Duck followers, I’m sick of getting beat by the Stanford Endzone Fade play. Has there been a sport within the final decade (in addition to the Geese’ 21-6 win in 2019) during which Stanford hasn’t scored not less than one landing on the Endzone Fade?
Does final 12 months’s 4th down cross interference penalty, then Stanford’s untimed all the way down to tie the sport and ship it into additional time, nonetheless hang-out you?
Let’s admit it’s been an important play for Stanford, and provides credit score the place it’s due. However why have the Geese by no means adopted the Endzone Fade? Chip Kelly’s Unfold was copied throughout faculty soccer as a result of it was profitable, so why don’t we copy the Endzone Fade?
It’s previous time for Oregon to make use of the Endzone Fade, and we’ve had the personnel to run it for a number of years now. Matter of truth, I’ve been screaming on the TV to run the Endzone Fade, and complaining to my Duck pals that we don’t. We had Juwan Johnson, Bryan Addison, and Devon Williams right here for years and I don’t recall throwing one Endzone Fade. (We all know Devon had hops.)
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Tom Corno
Devon Williams reveals easy methods to highpoint the soccer at OSU in 2021.
The Endzone Fade lends itself to extra success with tall extensive receivers paired with tall athletic tight ends. Since 2019 we’ve had gamers who had been good for the Endzone Fade, however listed below are the gamers on our 2022 roster we might use.
All these gamers have the peak, wingspan and physique measurement to field out cornerbacks one-on-one. Why wouldn’t we benefit from the scale matchup now we have, and the let these gamers go up and excessive level the ball? No cornerbacks are going to out bounce our guys; they will attempt to be bodily, however they aren’t transferring Ferguson or Matavao off the ball.
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Why am I advocating so laborious for the Endzone Fade? Effectively, it’s not often an interception, it’s a one-on-one matchup, and it will get a excessive share of cross interference calls. Defenses down on the objective line are likely to overload the field in opposition to the run and quit the one-on-one Endzone Fade to the skin.
Tom Corno
Stanford connects on the Endzone Fade in opposition to Oregon in 2021.
A technique Stanford likes to run this play is in 12 personnel, one again, two tight ends. They are going to put two extensive receivers to at least one aspect, one tight finish alone on the opposite and one tight finish saved in to dam.
On this set with TE Terrance Ferguson out extensive one-on-one, he could have an enormous measurement benefit on any defensive again, and that is the place you’d need your QB to look first. In the event you throw Ferguson a again shoulder ball, he has the physique measurement to get to the ball, field out the defender and go excessive level the ball. We’ve seen Stanford do that to our defensive backs for the final decade! On the opposite aspect, if we put Thornton and Addison out extensive it additionally created an enormous measurement mismatch. The skin man runs a nook fade, and the within man runs a straight fade, making this aspect of the sector the QB’s second possibility
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Let’s take this a step additional, and say they put an even bigger linebacker on Ferguson to remove his measurement benefit. Positive, the protection simply received smaller by swapping a linebacker for a security within the Field, and I’ll run straight at you. ————————————————————- Wish to learn all of the Oregon Sports activities Articles in one place? Take a look at our new FishDuck Feed for Oregon Sports activities Information and Articles aggregated each day for Duck followers and it’s free. ————————————————————- It was that Oregon didn’t have the optimum measurement at extensive receiver to run this play. However beneath Mario Cristobal now we have had that measurement since 2019, however haven’t used that to our benefit in any respect with the Endzone Fade. I really feel Oregon has had higher personnel than Stanford to run it. I do know if Williams and Addison had been taking part in for Stanford, they’d have been utilized to run Endzone Fade in opposition to us. You don’t need to all the time use the tallest gamers: Elijah Higgins, who caught the game-tying cross final 12 months in opposition to UO was 6’3, however the success price goes up with taller gamers who can go highpoint the ball over the defender.
Tom Corno
Mykael Wright reveals nice timing on his leap to get off the bottom and break up the top zone fade cross in opposition to Stanford in 2021.
Now a few of you is likely to be pondering the Endzone Fade has a low share success price of round 33% completion in faculty soccer. It offers the protection two further defenders between the endline and sideline, and I’ve seen too many balls thrown two yards out of sure the place the receiver has zero likelihood to make the catch.
To that I’d say you’re proper on all factors — some groups aren’t executing the Endzone Fade very effectively in any respect. However Stanford does as a result of the play isn’t some afterthought or random play name. Stanford needs to assault that one-on-one match up on the smaller defender, and so they observe it in a disciplined method. Meaning Stanford QBs work on getting the ball to the appropriate spot on the proper top, the place the receiver can go highpoint it. (They rep the heck out of this play in observe.)
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I’m hoping, with the personnel now we have, that the Endzone Fade is a play Coach Kenny Dillingham feels is simply begging him to place our massive receivers in matchups on smaller defenders, and we begin working this play.
There should not many issues sweeter I might consider than the Geese throwing a late sport profitable Endzone Fade proper within the Tree’s face, watching the Duck receiver come down with the ball whereas the defender falls to the bottom at his ft.
That will put a smile on my face a mile extensive; how about you, Duck followers? Share your ideas about Oregon working the Endzone Fade within the OBD Discussion board.
