It Might Be Ugly - WSU on Saturday

[Mic]

After what happened in Seattle on Saturday I would not be surprised to see Oregon come out angry at a team with the word Washington in its name.  Is there a way to find out how good a coach Dan Lanning (still) is - or isn't?  Yeah, watch what happens in Eugene on the 21st.   Of course, by ugly I mean for WSU.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Smith72
capitalize titles

[Charles Fischer]

Regardless of what happened the last two weeks for WSU.,,if they could beat Wisconsin and Oregon State, they can beat us.

 

Gotta give it our 100%…

[Mic]

On 10/16/2023 at 7:20 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Regardless of what happened the last two weeks for WSU.,,if they could beat Wisconsin and Oregon State, they can beat us.

 

Gotta give it our 100%…

Agreed!

[KCDuck1]

On 10/16/2023 at 9:15 AM, Mic said:

"Is there a way to find out how good a coach Dan Lanning (still) is - or isn't?  Yeah, watch what happens in Eugene on the 21st. Of course, by ugly I mean for WSU." 

Mic, Great point! However, there will be two angry teams. One, our Ducks, who lost to the Huskies; our Ducks lost one we should have won. Our lack of 4th down conversions into points and/or 1st downs were "killers". Coach DL has to ensure our Ducks' emotions are channelled, and emotions do not lead to damaging penalties. That was a close-fought game last year in Pullman.

 

Wazzoo is the second angry team. They have lost the last two games they believed they had a good chance to win; and, the Arizona loss probably made it sting. Arizona slowed down UW, and they beat Wazzoo like a drum (with their 2d team QB). I believe the Cougs will be a handful, but the Ducks are even moreso.

 

Our Ducks and fans should be prepared for a very tough game, especially after both teams suffered tough losses. Now, our Ducks must make their vulnerabilities their new strengths. Remember: the Coug receivers have gained a Rep for multiple one-handed catches. Let's make sure none of those are memorable.

 

Bo Nix stated the issue succinctly: we control our destiny [in the Pac-12] (or words to that effect); and, and Bo is correct. However, everyone is going to give us their best shot, and then some.

 

We just saw Stanford's incredible comeback against Colorado. We should expect teams to attempt the same type of comeback in the event our Ducks take their webbed feet off the gas. This will be a great game to apply those lessons learned on defending the long ball thrown by a QB with touch that has good receivers with sticky hands, and our 4th down playcalling. Our Ducks are very good, but our Ducks cannot let themselves play down to the other teams' levels.

 

Ducks, win the game! Win, [Fightin'] Ducks, win! 

 

VR, KCDuck1

Edited October 16, 2023 by KCDuck1

[DUCKED]

On 10/16/2023 at 7:20 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Regardless of what happened the last two weeks for WSU.,,if they could beat Wisconsin and Oregon State, they can beat us.

 

Gotta give it our 100%…

The Ducks better be ready from the opening kick.
 

Wazoo was trounced on Saturday. When I saw that score I immediately became concerned. The Cougs are not likely to lay an egg two weeks in a row.

 

You can NEVER feel comfortable going into a football game.

 

Look what happened yesterday……the lowly Jets beat the previously undefeated Eagles.

 

The Ducks need to make a statement early.

[Mic]

On 10/16/2023 at 9:03 AM, DUCKED said:

Look what happened yesterday……the lowly Jets beat the previously undefeated Eagles.

 

The Ducks need to make a statement early.

More to the point look what happened to Colorado after leading a struggling Stanford by 29!  I also think WSU will be very motivated after their loss (at home!) to Az

[Augduck]

And (hopefully) the Ducks will be very motivated by their loss.  

 

Nothing is a given in the P12 this year and I think we knew that going in.  

[DuckFan93]

I hope Dan got the team fired up like he did against CO...  This game will be all mental.  We have the skills and talents to win for sure and will be expected to win big.    

[spartan2785]

I think one thing that really helps us now as opposed to previous years in the Pac-12 is that we are still in the driver's seat to get to the Pac-12 championship game, and now we have the motivation of getting revenge.  I think we'll see a very focused team on Saturday and I wouldn't be surprised if we bulldoze through the rest of the league. 

[Jon Joseph]

Back-to-back very bad outings by Wazzu. The offense fizzled in the Rose Bowl and Arizona simply mugged the Cougars in Pullman. 

