The Oregon Ducks Men’s Basketball Team will host the LSU Tigers in the first round of the NIT. The game will be Tuesday, March 13th at 6:30 in Matthew Knight Arena. Come out and support the Ducks in post season play!
The Oregon baseball team is ranked #18 going into this weekends match up with Long Beach State. We will see if they can continue their current 7 game winning streak (all on the road) with 3 games at home.
New podcast about Oregon Football, Basketball, and Baseball.
P.S. We added a new intro because we thought it was funny. Probably back to the old one in the future
Sorry we have not been posting for a while. Things have been hectic, but they are beginning to settle down. We will be back, bringing you the latest Duck news soon!
New Podcast! Discuss previous and future games, the injuries to LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, and much, much more. Enjoy!
Oregon Corner Back Cliff Harris has been suspended from all football related activity by coach Chip Kelly after being pulled over for driving without a seatbelt, driving on a suspended license, and driving without registration. The car he was driving was impounded by the Eugene Police and a statement released by the school today said that they will look into the incident.
This is the second time Harris has been suspended for driving troubles. The first was this past summer when an Oregon State Trooper pulled him over going 118 MPH on a suspended license. After that incident, Harris was suspended for the opener against LSU. It seemed as though Harris was making his way back into the starting lineup until this happened. Needless to say, it is going to be a long road back to the field for Cliff Harris, but I for one hope he rights this ship and can wear the Oregon uniform with pride again.
GO DUCKS!
I’m not sure there is a whole lot to preview here, this game is going to be a joke. I may be from Colorado and I will always be a Buffaloes fan, but let’s be honest, the Ducks will be running (or flying) all over Folsom Field on Saturday. I am always skeptical about predicting blowouts because there is always the chance for an upset. With that being said, it’s not happening this weekend. The Buffs were already in the middle of a rebuilding year before their star running back, Rodney Stewart, and best Wide Receiver, Paul Richardson, went down with injuries. They have also suspended 5 defensive backs indefinitely for “violating team rules,” and have had to convert guys to play in the defensive backfield, some of whom have never taken a snap on defense in their life. The Ducks aren’t exactly the healthiest team in the world either. LaMichael James is expected to miss his second straight game after dislocating his elbow against California, and Darron Thomas left last week’s game with an apparent knee injury. As per usual, Chip Kelly isn’t providing any information on the status of the Ducks superstars, but I doubt they will be on the field. This means that redshirt freshman QB Bryan Bennett will be taking the snaps with Kenjon Barner at his side. I have always said that I like what I have seen from Bennett both at practices and on the field, and Barner is a great back who could start basically anywhere that doesn’t have LaMichael James infront of him. The Ducks are going to run all over the Buffs who simply can’t match the speed of Bennett, Barner and true freshman DeAnthony Thomas (or anyone else on the roster for that matter). I don’t even want to give a score prediction because I think it is going to be that ugly.
GO DUCKS!
It’s hard to describe the feeling that came over any Duck fan as the pigskin ball flew threw the uprights on January 10th, 2011 and the Auburn Tigers beat the Ducks by 3 to win the BCS National Championship. We had to live with the disappointment for months as Willie Lyles and the national media were destroying the program’s reputation. Finally, the calendar turned to September and it was time for football again. At a “neutral site,” we witnessed the Ducks shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly until they could not walk anymore as the LSU Tigers rolled over them with ease. The excitement for the season quickly turned to panic, as many Duck fans believed the season was already over. What those fans overlooked, however, is the fact that this is still a team led by the best coach in the country, Chip Kelly, and they are still really good. With that being said, the road back to the national championship game is a long and rocky one with no room for error.
Oregon has managed to bounce back well after the opening loss to LSU (granted two of those wins were to a rebuilding Nevada team and division 1AA Missouri State) and they have shown signs that they can begin another miraculous run this year. After dismantling Arizona in Tucson, the Ducks need to focus on what lies ahead as the season progresses. The following is an analysis of every game for the rest of the season and what needs to happen in order for the Ducks to have another chance to raise the Coach’s Trophy.
10/6
Oregon vs. Cal:
Last year: W 15-13
Oregon narrowly escaped after a sloppy game to keep their title hopes alive last year. Amid the controversy of Bears players faking injuries and the offense hitting a roadblock, the Ducks came away with the win.
This year prediction: W 49-24
LaMichael James is going to have another great performance on a Thursday night in Autzen. But the real story from this game will be Darron Thomas finding his rhythm. The defense will hold up well against the Cal offense but will give up some points.
