Daily article: Shough Faces Make-or-Break Fiesta Bowl

[BigDucksFan]

Add your comments about todays article in this topic, the link to the article is right here:

 

[Haywarduck]

John you raise a great point on the culture of game day prep. Does Mario's support and love for his players create a too buttoned up mentality? It is time for the Ducks to let loose.

As far as opening the door for a qb battle next season, the barn door is wide open right now. The only thing Shough can do is start pushing it shut. Even moving it in the right direction won't get it shut. I hope he has a great game and we have a good competition, but it will be a competition.

The barn door is wide open and a cyclone is coming, time for Shough to get it shut!

[30Duck]

10 minutes ago, Jon Joseph said:

Today, the game simply looks too BIG for Shough to handle.

This is the problem. ,as Joshua noted, this is a pivotal game for Shough. However, it's a HUGE game for the Ducks, and it can't be used for Shough to find himself. He's gotten worse as the season has gone on, mechanically and mentally. It doesn't track that he will reverse course and play like he did to start the season.

[tee duke]

I find it difficult to criticize any player who appears to give their best effort. I'm not the one out there executing plays. I feel for Tyler and I hope he takes advantage of the opportunities presented to him in the coming game.

The coaches bear some responsibility for player performance. It's their job to put the team in the best position to win. Perhaps both players and coaches have learned something from their last outing that will enable the Ducks to perform better and possibly redeem themselves with a well-deserved win against ISU.

[Drake]

The kid needs to relax and play football. I don’t have any brilliant answers on how you make that happen. Shough does need help from his linemen and receivers. The QB can’t win this game by himself.  Shough will face pressure because he hasn’t handled it that well, and other teams know it.  This will definitely be Shough’s make, or break game. 
 

With the talent we have is Shough the best game day QB?  As a QB on the roster, I wouldn’t be looking at the transfer portal. 

 

[Jon Sousa]

3 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

Has Mario created a culture where guys on gameday can play fast, loose and athletic? Or, one where guys are more concerned about doing their job by the numbers?

Culture is complicated with many facets and interconnections. Part of the culture is family. Everybody says this. The main ingredients of the family part of the culture are being comfortable around each other, being supportive of each other, the ability to be yourself, and having fun together. The family part of the culture Mario is building is conducive  to enjoying the game and letting your natural talents flourish.  How that meshes with the tough, physical, "impose your will on the the opponent" part of the culture, I have no clue since I don´t live in that culture.

I point this out just to say that I don´t think that the tough part of the culture is overpowering the family part of the culture. Shough´s problems are related to Shough, not to the culture. If it was a culture problem it would be more wide spread than just one QB.

 

[BigDucksFan]

The Ducks haven't seen much of this particular problem over the years, under MC or any other coach. Just what is causing Shough's problem we don't know, if its lack of focus then that is on the coaches. If its mechanics that also is on the coaches. However, Shough's problem is easier solved, start Brown at QB for this game .

[30Duck]

9 minutes ago, BigDucksFan said:

However, Shough's problem is easier solved, start Brown at QB for this game .

Precisely. Shough's problems can be addressed in the offseason. The immediate answer at QB for the team is to start Brown. 

[Notalot]

Many readers and countless fans will agree with your premises, Joshua. I feel similar feelings but come away with another conclusion. Tomorrow's game is unlikely to decide Tyler's future and fate as Oregon's starting QB going forward to the  2021 season.

The off-season development of the QB's, along with spring and summer camp competitions and preseason game results will determine which one starts when the conference games launch.

Given the make-up of those in the QB room one may take over another on the depth chart through the season, so the Ducks might end up with a different QB than they begin with.

 

 

 

[Santa Rosa Duck]

I for one am a bit apprehensive about which DUCK team shows up tomorrow. Not sure who starts at QB but my guess is if it is Shough he will be on a short leash. 

Just who is the QB coach for our DUCKS?

[Old Geezer]

As it's often been said, the mental part of the games preparation is always more important than the physical. At this level of football most of these kids are athletically equal it's the mental preparation that separates the good athlete from the elite. This is the reason that professional sports teams hire sports psychiatrists.

I fear that Shoughs problems are in his head and that is not easily fixed with good coaching. I'm afraid that we  will need to see more of Brown in this upcoming game in order to have a chance at securing a win.

[Notalot]

6 minutes ago, Santa Rosa Duck said:

I for one am a bit apprehensive about which DUCK team shows up tomorrow. Not sure who starts at QB but my guess is if it is Shough he will be on a short leash. 

Just who is the QB coach for our DUCKS?

You raise a good question SRD. I wonder the same and would like to know the dynamics and authorities for QB's. We'll never know.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Notalot

[ICamel]

25 minutes ago, Santa Rosa Duck said:

Just who is the QB coach for our DUCKS?

Joe Moorhead - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

In addition, I am sure that Nate Costa also works with the QB's

[tee duke]

Just who is the QB coach for our DUCKS?

Team website says Coach Moorhead is OC and QB Coach.

[Jon Sousa]

4 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

But please allow me to ask, are you looking forward to tomorrow's game with unbridled anticipation and joy? Without at least some concern over what Ducks team we will see on the field? The 'CAL/OR ST team?' Or, the refuse to lose, fire-breathing team we saw play USC?

The 'culture' means far less to me than does dropping games to teams when you have the clear roster and talent advantage. 2020?

"...unbridled anticipation and joy?"  I'm looking forward to seeing a good game and I am hoping for a win.  I definitely have no concern about which team is going to show up. The Ducks are going to show up. The team that played USC is the same team that played OSU, with a few differences due to injury, protocols, and who practiced well that week.