 

But There Is No Easy Day in this conference in 2023. Do not let UW beat you twice. This will be a motivated Pac-2 team coming into Autzen.

 

Ducks, favored  -20 is a healthy spread against a team that was ranked 2 weeks ago. 

[Washington Waddler]

On 10/16/2023 at 12:13 PM, Jon Joseph said:

But There Is No Easy Day in this conference in 2023. Do not let UW beat you twice. This will be a motivated Pac-2 team coming into Autzen.

     Agreed. I’m not overly concerned about our motivation for home games against USC and the Beavs , and away at Utah. What concerns me is not being ready for motivated Cougs, Cal Bears and Sun Devils. 

[Mic]

One thing we haven't seen from the Ducks since Lanning took over:  an un-prepared or non-motivated team coming out of the locker room.  

[GODUCKS15]

Back home at Autzen still ranked in the top 10 with a very real chance for the P12 meet up in Vegas the Ducks will take care of business handily. WSU has issues or they wouldn't of melted down the last two games. 

 

Although the Ducks lost they didn't melt down. UT is the game that has me worried. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by GODUCKS15

[Mic]

Oregon desperately needs this 'medicine': a big win against a formerly ranked team.  Not just a 10-point win.  And as Charles reminded us, WSU is still capable of beating any Pac-12 team, including Oregon. The Ducks need to put the pedal down hard on WSU and keep it there.

 

This win is needed not just for the ramifications for the rest of this season but for the recruiting and the program going forward next season.  As much as we want to see Oregon stay in the Pac-12 Championship hunt (and after) it goes well beyond that; something I believe Lanning and Co. understand much better than we do.  

 

Expect a shootout Saturday with Oregon showing no mercy on a team limping into Autzen battered and short-handed. It's gotta be done.  It's business.  Go Oregon.

[Haywarduck]

The way we played against osu last season is the way we can never play again. I think Lanning has built this team to ensure there won't be a repeat of that fiasco.

 

Now we just need keep improving and proving this is Lanning's team, and they don't let down. I look forward to seeing that happen from here on out.

[idontrollonshobbas]

While I lament the downfall of the Pac-12, two things I will struggle to miss are playing Stanford and Wazzu....two teams that haunt my OBD dreams.

 

[Augduck]

Was talking with a Coug friend of mine and he told me there are some rumblings of issues surrounding the team at the moment.  Many in the fan base think Dickert is seriously interviewing for the MSU job.  They are pretty certain he will jump at the end of the season.  Certainly the current issues with WSU (and OS) are they key factors in that decision making process I am sure.  

 

Not saying this game won't be a challenge because it will but something to consider.

[EastBayDuckDad]

I've got no problem with ugly as long as the lipstick goes on the Wazzu pig and Oregon wins emphatically. I do not miss the old days of the Pirate's Air Raid running over and around the one-step-behind DBs and LBs. Different offense, yes, but the memories are not pleasant. 

 

Ward appears to have taken a step backwards as defenses have figured out ways to keep him contained. Dorlus said he was a pain to keep in the pocket and last year we saw him backyard football some spectacular plays. I don't think he does that in Autzen but the D-line and edges need to harass him all day to make him stay put and try to beat the backers and secondary straight up. He'll make mistakes if forced to throw stationary and off balance.

 

The whipping Arizona put on them was telling. Who knows what internal stuff is going on in the Palouse in regards to MSU trolling for Dickert. His subsequent challenge to his players to step up or lose their starting jobs speaks volumes. Oregon's offense should do the damage it needs to do to their somewhat depleted defense and esprit de corps.

 

I'd love to see another ESPN Deportes "Maaaasé Fuuuuna, Peek Seex, Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack!" moment without needing it to salt the game away in the 4th quarter.

[Jon Joseph]

Per Jon Wilner.

 

Post Oregon vs. UW -

 

Oregon - 15-4 SU/ 10-8-1 ATS

 

Versus Wazzu in recent games after UW, 2 No Cover and 1 Push. This augers well for a WSU cover but I think the Ducks show up with something to prove and will not be looking ahead to the game in SLC.

 

Washington - 4-15 SU/ 6-13 ATS 

 

ASU has won 13 of the last 15 games vs. UW (!) including last season's win in Tempe. But ASU will not win in Seattle on Saturday.

