Damn, what is it recently with Duck bigs getting hurt. Now we lose N’Faly for the year with a torn ACL. We’re like the Blazers of College basketball. Thankfully Kapang is eligible. Boucher, Bol Bol. Wish we could catch a break with our post players.

Brian Kelly makes the most empty threat that I have ever heard in my life:

"I'm not sure we'll play in the playoffs if the parents can't be there,"

Yeah, right..I'd hate to have him negotiate anything for me.

I say let them stay home and the Ducks will go.

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...y-threatens-not-play-college-football-playoff

Always a little easier to write after a win.

Let's get this beautiful yellow and green ball rolling with a big win prediction:

Oregon 41 - USC 38

HEAD COACH CLAY HELTON Opening Statement

“Great college football game. Credit to Oregon and Mario (Cristobal), played a wonderful game. Very good game plan, and the kids played with great heart. As well as our team. I’ve never been associated with a group of kids who fight harder or have more heart. There’s a lot of hurt souls in our locker room right now. It’s something that I know our kids wanted extremely badly, to win a championship, and we came up a play too short today. These kids have taken us and laid a steppingstone, a foundation to what a championship team is going to look like. And I’m proud of our older kids and our veterans, one, for the way they played and two, for where they’ve got us to which is on the edge of winning championships. Based on the lessons learned this season, I know we’ll take a step forward in the future.”

On little things not going their way tonight: “We were fighting for one more possession and we actually got it with 4:30 left. It was right where we’ve known to be. We were in position even with the mistakes we made, especially the turnovers. We can’t do that with a good football team. It’s only for the kids’ heart and toughness and willingness to fight back that we put ourselves in position to go tie the game at the end. That’s all you can ask for and this time around we didn’t get it done. We don’t make excuses. But credit to the kids, they fought their butts off.”

On what’s next this season: “I haven’t thought one second past this game. We’ve been in a mindset all season of trying to be 1-0 all week and don’t look back, don’t look forward. Right now I’ve got a bunch of kids that just gave their absolute heart and soul and are hurt and I’m going to focus on that and I’m not going to worry about what’s in the future right now.”

On preparing for this game: “The thing I love about our football team is no matter what the situation they come to work every day. They’re blue collar, and even when we have to do a 180 in the middle of the week, they did the things to be prepared for tonight. Their prepa-ration was great all week. They did whatever it took to put themselves in a position to win. Tonight we had the opportunity but didn’t make it happen this time around.”

On difficulties against Oregon’s front: “It’s a talented front. We know Kayvon (Thibodeaux) and what he can do. I thought he had tremendous jump off the ball tonight. They did some nice things, got three sacks tonight. They flushed Kedon (Slovis) out of the pocket and got him off his spot a bunch. I thought Kedon did a nice job keeping his eyes up and downfield and creating a lot after being flushed. Credit to them, they’re a good football team. Their front is talented and they played well tonight.”

On next steps for the program to get back of Pac-12: “Winning a championship. We put ourselves in position, and our kids are really so close. We have made such strides. This has been a young group that I’ve watched grow up and I just think about two years ago, and the struggles we went through. Last year, really coming along with Kedon (Slovis) and really playing our best ball down the stretch of the season, and now this year winning the Pac-12 South and putting ourselves in a championship game. We’re judged on championships here, that’s the beauty of this place, that’s the expectation, that’s the standard. That’s what we play for and that’s why hearts are broken in that locker room. That’s the only thing we’ll accept as a team, a championship. We’re really close, but obvi-ously we didn’t get it done tonight and that’s the next step.”

ISAIAH POLA-MAO, S

On frustrations of mistakes in a one-possession game: “It was an emotional game. Coach always says when emotions go up, intelligence goes down. Things happen and we just have to lock in in the moments, be in the game and be smart.”

DRAKE LONDON, WR

On the vibe of the offense on the last drive: “It was pretty much the same thing. We didn’t have any doubt at all. We believed in each other and just tried to go out there and execute it. Unfortunately, we just came up short.”

On what he saw from Kedon: “Same every game. There’s no doubt. We all believe in him. He’s going to have some hiccups here and there but he’s Kedon Slovis and we all trust him.”

