Two years ago, Oregon was potentially on its way to making history before losing starting tailback Reuben Droughns to an injury near midseason. Oregon’s running game left with Droughns — as did any chance of going to Pasadena.
Fast forward to Oct. 28, 2000: The Ducks’ offense, locked in a double-overtime battle with Arizona State, with control of the Rose Bowl race hanging in the balance, took the field with starting tailback Maurice Morris standing injured on the sideline.
Only this time, Oregon had another weapon in its arsenal.
Sophomore tailback Allan Amundson came to the rescue from the fourth quarter on, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a one-yard run in the second overtime period. He finished the day with 41 yards in 14 carries.
“It didn’t seem like the winning touchdown at the time,” said Amundson, recalling his dash to the left side of the Sun Devils’ end zone. “I was confident that I was going to get into the end zone because of the blocking, and because we were on the right hash and that’s so much room to get there. It was sort of a race to the corner and with the blocking, I was confident and I thought I could make it.”
Amundson — the 23rd-best kick returner in the nation, with an average 24.65 yards per return — stepped into the lineup at tailback again last Saturday against Washington State and played almost the entire second half while Morris nursed his injured ribs. He had eight carries for 48 yards and helped to move the chains on a day when the offense never quite found its groove.
Oregon coaches and players were so impressed by Amundson’s contributions through the past two weeks, both as a tailback and kick returner, that he was named a team captain for the Ducks’ game against California Saturday.
“He’s done very nicely,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think that certainly we thought Allan had the potential really since last year. Then he broke his ankle last year and pulled a hamstring in fall camp, and really was not healthy for the first couple games of the season, so it’s nice to see him be healthy and perform where we know he can.”
Morris practiced in non-contact drills earlier in the week, but his sore ribs could keep him out of portions of Saturday’s game as they did the past two games.
If that’s the case, Amundson said he’ll be ready to play. He’s been ready so far this season, making appearances in all nine games and rushing 56 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
“Hopefully I’ll get more playing time, but I don’t know,” Amundson said. “I won’t know until the night before, the day before. Anyone wants to play and when I get out there I’m going to try to do the best I can.”
Morris has confidence in Amundson’s ability to back him up.

“It’s great; this is the time of the season a lot of people are going to get banged up,” he said. “So it’s good to have somebody back there
that can get the job done as well.”
Obviously, Bellotti prefers to have Morris healthy and in the lineup as much as possible. Morris is the Ducks’ leading rusher, averaging 4.4 yards per carry in 1,052 attempts. He is also quicker than Amundson and better at breaking tackles.
But the head coach points out that Morris and Amundson are two different backs, each with his own way of moving the football, and each can be effective in different game-time situations.
“I think they complement each other; I think they’re different styles of runners,” Bellotti said. “So it’s a little different preparation for the defense. One is more of a strider and gets outside and runs, and the other is a cut-back darter, low-to-the-ground type player. So I think for us, it’s been a plus.”
Amundson could find himself becoming Oregon’s primary running weapon in a couple years, after Morris uses his final year of eligibility next season. To be the Ducks’ starting tailback would complete a comeback that started last season, when, as a freshman, Amundson was held to playing just four games because of injuries.
For now, he can’t wait to walk onto center field at Autzen Stadium Saturday and take part in the all-important coin toss.
“I’m a team captain this week,” Amundson said. “I was shocked at first, but it’s fun. I get to do the coin toss, and I’m excited.”