2006 Oregon Ducks

2006 Oregon Ducks Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Dec. 21
2006 PurePioneer Las Vegas Bowl
BYU 38 ... Oregon 8
BYU embarrassed Oregon as John Beck threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns while Jonny Harline made nine grabs for 181 yards. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cougars scored 17 in the second with Curtis Brown running for his first of two scores and Harline scoring on a 41-yard grab. A Beck 14-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter made it a laugher. Oregon finally got on the board with a 48-yard Brian Paysinger touchdown catch, but BYU recovered the onside kick and scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Manase Tonga.
Player of the game ... BYU QB John Beck completed 28 of 46 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 10-20, 122 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dennis Dixon, 10-57  Receiving: Jordan Kent, 5-33
BYU - Passing: John Beck, 28-46, 375 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brown, 17-120, 2 TD  Receiving: Jonny Harline, 9-181, 1 TD
Notes and Thoughts ... Where was the Oregon offense? 548 yards to 260?! 30 first downs to 14?! Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf were lousy, but to be fair, they were each plagued by dropped passes and didn't get any help from anyone else. Jonathan Stewart and the Duck running game went nowhere. While the BYU defense deserves credit, it was Oregon's fault for appearing to be unprepared to play. ... John Beck once again proved he's one of the most creative passing quarterbacks in college football. He made plays when things broke down, he didn't make mistakes, outside of one bad interception, to let Oregon get back into the game, and he ran effectively. Jonny Harline upped his NFL stock by once again showing off his great hands and route running ability. However, he's more of a big wide receiver than a true tight end. ... After the ugly TCU win over Northern Illinois and BYU's domination of Oregon, the Mountain West has started out the bowl season red-hot. Let the first two bowl games be a warning to San Jose State against New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl and to Tulsa against Utah in the Armed Forces Bowl.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 7-5 2005 Results: 7-6 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/2	Stanford W 48-10
9/9	at Fresno St W 31-24
9/16	Oklahoma W 34-33
9/30	at Arizona St W 48-13
10/7	at California L 45-24
10/14	UCLA W 30-20
10/21	at Wash St L 34-23
10/28	Portland State W 55-12
11/4	Washington W 34-14
11/11	at USC L 35-10
11/18	Arizona L 37-10
11/24	at Oregon State L 30-28
12/21	Las Vegas Bowl BYU L 38-8

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 7-4 2005 Results: 10-2 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/1	Houston W 38-24
9/10	Montana W 47-14
9/17	Fresno State W 37-34
9/24	USC L 45-13
10/1	at Stanford W 44-20
10/8	at Arizona St W 31-17
10/15	Washington W 45-21
10/22	at Arizona W 28-21
11/5	California W 27-20 OT
11/12	at Wash State W 34-31
11/19	Oregon State W 56-14
12/29	Holiday Bowl Oklahoma L 17-14

Nov. 24
Oregon State 30 ... Oregon 28
Alexis Serna nailed a 40-yard field goal with just over a minute to play to give Oregon State a two-point lead, but the Beavers weren't able to put it away until Ben Siegert blocked a last-second Duck field goal attempt. OSU got up 20-7 at halftime helped by an interception return for a score from Derrick Doggtt and a 11-yard Jason Vandiver scoring grab, but Oregon owned most of the second half with two of Jonathan Stewart's three touchdown runs and a 26-yard Jordan Kent touchdown catch followed up by a Brady Leaf two-point conversion with just over three minutes to play for the first Duck lead of the game.
Player of the game ... Oregon State PK Alexis Serna hit field goals from 49, 50, and the game-winner from 40 yards out
Stat Leaders: Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore, 16-27, 255 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 22-68, 1 TD. Receiving: Sammie Stroughter, 8-114
Oregon - Passing: Brady Leaf, 25-42, 274 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 17-94, 3 TD  Receiving: Jaison Williams, 6-55
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Brady Leaf went the whole way against Oregon State and was more than solid outside of one big interception thrown for a score. He rallied the team back late and kept his cool under fire, but it also helped to get one of the strongest games of the season from Jonathan Stewart, who forced the Beaver defense to make him priority number one. With three straight losses to finish up the season, the Ducks have turned into a disappointment meaning the bowl game, and the extra practices, are a must to turn things around going into 2007 when the team has the potential to be much stronger and more consistent.

