Jester

Throughout the years we've all heard players voice their versions of the "Win one for the Gipper" speech, and recount how a group of players would in no way let down their beloved coach. I think a team can clearly rally around a player in a very similar manner. Bennett's teammates know his story, see how hard he's had to grind to be football relevant, and I'm pretty sure this kid put his badge of courage on display on the daily to earn his position as starting QB. I recall thinking the embraces Stetson received following the Natty seemed more sincere than the typical "we did it, bro" hug. Teammates and coaches actually seemed to smile a little more and squeeze him a little tighter. Perhaps it was Stetson who wouldn't let go, maybe it was that his frame looked so diminutive in the arms of GA's over-sized lineman, or just perhaps an extended embrace was Stetson's peers way of saying, "You did it. You scrawny, no-business-being-here, cup runneth over with moxy and determination son-of-a-gun. You did it". Bottom line is that those who can overcome the odds albeit physical, logistical, financial...whatever, have a tendency to lift those in their immediate peer group. Stetson's will-power was definitely a solid, integral link in the chain of the Bulldogs season. Raise your glass - Here's to hoping we have few players on our team that have the same resolve as Stetson Bennett. .

Don't forget the statewide brain-fart of 2016.

There is a “catchable” element that’s part of calling PI. However, it’s somewhat like tagging 2nd when turning-two in baseball. As long as that ball is in the general vicinity, they’ll toss the hanky. Zay Jones sold it as well. Acted as if some Oswald wannabe shot him from behind the hotdog vendor.

Justin’s numbers have been great and his trajectory continues to point upward, but what really impressed me was his performance down the stretch, converting 4th and long after 4th and long. LA did a lot to hot potato that game into a loss. Turned it over twice (once on downs) deep in their own end, giving-up a 3rd and 23 on a run up the middle to extend a Raider drive, and the receivers really didn’t make plays to help their QB yet Herbie gave them chances to steal that game. I wish LA would have won, if for nothing else to hear Justin’s gutsy performance being recognized nationally. Accurate throws into tight windows on 4th downs is nothing to sneeze at. I thought it was extra-special considering Max Crosby’s continual physical assault of Storm Norton on his path to decapitate of our beloved Duck. Our young gun showed leadership, guts, his physical skills, and that he’s a straight-up baller. Very proud to call him a Duck.

Yeah...you're right.

I would like to extend a sincere “Thank you” to those who take the time to write about Oregon coaches and players from years past. I apologize for not attempting to generate a thought-provoking thread, or post info. regarding a potential new member of the incoming class. I know we’re all looking to the future, but I felt I needed to get this out there based on a few members referencing a name from the past - Len Casanova. Len was before my time, so naturally I had to look him up. I figured Wikipedia was as good a place to start as any, so I made it my first stop. Wow! Wiki led me down a seemingly endless rabbit hole keeping my attention well into the wee hours of the morning. After all the clicking and reading, I’m sure my opinion is in line with what many of you already know. Len Casanova lived a very full, remarkable life. Cas (I did the research. I can call him that now.) actually posted in the Senior Horoscope section of his high school yearbook that his future career was to be that of a “football coach”. Along the way he recorded a 97 yard punt against St. Mary’s, was a two sport athlete at Santa Clara while earning a bachelor’s in philosophy and a minor in history, obtained his teaching credential in ’32, and so on and so forth. My intent isn’t to list ALL of Cas’ credentials as those few items I mentioned are just the very tip of a very sizable iceberg. His life accomplishments in and out of the sports world rival that of Winston Groom’s fictitious character, Forrest Gump. To those that don’t know much, or anything at all for that matter, about Len Casanova, take some time to review the depth of this man’s accomplishments. It’s intriguing how football legends such as John McKay, John Robinson, and Bear Bryant have ties to Cas. It’s amazing that titles such as Commander, Head Coach, Athletic Director, American Football Coaches Association President, and National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame member all travel with one man – Len Casanova. Dallas Cowboys great, Mel Renfro, once stated, "If I didn't have a Dad, Cas could be my Dad. He was always fair with all of his players and cared for them, even the lowest guy on the roster. Cas wanted us to be good people, on and off the fleld." That comment epitomizes the kind of man we want to lead Oregon moving forward. We’re hopeful Dan Lanning is cut from a similar cloth. So, to those of you who are leery of posting material that focuses on days gone by…Stop. Please, continue to regale us with memories of the past. Many of us may be younger in years but it’s clear this board is full of old football souls that enjoy stories of those who helped shape of the University of Oregon. “To know your future you must know your past” ― George Santayana

