HappyToBeADuck

Ducks win 52-49 2 - Trurnovers 2 - Sacks 268 passing yards Go Ducks

Thank you, Mike for taking the time to find the video sequences that support your point of view. Well done! I look forward to the comments from the Forum members, especially about the defense. I have mentioned in previous posts that I have lost my faith in the Duck D. Not in the players but in the sets, schemes and overall philosphy. It used to be that it took the great teams to beat the ducks. The "Contenders", the teams with great offensive players, great coaching, with great sets and play calling that kept the Duck D off balance. As you mentioned in your breakdown, they exploited the Ducks weaknesses. It did not bother me because this happened against teams that won the Natty or played in the Natty. You know the cast, tOSU, Indiana and the dreaded fuskies, twice!!!!! It just wasn't our time. DL would learn from this and make adjustments, changes and big game performances. Sadly, i was wrong! This Duck fan does not put BSU or OSU in the category of the "Contenders". Do you? Without defensive changes, it may be a long season for this talented group of players. On the offensive side 2 things were crystal clear in the video..... The play calling was diverse. It kept IU off balance and on their heels. Look at the strong downfield blocking by the O line. I hope we see that from the Duck O against the trojans. This game is the Duck season. Win and the Ducls can keep working toward a CFP invite. Lose, and its off to San Antonio for the Alamo bowl. Yikes....... Lets just win. Ducks 52-49. Go Ducks......

Just like Michigan will be haunted by the W. Michigan game, i feel the Ducks game against OSU will haunt them. Let's face it both the Wolverines and Ducks embarrased themselves. The Wolverines stole a game they lost. And our Ducks were lucky they didnt lose by 20 plus. Gosh i still cant wash that bad taste out of my mouth. However, the Ducks can redeem themselves by actually showing up, being physical, dominating and beat the Trojans. There is no redemption for Michigan unless they make the BIG Title game. As for power rankings, JJ, i would have put both Michigan and the Ducks ahead of Penn State. If The Nittany Lions dont make the BIG Title game with their weak arse schedule, then they will have under achieved. Power rankings be damned, the Ducks must beat the Trojans, period. With a loss they would have to win out, go 10-2 and hope the CFP Committee doesnt hold the OSU game against them. The best scenario for our Ducks is that BSU and OSU win 10 plus games. And for OBD's to just win out. Go Ducks.

Charles, you are right on the money. The Duck defense or lack of defense is one of the main reasons we lost to OSU. The Duck defense had trouble getting off the field against BSU and OSU. Darn, it is hard to score if you don't have the ball. Ponder on this time of possession fact; OSU had the ball for almost 37 minutes and the Ducks just over 23 minutes. The Duck O had the ball barely over a quarter and a half. As poorly as the Duck O played, they took a 31-30 lead in the fourth quarter. And the D could not shut down the Cowboys. The D did not deliver in crunch time. That must change or this team will not make the CFP. No CFP berth, thus no shot at the elusive Natty. Get off the field and get the ball back to the offense. It is a simple part of the game of football that seems to elude this Duck D. Now in fairness the D did score points in the OSU game. And the Duck offense was lackluster and dropped 4 passes that all would have been firstdowns. 2 would have been touchdowns. That would have changed the outcome of this game. The much criticized O line gave DM the time to throw downfield and he delivered the ball on the money. He found the open receivers. They simply lost focus and dropped those passes. Sometimes it just happens to the best players. There will be games that your offense will not deliver. But no matter how poorly the O plays the D must come thru. Defense wins titles. The NFL is next season. 2026 is now. Man up, play together and get it done. This 46 year Duck fan has very little confidence in the defense and its schemes. They will not come thru against the Trojans. If the Duck D forces the Trojans to punt just 2 or 3 times, then Ducks will win 52-49... Go Ducks!

