SB Nation User Blog: dvieira

Media Wednesday - Scouting the Enemy

dvieira — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:54:07 -0000

The Civil War is behind us and we are on our way to the Rose Bowl. Media Wednesday seeks to do it's best Chip Kelly impression and work through film from the Ohio State Buckeyes. In this first installment, we bring to the table a montage of clips from Terrelle Pryor. It has been easy to bag on him because he didn't choose Oregon but this is still a very talented guy in the backfield for the Buckeyes and we are going to have our hands full with him.

WBB Game 9 Recap: Oregon 102, Long Beach State 70

dvieira — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:38:06 -0000

The Oregon Ducks took down Long Beach State 102-70 on Sunday, going 5-1 on the homestand. The Ducks only trailed once during the game earlier on when the score was 3-2 in favor of Long Beach State but Oregon turned up the heat on defense, causing turnovers and exploding the lead to 52-28 going into the half. The 49ers would never threaten as Oregon maintained control throughout the second half and breezed to the victory.

Oregon shot nearly 53% from the field, including 45% from beyond the arc. The Ducks won all the hustle plays racking up 11 steals, 6 blocks, 26 assists and causing 28 Long Beach State turnovers. The 49ers were held to 40% shooting and had 14 less shots overall even though they won the rebounding battle 38-32.

Micaela Cocks led the way for Oregon with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The most impressive part of that line is shooting 8-9 from the field including 5-5 from beyond the arc. Tayor Lilley was extremely active, scoring 25 points on 8-15 from the field. She also contributed 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Jasmin Holiday also made 6-8 from the field for 13 points and had 4 steals in 22 minutes.

Next Game: Wednesday, December 16th at Georgia Tech. 3pm PST

Open letter to Coach Mike Riley and the Beavers - Ken Woody

dvieira — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:53:40 -0000

Open letter to Coach Mike Riley and the Beavers - Ken Woody

This is a must-read article from former Duck player Ken Woody to Oregon State coach Mike Riley and his team. I know that not all Duck fans will feel the way Ken expresses in this article, but I certainly do. FYI, there may be some controversial comments about overrated chants. Feel free to ignore those Gorby

MBB Gameday Open Thread: Oregon vs. Missouri

dvieira — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:56:15 -0000

Who: Oregon Ducks (4-2, 0-0 Pac-10) vs. Missouri Tigers (4-2, 0-0 Big-12)
Time: 2:00pm PST
Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri
Media: ESPNU, Live Stats

Oregon travels to Missouri to take on the Tigers as part of the Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Challenge. This should be a good measure on where this team is going to go this year. If we can at least hang with them, I'll feel a lot better about where this team is going. If we get blown out, ugh...don't want to think about it. Go Ducks!

Media Wednesday - Time To Get Pumped Up!

dvieira — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:43:25 -0000

We all know what happened last year in Corvallis. We've been smiling about it for an entire year. Tomorrow, the Oregon Ducks will take the field at Autzen Stadium with not only the Rose Bowl at stake, but to make a statement about the overall direction of the program. It would be easy to look back at the amazing plays of last year, but this particular video seemed more important and relevant. If this doesn't get you pumped up for the Civil War, I don't know what will. There's only one thing left to say. Go Ducks!

MBB Game 6 Recap: Oregon 89, Montana State 66

dvieira — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:41:20 -0000

Tajuan Porter and Joevan Catron were out with injuries but that didn't stop the Ducks from defeating the Bobcats 89-66. The ball movement by Oregon was top notch throughout the game and looked worlds away from last year. Ernie's gameplan was very clear. Get out in transition and crash the boards which Oregon did very well.

It took awhile for Oregon to get aggressive on defense but you could tell when the guys turned it on as MSU started having all kinds of problems finding a rhythm on offense. The reason why it was even close in the first half was because of all the wild, long distance shots the Bobcats were making.

Individual Notes

Michael Dunigan didn't start the game because of his lingering hip injury but played quality minutes and had some great post moves on the block. There were flashes of potential on the block. He still needs to be careful with dribbling but his decision making has improved.

Teondre Williams had another great night offensively with 17 points and 3-4 from beyond the arc. I think Dave said it best in the open thread when he compared him to Freddie Jones with a jump shot.

EJ Singler had a very quiet 8 points and 6 rebounds. He seemed to always be around the ball making plays.

Jeremy Jacob scored the first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Final Thoughts

This was a good, bounce back win for Oregon. We needed this win and we came through in a big way. I was a little worried that we would come out a bit flat after losing two games but Ernie had the team ready to play and they gave a strong effort for the entire game. Six Ducks were in double figures in the win.

Next Game: Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri. Pac-10/Big-12 Hardwood Series. 2pm on ESPNU

MBB Gameday Open Thread: Montana State vs. Oregon

dvieira — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:02:44 -0000

Who: Montana State Bobcats (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky) vs. Oregon Ducks (3-2, 0-0 Pac-10)
Time: 7:30pm PST
Location: Mac Court, Eugene, Oregon
Media: Radio, Live Stats, Comcast SportsNet

Oregon takes on Montana State at Mac Court tonight. Let's get back on the winning track. Go Ducks!