Nov. 18
Arizona 37 ... Oregon 10
Arizona forced six Oregon turnovers putting away a tight game turning several mistakes into scores. Up 14-10 early in the second quarter, the Wildcats ripped up off the final 23 points of the game helped by three Nick Folk field goals and two touchdowns from Chris Henry. Henry started off the Arizona scoring with a 15-yard run and a 37-yard Earl Mitchell touchdown catch. The Ducks got a 27-yard Paul Martinez field goal and got an eight-yard Jeremiah Johnson scoring run, and then self-destructed.
Player of the game ... Arizona RB Chris Henry ran 29 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass
Stat Leaders: Arizona - Passing: Willie Tuitama, 8-9, 120 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Henry, 29-191 yds, 2 TD. Receiving: Mike Thomas, 5-60
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 11-22, 95 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 10-103, 1 TD  Receiving: Dante Rosario, 6-48
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Dennis Dixon has lost it. Looking like the type of offensive star to build the offense around early in the season, he hasn’t been able to find any sort of grove and is having major problems with turnovers. Brady Leaf wasn’t any more effective as things are reeling going into the Civil War against Oregon State. The Beavers have to be licking their chops at the thought of going against a suddenly soft run defense with a line that’s not making nearly enough plays. The secondary made way too many tackles against Arizona.

Nov. 11
USC 35 ... Oregon 10
Chauncey Washington ran for three touchdowns. C.J. Gable added a short score, and Dwayne Jarrett caught a 12-yard touchdown pass as USC blew past Oregon in an impressive performance. Oregon was down 14-0 when it finally got on the board with a 22-yard Paul Martinez field goal, and was down 28-3 in the fourth quarter before going on its best drive of the game going 80 yards in 11 plays finishing with a controversial seven-yard touchdown catch from Jonathan Stewart, who was out of bounds, but came back in and caught the tipped pass for a score. The fourth quarter came to a screeching halt with long delay to review the play, and then review it again on a reverse.
Player of the game ... USC RB Chauncey Washington ran 15 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: USC - Passing: John David Booty, 16-25, 176 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chauncey Washington, 15-119, 3 TD. Receiving: Steve Smith, 7-88
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 15-23, 130 yds
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 14-42  Receiving: Dante Rosario, 7-69
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon needs to get more out of Dennis Dixon and the passing game. Brady Leaf came on in mop-up time throughout the second half and wasn't bad, and now there might be even more work ahead for the two quarterback platoon. Penalties were as much of a problem as a lack of a running game with 12 against the Trojans. Jonathan Stewart never got going against the Trojans, while the run defense struggled way too much. With a possible defensive struggle next week against Arizona, getting up early will be vital with all the parts needing to get going far earlier.

Nov. 4
Oregon 34 ... Washington 14
Oregon outgained Washington 316 rushing yards to 13 with Jonathan Stewart running for 159 yards and scoring from five and four yards out. Patrick Chung started out the scoring for the Ducks with a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown, but the Huskies converted off a Dennis Dixon interception getting a nine-yard touchdown catch from Sonny Shackelford. The second Dixon interception led to an 11-yard Quintin Daniels scoring grab to pull the Huskies within three early in the second half, and then Oregon went on a roll scoring 17 unanswered points with a Stewart scoring run, a one-yard touchdown from Jeremiah Johnson, and Paul Martinez's second field goal of the day.
Player of the game ... Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart ran 25 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 14-25, 109 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 25-159, 2 TD, Receiving: Dante Rosario, 4-34
Washington - Passing: Carl Bonnell, 15-34, 125 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Louis Rankin, 10-33  Receiving: Sonny Shackelford, 6-31, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Ducks appear to be back on track after the loss to Washington State a few weeks ago. The win over Portland State helped work the kinks out, and then the dominant performance running the ball over Washington as a great confidence booster going into the showdown at USC. Win that game, and all of a sudden the season changes making an 11-win season possible. While the offense is running well, the passing game has to get on track with Dennis Dixon throwing for fewer than 200 yards over the last four games.