DazeNconfused Portland, Oregon Prime Picture by Oregon Soccer Twitter
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this text, works within the monetary know-how business in SLC, Utah.
On Saturday morning at the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, three-star prospect T’Andre Waverly announced his commitment to Oregon State over Washington and Notre Dame.
The product of Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington, is ranked as the nation’s No. 96 athlete and No. 18 player in the state in the 2025 class by 247Sports. Once he arrives in Corvallis, he’s expected to play tight end.
“I believe in [offensive coordinator Ryan] Gunderson for the future,” Waverly told 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman. “And I’m excited to get to know the new tight ends coach [Will Heck].”
“[Head coach Trent] Bray seems like a real get to business guy and I like that. I don’t want a coach who will pamper me. I want someone who will tell me what I need to do and what to do.”
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Despite seeing the in-state prospect going elsewhere, tight ends coach Jordan Paopao has pulled in a promising batch at the position after signing four-star Baron Naone and three-star Austin Simmons in December.
For an athlete, a loss can shake even the strongest mental foundation. For Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, those feelings bubbled up after losing to the Oregon Ducks 32-31 at Autzen Stadium in early October.
While interviewing with ESPN before Ohio State’s semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns for the College Football Playoffs, the quarterback reflected on that feeling of loss.
“It’s been a rollercoaster. Some of the ups and downs that we did go through are why we’re sitting here today in the semifinals and probably playing our best ball right now,” Howard said. “There have been some tough moments. I’d say that Oregon loss early on in the season was rough.”
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) walks off the field after losing 32-31 to Oregon Ducks during the NCAA football game at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Howard, who went 28-35 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, remembers what he did after that fateful quarterback keeper turned slide that sealed the fate of the Buckeyes during that regular season encounter with the Ducks.
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“Coming out of it I felt like I played a good game but it was really just the ending. I sat there and stewed over just how could I have done that differently. But when we got back here I think it was about six in the morning. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was kind of at a loss. I went into the indoor and I just laid there for about an hour – hour and a half. I was in a dark place. I just wanted another crack at them so bad. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the next chance I could get,” Howard said.
It wasn’t too long before Howard got his second chance with Oregon. After winning the Big Ten Championship, the No. 1 ranked Ducks were seeded for the Rose Bowl. With the Buckeyes easily beating Tennessee at home the previous week, Ohio State faced the Ducks once more.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) motions at the line of scrimmage during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Before every game, I listen to two voicemails that my late grandmother sent me and I’ve been doing that every game for the last three years now,” Howard said. “I listened to the voicemail and it just brought this immense peace over me. This year for the playoffs it actually probably got me going even more. It really helped.”
Those voicemails helped Howard correct his headspace before facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Howard went 17-26 in passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes completely shut out Oregon in the first quarter, with the Ducks only responding at the end of the second quarter with a touchdown and two point conversion. Howard reflected on the point in the game where the Buckeyes were up 34-0 against the No. 1 team in the nation.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) holds a rose following the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Ecstatic. I mean, at that point it felt like it was almost not real. It was like ‘Man, are we really up on the No. 1 team in the country right now that we were in a dog fight with at their place?’” Howard said.
The Buckeyes won against Oregon 41-21, advancing to the Cotton Bowl Classic against the Texas Longhorns, where Howard and the Buckeyes are knocking on the door of a National Championship.
“You take a big National Championship ring and hoisting the trophy up. It takes a lot of the hardships and bad things that happened this year and kind of go out the window,” Howard said.
Lewis & Clark College is opening up its residence halls early to students impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Odell Annex pictured here, is a residence hall on the Lewis & Clark campus in Portland.
Adam Bacher courtesy of Lewis & Clark College
Some private universities in Oregon are offering extra assistance — from crisis counseling to emergency financial aid — to students who call Southern California home.
This comes amid the devastating wildfires currently burning in Los Angeles.
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Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland and Reed College sent out messages of support to students with home addresses in Southern California this week.
Administrators at Lewis & Clark contacted around 250 undergraduate students in the region affected by the blazes. These students represent close to 12% of the college’s current undergraduate students.
The school, which begins its next term on Jan. 21, is opening up its dorms early for Southern California students at no extra cost.
“We will keep communicating with students in the weeks and months ahead to know how this impacts their next semester and beyond,” said Benjamin Meoz, Lewis & Clark’s senior associate dean of students. “That will mean a range of wraparound academic and counseling support.”
Lewis & Clark also pushed back its application deadline for prospective students from the Los Angeles area to Feb. 1.
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Oregon crews arrive in Southern California to aid wildfire response
Reed College began reaching out to about 300 students who live in Southern California on Wednesday. In an email, the college urged students and faculty impacted by the fires to take advantage of the school’s mental health and financial aid resources.
Reed will also support students who need to return to campus earlier than expected. Classes at Reed do not begin until Jan. 27.
Students at University of Portland will be moving back in this weekend as its next term begins on Monday, Jan. 13. But UP did offer early move-in to students living in the Los Angeles area earlier this week. A spokesperson with UP said four students changed travel plans to arrive on campus early.
Students are already back on campus at the majority of Oregon’s other colleges and universities, with many schools beginning their terms earlier this week.
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