Fans were greeted by a new artificial turf surface on the playing field of Autzen Stadium, a new helmet design, and a heralded group of sophomores that included Bobby Moore, Leland Glass, Greg Specht, Tom Graham, and Tom Drougas. Still utilizing kelly green headgear, the unique oval logo of 1968 was replaced by a Green Bay gold interlocking “UO” that was similar to the decal used for the 1967 season, but the new one had large angled corners compared to the previously used decals and the logo lacked any white or contrasting border. The simplified UO logo was augmented by Green Bay gold one-and-one-half-inch Pacific Angelus style numerals placed on the rear of the shell for player identification. The only change to the helmet occurred in the season’s fourth game as both sides of the shell sported the commemorative 100 Year football shaped logo used by a number of universities. It did not help the Ducks as they dropped a 36-34 decision to San Jose State. The 100 Year decals were not used again.  

Fans were however puzzled by the limited record of 5-5-1 as Oregon's offense stormed through the schedule scoring 271 points, totaling 4064 yards, and setting school records for 2282 accumulated passing yards and seventeen TD's. Described as "the best athlete we have ever recruited at Oregon" All Conference HB Bobby Moore was 210-pounds of dynamite, catching fifty-four tosses for 754 yards and ten TD's. He rushed for five more while setting a number of school records. Tom Blanchard was the QB in charge with TE Andy Maurer, moved from FB, an inviting target. By the next season, Maurer was up to 265 pounds and playing offensive guard and tackle for the Falcons. His pro career lasted through 1977 and he put time in for the Saints, Vikings, Forty Niners, and Broncos after his first four years in Atlanta. Almost lost among the bigger names was WR Bob Newland who was always effective on the other end of passes from both Blanchard and John Harrington. The latter would become a highly respected high school coach and principal and his son Joey would lead the Ducks to great success before going to the Detroit Lions as their number-one draft choice. The defense improved as the year went on, giving great promise for '70, especially with the development of middle LB Tom Graham who had 105 individual tackles and was in on an incredible total of 206! Despite the heroics of Moore and Graham, the team’s inconsistent play led to a summarizing statement in The Oregonian newspaper which read, “At last Oregon leads the league in something. Frustration.”