10/15
Oregon vs. Arizona State:
Last year: W 42-31
This was an early surprise for the Ducks, but the defense came away with 4 interceptions and 1 fumble recover to spark the Oregon victory.
This year prediction: W 35-21
This is a very low number for the Oregon offense, but Arizona State’s defense has proven to be very good and could cause some problems for the Ducks. This should be a great game for the defense as they will be in mid-season form. Although Arizona State is much improved this year, they still lack the tools necessary to outperform the Ducks.
10/22
Oregon @ Colorado:
Last year: N/A
This year prediction: W 59-17
The Ducks are going to rain (or snow) on Colorado’s homecoming parade, and this game should be over by the end of the first quarter. Coming from a die-hard Buffaloes fan growing up, this is a tough one to swallow. But let’s be honest, the Buffs do not stand a chance.
10/29
Oregon vs. WSU:
Last year: W 43-23
The Ducks came out a little sluggish to begin the game, but it ended as another Cougar beat down. Kenjon Barner was literally knocked out of the game, which visibly shook other players (most notably LaMichael James and Darron Thomas). Darron Thomas had to leave with a shoulder injury at one point as well.
This year prediction: W 56-24
Let’s face it, Washington State is not very good and will not put up much of a fight in Autzen. LaMichael James will have another great game and Darron Thomas will light it up through the air as well.
11/5
Oregon @ Washington:
Last year: W 53-16
Oregon could not score to begin this game, but turned it on after half time. Jake Locker did not play, which didn’t help the Huskies chances of pulling off the upset.
This year prediction: W 53-31
Washington’s offense is much improved this year with the double threat of Keith Price and Chris Polk, but I’ll take Darron Thomas and Lamichael James over them any day. Also, their defense tends to give up a lot of points (29.4 points/game), so Oregon can handle an offensive shootout if it comes to that.
11/12
Oregon @ Stanford:
Last year: W 52-31
Oregon started very slow, falling behind by several touchdowns early in the game. They persevered though, dominating on offense while taking advantage of key opportunities of defense to rout Stanford.
This year prediction: W 38-35
Both offenses are really good (Stanford’s defense is good as well), so this will be a shootout. I think Darron Thomas will compete strongly against Andrew Luck, his old high school rival. In the end, the strength and maturity of Lamichael James will tilt the cards in Oregon’s favor. This win will push Oregon into the top four in the national rankings and while cement Oregon’s position into the national title discussion.
11/19
Oregon vs. USC:
Last year: W 53-32
The Trojans were winning in the 3rd quarter last year, yet somehow ended up losing by over twenty points. 239 yards and 3 touchdowns by Lamichael James and 4 TD passes by Darron Thomas will do that to you.
This Year Prediction: W 56-28
It is very hard to deny Robert Woods the end zone, especially with Matt Barkley under the reigns. Also, the Trojans may have more talent than the Ducks overall. However, Oregon’s offensive schemes are much more effective than the Trojans, and one can never underestimate the ability of Lane Kiffin to poorly prepare his team for the game (Yes, we’re saying he’s not a good coach).
11/26
Oregon vs. OSU:
Last year: W 37-20
The game was much closer than we anticipated. The beavers put up their best effort yet still lost by over three possessions. It was not the Ducks best performance of the season, but stable production by Lamichael and Kenjon along with a fake punt play doomed the Beavers in the end.
This year Prediction: W 63-10
What is more likely to happen: Getting struck by lightning, or a Beaver victory in Autzen Stadium? You can answer that one, but all we predict is a lightning storm of PAIN to end the Beavers’ woeful season.
We all love the smell of roses, but how about some delicious New Orleans’s gumbo at the Natty!? Ok, maybe some spicy buffalo wings sound better, but all we care about is getting back to the BCS National Championship, which will take persistent execution by the Ducks to win out the rest of the season. After that, everything is out of our hands. So let’s stay positive, hope for some amazing upsets, and enjoy the golden age of Oregon Duck Football.
These are the jerseys that the Ducks will supposedly be dawning on Thursday. Personally, I hope this doesn’t happen because I think they look childish. It was a decent idea, but the execution simply looks childish and lame. What do you think about the new jersys?
It’s been a while, but we’re back! First podcast of the 2011 football season. We discuss everything from LSU and Arizona to the future games coming up. Listen and give us your input! We are always looking for ways to improve.
