It is great fun to read what some of the best Oregon moments were for some of the best Duck writers and sportscasters such as John Canzano, Jerry Allen, Ken Woody along with a few of my own treasured memories as a Duck.
John Canzano – Host of The Bald-Faced Truth
“My favorite memory, it’s not a play, it’s not a player, it’s not a win, it’s the fans that I’ve talked to when I’ve walked through the parking lot. It’s the stories they tell me. It’s a lady named Jeanne Havercroft (Oregon ’58), a lady I met at Autzen Stadium who told me she spread her husband Bob’s ashes at the stadium.
It’s the fans who grew up talking about the voice of Autzen Stadium being Don Essig and then I walk into the press box and I get to shake Don Essig’s hand. It’s looking around and seeing former players in the parking lot too and spending time here long after they’ve graduated, still coming back and still being part of it. THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN EVERYWHERE. That’s the fabric; that’s the glue for me.”
Jerry Allen – Voice of the Ducks
Question: “Jerry, give me your best Oregon Duck football memory.”
Jerry Allen: “One, . . . ONE? I don’t know if I can.”
Response: Ok, you’re Jerry Allen. You get two.
Jerry: “Two? Only two? I don’t know if I can do just two.”
Response: Ok, you’re Jerry Allen. Give me as many as you’d like, but I’ve got to keep this piece under 2,000 words, so help me out.
Jerry: “Ok, . . . Well if I don’t mention the one everybody talks about first, the Pick, the Kenny Wheaton pick, and the timing of that game, when it occurred, and obviously the rest of the season, that’s the one that you have to look at as No 1.”
More from Jerry: “When you called last week, and I started thinking about this there are other images that just stand out. The first time we saw Marcus Mariota run in open space against Virginia, and how he separated himself. He took off like a Sprinter on a 71-yard run. We knew he was going to be good, but we didn’t know he was going to be that good. It was jaw dropping.
In 1997, I’ll never forget Pat Johnson making the catch in the back right side of the end zone in Seattle, against the Huskies, a throw from Akili Smith that won it for Oregon.
And. . . Joey Harrington stumbling into the endzone in that 2000 Holiday Bowl against Texas, Rumbling stumbling, . . . ha. I’ll always have that image stuck in my mind.
One that pops up every now and then because we see guys doing it more now, but not 20 years ago. It was 2002 in the Fiesta Bowl, Joey was the quarterback and Maurice Morris looked liked he’d gone down. He rolled over top of the top of the back of a Colorado player and just got up and kept running for another 30-40 yards and a touchdown while everyone stood around wondering, ‘what just happened?’
I could go on forever, but I’ll end with this. You know that win at Oregon State in 2010 that put us in the BCS National Championship game against Auburn. Chip Kelly was the coach and as we got closer to it and closer to the end of the game, it dawned on me, the realization of it, this if the first time ever.
This is Oregon. This doesn’t happen to us. . . . .yes, this does happen to us. We’re going to the championship game, and I just lost it, I just lost it (soft crying) and as we went to the break I’m thinking, “oh no, I lost control, I’m supposed to be a professional.” I’m embarrassed, and later on I found out that’s how a lot of people felt. That was a moment.
Ken Woody – Former Oregon Player, Assistant Coach and Fox Sports Analyst
I had been an All-City running back at Roosevelt High in Seattle, but Washington showed no interest in me. I had been a Husky fan all my life and when they didn’t recruit me, I vowed to get revenge.
As a recruited walk-on at Oregon, I was able to compete for a position while I majored in Broadcast Journalism. After a year on the freshman team and a redshirt sophomore season, we traveled to play the Huskies on October 12, 1968. It was a driving rainstorm and there were 11 fumbles. In the 4th quarter I missed a field goal, but a Husky defensive lineman threw an elbow into my face mask and was penalized for unnecessary roughness. This was a player I had competed against in high school. After several more offensive plays I got the call again from 38 yards out drilled it! We win 3-0!
My Duck teammates carried me off the field on their shoulders. Unbelievable! Being an Oregon walk-on, from Seattle, this still ranks as one of my most satisfying, and difficult accomplishments.
In 1969 I kicked three field goals in a 22-7 win over Washington in Eugene. After the third field goal, I turned and shouted at Washington coach Jim Owens, “You should have recruited me!” I personally outscored them 10-7. That was also a good day.
Ken Woody kicking winning points against Washington with John Harrington (Joey’s father) holding. (Photo Courtesy of Register-Guard Archives)
Writer – Mike Ostrom
I know who you are. The people reading this article are Duck Special Forces. You’re the Navy Seals of Rich Brooks Field. How do people like us pick out our favorite Oregon Duck football memory?