Well, the people who vote in the polls are not as invested in the Oregon Ducks, as we on this Forum are. Some may have actially watched the game in Stillwater. Others watched high lights (low lights), while others just heard the scpre and voted accordingly. It was a true let down and the Ducks embarrased themselves. Consider that those same pollsters were high on the Ducks enough to rank them #2. They gave the Ducks all the respect they had coming and then the Ducks let them down. The Ducks will have to earn the respect and trust of the voters again. Beating the trojans is a great first step. At this point the Trojans are over valued and the Ducks are hard to trust. SC is a different team at home than they are on the road. For this die hard Duck grey beard it boils down to these points..... Will the Ducks Defense rise to the occasion? Will SC convert on 3rd and long, 4th and short? Can the Duck D hold the Trojans to under 35 points? I won't use the PSU game as a barometer or measuring stick. The Ducks gave up 66 points in their first 2 games. 33 points per came! SC is capable of lighting up the scoreboard. They have scored 172 points in 4 games or 43 points per game. The Trojans have all the tools and talent to exploit the Ducks weak points on Defense. Can the front seven get to or pressure the SC QB? They did not against BSU or OSU? Can the Ducks make 2 or 3 stops and get the ball back to the O? From a betting line breakdown or a voters perspective and for this Duck fan, the Duck D has not proved they can get off the field. Or to not make a dumb mistake or get a penalty and give our opponent new life. Thats what my eyes tell me. So let's say SC puts up 43 points, do you trust Dante and the offense to score 44 points on the road? In all 3 games, Dante has not throwm to wide open receivers for big gains or TD's. The Ducks, at this point, are not a great team. Just a really good team with potential for greatness. Really good teams cannot afford to leave points off the board against any opponent. I believe if the Ducks play clean, smash mouth, inspired football that they will win this game 52-49. The betting line should be Ducks -2.5. Of course, I am voting with my heart not what I have seen. Go Ducks! All your goals are out in front of you...

Big take away was that the entire team came ready to play with intensity. They played hat on hat, physical football. About damn time! The freshmen did not disappoint. They let the veterans know they are ready to step up and earn playing time. To me, i noticed a little better push from the Oline. The running backs were 2 or 3 yards positive gain before being touched. Then they fought for more yatds. The line needs to keep improving eaxh week. When the holes were there the running backs had big gains. However, its easier to push PSU front 7 around than it will be against future NFL players in LA. But the communication was better. The,Oline was blocking downfield much better and look like they are working together better. Getting your Butt chewed out and hard practices can help that happen. The run game keeps defenses honest and off balance. This opens up the passing game. The wide outs and running backs blocked much better on the outside quick throws. This opened up big gains on the edges. Keeping PSU defense off balance allowed all 4 Duck QB's time to find and hit wide open receivers. The team needed this tune up, get right game. I am trying to keep this in perspective because all this happened against Portland State. The Ducks have talent but they will need to bring their A plus game to LA to beat the Trojans. The Ducks can beat the Trojans. It is a season defining game. But this Trojan defense, is a Gary Patterson defense. A win will not be easy but the Ducks can do it. Last nights performance gives me hope. Go Ducks.....

So much great analysis by this forum. In the painful process of rewatching this game, i am certain DL and staff see and recognize what we all see. I ask myself, can the coaches teach and lead the team out of this situation. The HC, OC and DC make 7 figures annually! TIme to earn it. I feel confident that the players, after watching game film, today, will recognize it. I ask myself do all of the players care enough or have enough pride to make the changes necessary to fix this? I rewatched this game to get a better look and thought about watching again. I decided against watching again because i had nothing left to barf up and i hate the dry heaves. Bottom line from this,Duck grey beard: Coach DL and staff, with about 10 minutes left in the game, the offense fought back and the Ducks led 31-30. With at least 8 defensive starters who will be playing in the NFL (in the next 2 years) WHY did the defense not shut out the Cowboys and bring home a victory? Why?

Mike, Great post, great and astute observations. My youngest son was at the game and was texting me his thoughts in real time. Michael played college ball as a corner back. He watches the game from an analytical perspective. Here are some of his comments throughout the game: The team has no energy or pop. Not ready to plsy a full 60 minute game. Dante is not hanging in the pocket long enough to hit receivers as they come open. Bailing to soon.... Not always going thru his progressions. Forcing the ball to his favorite receiver. Gatin wide oprn for an easy first down and instead throws into double team coverage. OSU defense knows the plays before the O snaps the ball. The Duck D scheme is being exploited by OSU. Its very predictable. Some players are taking plays off. Not sure why? This game is hard to watch. In fairness, Dad, it is brutally hot and humid. Probably 125 to 135 degrees on the field. No way to prepare for it. I know this game was difficult to watch for us Duck fans. Something hss to change on defense. Let's hope DL and staff figure it out. Even great players cannot excel in a weak scheme. Let's go Ducks.

