Los Angeles – For the few things that went right for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday against No. 7 USC, so much more went awry.
And when it all added up, Oregon ended up on the short side of a 35-10 loss – the Ducks’ third-straight convincing defeat on the road that officially ends Oregon’s Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl hopes.
While there were certainly opportunities for the Ducks Saturday, there were also many countless mistakes that proved costly and have become so typical on the road for Oregon.
“The bottom line is on the road we have turned the ball over and failed to finish,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think the difference (Saturday) is that they were able to finish and we weren’t. We had red-zone opportunities that we did not capitalize on. We moved the ball up and down the field but we turned it over and gave them a short field. Obviously they were able to capitalize and get the ball in the end zone and we were not.”
And to think, Oregon started with such promise against the Trojans.
There was that impressive opening drive when the Ducks marched 72 yards in 17 plays only to be stopped on a fourth-down attempt on the USC 13 yard line – one of two first-half red zone appearances that resulted in zero points for Oregon.
The other missed opportunity came on a drive that stalled at the USC six-yard line before kicker Paul Martinez hooked a 23-yard field goal wide left with just seconds remaining before halftime and Oregon trailing 14-0.
And while Oregon gained 358 total yards of offense, there were only two scores in five red zone appearances – one coming after two extensive replays finally determined that running back Jonathan Stewart legally made a catch on a tipped pass in the back of the end zone to score Oregon’s only touchdown of the game.
Then there was the Oregon defense, which, despite allowing a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns to USC running back Chauncey Washington, intercepted from quarterback John David Booty on USC’s first possession of the game – one of three total interceptions by the Ducks – and held on a fourth-down attempt in the second quarter.
“I thought our defense played well,” Bellotti said. “They were put in difficult situations.”
The difficult situations started after USC marched 80 yards for its first touchdown of the game, and on the next offensive play, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon lofted a pass intended to wide receiver Jaison Williams that was intercepted by the Trojans’ Taylor Mays and returned 38 yards to the Oregon seven yard-line. USC scored two plays later.
And just when it seemed Oregon had seized the momentum down 14-3 after intercepting a trick pass from wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett in the third quarter, the Oregon offense gave it right back on an errant pitch from Dixon to Stewart on the very next play that led to another USC score and epitomized the type of day it was for the Ducks.
“It was a bad pitch by my part,” said Dixon, who was replaced by backup Brady Leaf after taking a knee to the head on a block attempt during a reverse. “I take full blame of it. It’s tough in that situation when you got the ball back, but that’s how it goes.”
Oregon’s longest drive of the game came in the third quarter, which resulted in Stewart’s touchdown reception, was answered with a five-play 80-yard drive aided by a personal foul on Oregon’s Jerome Boyd. That was one of three personal fouls – the other two by defensive tackle Jeremy Gibbs – that the Ducks committed on three separate USC possessions, which all resulted in touchdowns.
Oregon committed 12 total penalties for 87 yards.
“We were jumping offside, getting personal fouls – you can’t really do that with a team like SC,” senior linebacker Blair Phillips said. “I think it was just missed assignments – things we didn’t do, not really what they did. I think we have the talent to play with them … but at the same time, we can’t give them things, turn the ball over. It just kind of snowballs, and it’s just a lot rougher digging yourself into a hole.”
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Road mistakes cost Ducks again
Daily Emerald
November 12, 2006
John Givot
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