Oct. 28
Oregon 55 ... Portland State 12
Jeremiah Johnson ran for three touchdowns and A.J. Tuitele returned an interception 26 yards for a score as Oregon overcame an early battle to score the final 34 points of the game. Portland State got a 19-yard touchdown catch from Tremayne Kirkland and a 57-yard scoring dash from Mu'Ammar Ali to pull within eight early in the second quarter, but the Ducks had way too much on both sides of the ball. Oregon outgained PSU 431 yards to 204.
Player of the game ... Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson ran 17 times for 86 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes for 23 yards
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 13-23, 150 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 17-86, 3 TD, Receiving: Jaison Williams, 8-112, 1 TD
Portland State - Passing: Brian White 4-7, 48 yds
Rushing: Mu'Ammer Ali, 23-139, 1 TD  Receiving: Tremayne Kirkland, 4-38, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon got to get to beat up Portland State after the loss to Washington State by getting Brady Leaf some more work and getting Jeremiah Johnson the ball to carry the offense, but the blowout win was hardly smooth. Leaf was sharp when he got his chance, there were 12 penalties, and starting running back Jonathan Stewart suffered a strained abdomen. On the plus side, Dennis Dixon appears to have cemented himself as the starting quarterback and the defense showed more pressure than it had in recent weeks. This was a confidence builder going into Washington.

Oct. 21
Washington State 34 ... Oregon 23
Washington State forced four turnovers with Tyron Brackenridge picking off a pass for a 24-yard score helping the defense keep the Oregon offense out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter. The Cougars got two touchdown passes from Alex Brink in the first quarter and two Jed Collins touchdowns to get out to a 27-3 lead after three quarters before the Ducks got a touchdown on a Darius Sanders fumble return. Brady Leaf, who came in for an ineffective Dennis Dixon, threw two late touchdown passes to Jordan Kent with the final one from 36 yards out with :34 to play. J.D. Nelson, Blair Phillips and Patrick Chung combined to make 37 tackles for the Ducks, while Wazzu's Eric Frampton made 16 stops.
Player of the game ... Washington State QB Alex Brink completed 20 of 23 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Brady Leaf, 16-27, 262 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 12-63, Receiving: Jaison Williams, 9-163
Washington State - Passing: Alex Brink, 20-23, 179 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dwight Tardy, 20-145, 1 TD  Receiving: Michael Bumpus, 8-74
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Oregon offensive machine came to a screeching halt against Washington State with turnovers, penalties, and all-around sloppy play proving to be too much to overcome. While the idea of a quarterback controversy will be downplayed, Brady Leaf played well enough to get more time in place of Dennis Dixon. While it might not look like it on the scoreboard, the defense wasn't horrible keeping the Cougars from bombing away. The run D was too soft with too many plays being made by the secondary. Fortunately, Portland State is up next to get back on track before the finishing kick.

Oct. 14
Oregon 30 ... UCLA 20
Oregon outgained UCLA 404 yards to 216 getting up early with two Dennis Dixon touchdown passes and a seven-yard Jeremiah Johnson touchdown run for a 20-3 first quarter lead. The Ducks got a four-yard pass from Brady Leaf to James Finley in the third quarter for a 27-6 lead. UCLA made the score look better than the final score would indicate with two Kahlil Bell running for two one-yard scores with the final one coming in the final two minutes.
Player of the game ... Oregon QB Dennis Dixon completed ten of 17 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 69 yards
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 10-17, 144 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 20-121, Receiving: Brian Paysinger, 4-105, 1 TD
UCLA - Passing: Patrick Cowan, 16-31, 112 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Markey, 17-97  Receiving: Junior Taylor, 4-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon was able to pound the ball as well as it has all season long with Jonathan Stewart having a nice day against UCLA and Dennis Dixon doing a little bit of everything right. The emergence of Brian Paysinger as a second receiver to Jaison Williams was the biggest plus to come out of the win. This was the perfect remedy for last week's ugly loss against Cal getting a good day from the defense preventing Pat Cowan and the UCLA passing attack from ever getting rolling, and now 8-1 has to be expected with Washington State, Portland State, and Washington coming up next before facing USC.