So apparently we all agree with Coach Beamer when it comes to a DD take.

A million dollars...for Caleb Williams? That's just laughable. The guy only played against four defensives (I'm excluding the Oregon game since we were running 3+ deep at some positions) ranked in the top 85 in terms of yardage given-up. How did he make out in those games? Completed a whopping 38 of 76 (Hey I can do this math - 50%) Then there is the stellar td to turnover ratio - 4/3. Wow, that's not too good either. The average ranking of the remaining defenses he played against is just north of 106. That's not including the mighty Catamounts of Western Carolina. He tore them up with a 50% completion percentage in that game. You can look up numbers specific to just passing yardage allow by the opponents he played against. You'll see very, very, similar numbers. As a whole, perhaps even worse. Bottom line is the kid made hay against Mary Sister's of the Poor type defensives. But, I get it. He is exciting (exciting does not always equate to positive play) and obviously is a magnetic draw with presumably tremendous upside. His biggest asset to any program right now is essentially that him being on your roster is like having a built-in top 10 scout on staff. Heck, even with his crap numbers against above average defenses, I would want him. However, I still can't fathom a million dollars strictly based on his performance.

Ah, great research on your part! Your seething toward the G5 and the Committee is validated by this game. The "Cinderella" doesn't work in football. But the Committee didn't care, they let Cincy crash the party. So, if Bama had a top five rushing attack like Air Force, Army, Kent State, Nothern Ill., or North Texas this game would have been completely out-of-hand? The Tide is 4th in pts./game, top ten in passing yards, and pretty sure they have a QB that collected some nice hardware this year. For them the running game is slightly more than window dressing. Bama ran more in this game cuz Tressel uses a lot of 3-3-5 sets, Metchie is done, like it or not a G5 DB (Coby Bryant) was dubbed the best DB (Jim Thorpe Award) in college football, and yes, Bama had a size advantage (nothing new here). Just like Dean Smith was the only person to hold MJ to under 20 per game, Bill O’Brien is the reason Bama doesn’t run the ball. The only time in the first half Bama got behind the sticks was when Billy O. got pass happy. Cincinnati’s staff was actually counting on that. Big question is, if not Cincy then who? Next in line was ND who was soundly defeated by Cincy on their home field. I’m not a perennial believer in G5 teams, but Cincy did have a bunch of 5th and 6th year players, guys who will be drafted, and a QB that many feel is a day one draft pick (I personally don’t, but I’m not a scout). Any alternative would have been dealt the same fate. This is all speculative, coffee shop, garbage talk anyway. Bigger concern is how the heck can Oregon close the gap between the product they put on the field and what we saw in two games yesterday?

Charles, you got my attention by calling-out Butterfield in your comment. Of the young guys who were parked on the bench all night, would Butters be your first go-to or were just mentioning Jay in an "even Jay could carve these guys up" kind of way? Asking cuz most peeps would opt for TT as a first option, and I obviously don't know your stance on the pecking order of the QB room.

