Sunday, November 3, 2019
Week 10: Nov 2, 2019
Sorry for the late post...I was evacuated from the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County for 5 days....
Week 9: October 26, 2019
Sorry for the late post...I was evacuated from the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County for 5 days....
Friday, October 18, 2019
Week 8: October 19, 2019
I'm posting this before the game, but "Danger-Will Robinson!!!" this "barely/no green/yellow" combo is not the best for Oregon in high profile games. The last four times (at least) they have worn this combo they have lost in high profile rivalry games. I hope I'm wrong!
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019
The "Nightmare" uniform (Unlucky combo update 2015-2019)
Oregon made only a few changes to its uniform this summer, but one interesting development was the lack of a black set. Instead they showcased a dark green that they call "Nightmare Green" They wore it in their opening night loss this season.
This is especially interesting since black has been a major element of the uniforms for the last decade. In my unofficial count of color combos since Chip Kelly started in 2009, the Ducks have played 44 games with at least one of the three main parts (helmet/jersey/pants) being black. And that is not even counting dark gray, silver, etc. So if they averaged 12 games each year, that is 36% of the time!
Last year they wore black on 4 occasions, three of them being MONO black! During the Helfrich years, black was used a lot: two of his seasons they wore black in 5 games. But in 2011-12, the Ducks were black in 7 games!
So how about the combo they sprung on us this last weekend, during a high profile season opening at a neutral site? It was supposedly dark green and white, but to my untrained eye it looked REALLY dark, bordering on black.
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August 31, 2019. Oregon loss to Auburn. Register Guard photo
As I mentioned in my week one post, the last time this dark/white/dark combo has been used:
- If you consider this green: 2017 week 3 (that time was apple green)
- If you consider this black: 2015 week 11
- If you consider this dark green: 2013: week 6
- If you consider this a Frankenstein hybrid: 2011 National Championship (another heartbreaking loss to Auburn)
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One of my very first posts as Ducktracker in September 2015 was a post about how the Ducks tend to tank on the big stage when they don't wear school colors. That "laundry list" started with the infamous Boise State punch game loss. (all white) and rounded up the 13 losses from 2009-2015. Spoiler alert: Many of them came wearing non green/yellow uniforms. 9/13 of those losses came wearing no green/yellow.
Updating the Unlucky Uniform game
One of my very first posts as Ducktracker in September 2015 was a post about how the Ducks tend to tank on the big stage when they don't wear school colors. That "laundry list" started with the infamous Boise State punch game loss. (all white) and rounded up the 13 losses from 2009-2015. Spoiler alert: Many of them came wearing non green/yellow uniforms. 9/13 of those losses came wearing no green/yellow.
It got me thinking that I need to update that list. I had the luxury of "only" 13 losses in 5 years, but the last 4 years have been less kind. So here's looking back at 4 years of losses from Sept. 2015-Sept. 2019:
2015 (Mark Helfrich)
| September 12, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. #3 Michigan State | #5 | Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI | ESPN | L 28–31 |
| September 26, 2015 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. #18 Utah | #13 | Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR | FOX | L 20-62 |
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| Getty Images photo |
| October 10, 2015 | 3:00 PM | Washington State | Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR | L 38–45 2OT |
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| Getty Images photo |
| January 2, 2016 | 3:45 PM | vs. No. 11 TCU* | No. 15 | Alamodome• San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl) | L 41–47 3OT |
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| Getty Images photo |
2016 (Mark Helfrich's last season)
| September 17, 2016 | 12:30 PM | at Nebraska* | No. 22 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | L 32–35 |
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| USA Today photo |
| September 24 | 2:30 PM | Colorado | Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR | L 38–41 |
| October 1 | 6:30 PM | at Washington State | Martin Stadium• Pullman, WA | L 33–51 |
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| USA Today photo |
| October 8 | 4:30 PM | No. 5 Washington | Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR (Rivalry) | L 21–70 |
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| AP photo |
| October 21 | 7:30 PM | at California | California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA | L 49–52 2OT |
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| BANG photo |
| November 5 | 4:00 PM | at USC | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum• Los Angeles, CA | L 20–45 |
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| USA Today photo |
| November 26 | 1:00 PM | at Oregon State | Reser Stadium • Corvallis, OR (120th Civil War/Platypus Trophy) | L 24–34 |
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| AP photo |
2017 (Willie Taggert's only season)
| September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | at Arizona State | No. 24 | Sun Devil Stadium• Tempe, AZ | L 35–37 |
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| AP photo |
| October 7 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 11 Washington State | Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR | L 10–33 |
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| Oregonian photo |
| October 14 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 23 Stanford | Stanford Stadium• Stanford, CA | L 7–49 |
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| AP photo |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at UCLA | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA | L 14–31 | 55,711 |
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| Pac-12 photo |
| November 4 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 12 Washington | Husky Stadium• Seattle, WA(Rivalry) | L 3–38 |
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| Statesman Journal photo |
| December 16 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. No. 25 Boise State* | Sam Boyd Stadium• Whitney, NV (Las Vegas Bowl) | L 28–38 |
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| Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau |
2018 (Mario Cristobal's first season)
| September 22 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 7 Stanford | No. 20 |
| L31–38 OT |
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| AP photo |
| October 20 | 4:30 p.m. | at No. 25 Washington State | No. 12 | L20–34 |
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Oregonlive photo
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| October 27 | 7:30 p.m. | at Arizona | No. 19 | L 15–44 |
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| AP photo |
| November 10 | 2:30 p.m. | at Utah | L 25–32 |
So, what's the trend over 4 years of losses?
