FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Dan Lanning Must Play to Win FISHDUCK.COM Playing to win requires some risk taking. It will require Dan Lanning to take some shots, some of which will fail — but it is the mentality he needs... 2 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quackanadian No. 2 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I can't wait to see (hope to see?) a coaching team that doesn't run out clock so early and play "not to lose" football. MC was atrocious at this, and it makes me wonder if - simply - no other coach stood up to the ju-jitsu practicing, lineman sized, relentlessly moving human being and told him "this style of coaching" is maybe "not the best". Maybe people were scared of him. Being both a Michigan fan and Oregon fan, I would love to be the fly-on-the-wall in Josh Gattis' presence, having gone as OC from one over-bearing and play-call controlling coach in Harbaugh to another in MC. I am curious if we see Miami do the same kind of stuff way too early in games. Cheers. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Haulin No. 3 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Oregon has nothing to lose. A lose to Dawgs by 17 or less hurts the Ducks not a bit. I say open up the playbook, have fun and see what happens. Vegas spotted Ducks 17.5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck No. 4 Share Posted August 31, 2022 My immediate reaction to the title, before I read the article, was 'of course.' After reading it I am fired up, awesome article, to again see the Ducks play to win. Pedal to the metal, and step on it while not letting up. I want to see opposing teams call time out just to slow us down, again. I want to see opposing teams and fans say, what just happened, again. I want to see the defense back on the field fast because we scored so quick, and then again, because the defense shut them down or caused a turnover. I WANT TO SEE MY DUCKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazeNconfused No. 5 Share Posted August 31, 2022 This article makes me wonder if Chip went for it on 4th down in the redzone more times than he tried a field goal kick during the season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyToBeADuck No. 6 Share Posted August 31, 2022 If the Ducks want to stay in this game or hopefully win this game then they need to open the offense up. Full throttle and keep this powerful Dawg D guessing and off balance. Georgias running game is dominant and impressive, for sure. However can Bennet lead them to a come from behind shootout. Dont know...... So lets find out. GO DUCKS...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 7 Share Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) The days of watching the Ducks running into a stacked box from the pistol formation and then completing a 2 yard pass on third and long are behind us…Hurrah!!! There is always a game plan. However, we may actually see adjustments made during a game as needed. That by itself would be an improvement. I think the first game is a challenge. The coaching staff will be tested early. Not the game I would want as my head coaching debut… Go Ducks!! Edited August 31, 2022 by Drake Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 8 Share Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) David: this is exactly why myself and many others lost respect for marinoO in his tenure at Oregon. It will be interesting to see if he will change his coaching style for the canes. Never have I seen a coach more unprepared for a game than he was most of the time. I still can’t get over the boo bird game. The crazy notion that he thought it wasn’t coming was mind boggling. I was booing right along with everyone else and I got the feeling from the fans around me that they couldn’t wait to do it. Thank god he is Gone. Go s Edited August 31, 2022 by Just Ducky Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 9 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 6:26 AM, DazeNconfused said: This article makes me wonder if Chip went for it on 4th down in the redzone more times than he tried a field goal kick during the season. I've never counted. But I think that is always a call about feel. I watched quite a few games from that era over the summer and I found it all came down to how he got into the red zone. If they got into the red zone fast with big chunk plays then going for it on fourth seemed inevitable. If they had to fight to get down the field and they got to fourth and goal then it felt like taking the three and getting something was the choice. But you always got the feeling the Kelly-Helfrich eras that the Ducks wanted to walk away with points and not leave them on the field. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 10 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Other note... Cristobal would frequently go for it on 4th and short. But that didn't feel like it was part of the play-to-win philosophy because it was more about the "must be more physical" philosophy that surrounded the Cristobal era. I feel Cristobal always wanted the other team to cave to Oregon's run game, and in fairness with a winning record they did. But teams also caved to Oregon's run game under Kelly and Helfrich because of tempo and putting so many points on the board it caused the other team a whole lot of stress. The opposing defenses knew that they had to stop the Oregon run game or else the offense would be in a bigger hole, one mistake and that runner could be gone for a touchdown. If I may throw a little shade at Travis Dye, he never had the break away speed to score those long touchdown runs. He would find himself in the open field and running free and be caught just shy of the end zone. If that was a runningback from the Kelly-Helfrich eras that runner would be in the end zone for a score. I do feel there was something going on with the strength and conditioning program that was not helping Oregon's overall player speed. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazeNconfused No. 11 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 7:38 AM, David Marsh said: I've never counted. But I think that is always a call about feel. I watched quite a few games from that era over the summer and I found it all came down to how he got into the red zone. If they got into the red zone fast with big chunk plays then going for it on fourth seemed inevitable. If they had to fight to get down the field and they got to fourth and goal then it felt like taking the three and getting something was the choice. But you always got the feeling the Kelly-Helfrich eras that the Ducks wanted to walk away with points and not leave them on the field. I remember we lost a game like 15-12 in overtime to Tree in overtime, and if Chip had kicked some darn field goals we would have won. Chip was who he was, he played to not only to win, but to bury you. Good article BTW- you hit on something that has been missing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 12 Share Posted August 31, 2022 You’re on to something David, and your comparisons are at the heart of it. Programs like ours that have grown out of being a ‘who we are’, rather than a ‘where we are’ must, as a result, succeed or fail based on adhering to that hard earned identity. Failing to do so, and we become lost. So, being a ‘who you are’ is a process. It requires coaches, players and fans to wake-up every morning and remind themselves of what it means to be a Duck. We know and feel what it is, but it’s fragile. It requires focused care, and a willing dedication to that vision in order to turn it into reality. ‘Who we are’s’ must create themselves on the periphery of wealth. ‘Where we are’s’ wallow at the center of that wealth. Our identity was established on, and grew from that reality. Because you came from being a have not, you had to try harder, learning that it demands working together (like ducks inflight?) and daring to fail: risk reaching for it. We can see the beginnings of that dedicated vision with Rich, and it’s fruition with Chip and Mark. They took that aggressive, willingness to risk to win, and turned it into an identity that has magnetized and inspired countless high school athletes from all over the country. They couldn’t wait to become part of the O. But, coaches who fail to grasp our origins (our identity) can lapse into habits created from being part of a ‘where we are’ culture. ‘Where we are’s’ tend to rely upon their wealth doing the work for them. And because they’re wealthy, they are conservative and don’t like to risk losing that wealth. Sound like anyone we know? Great programs require talent. But, they also require hard work and a willingness to risk it all to win. And, holding that together and making it work (the glue) is knowing who you are. We’re Ducks. We fly! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babyjesus615 No. 13 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I believe the most important key to success in this game, or any if Oregon hopes to re-establish itself as an elite offensive unit, is a return to a TRUE spread with tempo. Ol' Crist-no-ball operated a SINO (Spead In Name Only) offense. Sure he would put 3 receivers out wide and very occasionally send a RB on a wheel route or bubble screen. But he predicated 99% of his scheme on running the ball through 2 holes (3 when Penei Sewell was here). Defensive Coordinators would dare MC to throw the ball; knowing the unlikelihood of a big shot to be taken. There would be no bewilderment as to the scheme when the WRs would spread themselves out; the same play was very likely to be called (up the middle, through the meat grinder). The excitement that came from watching Ducks teams from the 20-teens was based in the fact that CK/MH took literally nothing off the table; with regards to how they spread the ball out. CK's sole intent was to create havoc in mismatches and then re-exploit those mismatches as soon as possible; over and over until the spirit of the opposing DC was visibly shaken. This needs to be the mentality of a coach that wants to win big games and leave no doubt against lesser opponents. Dillingham seems to be saying all of the things that would excite a fan of "real" Oregon offense. The test will come in how true to these words he remains. A foot-on-the-neck mentality must be instilled in the offensive culture if Oregon is to remain a contender in ANYTHING beyond conference championships. KD doesn't have to re-write college football offensive strategy as CK did; he just needs to re-establish what worked so well. Remember, DCs all knew what Chip Kelly would do but were relatively helpless to stop the speed. Make them helpless to stop the speed again... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioDuck No. 14 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 10:38 AM, David Marsh said: I've never counted. But I think that is always a call about feel. I watched quite a few games from that era over the summer and I found it all came down to how he got into the red zone. If they got into the red zone fast with big chunk plays then going for it on fourth seemed inevitable. If they had to fight to get down the field and they got to fourth and goal then it felt like taking the three and getting something was the choice. But you always got the feeling the Kelly-Helfrich eras that the Ducks wanted to walk away with points and not leave them on the field. My understanding is Chip did the analytics on it and found that going for it on fourth in the red zone statistically had a better outcome than kicking field goals. It was situational but in many situations it was the best choice. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 15 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 9:29 AM, DazeNconfused said: I remember we lost a game like 15-12 in overtime to Tree in overtime, and if Chip had kicked some darn field goals we would have won. Chip was who he was, he played to not only to win, but to bury you. 2012... Our kicker missed the field goals needed to secure the win. Also DAT missed a block for Mariota that would have been a touchdown. Also... It was another instance where Stanford got a little help from the refs as their call for a Stanford touchdown to tie the game was dubious at best as it looked like the Stanford recievers was out of bounds when he had control of the football. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioDuck No. 16 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 12:51 PM, Wrathis said: Sounds an awful lot like Dan Lanning's design on defense now...seeing a defense do to teams what our offense used to do, now that has me excited!!! Now add the offense doing what the offense used to and we are cooking up something really tasty! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 17 Share Posted August 31, 2022 David, this article nailed it! It perfectly described the shortfalls of the MC era, explained the frustrations that fans felt, and outlined the thought process DL must adhere to get Oregon Football back. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quackanadian No. 18 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 12:29 PM, DazeNconfused said: I remember we lost a game like 15-12 in overtime to Tree in overtime, and if Chip had kicked some darn field goals we would have won. Chip was who he was, he played to not only to win, but to bury you. Good article BTW- you hit on something that has been missing. The one where Mariota is sprinting to the end zone and DA Thomas forgets to block the streaking Tree defender.... then the Ducks go for it on 4th down and miss... no points... lose by a FG.