In my opinion
By Shawn Miller
There was a numbing feeling pulsating throughout my body almost a year ago after watching Oregon nearly knock off the fourth-ranked Golden Bears in Berkeley, Calif. It hurt so bad. I wanted to blame former Oregon wide receiver Keith Allen for dropping the wide-open pass on fourth and long in Cal territory during the final possession. But how could I after he laid out for a 36-yard reception on fourth and three late in the fourth quarter to set up Oregon’s winning touchdown two weeks earlier at Stanford? Then it was kicker Jared Siegel, who missed an extra point in the first quarter which proved to be the margin of victory for Cal. Siegel also committed a personal foul during a kickoff which moved Cal to midfield on one possession during the game. But then again, how many games did Siegel seal with a field goal? While I was walking to my car, being taunted by Cal fans, I came to two conclusions. One: Oregon should have won that game and the fact that they didn’t could not be blamed on one single player. Two: The tables had turned, and getting over a loss like that might prove to be too much. It was. The Ducks were embarrassed in their final two games of the season, which turned out to be Oregon’s first losing season since 1993. If they had won that game against a top-five opponent on the road, it would have made them bowl eligible, and chances are they would have taken care of business in those final two games. Instead of a 5-6 season, it could have been 8-3 and a trip to a nice bowl venue. So I have this message: I have been waiting for you Cal. And I’m sure the Ducks have been as well. You should have lost last season, and with even more on the line this time around, I don’t think you will come out victorious.
Should it matter that one of the best quarterbacks in school history won’t be able to play Yeah, but there are plenty of other Ducks that are ready for redemption. The Ducks currently rank third in the Pacific-10 Conference, allowing only 121.4 rushing yards per game. Oregon has also given up only seven rushing touchdowns, second best in the conference. Everything is on the line Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Both teams have to win in order to stay alive for a large bowl game. Without Kellen Clemens under center, the Ducks will need to rely on the motivation from last season’s loss and the critics who say that Oregon can’t win with Dennis Dixon as its starting quarterback. Allen and Siegel graduated from the program after last season, so the taste will remain bitter in their mouths. However, there are plenty of lettermen — 40 to be exact — who remember the feeling and are out to erase it. Cal’s win last year snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Ducks. I can’t wait for Oregon to start a new winning streak over the Bears, beginning Saturday.
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