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Colorado, Oregon, USC all 2-0 after second week of Pac-12 action

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


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For the second straight week, two games were canceled due to Covid-19, but this time around, teams were able to plan ahead and save a pair of teams from having to stay home again. UCLA and Cal, scheduled to face Utah and Arizona State, respectively, instead faced off with each other Sunday. It was another entertaining weekend of games, with three of the five coming down to the final possession.

Here’s a rundown of the last weekend’s game from the Pac-12:

USC 34, Arizona 30

USC survived yet another early season scare from an Arizona school, narrowly escaping against the Wildcats, 34-30 on the road. A week ago, USC nearly fell to Arizona State in the first conference test of the season. Amon-Ra St. Brown’s late catch inside the 10-yard line set up the game-winning 8-yard touchdown run by Vavae Malapeai to give the Trojans the lead with 25 seconds left in the game. Arizona’s Grant Gunnel went 24/36 for 286 yards, three TDs, and a pick; while Kedon Slovis threw 30/43 for 325 yards and one score. – Charlie Folkestad

UCLA 34, Cal 10

UCLA overcame a slow start to pull away big from the Golden Bears. Dorrian Thompson-Robinson looked great for the Bruins, while his opposition in Justin Wilcox’ defensive unit was underwhelming. The Cal offense led by Chase Garbers wasn’t much better. Of course, there were many strange circumstances with this matchup with it being played on Sunday and not even announced until mid-week. We’ll learn a lot more about whether this result was an outlier or an accurate representation of both programs as conference play moves forward. Cal particularly will have to rebound quickly if they want to restore their preseason status as a dark horse in the Pac-12 North race. Meanwhile, UCLA gets to see if they are for real next week when they travel to Eugene to meet the defending conference champs.  – Reid Tingley

Colorado 35, Stanford 32

For a second straight week Colorado was able to hold off a late rally and are now 2-0 and tied for the South Division lead. QB Sam Noyer (291 total yards, 4 TD) and RB Jarek Broussard (121 yards) proved their debuts were no fluke, putting up points with ease against a ragged Stanford defense. The Cardinal dropped to 0-2, largely in part to a porous defense, sluggish run game (70 yards on 21 carries) and an inability to threaten downfield. Davis Mills passed for 327 yards but needed 56 attempts and 31 completions to do so. Stanford also struggled on third down, converting just 5/16 attempts. – Cliff Gibson

Oregon 43, Washington State 29

This was one of those games that offered encouraging signs for both teams. The Cougs hung with the conference’s best for 3 quarters and moved the ball on a talented Oregon defense. On the other side, Oregon exorcised some of their own demons from the past 5 years of this matchup. The Ducks turned the ball over 3 times early but showed the ability to turn it around and pull away late. Oregon is going to need to show some defensive improvement, particularly in their tackling, if they want to reach their ceiling as a playoff contender. However, many other teams around the country have shown defensive struggles early this year as a result of the abnormal offseason. Also, don’t look now, but Rolo has Wazzu looking like a top 3 team in the North in just his first season. – Reid Tingley

Washington 27, Oregon State 21

The Jimmy Lake era started with a win, but it wasn’t pretty. The Huskies fell behind on the first series when a high snap on a punt led to a scoop-and-score by the Beavers. A strong running game enabled Washington to get in front before the end of the opening period, and never trail again. Oregon State managed just 252 total yards and lost two turnovers. The Huskies ran for 267 yards, converted 8/16 third downs and did not turn the ball over. Redshirt freshman Dylan Morris got the start for UW, completing 14/24 for 141 yards. Sean McGrew ran for 91 yards and a score. — Cliff Gibson

Rankings

Oregon remained at #11 and USC stayed at #20 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Utah, Washington and Arizona State received votes.