I recognize that football is an emotional game as well as one of preparation, practice, and execution. I also know that it is played with a pointy ball that is very hard and bounces very irregularly. Football is a game with momentum shifts. On one third and long Shough threw a perfect pass to DJ Johnson who caught the ball and then lost it as he was bringing it to his chest. He was then hit and the ball fell to the ground. That dropped ball resulted in a punt to USC. Momentum was lost, for sure, but what did it do Shough's confidence? 

I respectfully disagree with you that the Ducks "have the clear roster and talent advantage". We have seen it over and over again the last few years. An elite HS recruit comes in and you suppose they will be an instant starter, but they sit behind a starter who came out of HS with one or even two less stars. KT was the best recruit in the country but even he was second string learning behind a senior who was better than him. KT originally came in for limited situations. He probably would not have started the whole year had the senior not gotten injured. KT had to learn a whole lot more a whole lot faster and did well. Yes, the Ducks have more stars on their roster, but most of those stars are in their first or second year at Oregon. That does not make them better than the juniors and seniors who are playing for ISU. 

ISU is a very good team. They just missed winning the BIG 12 championship. They have a very good defense with a scheme that the Ducks have not seen much of. Shough is going to be starting his 7th game with no experience reading that defense live (for this reason alone, Brown might be a better choice). ISU has one of the best, if not the best, running backs in the country. Their offense is a well oiled machine. Their QB, while a HS rival of Shough, has a lot more college experience than Shough.

What do I expect???? I expect the Ducks to win... and I am hoping that they win going away.

 

[David Marsh]

3 hours ago, ICamel said:

Joe Moorhead - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

In addition, I am sure that Nate Costa also works with the QB's

Moorhead's job was not made easy this year with only a few spring practices while breaking in a new quarterback and offensive system. 

However, I'd argue he did a good job of it.  It's difficult to pinpoint why the Shough has collapsed in the past two games. He did play pretty well against OSU ... Except for the two interceptions. However, it was really the Oregon defense that lost the game against OSU as they couldn't manage to stop anything. 

[AnotherOD]

I think everyone is pulling for TS. It's probably an extra, extra big task following a successful 4 year starter like Herbert.

I hope to be wrong, but the problems seem to be of the difficult sort: handling pressure, seeing the field, and making quick yet correct decisions.

The third I think can be repaired. The first two? Time will tell. For success tomorrow, I think the game really needs to slow down for TS, and a major bowl against a good team playing well on defense is probably not a high % place to expect this to start.

Optimism suggests JM can put together a game plan to get TS some early confidence. Would do wonders. One would expect Iowa State, with their somewhat unique defensive scheme, will attempt to put the game in TS's hands (confuse, pressure).

Reading some bowl game discussions, it unfortunately doesn't seem like Iowa State's vulnerabilities on defense are areas Oregon's offense has been hitting on lately. Shots deep, a heavy dose of properly executed RPOs, and a strong game from the OL seem like a strong recipe.

[30Duck]

1 hour ago, Jon Joseph said:

Thank you for the comment. But it's time to leave excuses behind and win the damn games.

 

This is why I have a new appreciation for Nick Saban. It is not enough to have the great talent that Alabama has. In fact, it actually makes what he has done at Alabama even more impressive. If any team might not get up for a game, especially against an unranked team, it would be Alabama. But they don't. Alabama has the culture I believe Mario is trying to create at Oregon. WIN. That's it, nothing else is acceptable.
 

[Drake]

25 minutes ago, Jon Joseph said:

? OK, not every highly ranked HS kid comes through. But no one can  objectively review the Ducks vs CAL and Beavers rosters and come to the conclusion that they are on the same planet. 

Why do we follow recruiting rankings? Because no team has won a BCS or Playoff title that did not have a roster of 50% or more, 4 star players.

There is no way that CAL and OSU belong talent wise, on the same football field as the Ducks. No Way!

Nick Saban and his superior roster teams have not lost to an unranked opponent since Saban's 1st season in Tuscaloosa. WHY? Because he has superior talent ready to ball out.

You will never convince me that this Oregon team as young as it is, had any reason for leaving Berkeley and Corvallis in the loss column.

If you do not expect excellence, excellence will never be achieved.

Thank you for the comment. But it's time to leave excuses behind and win the damn games.

 

 

I am not surprised that a young Oregon team got beat. New QB, new O line, young LB’s and DB’s with little game experience and limited practice together is a recipe for upsets. Not an excuse, but reality.
 

Using Alabama’s success as an example may be a stretch. Based on their recruiting class results they underperform every year they don’t win a National Championship. They had a stretch of 7 years where their recruiting classes were ranked #1. Their worst class recently is equal to our best class ever. 
 

Expectations are rising once again, and most fans expect to compete for a National Championship. But, most fans realize we aren’t there yet. 

[Jon Sousa]

44 minutes ago, Jon Joseph said:

All I can say is: if you cannot defeat CAL, Oregon State and Iowa State, please turn down the volume on being 'The Clemson of the West.' 

Are CAL, Oregon State and Iowa State all on the same level??   Seems to me that any objective analysis would say, "No WAY!"

[Drake]

My expectations are simple and expecting to win doesn’t change the losses to wins. I expect the Ducks to be favored in most games. I know a winner when I see one, and what I saw was a young team making mistakes that they couldn’t overcome. In my opinion, that doesn’t make the coaches incompetent? 

We have a good team that is missing a few components to have a shot. We need a QB that can carry the team, a RB that can go to the house anytime he touches the ball, healthy TE’s, and depth on the defensive line. We are recruiting talent that is improving our chances at a title shot. 
 

Been attending games consistently for over 40 years. That is a lot of tailgaters. I want to see them win a title as much as anyone. This coaching staff has the team on an uptick, and a few losses along the way does not spoil my journey. Win, or lose I know when we have a legit chance at a title...this year was not one of those years.