2000 Most Unlikely Comeback Ever?– Do you remember Joey “Captain Comeback” Harrington at ASU with the double overtime 56-55 win? I saw multiple Duck fans walking out of the stadium with two minutes to go. All ASU had to do was take a knee, but they ran the ball. Michael Callier forced a fumble that Jermaine Hanspard recovered. Harrington and company stole a win in double overtime after stopping a trick play 2-point conversion attempt.
1983 – Civil War, I was certain the players would come back onto the field after regulation ended because the score was 0-0. The toilet bowl was the last 0-0 tie in college football history. Not fun, but memorable.
1988 – Holy Bob Toledo! His 4th down call for the Terry Obee’s reverse against Washington was one the most clutch calls in the history of Oregon football. I was interning at KMTR-TV in Eugene and on press row filming the game alongside KEZI-TV Reporter Bob Akemian. Bob looked at me before the play and said, “This is the play everyone is going to be talking about after the game, and maybe for years.”
Bob was right, as 37 years later it’s still fun to watch. (I watched it eight times, and Obee scores every time) This 1988 reverse gave Oregon a 17-14 win and was the last victory at home against Washington before a special game in 1994.
2002 Fiesta Bowl – Oregon throttled Colorado on New Year’s Day (Shout out to RoboDuck Rob Taylor for those tickets). Had Nebraska beaten Miami two days later, there would have been a split national championship with Oregon likely earning the No. 1 ranking from AP Poll by writers and broadcasters. Nebraska floundered, but Uncle Phil was moved by Oregon stampeding the Buffaloes. He doubled down and then quadruple downed his commitment to the athletic department, and we are where we are today.
2025 Penn State White Out – The electricity at Penn State was unlike anything I’ve seen when it comes to the number of people. That said, Autzen is louder. How do you mute 108,015 fans? Just ask Dillon Thieneman. Which brings me to my favorite Oregon Duck memory and the end of this piece…
September 18, 1976, and the battle cry before Oregon hosted USC and running back Ricky Bell was “Will Mehl, Ring Ricky’s Bell?” The Mehl reference was to Oregon linebacker Darrel Mehl. Would he be able to rough up and wear down the Heisman trophy candidate?
The only thing that wore down that night were the bottom of Bell’s cleats. He ran for 193 and four TDs. It was a, not as close as the score indicated, 51-0 Trojan win. (sarcasm intended)
So with the dozens of ginormous Oregon wins over the last 50 years, why is this loss my most memorable? Earlier that day my dad told me before that we’d be able to play catch on the Autzen stadium turf after the game, . . . THE AUTZEN STADIUM.
All those dang USC scores meant the game wouldn’t end until after 10:30 pm. I thought dad might be frustrated with the loss, and want to hop on I-5 North and get home as fast as possible. We had church in the morning. But Dad didn’t waiver on his commitment to play catch after the game.
We threw the ball at Autzen for about 10 minutes. Playing catch on the turf was like being in one of those NFL Films features. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. I can close my eyes and picture the spirals cutting through the post-game mist. Dads and sons clash over the years, but I never, never once wondered if my dad loved me. Who sticks around after a 50-point loss to play catch? That taught me about love, quality time and the value of your word.
I’m not sure where you’re at in life with your dad, or your son, or where you are with a special friend or relative. Now might be a good time to take a minute to text or call them and thank them for something. Let them know you’re thinking about them, or thank them for something they did. Life impacting memories can be made after 51-0 defeats.
As soon as I get done keyboarding this next sentence I’m going to call my Dad, and thank him for September 18th, 1976.
Michael Ostrom
Dallas, Texas
Top Screenshot from Oregon Club of Portland Video
Editor’s Note: If you’re wondering if Ricky Bell’s 4 TDs and 193 yards were the most by a running back in the Oregon vs. USC football series, the answer is no. Duck Kenjon Barner, who started his career as a defensive back in Eugene, rushed for 321 yards and 5 touchdowns at USC in 2012. These are the most rushing yards ever by a USC opponent.
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Mike Ostrom is a 1989 Oregon Graduate (Journalism Major) He worked on air as the TV Sports Director for a CBS affiliate for many years and has free lanced for ESPN, Fox and other media entities. He has covered everything from high school football to the Superbowl. Mike lives in Dallas, TX where he and his wife raised five children. His full time job is in the Google/Social Media advertising space. The Ostroms also run a small ministry that provides soccer balls for orphans and underprivileged kids around the world.