Next Week (All games on Saturday)

UCLA at Oregon, TBD

Cal at Oregon State, 12:30 pm

Arizona at Washington, 5 pm

USC at Utah, 7:30 pm

Washington State at Stanford, 8 pm

Arizona State at Colorado — Canceled (Covid-19)

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Pac-12 hoping full slate is played in full after last weekend’s cancellations

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

Utah-UCLA game most likely to be affected by COVID-19 concerns


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The Pac-12 Conference heads into its second week of action, hoping to play a full slate of games after having a pair of games canceled last weekend due to COVID-19 concerns. As entertaining as that weekend turned out to be, conference officials and fans alike are hoping to see ALL of its teams in action Saturday. Here’s a look at Saturday’s scheduled games:

USC at Arizona, 12:30 pm on FOX

The 20th-ranked Trojans not only have the upper hand in talent, but in live game action as well. USC (1-0) came from behind last weekend to beat Arizona State, but Arizona had to sit in a holding pattern as its game against Utah was canceled. QB Grant Gunnell and the Wildcats will have to get off to a fast start and shake off the rust early if they want to keep up with USC. Despite turnover and tackling issues, the Trojans showed their resolve and planted a firm foothold at the top of the South Division.


Colorado RB Jarek Broussard ran for 187 yards and three scores in his debut last week and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Colorado RB Jarek Broussard ran for 187 yards and three scores in his debut last week and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Colorado at Stanford, 12:30 pm on ESPN

It would be selfish to ask for the same production from Colorado QB Sam Noyer and RB Jarek Broussard (Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week) following their brilliant debuts last week against UCLA. But the Buffs (1-0) will need the pair to stand out again if they want to get to 2-0. Stanford (0-1) would like nothing more than to get back to business at home and do what they do best – grind opponents down with a balanced attack. This might end up being the conference’s best game of the weekend. For live coverage, follow @cliffcgibson on Twitter.

Oregon at Washington State, 4:00 pm on FOX

I’m interested to see just how the Cougars (1-0) do against 11th-ranked Oregon (1-0) with true freshman Jayden de Laura getting his first real test, one week after passing for 227 yards, rushing for 43 and accounting for a pair of scores. Meanwhile, the Ducks chewed up yardage on the ground against Stanford, with CJ Verdell leading the way with 105 yards and QB Tyler Shough adding 85. The Ducks are 14-0 under Mario Cristobal when holding opponents under 25 points.

California at Arizona State, 7:30 pm on ESPN2

The Sun Devils (0-1) were the better team last week against USC for 56 minutes, forcing turnovers and gashing the Trojans with the run game. But the inability to close it out cost them dearly and will likely keep ASU out of the conference title game. QB Jayden Daniels ran for 111 yards, marking the fifth time in school history a QB has eclipsed the 100-yard mark. Cal will be rearing to go after having its season-opener with Washington canceled due to quarantine protocol in Berkeley last week. However, the program is discussing relocating for the remainder of the season and seems unlikely they won’t be affected by the lingering distractions.


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Utah at UCLA, 7:30 pm on FOX

Of the six games scheduled this weekend, this one seems the most likely to fall victim to a COVID-19 cancellation, seeing how there are still concerns with at least six positive cases reported by the Utah program. If the Utes are able to finally open their season, they’ll have their hands full containing UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who passed for 303 yards through the air and 109 on the ground, the first player in UCLA history to accomplish that feat. Despite a valiant second-half effort, the Bruins (0-1) turned the ball over five times in the first half and fell in a 28-point hole.

Oregon State at Washington, 8:00 pm on FS1

Had it not been for the City of Berkeley’s strict COVID protocols, the Huskies would’ve played their scheduled opener last week at Cal. Instead, Jimmy Lake’s head coaching debut was pushed back a week, and now it’s at home where Washington will take on the Beavers (0-1) in a #Pac12AfterDark matchup. However, it’s still uncertain (and is expected be a game-time decision) who will get the start at QB for the Huskies. Jacob Sirmon, Kevin Thomson, Ethan Garbers, and Dylan Morris are all in the mix. Oregon State was torched at home by Washington State, allowing 229 yards on the ground and 227 through the air. For live coverage, follow @cliffcgibson on Twitter.

