Oregon’s Defense Keys 16-10 Upset

This time, the Ducks didn’t let it slip away.

Oregon had moved up and down the field all day Saturday against 17th-ranked Arizona but led by just six points.

The Wildcats had the ball on the Oregon 42-yard line after an Oregon punt with 2:09 to play.

After giving up 18 points in the last 7 1/2 minutes and losing, 18-17, on the final play last weekend against Stanford, the Ducks had an uncomfortable feeling.

This time, though, the Oregon defense held, and the Ducks came away with a 16-10 Pacific 10 victory.

Andre Williams sacked Arizona’s Ron Veal, the Wildcats were called for a delay-of-game penalty after their final timeout and the prospects for a game-winning drive dissolved in the Oregon mist.

Gregg McCallum’s three field goals proved to be the winning margin.

The Ducks, 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-10, grabbed a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and weathered a disastrous second period, when quarterback Bill Musgrave threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball away once.

Arizona fell to 3-2 and 2-1.

Veal, who completed three of 16 passes for just 24 yards, credited the Oregon defense and the noisy Autzen Stadium crowd. His earlier timeouts left the Wildcats scrambling late in the game.

“I probably should’ve appealed to the official a couple of times, instead of calling time out,” he said.

Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said: “Oregon won the game up front. Both defenses won the game, but theirs barely outdid ours.”

Musgrave passed to Terry Obee for 50 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage to set a field goal. An interception by nose tackle David Cusano set up a one-yard touchdown pass to Kolya Tefft to give Oregon an early 10-0 lead.

Another field goal made it 13-0 with 3:49 to play in the first quarter.