MBB Game 6 Preview: Montana State vs. Oregon

dvieira — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:15:32 -0000

Game Time: 7:30pm PST, OSN/Comcast Sports Net (which means technical problems and cutting to a Blazers Retrospective)

We've lost two in a row, one of those losses against a team we definitely should have beat. After what the Portland Pilots did to UCLA this week, I feel a bit better about our performance at the Chles Center. As for Montana, I still feel sick about it. This is another week however and it's time to move on. The basketball season is a marathon, not a sprint and even though we lost a game we should have won, it won't matter too much in the grand scheme of things. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and look forward to actually seeing a game on television

A Look at the Bobcats

Playing in the Big Sky conference, Montana State is 2-2 after a 70-66 win over San Francisco in the bay area on Wednesday. There isn't a lot of depth on the team with most of their starters playing extended minutes. Forward Bobby Howard will be coming off one of the best games of his career, shooting 9-11 from the field for 21 points including 3-3 from beyond the arc. Eric Rush, a 6-5 guard, provides a considerable mismatch for any team and represents the other major scoring threat for the Bobcats.

This is a team that shoots very well all over the court, averaging 48% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc. Oregon needs to play fast and limit halfcourt opportunities for Montana State. If the Ducks can play sound, straight up defense, it should help to limit their field goal conversion percentage. The Bobcats don't shoot well from the free throw line which will give Oregon an advantage.

Keys to the Game

1. Run, Run, Run! Oregon needs to use their superior depth to run Montana State out of the gym. With the starters for Montana State playing so many minutes, you can be sure that they will want to slow the game down a bit to keep themselves fresh.

2. Play strong, in your face defense. The Ducks have to be disciplined on defense to make sure opportunities at jump shots are limited looks. If Montana State gets in a rhythm, it will be hard to stay in the game.

3. Control the boards. Defensive rebounding will be an important aspect of this game. Limiting Montana State to one shot per possession is huge for getting out on the run and controlling the tempo of the game.

Final Thoughts

Catron and Dunigan are again questionable for this game. Oregon has superior talent but how they will deal without the low post presence they provide will be very interesting. On paper, Oregon should win this game but it could be very close depending on how much defensive intensity the Ducks play with. If TP and company can get their shot going, look for a run and gun tempo with the Ducks running away with it.

Happy Thanksgiving From ATQ

dvieira — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:38:56 -0000

Before we all descend into the triptafen-induced stupor, we here at Addicted to Quack would be remiss if we didn't thank you, the community of ATQ. All of the contributions you provide, both positive and negative, have made ATQ one of the premiere sports communities on the web and we couldn't have done it without you.

Not only have we reached major website traffic milestones, we have created a wonderful community centered around our mutual love for the Ducks. Whether it be ATQ readers answering the call to send kids to the Addicted to Quack Lacrosse Meetup earlier in the spring or the many, MANY community members that showed up to tailgate from all across the country (and the world in some cases). You were there.

From Jared, Dave, Nick, Jeremy, Paul and myself, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and thank YOU for making ATQ part of your day. We have some other things we're thankful for after the jump.

Jared

I am thankful for LaMichael James.
Unless he's derailed by injuries, he'll be the best back in Oregon history. His combination of speed, agility, and power is a astounding.

I'm am thankful for the development of Jeremiah Masoli.
At the beginning of the season, he was a disaster. Inaccurate, poor decision making, you name it. But as the season has progressed, he's improved in every area of the game. His accuracy has improved dramatically, he's making all the right decisions. He knows when to make something happen, and when to not force the issue. His growth is the main reason for the success of the Oregon offense this season.

I am thankful for a top 20 defense (at least according to Football Outsiders).
They've taken their lumps recently, but they still lead the conference in passing efficiency allowed. They are second in the conference in sacks, and have looked incredibly stout at home. All off-season, we talked about how we needed a defense to match our offense, and it looks like we finally have it.

Nick

I am thankful for a Civil War with the Rose Bowl on the line.
Particularly after many of us were readjusting our expectations after the Boise State debacle and the uninspiring efforts against Purdue and Utah. The Ducks turned things around in a big way, setting up the showdown at Autzen next Thursday.

I am thankful for Nate Costa.
While Nate's collegiate career has not gone the way many of us had hoped, he has been the consummate teammate. What's more, his workmanlike performance notched an important win against UCLA and his clutch dig of an errant snap avoided disaster against Arizona. I am thankful that Nate has not only made meaningful appearances this season, but has played a significant role in multiple Oregon victories.

Jeremy

I am thankful for Steve Greatwood.
Most of the pre-season naysayers pointed to two things when reviewing Oregon. Chip’s first season as a head coach and a green offensive line. At Boise, the O-line did indeed look very green (and not the good, sexy alien kind). Every week from that point on that group has shown improvement. Folks, you don’t rush for 231 yards per game against the teams Oregon has played without an offensive line that is putting it on the opposing defense week in and week out. Greatwood – another amazing coaching job.

I am thankful for the Autzen experience and a bunch of you ATQ dudes.
I grew up going to Duck games, but am a season ticket holder this year for the first time. Through heat, cold, wind and rain I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time spent at Autzen. Even better, I’ve had the chance to tailgate with at least a dozen other ATQers. Several of which I now call friends. All of which seem to be great guys and the kind of Duck fans I am proud to be associated with.

Media Wednesday - Screen Plays Have a Rosey Result

dvieira — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:26:04 -0000

With a bye week in place for the Thanksgiving Holiday, we look back at the last time Oregon was able to get to the Rose Bowl. The year was 1994 and the Ducks had to travel to Corvallis to take on the Beavers needing a win to seal their trip to Pasadena. Everyone knows the story, the Ducks won and moved on but what you may not know is that it was a simple running back screen play (with some incredible blocking by some wideouts) that gave Oregon the points they needed to win the game. Screen play...sound familiar?