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Richardson, Oregon outlast Arizona in Eugene, 74-73

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
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First Half

Despite beginning the game down 7-0 and 20-11, the Ducks fought back with a 16-7 run to end the half, cutting the deficit to 2 at 34-32. Arizona shot 48% (14/31) in the first half, but the Ducks’ 39% (11/28) was helped by 5 three-pointers.

Payton Pritchard struggled in the first, going 2/8 with just 6 points, but Will Richardson’s 10 and Chris Duarte’s 8 carried the Ducks. 

Arizona’s projected lottery pick, Nico Mannion, had 10 points, while the Wildcats’ Zeke Nnaji added 5 points and 10 boards. 

Of course, not to be outdone, Bill Walton ate peanut butter.

https://twitter.com/twmarks_/status/1215462480480067585

Second Half

The second half began with a hilarious encounter between Mario Cristobal, his son (also Mario, although Walton thought it was Marshall), Dave Pasch, and Walton wearing an Oregon football helmet.

https://twitter.com/kwadesays/status/1215471692996210689

But the real battle was between Mannion and Pritchard. Offensive rebounds, dizzying dribbling displays, space creation, and—of course—creative scoring, were all on display from both players.

Arizona started spacing the floor better and hitting open shots on offense, but Oregon was ready to respond.

Duarte hit Oregon’s second straight 3 at the 5:26 mark to take a 60-57 lead, but the Wildcats punched back. Out of Sean Miller’s subsequent timeout, Dante picked up his fourth foul. This time he stayed in the game, though.

With a minute to go, Arizona held a 2-point lead. They retained possession and elected to play clock, ignoring the pleas of Walton to score. Mannion threw the ball away. Pritchard hit a fadeaway on Mannion to tie it, then came up huge on the defensive end by blocking Nnaji’s elbow jumper as time expired. Sean Miller’s pleas (which were more like demands) fell on deaf ears, and the game went to overtime.

Overtime

Will Richardson got the scoring started for the Ducks in overtime with 5 quick points to earn his 19th total. His and-1 gave Oregon a 3-point lead before Mannion buried his first 3 of the night on the other end.

Chris Duarte came up with a big offensive rebound to set up a Mannion foul on Pritchard, causing Miller to reach a new shade of red on the sideline. Replays confirmed the obvious foul, though.

Pritchard went 1/2 to set up a 1-point lead. Arizona coughed up the ball on the next possession, but so did Oregon off the inbound pass. Arizona quickly converted the turnover but Richardson responded just as quickly on the other end.

If possible, the game descended deeper into chaos. Arizona’s Nnaji was trapped in the corner and his pass was intercepted by Pritchard, who landed out of bounds while he was still touching the ball.

Arizona looked to score with 10 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, but Mannion’s ill-advised runner was deflected out of bounds by the Ducks. Wildcat ball, 2 seconds left. The final inbound pass was dropped and a thrilling game ended with a 74-73 scoreline in favor of the Ducks.

Final Lines and Thoughts

Oregon

  • P. Pritchard – 18pts, 7reb, 6ast, 3stl, 4TO on 6/21 FG, 3/11 3pt
  • W. Richardson – 21pts, 5reb, 4ast on 7/16 FG, 5/5 FT, 2/4 3pt
  • C. Duarte – 17pts, 8reb, 2ast on 5/10 FG, 6/6FT, 1/3 3pt
  • N. Dante – 10pts, 5reb, 2blk on 5/6 FG

Arizona

  • N. Mannion – 20pts, 3reb, 3ast, 6TO on 9/17 FG, 1/3 3pt
  • Z. Nnaji – 11pts, 14reb, 2 blk on 3/8 FG, 5/8 FT
  • J. Green – 17pts, 5reb on 7/11 FG, 2/4 3pt
  • D. Smith – 11pts, 3reb, 3TO on 4/9 FG, 3/4 3pt

This was a monumental win for Oregon in the following ways:

  • Protecting home court
  • Proving they can win when Pritchard is off by having other guys step up
  • Staying afloat in a very good Pac-12 conference

If the Ducks keep up this kind of effort for a full game, we can fully expect them to be making deep runs in the Pac-12 Tournament and Big Dance at the end of the season. Mind you, they started very slowly in this game, and Arizona had the chance to blow the doors off in the first half.

