Oregon Survives Thriller, 31-28

Here’s what the Oregon Ducks learned Saturday night, on new artificial turf, under a brilliant Pacific Northwest sky: You can pay $250,000 to put a 100-foot poster of your Heisman hopeful quarterback on a Manhattan building, buy all available copies of Sports Illustrated’s college football issue, featuring your team and that other Oregon school on the cover, and believe all the hype.

But all of that quack doesn’t mean squat on the field, and No. 7 Oregon barely escaped with a 31-28 victory over No. 22 Wisconsin.

Oregon was so anxious for the 2001 season to begin it almost forgot the most important axiom of making a national title run: You have to win your first game to win them all.

It was a back-and-forth, Pacific 10 Conference versus Big Ten thriller, way too good for Sept. 1 and without benefit of an exhibition season before a crowd of 45,919 at Autzen Stadium. Since the Pac-10 and Big Ten champions are not likely to meet in this year’s Rose Bowl, which hosts the national championship, we’ll gladly settle for this off-the-board special.

That sound you hear tearing down the California coast is a collective “WHEW” from Oregonians who went from frantically waving yellow towels to nervously chewing them. “I feel like we escaped,” Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti said.

The Ducks(1-0) did not take the lead for good until quarterback Joey Harrington, with 4:03 left, leaped over left guard into the end zone on fourth-and-an inch from the Wisconsin two.

“I always feel we’re in the game,” Harrington said of the game-winning, 77-yard drive. “I knew we could take them down the field.”

But there was still plenty of game left.

Oregon thought it had officially slipped this Badger noose when, with 3:34 left, Quinn Dorsey forced a fumble on Wisconsin quarterback Jim Sorgi and Kevin Mitchell dived on the loose ball at the Badger 33. But the game wasn’t over. Oregon went three-and-out and punted back to Wisconsin, which took over on its 17 with 1:47 and made a beeline for the Ducks’ goal line.

Oregon’s night, and perhaps its season, was saved when wide-open Wisconsin receiver Nick Davis dropped a fourth-down pass at the Oregon 28 with 1:04 left. Not a bad game for Sept. 1.

Or Jan. 1.

Or Jan. 3.

“We lost to a very good football team in quite a shootout,” Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez said.

Oregon nursed a 10-7 lead into halftime, but then the game came unhinged.

There were six lead changes after intermission and about as much drama as a college football fan could take. Was the game supposed to be this close?

Oregon came in with all the buildup and was riding a 20-game home winning streak, second longest in the nation behind Florida State’s 35. No one could deny Wisconsin’s national pedigree.

“They’re a very good team, and a very good program,” Bellotti said. Alvarez, entering his 11th season, picked up his 80th win as a Badger coach last week against Virginia.

Wisconsin has been to three Rose Bowls in the last decade but was thought to be playing without a full deck, returning only 10 starters from last year’s team that defeated UCLA in the Sun Bowl. The Badger news got worse before game time when it was learned starting quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who suffered a bruised liver in last week’s win over Virginia, would not play.

Yet, Wisconsin didn’t give an inch, and backup quarterback Jim Sorgi played admirably in relief. “We met Oregon’s surge,” Sorgi said, “but it just didn’t happen.”

Sorgi hushed a hostile crowd on Wisconsin’s first possession of the second half when he hit Darrin Charles on a 13-yard scoring pass to give the Badgers a 14-10 lead.

The teams then traded punches:

Oregon reclaimed the lead, 17-14, when Harrington and tight end Justin Peelle connected on an 11-yard scoring play. Wisconsin took the lead right back, 21-17, when Anthony Davis busted through the Oregon line and raced 69 yards for a touchdown.

Oregon answered that score by driving 87 yards in seven plays, regaining the lead, 24-21, on Harrington’s lateral toss to Jason Willis for a touchdown. And this was all in the third quarter.

In the fourth, Scott Starks intercepted a Harrington pass at his own 38 and Wisconsin was on the move again, taking its final lead, 28-24, on a Sorgi sneak from the one with 9:37 left. If nothing else, Wisconsin (1-1) served notice that it is going to be a factor in the Big Ten race.

Davis followed his 147-yard rushing day against Virginia with 130 yards in 13 carries against Oregon.

Sorgi completed 16 of 32 passes for 231 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

Harrington likely saved his Heisman campaign with a victory, but it was a shaky start. He completed 22 of 47 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interception. “He played pretty good--not as good as he is capable of,” Bellotti said.

Oregon’s most unlikely star was tailback Onterrio Smith, a transfer from Tennessee, who had 88 yards in eight carries in relief of 1,000-yard man Maurice Morris, who had an off (or was it just awful?) night, rushing for only 21 yards in 15 carries.

Smith does not come without baggage, fresh off his August arrest for driving while intoxicated. Smith recently pleaded guilty to careless driving and underage drinking and will enter a diversionary program.

Oregon’s coach decided not to suspend Smith--an act for which Oregon fans today are grateful. Autzen was so loud you couldn’t hear a Duck quack, and Oregon was looking to live up to its preseason hype and take Wisconsin out before the Badgers realized what state they were in.

Everything went to script early, as Oregon took the opening drive and took a 3-0 lead on Jared Siegel’s 20-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, Quinn Dorsey blindsided Sorgi as he attempted a pass, the ball fluttering into the hands of defensive end Darrell Wright for an interception at the Wisconsin 32.

Three plays later, Harrington made a beautiful play-action fake and found Peelle wide open for a 23-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-0 with six minutes left in the quarter. The start of a blowout? Start the buses to Pasadena?

Not quite.

With all the momentum on Oregon’s side, and Wisconsin pinned in punt formation near its own goal line, Kirk Munden put his foot to ball and the game took a swing. Keith Allen charged in from the left side and missed blocking the punt by inches. Instead, he ran into Munden’s foot and was cited for a roughing penalty.

Instead of a block and potential touchdown, Wisconsin retained possession at its 20.