Oct. 7
California 45 ... Oregon 24
California had few problems with Oregon as DeSean Jackson broke the game open in the second quarter with a weaving 65-yard punt return for a touchdown to go along with a 36-yard touchdown catch for a 28-3 lead. Oregon came back late in the first half with a three-yard scoring run from Jonathan Stewart, but the Cal offense didn't led up as Nate Longshore threw his third touchdown pass of the game and Justin Forsett ran for a 23-yard score in the second half. The Ducks couldn't keep up the pace, but got two second half touchdown passes from Dennis Dixon to make the final score look better.
Player of the game ... California RB Justin Forsett ran 27 times for 163 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: California - Passing: Nate Longshore, 14-26, 189 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Forsett, 27-163, 1 TD  Receiving: Lavelle Hawkins, 3-41
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 20-38, 263 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Dennis Dixon, 11-45  Receiving: Jordan Kent, 6-113
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Every once in a while, a team is on a roll and has everything going its way. Oregon had no answer for Cal, and had no way to stop DeSean Jackson. The game got out of hand early, so Jonathan Stewart and the running attack never got a chance to get fully established, but Cal was stuffing the run anyway. An inability to keep the chains moving, and four turnovers, killed any hopes of keeping it close with Dennis Dixon coming up with his shakiest performance yet. Even so, the Ducks have to stay focused with the Pac 10 title still possible. There can't be any mistakes, and there must be a two Cal losses, but that's possible. Getting back on track next week against UCLA would be a good start.

Sept. 30
Oregon 48 ... Arizona State 13
Jaison Williams caught first quarter touchdown passes from 13 and 33 yards out on the way to a stunning 31-3 Oregon run that was finally broken up by a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Terry Richardson in the third quarter. Dennis Dixon threw two touchdowns passes and Brady Leaf came on late to add another, but the real story was the Duck defense that held ASU to 175 yards of offense and a mere 33 passing yards. The Sun Devil offense only produced two Jesse Ainsworth field goals.
Player of the game ... Oregon WR Jaison Williams caught ten passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 19-30, 215 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 12-142  Receiving: Jaison Williams, 10-137, 2 TD
Arizona State - Passing: Rudy Carpenter, 6-19, 33 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Torain, 19-113  Receiving: Michael Jones, 1-9
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Arizona State might be a down, depressed team, but Oregon did a great job of dropping the hammer early and never letting up with a fantastic all-around performance. Dexter Manley had a monster game with three sacks and consistent pressure on ASU's Rudy Carpenter, while the secondary had the deep plays covered like a blanket. Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart were once again amazing and have to start being thrown in the mix for Midseason All-America honors, and now they have to keep up the production to keep up with the California firepower next week. To nitpick, ten penalties were a bit too many.

Sept. 16
Oregon 34 ... Oklahoma 33
Garrett Hartley connected on four field goal attempts and had a shot to save Oklahoma from a painful and controversial collapse, but his 44-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time ran out give Oregon the tremendous win. Down 33-20 with just over three minutes to play, Oregon got a 16-yard touchdown run from Dennis Dixon, recovered the onside kick, which was reviewed after Sooner coaches thought it hit a Duck player before going ten yards, and scored with 46 seconds to play on a 23-yard touchdown pass Brian Paysinger with the extra point giving Oregon a 34-33 lead. Oklahoma's Reggie Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to get into field goal range before the final block. The finish overshadowed a brilliant day from the two star running backs with Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson rushing for 211 yards and a touchdown and Oregon's Jonathan Stewart tearing off 144 yards and a score.
Player of the game ... Oregon QB Dennis Dixon completed 26 of 41 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. He also ran six times for 34 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Paul Thompson, 13-23, 174 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Adrian Peterson, 34-211, 1 TD. Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 5-78
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 26-41, 341 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 23-144, 1 TD. Receiving: Jaison Williams, 9-177 , 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... This classic win over Oklahoma might not just give Oregon the national respect it's been hoping for, but because it happened in such dramatic fashion, it should give the program the visibility and high-profile to get everyone on the East Coast talking. Dennis Dixon was good before, but this might have been his official coming out party as a quarterback with elite potential. Jonathan Williams showed what a difference maker he can be when healthy, or near healthy. Now the real test begins with road trips to Arizona State and California before dealing with UCLA.