Beating Arizona is also fun because of what it represents; Oregon is now 9-6 against Arizona in head-to-head matchups since Arizona’s 6-game win streak from 2008-2011. The torch is slowly being passed from Sean Miller to Dana Altman in the Conference of Champions, and this win continued that trend.

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A Duck fan’s Pac-12 Power Rankings of Hate

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
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Being a Duck is fun. It’s unique. We win a lot (this century). But it comes with a cost, albeit small: Everyone hates us. Well, now it’s my turn to hate back.

This ranking will cover every program in the Pac-12, from 11 (the most likable) to 1 (the most detestable). I have taken everything I know about the program—its fans, history, coaches, players, whatever—into account. Sometimes my reasoning is short or flawed, but explanations are provided for each selection.

11. Utah

I really can’t find a reason to hate Utah. Yes, they destroyed us in Autzen a few years back, but that’s as much our fault as it is theirs. Almost everything I hear about their setting with Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Muss is positive, and I have a huge amount of respect for Kyle Whittingham.

10. Cal

Cal doesn’t really have die-hard fans, and that makes them a lot less hateable. They have given the Ducks a few sour moments in the past, such as the 2007 touchback debacle or faking injuries to slow down our offense in 2010, but overall they’re pretty much just another conference opponent. The Bay is cool, too.

9. Colorado

Boulder and Eugene have very similar “vibes” as far as campuses and student go. Many students who attend one also consider the other. From what I know, Colorado is a very beautiful place. Being mediocre will also help a program’s case on this list, and Colorado is usually not much more than that. I really liked Mike MacIntyre when he was there, too. Even if they look like Duracell batteries on the field, I usually don’t find myself rooting against the Buffs.

8. UCLA

If you hate UCLA because of Chip Kelly, I can only tell you that you’re a miserable, vengeful person (nothing personal). Chip didn’t leave us to coach them (like Willie Taggart did at Florida State). He bounced out of the NFL and landed on his feet in L.A. I can, however, hate UCLA because it’s in LA, and LA is annoying. See also: Neuheisel, Richard.

7. Arizona State

Maybe this comes with being the biggest college in the country, but Arizona State’s travelling fans are incredibly annoying. In the handful of ASU games I’ve been to at Autzen, Sun Devils fans were rude, loud, and angry (probably because they were losing). On the field, though, ASU hasn’t beaten us in consecutive years since I was 4 years old. Not much to hate there. I also like Herm Edwards a lot and find myself rooting for the Sun Devils to beat up on fellow Pac-12 North teams.

6. Washington State

The Cougs land this high almost solely because they are in the Pacific Northwest. Ducks and Cougs have a common enemy in UW, and only recently have they become competitive, taking a nice 11-year break from winning records (2004-2014) in my lifetime. Mike Leach is hilarious and although their Air Raid offense makes games last forever, it’s pretty entertaining.

5. Arizona

In my mind, Arizona fans will forever be remembered for storming the field too early in 2009. You just hate to see it. However, they have given the Ducks some stinging results in recent history, and seeing Mike Stoops in action was exhausting. Also, they injured Dennis Dixon and ruined our season in 2007.

4. Stanford

Stanford appears at #4 because they beat us when it mattered, including a championship-caliber Ducks squad in 2012. Simple as that. I respect the way they do things under David Shaw, and the only players of theirs I have disliked are all white linebackers for some reason (Shane Skov for being too good, Chase Thomas for the fake injury, and Owen Marecic for the fake hype). I can’t hate on the education or area very much, although I can (and have and will) clown on them for never filling their stadium.