Perhaps a coaching staff that has fallen short of preparing the team to come ready to play. A coaching staff that has not built intensity within the players. It appears that defensively that both BSU and OSU players were in the Ducks offensive huddle and knew the exact play the Ducks were running. Is the new OC play calling predictable? The hype is done, the rubber has hit the road and the Ducks are playing with one or two flat tires. All the Duck goals for this season are out in front of them. I wonder if the coaches and players are willing to make the changes needed to reach them. What a let down this game was for most everyone. Go Ducks......

Ducks win 59-17 3 turnovers 4 sacks 302 passing Go Ducks! Clean it up and roll over the Cowboys

Great points by all..... Some of the basic keys to a successful, high scoring offense: A defense that gets the ball back to their offense (Come on D, more 3rd down stops) Keeping the opposing defense off balance and on their heels. An offensive line that opens holes for the RB's, pass protects for the QB and fires off the ball. And a QB who is a threat to run the ball to keep the defense honest. (Only when playing USC, tOSU, Udub and in the playoffs.) These are obvious comments. The more the Ducks handle these basic moves as a team, the more points go on the board. Go Ducks....open a can of but kick on the Cowboys.

Approximately 76.7% of the United States population lives in the eastern and central time zones. That works out to about 3/4 of approximately 340,000,000 people. That is lot of potential viewing eyeballs. Businesses pay top dollar to advertise their products/services to reach the target audience. Networks need to show numbers to get top dollar. To the fan, does the start time really matter? Avid college football fans on the west coast watch Game Day at 6 am Pacific. And that show is a shell of what it once was. My youngest son played college ball from 2001 thru 2003 at a west coast school with a horrible program. I asked him how he and his team mates felt about 9 am starts in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas? Dad we are getting to play football, stay in fabulous hotels and have fun. Then we pick up 3 hours of time flying home, which gives us more time to do what is really important. I asked before I thought it thru; What is truly important son? Hanging out with girls, Dad! DUH..... For this Duck grey beard, a 9 am Duck game means i happily do my wifes honey do list Friday. For me it is Duck football. Anytime, any place, anywhere. It is must watch TV. For a sporting event this game has very little appeal to viewers outside of Oregon, Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley. Go Ducks.......

For this Duck grey beard it is way to early to make an assessment. Solar, i agree with JJ that your observations were very good. However, there will be solid improvement going forward. Boise State could very well make the playoffs. Thats a darn good, well coached football team. Time will tell. Also, the Offense kept the scheme very simple. No reason to reveal anything for USC to plan for, at this point. The Ducks started slow and allowed the Broncos to gain MO and quiet the Duck crowd. Don't see that happening again. Also, starting with the last drive of the first half, the Duck O scored points on 5 straight possessions. They were trying to run out the clock on the 6th possession. Thats pretty darn good. If the Ducks improve in your areas of concern, then this will be a season to remember. Go Ducks...beat OSU.

Charles, thank you for giving us your observations of the Oline combinations and which positions the players played. The CBS announcing crew rarely, if ever mentioned the names of the Oline. I have rewatched the game twice and have not seen an early game listing of either teams starters. Poor effort by the CBS team. The Oline was pretty soft on opening holes for the running game. I look to see a big improvement against OSU. More playing time will bring improvements. Did the Oline have any holding penalties? Pass protection was good. They gave Dante time in the pocket to go thru the progressions and make some great throws. Dante had a few throw aways and he was sacked just once. You dont get 380 yards passing without the time needed to hit the open receiver. The Oline play should and will improve each week. Boise State put on a clinic in clean, precise open field tackling or the Ducks would have racked up more passing yards and points. I read a number of Duck fans complaints about too many passes behind the line of scrimmage. Those type of plays set up those crossing patterns and slants that produced chunk plays and touchdowns later in the game. On the one 4th and short play, in the first half, if the BSU player had not made a great open field tackle, Dak would have taken it to the house. The formation and play call took the linebackers and DB's away from the play. What coach would not want Dak Moore isolated in space? Glad for the win! So much upside and room for growth. No Ducks on offense played to their ceiling, except maybe Dante. The future looks great. Go Ducks! Get after OSU.

