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Oregon football has some of the better, more exciting traditions in college football.
Ohio State will experience them when the No. 2 Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) travel to Eugene to take on the No. 3 Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) in the weekend’s biggest game. It’ll also mark the first time Ohio State and Oregon face off as conference foes, and it’s the Buckeye’s first trip to Eugene in over 50 years.
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One of Oregon’s unique traditions involves its mascot, the Oregon Duck, also nicknamed Puddles. The costumed duck is at all football events and rides into games on a Harley Davidson, making it one of the best college football entrances for a mascot.
Here’s what you need to know about Puddles’ motorcycle entrance ahead of Saturday’s Ohio State-Oregon matchup:
Why does the Oregon Duck ride in on a motorcycle?
Ahead of every home game at Autzen Stadium, a custom Oregon Harley-Davidson motorcycle leads the Oregon players onto the field. Riders Arlen Rexius and Matt Hogan take turns riding the bike, with Puddles riding on their backs. Rexius and Hogan took over for Doug Koke, who retired in 2022 after 23 years of riding the motorcycle onto the field.
The tradition started in 1997, two years after the Minnesota Vikings started a similar pregame ritual in the NFL. The first driver of the motorcycle was former Oregon star and Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman. Zimmerman rode the bike for the first two years before Koke took over.
During his time as the rider, Koke was even once penalized, which he described as his favorite memory.
“2002, Mississippi State. I got a five-yard penalty for buzzing the coin toss,” Koke said.
Watching Puddles ride into Autzen Stadium ahead of a game has been described as a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-does-oregon-duck-puddles-151211587.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2024-10-11 15:12:11
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