Sept. 9
Oregon 31 ... Fresno State 24
In an entertaining game, Oregon broke a 24-24 tie with less than five minutes to play on a fake field goal with backup QB Brady Leaf pitching it to PK Paul Martinez for a four-yard touchdown. The two teams traded big hits and big offensive punches all game long with Jonathan Stewart starting off the touchdowns with a three-yard scoring run, his only carry of the game, followed up by a Jeremiah Johnson five-yard scoring dash for a 17-3 lead. Fresno State pounded the ball with Dwayne Wright and got a touchdown pass and a one-yard scoring run from QB Tom Branstater. Fresno had one last-gasp shot, but the Hail Mary was picked off by Patrick Chung.
Player of the game ... Oregon DB J.D. Nelson made 13 tackles and one sack
Stat Leaders: Fresno State - Passing: Tom Brandstater, 16-33, 150 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Dwayne Wright, 29-154, 1 TD. Receiving: Daron Fairman, 8-71, 1 TD
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 23-36, 240 yds
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 14-74, 2 TD. Receiving: Jaison Williams, 6-106
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The close win over Fresno State might turn out to be one of the team's most important this year. It was a tough, hard-hitting road game against a team looking at this as the big chance to be in the hunt for a BCS spot. Making the win more impressive was that it came without RB Jonathan Stewart for all but one carry. Dennis Dixon is playing smart and solid using his legs as well as his arm to make plays. Next week, the run defense has to be far better against Adrian Peterson than it was against Fresno State's Dwayne Wright.

Sept. 2
Oregon 48 ... Stanford 10
Oregon rolled up 534 yards of total offense with 298 yards on the ground thanks to a 168-yard, two touchdown performance from Jonathan Stewart. The two teams traded field goals in the first quarter before Oregon broke through with a one-yard Stewart touchdown run and a 15-yard scoring grab from Jaison Williams. Stanford answered with a  26-yard touchdown catch from Mark Bradford, and then the rout was on as the Ducks scored 31 unanswered points finished off by a 72-yard touchdown off a blocked field goal by A.J. Tuitele.
Player of the game ... Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart ran 22 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent Edwards, 20-34, 224 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 16-55. Receiving: Mark Bradford, 9-108, 1 TD
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 21-30, 236 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 22-168, 2 TD. Receiving: Garren Strong, 6-78
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Oregon looked terrific on both sides of the ball against a dangerous Stanford team. The Cardinal defense was nothing special, but the high-powered offense was all but shut down over the final 20 minutes. Did the decision to not shuffle quarterbacks help the consistency going seven of ten on third down chances? Maybe. Dennis Dixon had a great game going all the way as the starter, but this win belonged to RB Jonathan Stewart, who showed speed, power and toughness. He hurt his ankle, but it's not considered anything serious.

2006 Oregon Preview

Oregon Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

Is Oregon back to the level it was at a few years ago when Joey Harrington was slinging it around, or was last year a one shot deal? 

If it's possible, it's a little of both. Everything came together and the team got the right side of the good bounces on everything but the bowl bid. Missing out on a BCS bowl didn't overshadow the bounceback 10-1 season after slipping to a mediocre 5-6 in 2004, and while the team won't slide back down, it's not going to be as good as it was last season.

Granted, the team made most of its own breaks finishing tenth in the nation in turnover margin and getting clutch play after clutch play even after losing starting quarterback Kellen Clemens for the year with a broken ankle. But can the Ducks win every close game again?