In 21 losses during 2015-2018 a vast majority were on the road, so the jerseys tended to be white. But a large proportion of those occasions also had no major green/yellow, but instead opted for whiteout or lots of silver. The times they lost at home tended to be the most cartoonish of uniforms: The Lewis and Clark commemoration, the blue Webfoots Oregon flag set, and the orange-socked Duck mascot version—all combos that have now become imfamous, much like their "grellow" helmets from 2006.
- 11 losses where no major background color was green/yellow
- 7 losses had uniforms that sported ONLY white, gray, black, silver or blue
- 14 losses used helmets that were not green or yellow, with a preponderance of the chrome helmets being worn in losses.
What next?
Not to say any set is "cursed" but I might avoid going on the road without much green or yellow to offset the white jersey, and stick with nice solid home sets. While Oregon got the whole chrome helmet trend going, it might rethink it. Revolutionary advice, I know
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Week 1: Aug. 31, 2019
A pretty decent game for the Ducks until the last few minutes. They wore a "new" dark green called "Nightmare Green" which kinda lived up to its name. At first glance on twitter and in the news media, this shade of green seemed similar to other "dark green" uniforms they have sported in the past in their "Thunder Green" days. But in further viewing, they seem REALLY dark green—bordering on black, especially the helmets. I'll be hones, I'm not a fan. The shiny numbers are decent though and play off the old school "mallard green" helmets of yore. If they had used lighter green helmets it might have worked.
This was the first time that Oregon has worn a dark green since Marcus Mariota wore it in week 12 of 2014 (the Heisman and Natty year). This is the first time since week 3 of 2017 that they have worn a green/white/green combo. But that uniform was the bright "apple green." But, since they did not preview any black uniforms parts last month, this is the 2019 version of "black." So you have to go back to week 11 of 2015 to get black/white/black. And in ten years, this "nightmare oreo" look is VERY uncommon. You have to go back to the 2010 season in week 6 and then in some respects the last time Oregon lost to Auburn they way dark gray/white/dark gray!
A topic for another blog post this week will be why the Ducks have had a history of choosing pretty dull (Or at least pretty non-traditional) colors when they play in these high profile games. And how they tend to lose on a big stage doing so!
This was the first time that Oregon has worn a dark green since Marcus Mariota wore it in week 12 of 2014 (the Heisman and Natty year). This is the first time since week 3 of 2017 that they have worn a green/white/green combo. But that uniform was the bright "apple green." But, since they did not preview any black uniforms parts last month, this is the 2019 version of "black." So you have to go back to week 11 of 2015 to get black/white/black. And in ten years, this "nightmare oreo" look is VERY uncommon. You have to go back to the 2010 season in week 6 and then in some respects the last time Oregon lost to Auburn they way dark gray/white/dark gray!
A topic for another blog post this week will be why the Ducks have had a history of choosing pretty dull (Or at least pretty non-traditional) colors when they play in these high profile games. And how they tend to lose on a big stage doing so!
Friday, August 9, 2019
It all began 20 years ago
September 2, 1999. East Lansing, Michigan...
Oregon started its first season with quarterback Joey Harrington as starter, losing to Nick Saban-coached Michigan State...
Before 1999, Oregon wore the standard home/away sets and the interlocking UO helmets, that have now become quant and retro. After this game, the uniform floodgates opened and the Oregon mystique of a new combo each week emerged.
The Oregon that the country now loves and hates was born. Color shifting mallard-green helmets with the simple "O" and more use of mono-colors and...gasp...black, the full side stripe and the non-collegiate block typeface that would eventually lead to "Bellotti Bold" font. Diamond plate, wings, high tech, and highlighter-yellow, oh my! It all began 20 years ago.
Some nice links about the history of this evolution:
GoDucks and Rob Moseley give us an oral history off the "O":https://goducks.com/news/2019/8/15/general-oral-history-the-o-turns-20.aspx
https://www.bakasmedia.com/blog/2014/12/16/how-the-oregon-ducks-brand-was-created
https://1000logos.net/oregon-ducks-logo/
BEFORE 1999:
AFTER 1999:
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