3. USC

Some call them the University of Spoiled Children. I call them barely-relevant since Pete Carroll left. USC acts like it will be a powerhouse every season, even when they lose to Fresno State (no disrespect to the Bulldogs, but come on Trojans). Their lack of consistency gives people a reason to discount the Pac-12 every year. Overall, USC is so high on this list because they used to beat up on us, and now they can’t even put on for the conference.

2. Oregon State

The top two on this list should have been obvious, but the order has changed in recent years. Oregon State hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2013, and the Beavers are without a 10-win season since 2006. Beaver fans are as bitter as ever and try to get a leg up on Ducks whenever they can (even if it means flaunting College Baseball success). At least they know and admit they’re currently inferior, unlike…

1. Washington

Washington fans complaining that “Phil Knight’s Nike money paid the refs!” pretty much sums it all up. Jealous of Oregon’s strong national brand, Husky fans have convinced themselves that winning two Pac-12 titles and losing their only playoff appearance amounts to some sort of superiority (despite losing 14 out of the last 16 matchups). Hate Week has returned to a trash-talking buffet, complete with everything from a new celebration to fake Twitter accounts. It’s good to have a competitive rivalry against a fanbase with a pulse again (sorry Stanford).

So, do you like my list? Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. Go Ducks!

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Oregon vs Arizona: Quick-and-Dirty preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
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The Oregon Ducks (8-1, 1st in Pac-12 North) will host the Arizona Wildcats (4-5, 5th in Pac-12 South) on Saturday, November 15th at 7:30 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, OR. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and streaming on the ESPN app and site.

A lot of talk this week surrounds how Oregon has put themselves in a great position to make it to the College Football Playoff. In order for this to happen, though, they’ll need some added help from fate. FiveThirtyEight’s College Football Predictions gives the Ducks the fourth-best chance of making the Playoff, although only at 35%. It’s safe to say that both the Ducks and Utah Utes need each other to win out before a meeting in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Consequently, Arizona plays both Oregon and Utah over the next two weeks. The Wildcats have the toughest remaining schedule in all of the conference with Arizona State looming in the Territorial Cup. They’re fighting for bowl eligibility, of course, but the chance to play spoiler is always an intriguing one. Winning the Territorial Cup might end up being Arizona’s biggest achievement this season, but we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss their chances in either of these next two matchups.

Kevin Sumlin has a .633 win percentage in his nearly 12-year career as a head coach.
Photo by DianeCMcDonald via Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Arizona employs a two-quarterback system of Senior Khalil Tate and Freshman Grant Gunnell. Duck fans will remember Tate for his role in upsetting a ranked Oregon in Tucson last year, but that’s not exactly a new trend. In the last three meetings between a ranked Oregon and unranked Arizona, the Wildcats have successfully played spoiler (2013, 2014, and 2018).

But back to Tate and Gunnell. Tate is the dual-threat guy, an established senior who’s been able to put up video-game numbers in some games. He’s a screen pass shy of 6,000 career passing yards right now and well over 2,000 rushing yards already. Despite Tate’s rushing threat (1400+ yds and 12 TDs on 9+ YPC in 2017), it was his backfield partner in crime—J.J. Taylor—who put up 228 yards and 2 TDs in Arizona’s 44-25 win over the Ducks last year.

Gunnell is a 6’6″, 225-lb freshman from Houston. Through six games he has 1,061 passing yards with 9 TDs and only 1 INT. He’s completing passes at a 66.4% clip. I’d imagine Arizona uses Gunnell and an Air Raid-style passing attack against Oregon as the Washington schools did. After all, they are the Pac-12 opponents who’ve had the greatest success against the Ducks so far. The flip side of this, of course, is the fact that the Ducks secondary has the most interceptions in the nation (17) and Autzen isn’t exactly the best place for a visiting freshman quarterback to shine. (I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of him as Arizona’s QB of the future, though.)

