’s here to stay.

I think other fans (such as Dawg fans) perception of Oregon football is a product of their perception of the Pac-12 conference. They are lazy and do little or no research on the changes of other programs. And lazy pundits (supposed experts) negatively portraying Oregon all but ensures that these fans will not have an accurate picture of the true state of Oregon football. This and the fact that they perceive the the Pac-12 as a weak conference is likely most responsible for their unjust belief that Oregon is not a top tier program. Yes, we aren’t sure what the Duck’s program is capable of this season or in the coming seasons yet. But there is IMHO very many reasons to be quite optimistic for the near future and for what’s coming around the next corner. The good thing is, as you say we will find out soon.

Yep, we lost one of our best wideouts Jermaine Burton to the portal and Bama. I’m sure it’s because he felt he would have a chance to see the ball more and maximize his stats with Young at QB in Bama’s high octane passing offense. I was disappointed, but can’t say I blame him. Bama probably gives him a better chance to increase his nfl draft stock. There is a big financial difference for a player going early in the draft as opposed to going late. And if you go late, there is no guarantee that you will even make an nfl roster, but if a team spends a high draft pick on you, it’s likely that you will get every chance to make the team. I was disappointed last season that our young QBs didn’t get much experience late in games. Many of our games were decided well before the 4th quarter started, yet our young QBs didn’t play much. And when they did play they just handed off the ball 90% of the time. I’m all for good sportsmanship, but it’s important to get young players meaningful reps in games. Especially young QBs.

Yep, I can assure you that if this is a close game, the crowd inside Mercedes Benz stadium will be anything but quiet. Georgia folks do love them some Dawgs football!

It’s true, there are many Dawg fans out there that assume GA will dominate and easily dispatch the Ducks. And while this is a possibility, the reason most of them believe this is bc they haven’t done their homework and actually know very little about Oregon’s football program. All these fans can see is a Pac-12 team that was blown out by Utah twice last season with a QB that UGA defenses have basically owned for three seasons. They have little knowledge of and certainly don’t see the disparity between last season’s Ducks and this season’s Ducks. Yes, it’s very possible that these fans are in for a bit of a reality check next Saturday. If the Ducks play to the level that they are capable, I think this wake up call will sink in about the same time the first half ends. I’m glad that I’m familiar with the Ducks and I feel fortunate that I’ve joined this forum. It’s given me some insight into the Oregon program that I would certainly be lacking had I not become an active member of the fishduck forum. My familiarity has increased exponentially and with it my anticipation of this game. My excitement level is off the charts! I can’t wait to tune in next Saturday! I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one.

I agree. I think that if the Ducks D performs at the level that I believe they are capable, this very well could be a defensive game that could be decided by a few big plays. If this game does turn out to be a defensive struggle, it will likely be a close game throughout. And while I’m very confident in GAs defense, a game that is close in the 4th quarter certainly works in Oregon’s favor. Yes it’s possible that if this happens GAs depth might win the day. It’s also possible that either team makes a big play late in the game to win the day.

I think Bo will get the start against GA. If for no other reason, bc he has experience playing against SEC and particularly against GA defenses. Also, bc I would not want to make one of the younger QBs first start come against a GA defense unless I had no other choice. I’m not saying they couldn’t handle it, but it would be a big ask and could potentially put them into a confidence killing situation in their first collegiate start.

I agree with the other Ducks that posted, this was a great post. Very well done. Yes, it doesn’t make sense that Christopher Smith was not listed as a returning starter. If I’m not mistaken, he started at safety in every game for GA and was a strong player and a very important piece for the defense. He is the player that had the pick six for GAs only TD against Clemson. With the defense that we play safety is a very difficult position to learn. Probably the hardest to learn when considering alignment and assignment. We were thin at Safety, if Smith went down it potentially could have been disastrous.

I love some good smash mouth football. And as long as you can completely dominate the LOS you can win by consistently running between the tackles. However, in today’s game, when playing against a good defense you can’t be that one dimensional. A power run game can be an effective tool for an offense, but when playing a good D you must run plays that will stretch the defense out and loosen them up a bit. Otherwise they will show no respect and will focus on the run. If this happens, you can’t beat a good defense by staying between the tackles.

Assuming that Bo starts, I think he will do well as long as he gets good protection. Big ask but Oregon’s O-line is solid and might be up to the task. Asking Oregon to put up 30 against a GA defense is asking a lot in their first game. Although, I expect the Ducks D to be a strength for them. It’s quite possible that the offense will not need to put up 30 to stay in the game, or even win it.