GO DUCKS
LaMichael James put on a show as the Ducks steamrolled the Arizona Wildcats 56 - 31 in Tucson on Saturday and moved from #10 to #9 in the AP Poll. He set a single-game rushing record at Oregon with 288 yards on the ground and vaulted himself from 12th to 6th on the Pac-10/12 all-time rushing list. This was definitely a statement game for last years Doak Walker Award winner and he immediately vaulted himself back into the Heisman discussion.
The Ducks are beginning hit their stride, as they did a year ago, despite a rough beginning in Dallas on September 3rd. With a bye week coming up and Cal, Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State next on the schedule, the Ducks could very easily be back in National Championship contention as we head into November. But November brings the toughest test the Ducks will face for the rest of the season; a game at Stanford on November 12th. Many people believe, rightfully so, that this game will decide who wins the inaugural Pac-12 title. The Ducks last loss in Pac-10 play was in Palo Alto two years ago and it very well could be their first Pac-12 loss as well. A few things need to improve if the Ducks want to survive the road test at Stanford:
1. Improved pass rush and overall pass defense. Until the Arizona game I had been very disappointed with the lack of pass rush, so that needs to continue to improve. Also, if Nick Foles could throw for 398 yards with no interceptions, what could Andrew Luck do?
2. Continued Offensive Line Improvement. LaMichael James finally had holes to run through on Saturday, but they are still not at the level that they were a year ago and need to be come November
3. Darron Thomas needs to be more efficient. He has begun to make great decisions in the run game with the QB read, but he continues to overthrow receivers and miss great opportunities with the deep ball. If the Ducks want to get back to “The Natty,” Darron Thomas needs to take the next step.
4. With such a young team, they can’t afford any injuries. I know it was great to watch LaMichael set a school record, but leaving him in that late in the game makes me very nervous. He needs to stay healthy for the rest of the year if the Ducks plan on having a legitimate shot at a National Title. I know Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas are great back-ups, probably the best in the nation, but when push comes to shove, we need Mr. James and every other starter on the roster.
5. Last but certainly not least is the receiving core needs to step it up immediately. After losing Jeff Maehl and DJ Davis to graduation, the Ducks receivers, namely Lavasier Tuinei, Josh Huff, Rahsaan Vaughn, and David Paulson need to step up. Adding DeAnthony Thomas to that mix will also help the big play threat as the season goes on.
Overall, I think the Ducks are poised for another historic run back into the National Championship discussion. If they can manage to beat the teams they are supposed to beat and can march into Palo Alto and do some wood work, trip to New Orleans is certainly not out of the question. For now, we will have to wait to see what Chips Kelly’s Ducks can bring against Cal on Thursday, October 6th at Autzen.
GO DUCKS!
We realize that football season has begun, I promise. We have just been too busy to get the podcasts up and running. we hope to have pre-game and post-game podcasts up this weekend for the Arizona game. GO DUCKS!
I don’t know about everyone else… but I am very excited to see these uniforms on the field on September 3rd!
GO DUCKS!
This year, more than ever, a target will be placed on the Ducks by every team they play. The target had already been placed since they won the Pac-10 crown two years running, but the off-season hoopla concerning Will Lyles will make the target larger. Not only will every team on the schedule try to dethrone the champs, the fans will be ready to go Duck hunting as well. If the Ducks plan to continue their dominance, and extend their reign into the Pac-12, they will need to be able to keep their eyes on the prize week in and week out. I believe there is a saying for that… Oh yeah! WIN THE DAY!
Go Ducks!
The LSU Football program was informed today that it will be put on probation for a year and also will be receiving scholarship reductions. According to ESPN.com, the program avoided harsher punishment because the incident was self-reported in 2009. The punishment is for phone calls to a recruit that violated NCAA rules by ex-assistant coach D.J. McCarthy. While on the surface this does not seem to be Ducks news, let’s not forget that the season opener is against the Tigers and the Ducks are also currently under investigation.
This news tells me two things: 1. The LSU game could suddenly be less significant and downplayed now that it is being played between two teams that are under the national spotlight for the wrong reasons. With that said, it is still a crucial game, especially if the Ducks want to make it back to the BCS National Championship game. 2. It’s going to be a long time until the NCAA finishes their investigation into the Oregon football program. It took two years for this investigation to finish, so how long will they be poking around with the Ducks? It’s going to be a long process, and I, for one, am not looking forward to it.
Go Ducks!
