WiseKwacker

As I slowly drifted off to sleep last night, I had visions of Gary Crowton...and Scott Frost...and Joe Moorhead... Then, I woke up in a cold sweat. The Ducks' offense got better after each one of those guys left...right? (Yeah, Ludwig wasn't great. But, I think he was a small step up from Crowton.) I guess that doesn't do anything about this year, though, does it.

On the other hand, oftentimes talent and experience pay off.

Don't want to go overboard on the comparison here, but I see a similarity between Brock Thomas and another Brock we'll all remember: Brock Purdy. Seems to me both guys lack the physical "tools" that lead high school and college QBs to be rated as top prospects--shorter than desired, not an exceptionally strong arm, not particularly fleet of foot. Yet, they somehow confound the "experts" and play winning football. What I suspect is the secret ingredient for both guys is the invisible skillset that resides between the ears. The game is too fast for some of the so-called five-star guys--some of whom have passed through the Ducks' program in recent years--but not for these two guys. (By the way, I think the kid who's now playing QB for the not-so-beloved Beavs is another one of those guys.) At this point, I'm just glad Brock Thomas decided to stick with his hometown Ducks as a backup with no guarantee of playing time with two five-star guys ahead of him on the depth chart.

First game of the season. New offensive line. Let's not get too cocky before the first snap of the season. I say, just win the game. Beyond that, let the game circumstances dictate who gets playing time. Go Ducks!

Thanks for all the knowledge, Charles. You've helped smarten me up over the years.

Yeah, I read that, too, and had that momentary thought, "Wait...what? Hey, he's referring to OBD." What a d*ck. (Not Duck.) On a more upbeat note, maybe he was referring to Rutgers.

Yeah. Gotta have that. 🤞

They’re settling down. Harris MAY show the effective power we hoped he would show when he transferred two years ago in what could be his final game as a Duck. If they can score on this drive, I’m optimistic. AND, they did!

It would be kinda nice to know which hand was broken. I don't see that info in this linked story or in Aaron Fentress' story on OregonLive. I guess I'll wait to see a photo of Shelstad post injury.

I'm with you, David. I've just seen Riggs once in game action--at the end of the season. My instant reaction, though, was, "Wow! That's a special guy." It's hard to quantify, but he just moves differently than the majority of major college running backs. For me, it's one of those things that you can't really describe to anyone else; you just know it when you see it. I think Riggs has it.

Snuffles wasn't in that many cartoons back in the day, but he always made me laugh as a kid.

Well, the Raiders certainly need SOMETHING. I think it would be an interesting hire since Tom Brady is apparently heavily involved in the process. Without knowing any of the "particulars," it doesn't seem like Brady and Sanders are cut from the same kind of cloth. Maybe that's not important...

And, watching that "charred duck" commercial isn't so funny right now...

Their lines are DOMINANT! Howard has all the time he needs to make the throws. Gabriel throwing under pressure constantly.

Buckeyes' lines are dominating so far. Tough to watch.

I watched this game through the start of the second half. I was hopeful Ty would have a breakout game since he didn't get much playing time during the regular season. Sadly, he was under pressure nearly every time he dropped back to pass. When he wasn't just throwing it away, his passes were often off target. Thinking I'd seen this painful movie before, I turned the game off and went out into my yard to do some winter cleanup. I hope Ty is getting a college degree out of all this.

Tough to lose one. But if his heart wasn't into the move to Oregon, better to have him bolt now than later on. On the topic of the Ducks' wide receiver room, what's the scuttlebutt on Jurrion Dickey? Heard some encouraging comments from him after his true freshman year, but it never resulted in any playing time for him. What seems to be holding him back at this point? I don't even see his name mentioned in articles describing the next players who might step up with the graduation of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, and (possibly) Evan Stewart.

I desperately want to stay positive after this shaky 2-0 start to the season. Thus, I'll stick with, "Hope you're right, my friend." 😉

Just listening to Jerry Allen since I don't have my Comcast alternative sorted out yet. Yikes! Where did Mike Bellotti stash that sledgehammer?

Well, Shelstad had a stronger rookie season with the Ducks, so there's that.

Just want to get something off my chest that's been bothering me for the past few months. As the NBA draft inches closer, I always check out the various mock drafts posted online. Seems every one has Adem Bona (UCLA) going in the middle of the 2nd round. Our beloved Dante, meanwhile, goes undrafted. Are you kidding me? Okay, I realize that Dante has a long injury history. And, I realize that he was--until recently--petitioning for an additional year of college eligibility. Even so, did these scouting savants watch the Ducks play these past few seasons? Dante made huge improvements in his footwork over the past two years. The Blazers may not be the best example right now, but I look at some of the guys they've had on their roster as back-up centers recently--Moses Brown, Ibou Badji, Duop Reath--and I can't help but think that Dante is easily better than any of them. I'm betting he lands on an NBA team roster next season, whether it's as a draftee or as a free agent.

Sorry. Former teacher here. Ticonderoga makes--in my humble opinion--the best pencils around. Several years, my team of teachers specified Ticonderoga pencils specifically on the school supply list for parents as we were sick of seeing kids bring in cheap pencils with leads that were not centered. You'd watch a kid sharpen and sharpen an inferior pencil down to nothing, trying to get a point without a portion of wood on the tip.

New rallying cry heard at Duck baseball games: "TICONDEROGA, baby!!"

Just letting you know, Darren. I got a call from Tinker Hatfield this morning. He ain't laughing.