This challenging game against BSU will pay dividends in future games, especially on the road. The Ducks showed that they could make in game adjustments. The Oline gave Dante time to read his progressions and Dante delivered big time. That wasnt always the case last year. The Broncos came ready to play and smacked the Ducks in the mouth. The Ducks did not panic. They dominated the 2nd half and beat the best G6 team in the country. This game tested the Ducks metal. It will pay dividends against the Trojans. Go Ducks......

The anticipation to kickoff is over the top. Let's play some football...... Getting the defense off the field on 3rd and long is my top concern. Last season opposing teams were getting the ball out quick. Exploiting Duck linebackers in space and soft coverage. Our opponents just let the play unfold. Too often they converted 3rd and 8, 3rd and 11, even 3rd down and twenty. Would like to see that tightened up. How many times did the QB connect on a short pass, to a wide open player just a milla secont before being sacked by a Duck fire eater? Tighten the coverage and sack totals will rise. Nothing like a violent sack on 3rd and long....... It is going to be a great season for the Ducks and their fans...... Go Ducks!

Ducks win 52-10 2 TO's 3 Sacks 287 passing yards Go Duvjs!

Blue chip ranked players want to play. If they don't get their chance, then they will find a school that will play them. So play them all. Blow out the Broncos from start to finish. The Ducks 2's and 3's are talented enough to be starters at BSU. Go Ducks........

10-2 Regular Season 38.1 points per game scoring average for the offense 17.9 points allowed by the Duck Defense. Win the NC Game 28-27 Kick the darn ball off and lets get after it.

The ACC does not have the high powered conference members to help challenge the Canes. Or improve its SOS. ND has gone out of its way to eliminate blue bloods from their schedule, USC, Michigan, etc. They schedule 5 ACC teams and feast on G6 competition Both teams will be rewarded for their lightweight scheduling and get a,CFP invite. The BIG Ten (18) schedulers could learn from this. They went out of their way to sabotage their big national brands (tOSU, Oregon and USC with challenging schedules. Very little room for more than 1 loss. All 3 of those schools could have a strong season and be rewarded with 3 losses. Self cannibalism is not the ticket to the CFP. JJ or Jon Boy thank you for your research and articles.

I love this forum...... I agree with JJ. 10-2 floor and 12-0 ceiling. It all depends on the Oline and can the offense play balanced ball by week 4. Then get better every week. To go 12-0, the defense must win the day against tOSU. The NFL talent filled D roster must show up, show out and show off. Control the LOS...... Go Ducks.....

If tOSU Buckeyes are the last team standing, after the CFP, then they will be beyond worthy.......... JJ, thank you for all this great information. Appreciate your constant effort. OBD's schedule is tough but nothing like tOSU. Scheduling is a tall task for each league office. PSU sure has an easy schedule, too. If ND and PSU make the CFP then they will be playing against some battled tested teams. Go Ducks...

IMHO, Washington, PSU, Michigan, Illinois, USC and Iowa could make the case to go 11-1 if they had Notre Dames schedule. tOSU, Indiana and Oregon could and probably would go 12-0. Ask yourself if the Domers would beat tOSU and Michigan on back to back weekends? I am not convinced that OBD's can do it with an almost complete blue-chip roster. I agree with JJ that I would rather have ND's middle of the pack SOS match ups.

David, thank you for another spot on article. Appreciate all the writers and posters on this one of a kind Forum. My optimism for the Ducks in 2026 is very high. The schedule will be challenging with at least 3 or 4 teams with CFP potential on the schedule. My wish is for a balanced offense that can run or pass with lethal execution. The 2025 Oline could plow the road for the run game. This forced the opposing D to crowd the line of scrimmage....... This repeatedly opened the Duck offense up to take the top off of the defense. And it worked. On replays we could see Duck tightends and WR's wide open, past the defenders....... However, as you mentioned David, pass protection broke down often and Dante was sacked or scrambling and the opportunity was missed. Hopefully, the 2026 Duck Oline can deliver when called upon. If they do, the skilled position players will light up the scoreboard. How the Oline delivers will be the difference between 12-0 and 10-2. Can't wait! Go Ducks.....

Eventually greed has its own day of reckoning. To early in the game to know. tOSU gains part of its immense payout from the value of the conference. Ask yourself this: How come Oregon received $48 mil for a partial share in the BIG, but would have struggled to reach $30 mil with a full share in the PAC? Stronger partners in a stronger conference. Along with poaching most of the cream from the PAC. Rest assured, tOSU and others will do what they feel is in their best interest. And I guess that is okay.