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DUCKFIGHTER ILLUSTRATED

DFI Vol. 4, issue 7

By Race Bannon

Publisher DuckFighter Illustrated
Posted Oct 5, 2004

In this issue:

Trojans set to Welcome Tedfords to LA

Beavers mauled by Bears

Spawn beats the Master for third straight time

Unrest in Eugene

Cougs set for open of Duck hunting season

Great games on tap this weekend - just not here

Well Coached Midgets Come Up Short
Race Bannon

The Washington Huskies ran into a large forest of trees at Stanford Stadium Saturday and the plucky, untalented but skillfully coached Dawgs came up short for the fourth time in a row this season.

Unrealistic fans might expect that the Huskies would be an even match for a team that they have beaten 20 out of the last 22 times they have played. A team that has high entrance standards and cannot recruit like other Pac 10 schools. But alas, the physically overwhelming Stanford eleven kicked sand in the face of our Montlake Midgets.

Buddy Ball is rolling in year three, and Stanford fans can be glad that Buddy was given this chance to hang around to see the fruits of his hard work in rebuilding the program that Willingham left in shambles?

Carl Bonnell showed the world why they call him the Golden Child at Montlake as he completed 9 of 25 passes and led the Huskies to a touchdown. That is one in his 6 quarters of play. He was hampered by the worst receiving display this side of last years NFC championship game where McNabb was let down by iron fisted wide outs. Like his coach, Bonnell will need time to find his stride and to get the results on the scoreboard that we all know he is capable of.

Husky fans need to be patient. We need several more classes of players that can coach and develop themselves, since it is asking too much for our coaches to develop them. Much improvement was noted, especially in the kicking game where the Huskies only had two punts blocked. The defense showed some sand and grit on the goal line and Scott White deserves a mention for his inspired play. Alas the good efforts were interspersed between the big plays that have haunted this squad so far this year.

Next up is another WAC power heading to Husky Stadium. San Jose State is a veteran ball club that has given Fitz Hill time to get his players in and to build a program. It is unrealistic to expect our plucky under Dawgs to compete with such a large and talented squad, but you can be sure that Gilby will have the troops fired up to “be who we are.”

Prediction: San Jose State – 24, Washington – 16

Unrest in Eugene sparks violence
Mallard N. Moore

Oregon Duck football experts have pinpointed the reason for the decline of fortunes at the Pac Ten’s winningest program on Tuesday afternoons over the last 10 full moon cycles.

Rick Neuheisel.

“I think that Bellotti spent too much time trying to take recruits away from Rick, and we all know that Rick only recruited soft, small midget ball players,” noted Bill Moos as he mentally went over his 401K to see if he can survive the inevitable firing for choosing Bellotti over Tedford.

“We need to focus more on taking Gilby guys away from Gilby if we want to be competitive again.”

Phil Knight had a different take as he was seen warmly embracing Dirk Koetter after the game. “That SOB Moos promised me that committing major violations in recruiting would take us to that next level that I have spent 100 million dollars trying to buy.”

Duck fans are up in arms at the team’s 1-3 start that includes the only win against Idaho. They need to be patient. Bellotti has only had 10 years to get his guys in the program, and it took Mike Price 13 years to build a dynasty. Hope is on the way, as the true freshmen look good, and the Ducks should be back on top as quickly as another three or four years.

One can look at northwest football and say that Mt. St. Helens isn’t the only thing that blows around here.

But that would be wrong.

Cougars versus Ducks this Saturday
Point Counterpoint featuring Mallard N. Moore and Rob Bobertson

MNM - This is a revenge game for Oregon and nobody circles the wagons like the Oregon Ducks, as the Sun Devils found out Saturday night.

RB - Can you believe that the Huskies are 0-4? They really blow. I think we can beat them this year.

MNM - The Duck’s defense has been their strength, and that will be going against the weakness that is the Cougar offense.

RB - Go Cooooooooooooogs!!!! *hic* Schwogger ish going to light you Duckshs up!!!! *hic*

Race Bannon - The lucky Cougs will find a way to extend the misery of the UO faithful. Block a punt, return a fumble, whatever, these guys don’t realize that they aren’t any good and just keep finding a way to win games against mediocre opponents.

WSU – 24, UO – 21

Big Game in LA pits Carroll against Tedford
Troy “Cubby” Wadsworth III

The USC Trojans will welcome the Tedford University Bears to the smog choked and venerable Los Angeles Coliseum in the game of the year in college football. This is a match up that few would have predicted if Hackett and Holmoe were still leading these two schools.

The game has already sold out with 92,000 fans expected to watch this Orange Bowl elimination game.

The Tedford’s are coming off of a 49-7 dismantling of the Oregon State Beavers. Cal was crisp in the execution of their offense and the execution of the Beavers. Nothing like watching a well oiled machine at work. I can almost understand why the publisher of this third rate magazine made Cal the pre season DFI pick to win the league.

The Trojans have a different idea. They will be looking for revenge against the Bears who spoiled the Trojans perfect season last year. This cannot be allowed to happen again. The mighty Trojan defense must not spring any leaks and will need to play a full 60 minutes to contain the imaginative and lethal Tedford attack.

Then it is up to the Trojan offense to put the finishing touch on the Bay Area pretenders. USC will have to guard against looking forward to the big game the next week with ASU. Of course, for the Trojans, every game is a big game.

That’s what happens when you are the nation’s finest team. Older Husky fans might be able to remember how that felt back in the leather helmet era.

USC – 31, Cal – 21

Race Bannon opines: Cal is the better team with the better quarterback and the Tedfords are even playing defense. My pick was solid and the Bears will shock the world, winning by a 35-21 score.

Elsewhere: The Red River War begins again as Texas and Oklahoma renew hostilities at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas...is this the year for Mac Brown?...Yes...UCLA postponed the annual post UW fade long enough to beat San Diego State...is this the week the Wrong Stoops gets his first win as UA plays UCLA?....The Watchful Eye not only had to watch the Huskies, he had to watch LSU get blown out...Saban will be cut some slack since he did win a National Championship...restless Tiger fans will give him one more week...It has been three games since they won it all...has the game passed him by?...Auburn lit up Tennessee to join Georgia as SEC favorites...Notre Dame got blown out at home by Purdue...the Huskies must have really taken it all out of them...Fresno CC lost to Terry Bradshaw and La Tech

as always we thank our dwindling crowd of regular readers for reading – Race

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