I was obviously going to watch this game as an avid Duck fan, but I posted yesterday morning that I was curious to see if we would be privy to a "Where was this play calling all year?" moment. Guess that was answered. If the offense was truly throttled by MC I offer my sincere condolences to AB. For all the crap we give him, he displayed a very nice deep ball last night. Receivers with a little more experience would have netted him an even better result. With either being hard-headed with his offensive philosophy, or by believing he was protecting AB's inability to throw the ball, he my have stunted what this QB could have produced. Now, when I think of the MC all I can imagine is Gandalf saying:

I was able to find positives in last night’s game, but can certainly say I’m not “stoked” after that performance. I’ve seen words like embarrassing and abysmal describing Oregon’s play in the first half of that game. Hypothetically – Do you think at half-time, if the dollar amount of 10K was offered to each Okie player if the team was to score 60 while holding the Ducks to under 27 they could have done so? I wouldn’t have wagered against that. There’s a tendency to take your foot off the throttle when you have basically in insurmountable lead against a non-threatening foe. Pretty sure Boomer felt they were in that position. Those kids were enjoying themselves on the sideline and perhaps focus was waning on the field with the anticipation of the final gun. If you recall, they did shoot themselves in the foot a few times in the 2nd half. Besides, Big12 defenses aren’t really known to overwhelm anyone for 60 mins. That being said, Oregon is to be commended for not burying their heads in the sand and quitting when it would have been the easy thing to do. I appreciate those who played this game given the high number key players who either physically couldn’t go or opted to forgo this game. Thanks guys. It was fun to watch our young receivers getting their footing in the 2nd half. I particularly liked the efforts of Chris Hutson. I felt that by the end of the game he was stating his case to be “The Man” next season. As a group, the WR’s need to beef-up a little and hit the weight room. CH may have been able to draw a PI on that deep ball (BTW – great stinkin’ catch) if he was able to physically fight for positioning instead of being easily directed OB. Note on the line of scrimmage: I look forward to see what the O-line can do next season with an expected “new” blocking scheme, and I’m very curious to see what our D-Line looks like when we line-up against GA next year. This year the LB position group was gutted from the get-go. I just want to see what this corps looks like if the intended starters can get on the field at the same time! I’m expecting this position group to be the most improved unit next year. Let the competition begin at QB! I’ll trust that the new regime will view all who wish to play this position as equal at this point. May the player who gives us the best chance for dubs, win! Circling back to the topic of being stoked. I am most definitely excited to see what next season brings, but not so sure last nights effort if the driver in me feeling that way.

...and with 8:45 left in the game it's AB once again!

Is it finally Ty time?

So is the offense doing just enough to keep Ty on the sideline?

Front 7 on "D" is clearly out-manned and over-matched. Kind of wonder why our "O" was running hurry-up. Game like this I would want to shorten, not give the ball to the other team as quickly as possible. This is tough to watch, but I'm gonna hang-in to see if anyone can make a positive impact play.

Boomer 41-26, 2, 2, 241. LOL! I don't even think this was meant to be humorous.

You're absolutely right, Mudslide, and I ought to know better! Do you Bitcoin, PayPal, or straight-up cash as payment?

I will be watching and waiting for the "Where was this guy all year?" and/or "Where was this play calling all year?" moment. That, coupled with team effort and a legit attempt at demonstrating enthusiasm would be great. My takeaway from this game will not be predicated by the final outcome, which will NOT be in our favor, but more so by the manner in which the guys carry themselves and represent Oregon football for sixty mins. Just looking for something positive to carry-over to next year. Final note on MC. Unlike you guys, I'm not over the MC era. Well, maybe the era I can expunge but I still harbor a fair amount of disdain for that clown that I'm sure will occupy a place in my left ventricle for some time to come. We have at least one therapist on this board, right?

Currently 52 with light drizzle in York, PA.

