At the time they may not have recognized the impact they would have during their time in Eugene, when the young men of the 1960 football recruiting class arrived on campus at the University of Oregon. By the time they were done though the mark in history was undeniable, their achievements at the UO surpassed only by their accomplishments in …
This weekend marks the opening of the Oregon men’s outdoor track and field season with the Oregon Preview meet. Scheduled to participate in the 100 meters are Oregon football players Dior Mathis and B.J. Kelley. I’ve always looked forward to following Oregon football players who participate in other varsity sports, particularly track and field. I thought for my first article …
Tempe, Arizona: Tuesday, January 1, 2002; A day Oregon fans would long remember. Their beloved Ducks were completing a very special year with an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, the Pac-10 Championship site. Oregon’s four Senior Captains Wes Mallard, Steve Smith, Justin Peelle, and Joey Harrington took midfield to greet and shake hands with Colorado’s captains. Colorado won the coin …
It was New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2001. A year with many twists and turns was about to draw to a conclusion, and everyone prepared for only the second official year of the new millennium. The world had yearned for the year 2000, but had to wait another year for the official new millennium to begin, as had been explained …
On New Years Day in 1890 the first Rose Parade was held in downtown Pasadena, CA; devised as a way to entice people from the east coast to purchase real estate in Southern California, an effort to convince those with deep pockets to escape the cold winter weather for sunny Southern California. “In New York, people are buried in snow, …
Win or lose the Rose Bowl on January 2, this year’s Oregon squad has already earned a special distinction: one of the 20 greatest seasons in the history of a team that has been playing football since 1894. After all, this year’s regular season produced only the Ducks’ fifth outright conference title (along with 1994, 2001, 2009 and 2010) and …
Despite the disappointment of the BCS excluding Oregon from the Rose Bowl (site of the national championship game that year), the Oregon team and fans had a lot to celebrate. Most fans were ecstatic to see their beloved Ducks headed to represent the Pac-10 against a very good Colorado team. The general Eugene atmosphere was very positive as the team …
Just a little over ten years ago at this time, the final NCAA BCS rankings were released. At 11-0, The Miami Hurricanes were the only undefeated team and earned the undisputed #1 ranking in each poll. The Oregon Ducks were one of only four one-loss teams at 10-1, and had done everything right other than their difficult, heartbreaking loss at …
The upcoming Rose Bowl pitting Big-10 champion Wisconsin vs. Pac-12 champion Oregon is not the first time the two teams have met. A decade ago the Badgers and Ducks played in a home-and-home grudge match that was as bitterly fought of a series as had occurred in recent memory. With the Rose Bowl looming and the recent series tied 1-1, …
On December 1, 2001; the celebration was on in the pouring rain at Autzen Stadium. Hundreds of fans swarmed the field despite the harsh weather conditions, knowing their beloved Ducks had won the undisputed Pac-10 Championship and were bowl bound. Many had brought Tostitos Chips to celebrate the berth of the Fiesta Bowl, but all true fans had hoped for …
It wasn’t the first time Oregon and Oklahoma had played. Four times previously the Ducks and Sooners had faced off, every time they had trounced Oregon. It wasn’t pretty how lopsided the series had been. 1958 – Oklahoma 6 Oregon 0 1966 – Oklahoma 17 Oregon 0 1972 – Oklahoma 68 Oregon 3 1975 – Oklahoma 62 Oregon 7 (Oklahoma …
Both Oklahoma and Oregon were undefeated heading into the final chapter of their trilogy of games, with Oklahoma dreaming of a national championship shot, but it hadn’t been without a close call. Opening the season playing at UAB, Oklahoma had been the beneficiary of a horrendous referee call on a muffed punt, where the Oklahoma return man was incorrectly ruled down on an obvious fumble that would have set up UAB for the potentially game-tying score late in the 4th quarter. Instead Oklahoma retained possession and ran out the clock, winning 24-17. In the aftermath of the events that would transpire between Oklahoma and Oregon, this gift from the referees was conveniently forgotten by all Oklahoma fans and made their whining highly hypocritical.