Dixon, Oregon go down
Without being touched, Dennis Dixon collapsed, and then Oregon did.
It’s hard to imagine the Heisman Trophy and a national title bid being lost on second and seven at the Arizona 15, with 6:01 left in the first quarter, but that’s the way the Ducks season went down Thursday night in front of 50,387 at Arizona Stadium.
Dixon, Oregon’s superstar senior quarterback, injured his left knee while making an early-game cut. He did not return and the extent of the injury wasn’t immediately known, although Coach Mike Bellotti said, “I think he’s probably done for the year, that would be my guess.”
For the fourth straight November, underdog Arizona shocked a ranked opponent.
This time it was No. 2 Oregon, and this time the score was 34-24.
One minute Oregon was leading, 8-7, with Dixon taking off on breathtaking dashes toward what appeared to be a breakout-performance night on national television.
The next minute momentum had turned upside down, with Dixon on the bench and his knee wrapped with ice -- possibly having played his last game.
“If that’s the case, it’s going to be hard to swallow,” Dixon said.
Oregon (8-2) became the fifth No. 2 team in the Associated Press top 25 poll to lose this season, following USC, California, South Florida and Boston College. Arizona (5-6) won its third straight game.
While Oregon was trying to deal with Dixon’s loss, Arizona scored 24 unanswered points in one stretch.
Oregon trailed by as many as 20 points, 31-11, before mounting a Dixon-less comeback with backup quarterback Brady Leaf.
Oregon cut the lead to 31-24 with 7:53 left and then thought it recovered an Arizona fumble at the Ducks’ 35 with 4:33 left, but an instant replay review reversed the call on field.
Jason Bondzio then kicked a 46-yard field goal with 3:20 left to give Arizona a 10-point lead.
The national title picture is once again, officially, snarled. If Kansas beats Iowa State at home on Saturday, the 10-0 Jayhawks probably will supplant Oregon at No. 2 behind Louisiana State in the Bowl Championship Series standings.
“Playing for the national championship was fun while it lasted,” Bellotti said.
Dixon had been brilliant until his injury, scoring on a 39-yard touchdown run on Oregon’s first possession.
On Oregon’s second possession, what ended up being Dixon’s fourth interception of the year should have been his 21st touchdown pass. But the ball bounced off receiver Derrick Jones’ chest into the arms of Arizona defender Nate Ness, who returned it 45 yards.
A touchdown would have put Oregon up, 15-0.
Instead, Arizona ended up scoring to make it 8-7 before Dixon quickly drove his team back down to the 15. There, while trying to run left out of shotgun formation, he dropped to the field and clutched his left knee.
Dixon sprained the same knee with 13 minutes left in Oregon’s 35-23 Nov. 3 win against Arizona State. The injury was described then as a mild strain and Dixon said afterward he could have returned, if needed. Oregon was off last weekend.
The brace Dixon wore Thursday to protect his knee did not stop it from buckling.
Oregon had amassed 183 total yards in the game’s first nine minutes before Dixon’s injury, which seemed to sap the season out of the Ducks.
Leaf, a senior who had thrown only 15 passes this year, replaced Dixon and finished off a drive that ended with a field goal to put the Ducks up, 11-7.
Arizona cut the lead to 11-10 with a field goal, but it was only the beginning of the barrage.
Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason soon stepped in front of a Leaf pass and return the interception 42 yards for a score.
After an Oregon punt, Arizona made it 24-11 on a 46-yard scoring pass from Willie Tuitama to Mike Thomas.
Oregon couldn’t stop the onslaught.
With 5:34 left in the half, Cason returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-11.
Dixon watched most of it from the bench, a parade of teammates passing by to offer injury condolences. Bellotti, at one point, walked over to Dixon and cradled the quarterback’s head.
Late in the half, Dixon rose from the bench and took the ice wrap off his knee. He even put his helmet back on.
Maybe everything was going to be all right?
It wasn’t.
Dixon didn’t find any miracle cure during intermission.
In fact, he took a shower.
His night was over.
And so, it turned out, was Oregon’s run at the national championship.
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Three of a kind
Since the BCS standings were first released the week of Oct. 14, three teams at No. 2 have been upset:
*--* DATE TEAM RESULT Oct. 18 South Florida Lost to Rutgers, 30-27 Nov. 3 Boston College Lost to Florida State, 27-17 Nov. 15 Oregon Lost to Arizona, 34-24 *--*
Los Angeles Times