Ok, so how could Arizona beat Oregon? How does a 4-5 team destined for a bowl-less season go on the road and defeat a playoff contender on an eight-game win streak?

The short answer is that they don’t. The longer answer is that either someone gets injured or the Ducks become completely unfocused over the bye week, which is highly unlikely with so many leaders on the team. I’m anticipating this will be the week everyone can turn #Pac12AfterDark off early, at least for this game.

Like I’ve said for the past eight games, Oregon knows they’re the better team. It all comes down to focus and execution. These are the games in which Mario Cristobal Co. needs to beat the spread, not just the team across from them.

The Ducks did so against Colorado and USC, but all other Pac-12 games have been tougher than expected, including those against clearly lesser opponents (Stanford, Cal, Wazzu). This Saturday’s spread is set at -27 for Oregon. I think that’s definitely a coverable spread and has been my personal goal for this game before I even looked it up.

I have to say, though, it’s kinda fun to be in competitive games sometimes. The 2010 days of steamrolling 90% of our schedule are over. This is a different program with a new identity. Instead of outrunning everyone to the end sone most of the time, we are a more balanced and physical squad. It may not be as appealing, but as long as it wins, it works for me.

Prediction: Ducks 59, Wildcats 17

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The 10 most painful Oregon Ducks losses of my lifetime

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
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Welcome, Duck fans and haters alike. It’s that time of year again—that sinking feeling of a title feeling slipping away is setting in already. Throughout my two decades on Earth, this fan base has been brought to the ultimate brink of success and dragged back through the mud. We have seen Heisman finalists, injuries, and championship appearances drift in and out, building one of the biggest national brands in collegiate sports along the way.

Marcus Mariota owned the Trojans in every game but one.

This list serves not as a tear-jerk, but as a badge of self-loathing. Relive the worst of the worst now before it happens again. It is a place to gather all your most hideous fears and release them. So have a stress ball, Kleenex, or whatever else you might need—just not YouTube. Don’t do it. And remember: no matter how sad you get, at least we’ve never gone 0-12.

Finally, before we begin, a clarification: I was born at the turn of the century. I grew up studying the 1994 and 2001 season highlight tapes religiously. This list will not cover those. Yes, the Stanford loss in 2001 was during my lifetime and kept us out of a natty, but I’m not gonna act like I remember it. This might as well be titled “Most Painful Losses Since 2005 or so.” Go figure. These are the games that make you want to dig a hole and hide in it; the ones that make you cringe when remembered; the ones that you thought you could bury forever. You know the feeling—you likely felt it last Saturday. So, without further ado…

Honorable Mentions: Stanford 2013, Rose Bowl 2009-10, UW 2016, Civil War 2016, Cal 2007

10. Arizona 2013: The Surprise Collapse

The 2013 Ducks were coming off a tough 26-20 Thursday night loss to Stanford on the Farm two weeks prior, and the 9-1 record meant we still had a shot to make the Rose Bowl, even if the National Championship was out of reach. A convincing win against Utah the week before made this shellacking in the desert even more of a shock—the Wildcats came storming out of the gate behind KaDeem Carey’s 206 yards and 4 TDs. The Ducks trailed 28-9 at half and mustered only a touchdown for the rest of the game. This loss was crushing, as it demoted us from #5 at the time to an Alamo Bowl appearance (following a classic Civil War battle, might I add). Silver lining: at least we actually won the Alamo Bowl that year.