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 19 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 2:05 AM, FishDuck Article said: Dan Lanning Must Play to Win FISHDUCK.COM Playing to win requires some risk taking. It will require Dan Lanning to take some shots, some of which will fail — but it is the mentality he needs... I certainly agree with this, playing it safe seldom results in Big Wins. But.. remember Scott Frost's "risk decision" last week? When it works, it's fabulous. When it doesn't, well... the knives come out. I'm trusting Dan Lanning to know better what risks to take and when. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 20 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 11:09 AM, Mic said: I certainly agree with this, playing it safe seldom results in Big Wins. But.. remember Scott Frost's "risk decision" last week? When it works, it's fabulous. When it doesn't, well... the knives come out. I'm trusting Dan Lanning to know better what risks to take and when. Frost wasn't playing to win... that was reckless. Sometimes playing to win requires playing it safe and playing to not lose. That is why every team works on running a 4 minute offense. Playing to not-lose isn't inherently a bad thing because sometimes it is the very thing you need to do to finish a game. But the playing to not-lose philosophy shouldn't be used until the VERY END of the game. Frost just took a meaningless risk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 21 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 12:00 PM, David Marsh said: Frost wasn't playing to win... that was reckless. Frost just took a meaningless risk. It would appear. But had it worked, people would have been praising him for "going for the jugular". It's tough to be a Head Coach. (ps: I'm not defending SF, just relating what we've all seen before) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 22 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 12:55 PM, cartm25 said: Where's the line between "reckless" and "genius" . . . if it works or not? Yeah, I'd say that. Sports fans are often very fickle. We get so compassionate and invest so much of our own identities with our teams sometimes. Maybe a good definition would be 'Genius': Risk-taker more than often, right. 'Reckless': Risk-taker more than often, wrong. How's that? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 23 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I thought the game against FSU was the one, 'that could have gone either way.' But your point is well taken about the mindset of the head coach. Chip always wanted to start the game with the ball, Mario preferred to defer until the second half. Which way will Lanning go? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOD No. 24 Share Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) I recently rewatched the 60 minute Pac-12 Network replay of the Fresno State game on DVR. The Ducks score with about a minute left before halftime to go up 21-6. Oregon had held Fresno to something like 137 yards of offense. Fresno State zips down the field in 1:02 against the "play it safe" defense and completes a 17 yard TD pass with 7 seconds to go in half to get back in the game 21-13. Oregon comes out and matches down the field to start the second half and gets 2nd and 4 at the Fresno 17 three minutes into the 3rd. Oregon looks like it is about to take control again. AB then rushes for one yard, on 3rd and 3 Oregon completes a TWO yard pass to CJ, then on 4th and 1 from the Fresno 14 CJ gets STUFFED for no gain and Fresno gets the ball back, fired up and right back in the game. Then Fresno of course goes 85 yards in 10 plays and the score is tied 21-21 middle of the third (just like that). Oregon then comes back and gets a first down, but then goes incomplete, incomplete, and then 3rd and 10 a FIVE yard completion and a punt. Next time Oregon gets the ball, it is a sack, then three plays later a sack and fumble and Fresno has the ball at the Oregon 27 and ends up with a FG and Oregon is now losing a game it was really fairly well controlling with 1:09 left in half. Thankfully, Oregon pulls it together, mostly on AB flashing with a 32 yard pass to JJ than that 30 yard TD run, but until that happened, it was pretty dicey. Rewatching, despite some 1st half sputtering on offense, Oregon and it's D looked to be pretty much in control and then went "safe/snooze fest" until needing AB to wake up in the last 5 minutes to pull the thing out of the fire. That won't be missed. Edited August 31, 2022 by AnotherOD 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 25 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 1:02 PM, cartm25 said: MC: "That's not the offense we run. Get back to the bench you fast athletic freaks!" Ha! In my mind this is EXACTLY how it went... followed by "But, I love you like a son." 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Fan 76 No. 26 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I would add one more item, if the program is going to survive in the upcoming cash grab of CFB then Excitement! MUST be the brand for Oregon. Those young kids watching Oregon around the country love Oregon football because of that excitement. They dream of breaking those touchdowns through the second level and having foot races with safeties. We get flack about the constant jersey and helmet theater but let me tell you that stuff is popular with kids. Who cares what the 30+ crowd thinks of the Oregon brand, we aren't recruiting them and we aren't selling shoes to them. I would love to see DL build the Oregon brand on three pillars 1) Tough, smart defense 2) Exciting, innovative offense 3) Players with character that talk up how much they really enjoy playing at Oregon If we get those three pillars then our brand will be exciting to watch. Specifically kids will watch, advertisers will sell products, Oregon gets TV contracts and Oregon's players will tell a story to recruits that keeps them coming to Oregon. As much as I adore the days when CFB wasn't business, it is now. We should own the fact that Oregon starting a facilities arms race fed that as much anything else in CFB. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckeyDuck No. 27 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Just keep your foot off the break, when the light's GREEN ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