1970 marked the retirement of Len Casanova, stepping down from the AD post and leaving a legacy as the man who altered the perception of Oregon football and gave it a great deal of success. While '69 had some offensive sparks, 1970 brought a barrage of yards and points. Only a poor defense and a lack of overall depth kept the record to a mediocre 6-4-1 as soph QB Dan Fouts who stepped in for Blanchard, TB Bobby Moore, flanker Leland Glass, and FB Jim Anderson put up almost 5000 yards. All Conference Newland was the best of the receivers and his sixty-seven receptions remained a single-season UO record until 2003. He had career totals of 1941 yards on 125 catches and played with the Saints for five seasons. Moore came back from a spring ball suspension to run for a conference-leading 924 yards and eleven touchdowns and he was just as dangerous as a receiver or return man. He joined Newland on the All PAC squad but his team was hurt when he was suspended following the game against Washington. After Blanchard again went down with injury, Dan Fouts had a year to remember. He threw for 2390 yards, the first Ducks’ QB to surpass 2000 yards, and sixteen TD’s. Blanchard went on to a fine eleven year tenure as a punter in the NFL. Much of the offensive success could be laid at the feet of tackle Tom Drougas out of Portland’s Sunset H.S.. All Pac 10 honorees MLB Graham who played most of the season on one good knee and DB Lionel Coleman led a defense that suffered some critical breakdowns. The games against UCLA and USC highlighted the year. On October 10^th the donnybrook against UCLA found Oregon looking at the wrong end of a 40-21 margin with less than five minutes on the clock. The Ducks stormed back with Blanchard teaming with Moore for two scores before going down with an injured shoulder. A previously benched Fouts returned to the field and with but twenty-one seconds remaining in the game, threw to Greg Specht for a spectacular 41-40 victory. Two weeks later against the Trojans, Oregon pulled off one of the season’s major upsets with a 10-7 win. Despite a schedule seen as one of the toughest in the land for 1971, complete with an opening game against top ranked Nebraska, Frei was under pressure to produce with the offensive tools he had. QB Fouts completed the season with almost all of Oregon's passing records despite sustaining strained knee ligaments in the third game against Stanford and he could run when he had to. Norval Turner and 5’8” Harvey Winn filled in for Fouts and did so admirably. HB Moore whose big day came with 249 rushing yards against Utah, did everything including rushing for a conference title yardage mark of 1211, was All Conference for the third straight year, and received All American recognition before heading off to the St. Louis Cardinals as their first-round draft choice. Moore's numbers were big, finishing his Oregon career with 2306 rushing yards and 131 receptions which stood as long-time Ducks' records. He converted to Islam in 1972 and changed his name to Ahmad Rashad and spent eleven productive years in the pros, most with the Vikings. He was named to four Pro Bowls before becoming a well-known broadcaster and television personality. Glass and Anderson were again steady performers, with Glass enjoying two seasons as a receiver for the Packers, and Tom Drougas received All PAC notice anchoring the offensive line and then became the Colts first-round pick. LB Graham led the bottom-of-the-PAC defense, finishing his Ducks career with a school-record of 433 tackles and went on to a six-year career that was split between the Broncos and Chargers. Graham’s son Daniel is now a tight end with the Broncos and Graham has a unique business selling scented candles and air freshening products that display the various NFL logos. Soph DE Alan Eustace showed promise. Many looked at the brutal schedule that featured non-conference opponents Nebraska and Texas and believed that 1971's 5-6 record was consistent with the depth and material on hand while others looked at the 23-21 upset over USC, Fouts, Moore, Drougas, Graham, and All PAC DB Bill Drake who later played with the Rams and believed that great material had been mishandled. The eighth straight loss to in-state rival Oregon State didn’t help Frei’s case either. With first-year AD Norv Ritchey pushed to make a change and alumni disgruntled, the embattled Frei resigned as he refused to fire his staff which included future Super Bowl winning head coach George Seifert. Frei left on January 19, 1972 and didn't wait long for job offers. He joined John Ralston's staff as the offensive line coach with the Denver Broncos, applying the same skills for the Bucs under John McKay and then with the Bears. Frei returned to the Broncos under Dan Reeves and then served in their personnel department for almost two decades. 

SPOTLIGHT ON BOBBY MOORE:

It was assumed that Tacoma, Washington’s Robert Earl “Bobby” Moore would attend the University Of Washington after a storied high school career. In addition to being a versatile football player, he was the State Of Washington high jump champion and as a basketball player, led his league in scoring. However, the difficulties faced by his cousin Don Moore, a superb running back who was ultimately released from the Huskies’ squad, and the more relaxed and liberal attitude found on the University Of Oregon campus and among members of the coaching staff, found the talented athlete as the centerpiece of the 1968 Ducks’ freshmen team. Moore was an immediate hit, catching fifty-four passes his sophomore year from a flanker position. Moved to a running back spot to increase his opportunities with the football, Moore responded as a three-time All Conference performer and senior Consensus All American who set a boatload of Oregon records. The marks included 2306 yards rushing, 131 receptions, and 226 points. His collegiate performances guaranteed his later entry to The College Football Hall Of Fame. As the Cardinals first round draft choice and fourth overall pick of the ’72 season, Moore was moved back to a wide receiver spot. During 1972 he converted to Islam, changing his name to Ahmad Rashad. He played two seasons for the Cardinals, moved to the Bills for two more before splitting a season with the Bills and Seahawks and wound up in Minnesota from 1976 through ’82. With the Vikings, he blossomed and was named to four Pro Bowls. He completed his pro career with 495 receptions, 6831 yards, and forty-four touchdowns. After his football career ended, Rashad became an Emmy winning television sportscaster and often appeared as a guest star on numerous programs.