Oregon receiver Brian Paysinger will have surgery later this week on his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, coach Mike Bellotti said Sunday. Asked whether Paysinger, who hurt the knee during Thursday's practice, could return for a bowl game, Bellotti said, "No, I don't think so." Paysinger was the Ducks' leader in receiving yards (nine catches for 165 yards) entering Saturday's 55-31 win at Stanford but probably has made his last appearance on the field for the Ducks. No details were available on the injury. Cameron Colvin, Paysinger's replacement, had four catches coming into the Stanford game and had double that (eight catches for 136 yards) Saturday. "It's different," Colvin said. "You play about 70 snaps, you can feel it." Bellotti said he was pleased with Colvin's play but wants to see more attention to detail. "He certainly made his presence felt early and often," Bellotti said. "I think he can do some things from a ball security standpoint and a blocking standpoint to improve."
Saturday's recap: The Ducks, who rose from No. 13 to No. 11 in The Associated Press poll, overcame a shaky second quarter and a surprising halftime deficit to beat Stanford 55-31 on Saturday night at Stanford Stadium. After losing three fumbles and being outscored 28-3 in the second quarter, Oregon rode the passing of Dennis Dixon to a victory in its Pacific-10 Conference opener and its sixth consecutive win over the Cardinal. Dixon completed all 12 of his passes in the third quarter for 156 yards in the Ducks' most pass-oriented game of the season. Dixon finished 27 of 36 for 367 yards passing and ran for another 15 yards. Jonathan Stewart chipped in with 160 rushing yards on 19 carries, but Oregon's streak of 300-yard rushing performances was snapped at three. On defense, the Ducks were again susceptible to the run, allowing Anthony Kimble his first 100-yard rushing game -- he reached that mark in the second quarter. Still, those issues seemed to be fixed at halftime. The Ducks outscored Stanford 31-0 and outgained the Cardinal 372 yards to 127 in the second half.
GameDay is coming: It is official. ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Eugene for Saturday's game against California. It will be the second "GameDay" appearance in Eugene, after the crew visited in 2000 for the Ducks' game with UCLA.
Out of focus? When asked whether his team, which had committed a total of two turnovers in its first three games before its case of dropsies in the second quarter, had lost focus, Bellotti said that wasn't the case. "No," he said. "We lost the football."
Stopping Stanford: For the first time this season, somebody other than a defensive back led the Ducks in tackles. Linebacker Jerome Boyd had 11, including a game-high seven solo tackles. Doffing the redshirt: Freshman Aaron Pflugrad, son of receivers coach Robin Pflugrad, saw his first action of the season and caught a four-yard pass from Dixon. Pflugrad wouldn't have made the trip to the Bay Area if not for Paysinger's injury.
Injuries: Guard Josh Tschirgi (back) played but did not start against Stanford. Jeremiah Johnson (hamstring) carried 14 times for 60 yards. Tackle Fenuki Tupou sustained a mild concussion and is probable for Cal, Bellotti said.
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