9. Civil War 2007: The (Original) Missed Field Goal

Spoiler: this is the only Civil War on the list. The little brother in Corvallis rarely gives us much trouble these days, but the first decade of the 2000s was when the rivalry was at its best. The 7-4 Beavers and 8-3 Ducks took very different paths to get to the 2007 Civil War. Mike Riley‘s team started 2-3 before winning six of their last seven coming into Autzen. The 2007 Ducks, well… more on that later. With the score tied, Walter Thurmond III blocked a Beaver field goal with a minute to go, setting up what should have been a game-winning drive for… *checks notes* Justin Roper & Co. The Ducks missed a 53-yard FG with 26 seconds left, but a leaping call gave the Ducks another shot after the 15-yard penalty. Without spiking the ball, the field goal unit rushed on and Matt Evensen missed a 40-yarder as regulation expired. In double overtime, James Rodgers broke a tackle in the backfield and scored a fly sweep touchdown, while Jonathan Stewart was stopped short on 4th and nothing. The Ducks went onto crush a ranked South Florida in the Sun Bowl, but even Beaver fans will admit the Ducks blew the Civil War that year. Silver lining: we won two of the most important Civil Wars ever in the next two years, and have only lost to the Beavers once since this game.

Lyle Moevao beat the Ducks in 2007.

8. Alamo Bowl 2015: The Bad Snaps

Oregon’s 2015 season was full of mistakes, mostly surrounding the quarterback situation with Vernon Adams in and out of good health. Despite close losses to Michigan State and Wazzu and a home blowout to Utah, Oregon ended the regular season with six straight wins and had a good chance to earn an eighth-straight 10-win season. A really, really good chance. The Ducks took a 31-0 lead into halftime of the Alamo Bowl, but they knew trouble was afoot as soon as Adams went down with a concussion in the second quarter, along with starting center Matt Hegarty. The Oregon offense scored zero points in the second half, and the backups could barely complete a snap. TCU clawed their way into overtime before stuffing the Ducks in 3OT, as I helplessly tried to explain how dismal American football was to my Costa Rican exchange student. Silver lining: the Timbers won MLS Cup a few weeks before and this was the beginning of the end for Helfrich.

7. Auburn 2019: The Bo Nix Game

Our most recent high-profile choke-job was in yet another national spotlight, with a chance to avenge the 2010-11 BCS National Championship Game loss in the only ranked matchup of Week 1. The rest of the season will determine the true significance of this game, but we will be haunted by a dropped touchdown, a missed chip shot, and conservative play calling, among many other things. In all, the Ducks made only three touchdowns out of five trips to the red zone, and were ultimately defeated by an imperfect throw from a true freshman quarterback. Silver lining: TBD

6. Stanford 2012: The Missed Block

The 2012 Ducks were special. Marcus Mariota’s freshman season started with a 10-0 record, demolishing every opponent along the way and averaging 55 points per game. The only thing that stood between the BCS #2 Ducks and a shot at Bama in the National Championship was, well, nothing. Mariota was streaking down the right hand side, with only empty turf in front of him, ready to seal the game with a flawless touchdown run. He even had De’Anthony Thomas as a blocker. But Thomas failed to see a Stanford DB come up from behind, shoving Mariota out of bounds and capping the run at 77 yards. Mistakes and missed field goals ensued, and the Cardinal kicked a very Stanford-like 37-yard field goal to win by three in overtime. This was the only game where I saw most people leaving the stadium in tears. Everyone except fate knew which team should have won the game. Said Chip Kelly: “You’d love to have some words that could kind of take the pain out of it. But there aren’t any.” Ditto. Silver lining: The Ducks went onto win the Fiesta Bowl in Chip’s last game at Oregon.

5. USC 2011: The Incomplete Comeback

After a Week 1 loss to LSU, Chip Kelly’s Ducks rattled off nine straight wins and beat Andrew Luck and #3 Stanford on the Farm. Only a bowl-banned USC, Civil War, and Pac-12 Championship Game were blocking another run at the title. The Ducks were #4, boasting 21 straight home wins and 19 straight conference wins. Moreover, an upset loss for #3 Oklahoma State during the week meant the BCS door was wide open for Oregon. Those dreams seemed quickly crushed against USC. The Trojans held a 38-10 lead with 3:28 left on the clock in the 3rd quarter, but the Ducks responded instantly. Freshman DAT took a kickoff return to the house on a fake reverse, and by the middle of the fourth quarter the Ducks had pulled within three. They stayed within three, drove down the field, and set up for a game-tying field goal from Alejandro Maldonado. They were still within three when the field goal sailed wide left. Also, LeBron was there. Silver lining: A Rose Bowl win later sealed a successful season, but we are left knowing it could have been so much more.