Up until the Holiday Bowl loss to Oklahoma, Oregon went 4-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less with three straight close victories late in the year to stay alive in the Pac 10 race. It had the good fortune of catching Arizona State in a mourning period after a loss to USC, and it managed to miss the best UCLA team in some time. You can only beat who you play, but teams often don't get all the same breaks two years in a row.

Even so, this team has enough potential and enough talent to hang with anyone in the Pac 10 and even be in the hunt for the title if all the planets align correctly. Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton's offense appears to be on the verge of exploding with quarterbacks Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf combining forces to lead the attack and running back Jonathan Stewart about to live up to his immense potential behind the league's best offensive line. With all five starters returning up front, the quarterbacks will have time to work with an experienced receiving corps that should be a strength once a number one target emerges.

The league's best defense last year has some question marks needing to find a sure-thing pass rusher and hoping for the corners to shine right away in place of Justin Phinisee and Aaron Gipson. There aren't a lot of All-Pac 10 stars, if any, but there's a whole bunch of speed and athleticism in the back seven, and enough size up front to be strong against the run. 

While this is a talented enough team to have a good season, this might be a bit of a stepping-stone year to what should be a tremendous 2007 when almost all the key skill players return and the defense will be loaded with experienced depth and several options. 

For now, just getting back on the Pac 10 map is a plus. With the league getting better, and USC not going away any time soon, Oregon needs to show that it wasn't about to go the Washington route and crash and burn. However, this year could test the team's mettle and heart because ...

The Schedule: ... the opening seven games form a tough start to the season. For a team needing time for the corners to come together, Stanford isn't a great team to face right off the bat. At Fresno State is a landmine, Oklahoma will be a preseason top five team, at Arizona State is a nightmare, and at California is a downright killer. Follow that up by games against UCLA and at Washington State, and the team's season will be made or broken by the end of October. Washington and Arizona are winnable games, so it's a shame they're at home. At USC and at Oregon State will be round out the interesting slate..

Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Jonathan Stewart. The high school superstar ran for over 2,300 yards and 32 touchdowns in his senior year despite only playing in the first half of most games. After a true freshman year when he made more of an impact as a kickoff returner than a runner, now he'll get his chance to explode playing behind a huge, veteran offensive line.

Best Defensive Player: Sophomore Rover Patrick Chung. On the verge of Pac 10 stardom, Chang is a big hitter with the speed to play corner. Coming off a 91 tackle season, he has experience to do even more and make even more big plays. The sky's the limit for how good he can become.

Key player to a successful season: Redshirt freshman CB Willie Glasper. You can't win in the Pac 10 on a regular basis if you can't slow down the pass just a little bit. Glasper was a top recruit a few years ago and has to shine as a number one corner if the defense is going to be close to as good as last year.

The season will be a success if ... Oregon wins nine games. Duck fans will be hoping last year was the start of something big, but the schedule has too many pitfalls, and the team is too incomplete, to reasonably hope for a ten-win regular season. Nine wins would mean there will be at least one win over Oklahoma, at Arizona State, at Cal, and/or at USC.

Key game: Sept. 30 at Arizona State. The Sun Devils will have this game circled after last year's 31-17 home loss. The Ducks had better win or else the following week's game at Cal becomes a must-win to have any prayer of being in the Pac 10 title hunt.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- First quarter scoring: Oregon 109 - Opponents 68
- Sacks: Oregon 31 for 212 yards - Opponents 20 for 105 yards
- Interceptions: Oregon 23 for 212 yards - Opponents 10 for 105 yards

The Last Time Oregon…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Holiday Bowl vs. Oklahoma)
…missed a bowl game…2004
…pitched a shutout…2003 (Stanford)
…was shutout…1985 (Nebraska)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Oregon State)
…went undefeated…1916
…won a conference title…2001 (Pac 10)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1998 (Akili Smith)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2004 (Terrence Whitehead)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Demetrius Williams)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (DT Haloti Ngata)