Opening Statement: “Back in March we said whoever handles this pandemic best is going to end up holding up that trophy. They managed to find a way to stay healthy, make it to every game, and sure enough we found ourselves here in the PAC-12 Championship. Tremendous credit to these football players.”

On defense setting the tone: “Right away with the turnover, with the pressure on the quarterback, stopping the run game, physical on the line of scrimmage, physical on the perimeter really just came out with an attitude and purpose and mission.”

On Kayvon Thibideaux: “We know when Kavon plays like that he’s hard to stop. He changes everything because he’s an every down drive. As a one on one matchup he’s very difficult to block and he’s only getting better. Really proud of him, really proud of the defense. You could tell it was coming the way the guys were practicing, pushing each other, holding each other accountable.”

On Jamal Hill INT: “I’m like alright Mr. Official can we take a really good look at this. We still got to get the first down we just happened to pop one right away. We ran enough time off the clock to pin them deep, force a penalty on the kick, and give them a long field.”

On putting Anthony Brown in the game: “We developed a short-yardage goal line package for him some 4-minute stuff as well. Just a different look, big body he can run the ball as well, you saw the touch he put on that pass. He’s a really good player and he deserved to play somehow some way. Not only that but he provided an advantage for us in the RPO world. He executed really well. We all appreciate Anthony for hanging in there throughout the season.”

On defensive line: “The week leading up to Cal you could tell it kicked in. We’ve never made an excuse all year. We said whoever handles this COVID scenario the best will find themselves playing for a championship and we did. When you look at the reality, there were 6 weeks when we were home while other schools were practicing. Our whole team can tell you that they knew our defense was going to play very well. Your practice happens is your game reality, you can’t separate the two.”

On LA guys winning PAC-12 Title in their hometown: “I thought it was awesome when they got to come here last year and play in front of their families right here in the coliseum. You wish the families were allowed at the game. So many guys on our team are from southern California and California in general and it means a ton. The coaching and the caliber of elite athletes out here is hard to match.”

Half UO 41 SF 31 but was ahead more. USF changed to zone and got it down to 10. If Lawson was playing the high post the ducks would bust that zone to smithereens Instead he's sitting on the bench.

Going on right now on TNF. Derek Carr is out so its 2 Oregon guys.

Question for those who might have some info. Because of the Covid running rampart in SoCal could the location of the game be changed? Or is it too late.

I just want to lead into this by saying that I have a special regard for Erik Whitsitt. I like all of the Duck coaches, but it is hard not to have him as a favorite. Bryce, if you listen carefully back in Katy TX, you may hear something in the wind as it blows by saying “Track Town is calling”. Eugene is the track epicenter of the country. Bryce take the town by storm. Devon Allen starred in both sports. He ran in the Olympics, and played in the Rose Bowl CFP. Bryce could be the next Oregon track/ football superstar. Come to Oregon!

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Welcome the new Ducks as they sign. On top of this thread I'll keep the list:

Jabril McNeil
Seven McGee
Isaiah Brevard
Terrell Tilmon
Ty Thompson
Jackson Light
Terrance Ferguson
Jonah Miller
Brandon Buckner
Bram Walden
Jeffrey Bassa
Moliki Matavao
Troy Franklin
Jaylin Davies
Keith Brown
Darren Barkins
Keanu Williams
Kingsley Suamataia
Daymon David
Donte Thornton Jr.

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I was looking thru your roster just to see what the future has in store for us and it just hit me how much work it must be for you to do what you do.

Not only do you get the roster right, but you have links to all of the player's bios..... You can tell who is a redshirt or a walk-on at the click of a button.

Anyway...thanks so much.

Corey

He's supposed to commit and sign today, anybody know when?

Track Town!

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Per CBS Sports:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...n-ken-niumatalolo-the-frontrunner-at-arizona/

Had a great time watching that game last night. Would have been great if Dan Fouts had been doing the color. I was rooting for Mariota all the way. He needs it more than Herbert to establish himself as an NFL starter, and the Raiders have a chance to make the playoffs. They both played great and made plays , but Mariota is more likely to throw into coverage or make bad plays. Watching them I see Mariota as a guy who is exciting as hell, and is an NFL starter. I see Herbert as more consistent, and as a sure hall of famer if healthy.