4. Arizona 2007: The Downfall of Dennis

First-grade Me fully understood the implications of this game. On that fateful November Thursday, I had reminded all my friends at school that the Ducks had just beaten two top-10 teams, that Dennis Dixon was one of the best players in the country, and that the Ducks were 8-1 with a #2 ranking. Dixon had been injured the week before against ASU, but he sprinted for a 39-yard touchdown to open the game against Arizona. Later in the quarter, though, Dixon tore his ACL. The Ducks stayed in the game despite a pick six, punt return, and wacky fake-punt-pseudo-fumble not going their way, and cut the lead to seven in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t enough, and things only got worse until the Sun Bowl. 2007 remains a mysterious season; the hypotheticals of an uninjured Dixon haunt Duck fans, and Oregon was pushed to the national wayside before they could complete a full week at #2. Silver lining: Oregon captured revenge in the desert two years later by beating Arizona in a game that would have sent them to the Rose Bowl. They have still never been.

Senior Dennis Dixon was the real deal in Chip Kelly’s offense.

3. Stanford 2018: The GameDay Meltdown

Visualize your textbook opening to your first weekend of college. You get to the dorms, become instant friends with your roommates, and gear up for the big game. What’s more, your school’s football team has a special quarterback, vastly improved defense, and a top-10 division rival is coming to town. By the way, ESPN’s College GameDay is on campus and your sign gets on TV. By the way, the scoreboard reads 30-7 with your team leading late in the third quarter. What could go wrong, you ask? Everything. Everything went wrong. A touchdown run that hit the inside of the pylon was overturned, and the stalled drive resulted in six points the other way. From there, the Ducks gave up pass after pass to Standord’s JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and the lead kept snipping down. Still, the Ducks controlled the ball and the game with less than a minute to go in the fourth, and kneeling the ball would have likely put the game away. Instead, Oregon pushed for a first down, and a fumble set up Stanford’s game-tying field goal. The Cardinal stuck to their guns in overtime, and I was left questioning my own sanity. Silver lining: rushing the field a few weeks later after beating the Huskies.

2. Natty 2014-15: The Zeke Game

This was the year. This was the year to win the National Title. This was the year of the Heisman quarterback, the signature non-conference win, and the second chance. It was the year of the first College Football Playoff win—ever. It was the year that we dethroned Jameis and the Seminoles. But no. Ezekiel Elliott‘s four touchdowns buried Oregon’s hopes in the fourth quarter after cutting the lead to one in the third. Despite the final score, the Ducks definitely had chances to win this game: dropped passes, a Buckeye goal line stand, and the failure to capitalize on four Ohio State turnovers marked the end of a 13-win season for the Ducks, the most in school history. While it definitely wasn’t as close as the final game on this list, it was a blown opportunity at the highest level. Two seasons later, Mark Helfrich was fired and the Ducks were out of bowl contention. Silver lining: at least we don’t live in Ohio.

1. Natty 2010-11: Dyer was Down

That’s all I really have to say. Both teams made heaps of mistakes, and the Ducks did everything they could to tie the game down the stretch. The miraculous was within reach, as long as our defense made one last stop. On a routine tackle, Michael Dyer slipped away from Eddie Pleasant and set up the game-winning field goal. Many people claim to have an enlightened view when discussing this play, but the bottom line is that it was simply unlucky. Pleasant, Dyer, and almost everyone else thought Dyer was down. I will not be pulling out the rulebook here, but I encourage you to do your own research on this one. In the end, a storybook ending to a perfect season popped up, paused, and sprinted down the sideline, an inch from becoming reality. Some day it may be. But for now, we persevere, and keep marching onto the next play, next game, next season.

Such is the life of an Oregon Ducks football fan.

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