 

I loved the lead-in from Stewart Mandel in today's Mailbag article - "But first: Don't blink or you'll miss another USC turnover."

[Mic]

On 10/18/2023 at 10:47 AM, EastBayDuckDad said:

I'd love to see another ESPN Deportes "Maaaasé Fuuuuna, Peek Seex, Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack!" moment without needing it to salt the game away in the 4th quarter.

Wouldn't we all!

 

I do think WSU will put up a good fight.  I still think O is too much for them, esp after what happed last weekend to each team.  Nothing comes easy in this conference and I am happy the game is in Eugene.  I wish next week's game was too.  Heck, I wish every game was!!

[OceaniaDuck]

Well, I just hope this game will be ugly in the way we want it to be ugly lol.

 

One thing I hate about the PAC-12 but love too is that even the worst team in the conference is certainly capable of beating the best team on a good day.

[Nevada Dawg]

Ducks had darn well be ready for anything on Saturday and I suspect they will as the consequences of failing to do so could be severe. Clearly if the lipstick gets applied to the Ducks' beaks, the playoffs are a goal for another year.

 

The loss last week shows quite clearly that the path to the promised land is quite narrow; in fact there is only a skinny ledge. Every week it is win or perish. 

 

Go Ducks!!!

 

 

 

 

[Mic]

On 10/18/2023 at 10:24 PM, Nevada Dawg said:

The loss last week shows quite clearly that the path to the promised land is quite narrow; in fact there is only a skinny ledge. Every week it is win or perish. 

Of all the games Oregon could "afford" to lose and still remain in the hunt for the Conference Championship AND the CFB Playoffs, that was the one.  So you're right.  It's win or die as far as either of the two are concerned, certainly the last one.  Yeah, the ledge is pretty skinny.  Nice metaphor.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Mic

[Just Ducky]

 I expect the Ducks to blow WSU out at home. Huge advantage being at home this weekend and the Ducks have better players. If the game is close then I will start to worry about this team.

 

 If not for coaching blunders the D hacks would be still undefeated and it’s on the coaching staff to never, I repeat, never let that happen again.

 

 The Ducks cover.

[Solar]

Remember when we barely lost to Auburn in 2019 and came home and smashed Nevada 70-3?

 

Remember when we got beat by Georgia and came home and smashed Eastern Washington 70-14?

 

Remember how we destroyed PSU and their next game they destroyed their opponent?

 

In college we had a super hard physics instructor for two terms with his 30 question multiple choice tests. He had a heart attack during the 3rd term, so a different professor finished the term. On the first test with the new professor in his way easier test format all 30 people in the class got 100%. The professor was in shock saying he'd never seen anything like it.

 

I'm not sure what to call this psychological effect where you adapt to the higher level of difficulty and then absolutely demolish the next challenge that is less difficult.

 

I hope that affect happens to us against WSU at home Saturday.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Solar

[Mic]

On 10/19/2023 at 8:51 AM, Just Ducky said:

 I expect the Ducks to blow WSU out at home. Huge advantage being at home this weekend and the Ducks have better players. If

 

 The Ducks cover.

That's 20 points via Odds Shark.  We'll see.  WSU always puts up a good fight.

[Jon Joseph]

Solar, substitutes are the best! If I could have done so back in the day, all of my subs would have been given the highest Uber ranking.

 

The only better thing, was when profs didn't show up in the 1st 10 minutes, and the class was ipso facto adjourned.

 

Knowledge is Good. I think.

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:24 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

Ducks had darn well be ready for anything on Saturday and I suspect they will as the consequences of failing to do so could be severe. Clearly if the lipstick gets applied to the Ducks' beaks, the playoffs are a goal for another year.

 

The loss last week shows quite clearly that the path to the promised land is quite narrow; in fact there is only a skinny ledge. Every week it is win or perish. 

 

Go Ducks!!!

 

 

 

 

Spot On! No more mulligans left. (Unless you are playing with my old man foursome and not the Gurus of Grapevine.)

[Mic]

Judging from most of the score predictions more than a few think O's going to put down the pedal.  As dangerous as WSU has been to the Ducks in past years, I sure hope they do.  

They surprised me when Colorado came into town.  I hope they do similar things to the Cougars.