My sons and grandson scoffed at me last year when I predicted that Herbert would be better in the NFL than he was in college. They thought he would be a bust. Watching last night I added a litttle more hyperbole. Not predicting it as he has to stay healthy and play on some great teams that win at least a superbowl or two, but I believe Herbert has a legitimate chance to be in the conversation when his career ends as the greatest QB to ever play the game. Here is why. OF all the great QB's you can name , none of them has the entire package that Herbert has:

1) 6.7 245 lbs

2) Fast and athletic

3) Great arm strength

4) Great accuracy

5) Great intelligence

6) Great work ethic

7) Not there yet but on his way to being a great leader

Whnen you look at other greats , none of them have all these traits. Montana, Rogers and Brees much smaller, Brady, and older guys like Namath, Fouts. Marino much less athletic. John elway is the closest I can think of to having ALL these traits. Of course you have to get some rings to be the GOAT in the eyes of most, and Brady almost impossible to beat in that catagory, but if you stuck Herbert in place of Brady, working under Belichik these last two decades, I think he would have those as well. After the game last night, Terry Bradshaw compard him to Marino and Elway. I don't think he is out of line in with those comparisons

Already there's over 125 players enrolled. Lots of opportunity for a staff that hustles, a program with positive energy and great facilities.

Today Arizona starting quarterback Grant Gunnell entered the portal after Kevin Sumlin was fired. He's completed 69% of his passes this season. In his career, 15 TDs versus 3 interceptions.

There will be a lot of movement, almost certainly some in Eugene.

Add a veteran defensive back, a big offensive and defensive tackles, and the 2020 squad starts looking like a title contender again.

So, the PAC-12's thoroughly botched, no-good, nationally ignored, messed-up season has reached Championship Week.

Through a bizarre set of cancellations, do-overs and tiebreakers, Oregon has reached the championship game at 3-2. They're in the midst of a 2-game losing streak and have played worse football every week. The offense stumbled to 17 points and 368 yards against Cal.

Oregon's run 66, 66, 64, 66 and 60 offensive plays in their 5 games. This is a slow-down attack that would make Ralph Miller proud.

On a scale of 2010 Fiesta Bowl/2018 versus Washington/season opener against Cal Davis, how excited/optimistic about this game versus USC, really? Does it really feel like Oregon can make a major turnaround, fix some flaws and duplicate last year's terrific effort in the Coliseum?

Or is this a meaningless anticlimax and a triumph of Larry Scott's ineptitude and mismanagement?

Oregon is a young team this year robbed of some precious coaching and development with the loss of spring practice, summer workouts and the fall camp. Have you reached the point where 2020 is just a lost year and you might turn off the game in the second quarter?

Or, after the recruiting gains from yesterday, Cristobal's new contract and the return to health of some key players, do you see tomorrow night as a new beginning and an opportunity to change the page to next year and a team with real potential?

What are the chances USC just blows the doors off a squad with some growing to do?

My feeling is, the Ducks are who we thought they were, a rebuilding team that took major hits when Sewell, Holland, Breeze, Graham, and Niu elected to opt out. 4-2 was realistic, allowing that they lost a home game versus the Dawgs. It's great they get to play again because that's the best chance to get better. I can't see they'll stop the Trojans offense when they couldn't stop Oregon State, but I'll watch all 60 minutes, looking for signs of progress and seeing how they respond to the suck.

9M- 6.5 M 4M-2M-1M. Wow Mullins! Are you kidding me? This buyout is worthless after year one. What does it take for Mullins to learn that this is the most important aspect of the contract as far as the programs interest? This is about 1/2 of what it should be. Actually less than 1/2 after year number 2. Pathetic!

Athletic director Martin Jarmond has a previous relationship with Meyer. They'd owe Kelly $9 million to let him go. Seems farfetched, given the state of Bruin athletics, but impatience abounds in the mad, mad world of win-now college football.

I thought UCLA looked improved this year.

I am hearing the Ducks are making a push for a CB from Florida that everybody thinks is staying in the SEC. I reached out to him hopefully we hear back but this is a guy to watch. He supposedly is going to announce on 12/18 when he send in his LOI.

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