I agree, Benson looked really good. I’m not really sure why he left, but it would certainly be nice if Oregon still had him. But I think the Ducks will be fine at RB without him. One question- Wasn’t the reason he was underutilized at Oregon primarily bc of injuries? I’m not very familiar with that situation, I just assume this bc the announcers in the game seemed to point to that if I’m remembering correctly.

You are absolutely right. The Startes on the GA D-line do have experience. GA rotates the DL probably more than any other position group. It keeps the big guys fresh in case of a close game. Also, last year the starters played limited in the second half of many games. Although, GA will be rotating guys this year that have little or no experience on the DL. The Oregon O-line is very good and experienced. It’s possible that they might take advantage when GA’s young inexperienced guys come in. So many things to look for in this game. So many players I haven’t seen play much, or at least play much when it matters. I’m excited as heck for this game! May the best team win, unless Oregon has the best team………….. just kidding. My hope is that the best team does win and neither team suffers any major injuries. Go Dawgs…….and……..Go Ducks

Texas State Armadillos- Necessary Roughness

That’s a tough question. In a broad sense I think Lanning will simply run a scheme that best fits the defensive personnel he has on the field to maximize their effectiveness. That’s a rather cheap answer as obviously any coach tries to do this, I just believe Lanning is much better at accomplishing this than most. As far as what he might do differently, I think against GA he might scheme a bit more aggressively in an attempt to create big plays and turnovers. In this game I expect the Ducks to focus on slowing down GA’s running game as well as finding the best way to make Bennet feel uncomfortable behind center. If GA runs the ball well it will likely be a long day for Oregon, but if The GA offense is forced into some obvious passing situations it increases the likelihood of putting Bennet into situations where he might make mistakes, which could be huge. GA has a very good O-line IMO, so keeping them off balance by disguising aggressive pressure packages while risky, could pay off big. And Oregon is likely going to need their defense to make a few big game changing plays to keep pace. Oregon has great LBs and I think they will try to create opportunities to give these guys a chance to shine. I could be completely wrong, but I don’t expect Oregon have a conservative approach with their defensive scheme against GA. The Ducks have a lot of talent on D, and I believe to have the best chance to beat GA they need to be aggressive and give that talent a chance to create big plays. Step up those big safeties into tight coverage and in run support. Sure it’s risky, but a few big plays could make a huge difference. Make Stetson Bennet beat you with his arm. Yes that’s risky also, bc he is capable, but he may also make mistakes if he can’t rely on the run game and tries to create too much by forcing the ball. In short, just be aggressive on defense. Not to the point of recklessness, but trying hard to create opportunities for the Ducks talented defensive players to make a difference and possibly create turnovers.

I appreciate your kind words, and I also appreciate the warm welcome I’ve received from all Duck fans on this forum. You guys are a class act as well! I’ve really enjoyed learning about this Duck program from all involved. Who knows what will happen on Sept 3, I’m on pins and needles. We will see. I plan to be a regular here regardless though, bc I am a Duck fan. I just can’t be too dedicated on the 3rd of next month. You’ll have to forgive me, I bleed UGA red and black.

Absolutely, college football was made for talking a little smack. It’s fun and adds a bit of personal character to the game. I usually reserve my hard smack talking to my friends that are fans of other teams, only bc they understand the score and Honestly it just means more. I have a good friend that loves Bama, and I’ve had to deal with him incessantly for years. So many times we have come close only to fall victim to Bama. Trust me, he never let me forget. So obviously I was on a bit of a high going into last years SEC CG. I shoulda known better, Bama beat the brakes off of us and my buddy certainly let me know it………..again. Now my Bama buddy is probably the only friend I have that I can honestly say understands football better than me. He actually played D1 football and much of what I know I learned from him. We watched the playoff games together and after watching GA handle Michigan was the first time I remember him being a little lax on the trash talk. His exact words were “that defense is ridiculous”. Of coarse I saw the same thing he did and of coarse I talked it up as much as possible. I had nothing to lose and this was my one chance to stick it to him and all Bama fans for all the misery I had endured. Thank goodness it finally worked out in my favor. I do give my friend credit, he didn’t blame it on losing their top WRs or that they were missing their top DBs. He just tipped his hat so to speak. My point is, good hearted trash talk is part of college football. It’s just part of the fun. And my buddy has certainly gotten back on board bc he assures me that Bama will kick our butts this year if we are lucky enough to play them in the SEC CG. I tell him he is delusional and Nick Sabin is past his prime! Obviously Nick Sabin still haunts me in my dreams, but I can’t tell him that.

No fans should not feel compelled to donate to NIL. Being a fan is enough and one shouldn’t be made to feel guilty bc they don’t think it’s right or in their financial wheelhouse to donate to NIL. In contrast, one shouldn’t be made to feel guilty if they want to donate.