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The win over the Devils is of historic proportions.
EuphOria in Eugene: Oregon 35, ASU 23 From the second edition of ESPN’s Game Day with Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit broadcasting live in the cool, crisp 7 am autumn morning before 4,000 diehard Duck fans, to the festive, sunny pre-game atmosphere around Autzen Stadium leading up to the 3:45 pm kickoff, to the game itself, filled with highs and lows for both teams and fans, it was a spectacular day for football fans in Eugene. Does it get any better than this? Well, the outcome of two tough games on the road and then the Civil War will tell the tale of perhaps bigger and better things. But, for now, living in the moment without any thought of the future, this was a day to celebrate. The Intangibles Are Becoming Tangible To wax philosophic for a moment, much of what we visibly see with our eyes as reality in life begins with thoughts, hopes, dreams and attitude, things that are invisible. Terms like momentum, chemistry, faith and confidence describe very real feelings and emotions. All of these intangibles mixed with hard physical work and preparation can produce sometimes, unbelievable results. Football, as those of us who have played it at any level know, is a very physical, brutal game that requires and rewards great physical talent and abilities. We can see and measure success very precisely as we witness a great run or pass or catch or tackle, block or kick. For the Oregon Ducks this year, their 8-1 record and great individual and team statistics are astounding and, for most, well beyond the pre-season expectations. As a fan there is nothing more satisfying this year than to see all we had hoped for in Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart becoming a reality right before our very eyes. We knew they had the talent, but would it come to fruition? The “blossoming” of Dixon and Stewart has led the way on offense and has given inspiration and time for the defense to grow and become a very good and opportunistic unit. To continue the previous analogy, for the very visible players like Dixon, Stewart, Jaison Williams or Matthew Harper and others to shine as stars, it takes the not so visible offensive line and defensive front seven to perform just as well...and they have! Ducks vs. Devils: Some Monumental Games There have been many historic battles between the Ducks and the Sun Devils with dramatic results. In 1988 the Ducks were riding high at 6-1 with quarterback Bill Musgrave & Co. when ASU visited Autzen Stadium. Things were going well for the Ducks until the third quarter when Musgrave, in an attempt to run for a first down, was crushed by an ASU defender, which broke his collarbone and ultimately the Ducks’ hearts, as Oregon wouldn’t win another game that year. When Dennis Dixon lay on the turf briefly after being hit on the knee early in the fourth quarter, the Musgrave incident flashed before my eyes. Fortunately it wasn’t serious and we could all breathe a collective sigh of relief. In 1999 at Tempe, Joey Harrington led the Ducks on an improbable three-overtime finish that ultimately cost ASU coach Bruce Snyder his job, and at Autzen in 2000, Harrington connected on a last-second pass to Marshaun Tucker to foil the Sun Devils once again. In 2002, the Ducks were undefeated and ranked sixth and leading the Sun Devils in Autzen 35-17 with 4:29 left in the third quarter when Andrew Walter shredded the Duck defense for the final 19 minutes for a shocking and season-changing loss. Once again, when the Ducks went up yesterday 35-16 there was a sigh of relief, but as a veteran Duck fan there was way too much time left on the clock to feel comfortable when you remember what has happened between these two teams. Thank you Duck “D” for keeping it from getting close and not taking any more years off my life! A Punter named Josh Kudos to Oregon Punter Josh Syria who is arguably the best we’ve had here since another Josh, Josh Bidwell. Syria has been consistently good and sometimes spectacular in his directional kicks. His ability to put the opposing offense farther away from our goal line has been a huge asset for our defense. Good-BYE
I believe it’s good timing to have more time to prepare for the next game against Arizona. The past few weeks have been hard hitting, physical games against very strong opponents with emotions at a high level. Now, it is time to heal some wounds and methodically prepare for the next battle in Arizona. The Wildcats have defended our spread offense very well the last two years and after last year’s demoralizing loss at home the Ducks have something to prove in the desert. |