MaiTai, I’m a little bit of a traditionalist so I believe in honoring agreements, committing to a cause and seeing it through, and being true to my word. I understand where you’re coming from. When people leave us it’s natural to immediately go on the defensive and asked, “What did I/we do?” I think to some degree most of us felt that way when Mario left. Heck, we were all like the Havanna Huckster’s faithful and quasi-attractive girlfriend. Huckster took us dinner, told us we were beautiful, and even said to someone that he would be with us until someone would drag him “kicking and screaming” away from us. Then just like that, BAM! Two weeks before the prom Huckster dumped us for the once attractive slut from the wrong side of the tracks. Thing is, if you look around the college landscape you see this happening everywhere. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of folks at Auburn who are upset with Bo Nix coming to Eugene. What about the Cowing kid from UTEP. Bet the good people of El Paso aren’t thrilled with hearing his name linked to Oregon. Rest assured there will be more. We don’t have to like this part of the game but it’s going to continue to be played. We just have to play it better than others. That’s why we dissect the backgrounds of the guys coming on-board Lanning’s staff. Take a look at the California ties with the coaches he’s bringing in. He understands the need to keep a foothold in this region. The staff that's being assembled will do damage in the future. Let’s see how this plays out and tally the scores at the end of this upcoming and the following seasons. I think we’ll find that we’re doing just fine. Hang in there MaiTai.

Quick review for you. Doesn't appear to be afraid of the middle of the field for his stature.

Bag man super team?🤣 Yall got to take a serious peek inside your own house before you concern yourself with others. This is awesome. Let's Go!

Sounds as if our dope of a coach found a way to shunt our players brains from releasing dopamine. This is an outstanding topic. The reason it is so for me is that throughout this past season I wondered why our team (OSU game aside) had so much trouble maintaining it (momentum) for any length of time. I should have opened by answering the primary question. Yes, I believe momentum is real. I’ve played multiple sports (team & individual) and have felt momentum, felt in-the-zone, that feeling of complete confidence that permits your body to re-act freely without hesitation. It is contagious. I bet we can all think of an occasion, perhaps not even an athletic endeavor, where we’ve been with a group of peers and maybe you’re bouncing ideas of one another and before you know it the whole group (even the guy that typically has zero contribution) is just feeding of one another. It’s essentially a pack mentality and everyone is in the mix. But…momentum certainly is fleeting. I don’t know, maybe that’s why “moment” is part of the word. Now let’s circle back to how this ties into my frustration with this team. How many times this year did it feel as if Uncle Mo was completely parked in our corner? Travis Dye just scored to push the lead to 14 points. The Duck just pumped-out push-ups and Autzen is hoppin’. Even announcers would start introducing topics to keep things interesting as the game’s conclusion appears well in-hand. HOLD EVERYTHING! Our fired-up kick coverage team has just taken the field. Maybe they weren’t so fired-up as the other team just ran it back to the 35. 3rd down now. Woops! There’s an interference call because we weren’t taught to locate the ball. There’s a 12 yard run. What do you mean 12 men on the field and can someone tell DeRuyter the TE IS an eligible receiver. Seven play scoring drive that the announcer will refer to as “well-orchestrated”. Now it’s a game again. Just like that we let Uncle Mo sprint from our corner. This happened repeatedly this year and I questioned who to blame. I mean, we have studs at all three levels of our defense! Do they not raise the level of those around them? Is this crew just really not that tightly knit? I hate to think that. Perhaps momentum is something that could have been better filtered from the top down? I could puke my views on this for a while but this teams inability to put their foot on the other teams throat this year just boggled my mind. Key moments when you wanted to see them "step-up" just didn't happen that often. Good teams seize the moment when presented with momentum. If momentum can be fostered from the top down, I hope Lanning & Co. find a way to do it.

Thanks for your comments. It's great to be part of the OBD community. I am enjoying the up-to-date Duck news and reading the opinions of this enthusiastic fan base. I wish. Unfortunately, the only thing Michael Ironside & I have in common is that we are both at least "somewhat" follicly challenged. Apparently, during a parent teacher conference in my early years I was dubbed the class "court jester". The family cut it down to Jester and I often heard them saying "The Jester" when referring to me. Well...that admission may cost me some time in therapy next week. Honesty kicked-in with me in my early 30's and it's been a bloody nuisance.