Ducks Rock USC!

Whoot Ducks finally beat USC again. It's been a few years. So now that USC is no longer a National Title contender and more then likely out of Pac-10 but not really yet. It's time to move on to our next challenge taking on ASU. ASU usually gives the Ducks fits. Which like Cal has had an ex-offensive Duck Coordinator as their head coach. But now it's that wiley guy who wins everywhere but the NFL, Dennis "the Menace" Erikson. Welcome back to the Pac-10 and a nice ride his teams had. No one knew what to expect from them but they've played really well and look like they are for real. I'm not sure how their defense will stack against or offense only USC has really stopped us. Cal did an Ok job but the Ducks stopped themselves mostly in that game and couldn't get a stop when needed against Cal. But since that game the Ducks have been on a scoring tear all be it against the bottomfeeders. But even the USC game we moved the ball at will and should have had another 100+ yards of offense but we went conservative with the lead and it almost cost us. And this against one of the best Defenses in the Nation. So we'll see how this goes could be a big shootout like in past years with the score up in the 40's for both teams. Should be a good game and luckily it's at home!

Well the 9ers lost yet again. With Norv gone and the injury bug going on the team just isn't playing well. The Defense even seems to have taken a step back as the seasons gone on. But that's probably due to the Offense being bad. Alex is back and if he stays healthy maybe they can get something back, but that's a big if as he looked like he reagrivated the shoulder again. Adam Snyder has been playing lately and doing an Ok job as you don't hear his name mentioned much after the introduction of the starters. Which is a good thing for an 0-line as he's not making the big mistakes.

9ers Lucky to be 2-0, QB's with Oregon ties perform well

Now don't get this post wrong I'm happy that the 9ers are 2-0 in both league and division standings. However, how they got there has to be the ugliest, sloppiest games I've seen in a long time. Not to mention a little luck! Our offense other then one or two drives in two games looks like absolute shit! Our call playing leaves a lot to be desired. Come on could you use your mobile Quarterback more in the mobile category? He wins the first week for us on a broken mad dash scramble to save the winning drive and you don't do more to get him out running? Come on coaches take you heads out of your collective asses. Defense still doesn't look all that well yet but at least they haven't given up or broken down too much yet. Just shore up the little stuff and they'll be a good defense. Where the heck are the plays for Vernon Davis? The guy is just a freak of an Athlete and you don't run more plays for him? See comment on not using the QB above. Again glad to be 2-0 but we need to see more improvement on Offense as so far it looks like the entire offense has taken a step backwards! Speaking of Offense what's up with the choices on the line? I know I'm a Duck and a homer but come on last season Adam Snyder played better then a couple of linemen *ahem* *cough* Kwame *ahem* Baas. I know they have more invested in these other guys but give him some equal playing time as they're getting in back up roles.

Well onto other updates in the world of the NFL and players from the state of Oregon we had a few QBs in action today. Joey had a game where he didn't cost his team but also didn't do anything spectacular to help his team either. Off to another under his potential season. If I could get all the writers off his back maybe he'd start winning. I mean look at college his stats were good but his biggest quality was at being a leader and doing what it took to win. He also had track stars at WR and a couple strong RBs to help him during his years as the head Duck. So while I've been disappointed with his pro career as many I also realize probably too much was expected of him stat wise at the NFL level. I think this is his last chance and stop on the circuit. Derek Anderson the much maligned QB for the Beavers, although I thought Beaver Nation never gave him a fair shake. I mean come on he leads the league in offense and yes he had way too many INTs. But in both cases if his receivers wouldn't have had butterfingers or short arms stuff both those numbers would have been even better. I can't count the number of times his OSU receivers would have it hit them square in the chest and the other team would get the carom. Anyway back to his day it started off horrid missing on his first 5 passes but then he just goes ballistic on the Bengals defense for 5 TDs and one INT. What a huge game he had. I watched this game and yeah he got a couple of lucky breaks on some passes but that is just make up for all the bad luck he had with his OSU receivers. Karma always evens things out in the end!! Way to go Derek!! Now just have a decent game next week and the talk of Quinn stepping in will quite out for most this season. Good luck man!! And last but not least Kellen Clemens got his first career start for the NY Jets, because that snake Chad didn't want to get beat up by Baltimore! Well for 3 quarters that is what happened to Clemens he got beat up including a couple of hellos with his old Duck teammate Haloti Nagta. But in the 4th quarter down 17 he just went ballistic, or as in the old classic video game NBA Jam HE'S ON FIRE. He leads the team back on 3 pretty impressive drives. On the third of those drives he had one TD pass dropped by a wide open receiver, under threw a second TD pass and then finally the 3rd TD, a little high, pass got tipped and intercepted in the end zone. Now if he can just show up at the beginning of a game he looks like he'll have a decent career in the NFL. The game was a loss and that's never good but the Jets at least know they have a good backup QB who will continue to push for Chad's job. Although he might not be ready to be the full time starter yet I don't think it will be more then a year out before he is a starter in this league.

Well good job by all the players with Oregon ties all throughout the day.

Flags at Half Mast in 9er Land

It is with a heavy and sad heart that I write this entry. Bill Walsh the man who is the San Francisco 49ers to many of us fans passed away this past week after battling leukemia. The Bill Walsh era of the 49ers happened during my childhood so it is the 9ers that I remember the most and still to this day love. Eddie DeBartalo, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark, Tom Rathman, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig (the greatest and most under-appreciated RB)..... The list goes on for those teams of my childhood but the man at the helm has always topped that list in my opinion when it comes to the 9ers. While he had all those great players it was his ability to get the most out of them and to utilize their talents properly that made all of them Super Stars.

I can remember one year in College when Stanford came to play my Ducks I sat there the entire time looking at Stanfords sidelines looking at the living legend for the entire game. I can't even tell you who won that game because one of my Idols from childhood was there doing what he does best coaching. And I see it as a great great honor that I got to have that experience in my lifetime. The only thing that would have been better was to be at a 9er game when he was still coaching.

Well Coach Walsh you will be missed but you have impacted many people over the years that you will live on in memory for a very, very long time.