As the sun set over Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif., the Stanford Cardinal football team’s singing could be heard ringing through the locker room and floating out of an open window.
They had just beat No. 7 Oregon 51-42 and dashed any hopes of the Ducks sneaking into the BCS National Title game.
Meanwhile, in the Oregon locker room, one voice rang above the din of a celebrating contingent of Cardinal fans: that of head coach Chip Kelly.
The basic message he was sending his team was that it wasn’t the end of the world. The team would survive to fight another day.
“I told them that one game doesn’t define you,” Kelly said. “We lost a big game, but we’ll go back to work on Monday. This isn’t a part-time thing. Our plan won’t change.”
It was still disheartening for Oregon to watch as true freshman quarterback Andrew Luck and senior running back Toby Gerhart roll through the Oregon secondary for 505 total yards of offense. Gerhart set the single-game Stanford rushing record with his 224 yards and whenever Stanford needed a big play, he was there to deliver.
“He’s a real talented kid,” Kelly said.
It was close for the Ducks, but in the end the two late touchdowns they scored to get within on score didn’t matter. After Stanford recovered Tim Taylor’s on-side kick, Cardinal kicker Nate Whitaker iced the game with a 48-yard field goal.
Afterward, Taylor was broken up. Outside of the locker room he had his helmet on and tears dripped down his cheeks. Strength and conditioning coach Jim Radcliffe consoled him and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ran up and patted Taylor on the head.
It was the same way most of the team felt, but Masoli isn’t making any excuses. The Ducks got trapped.
“It’s fine, everyone can say that because we kind of did,” Masoli said. “We didn’t win today, and that’s the bottom line. What we came here for was a win, and we didn’t get it.”
Even the consolation of out-gaining Stanford 570-505 didn’t help. Masoli had 334 yards passing and three touchdowns. Running back LaMichael James rushed for 125 yards and had 89 yards receiving.
“Stanford matched it and stopped us just enough on defense,” tight end Ed Dickson said.
“My hat is off to these guys,” Kelly said. “Congratulations to Stanford. They played one heck of a football game.”
But for all of the Gerhart 10 yard rushes and Luck deep passes, this game isn’t the end of the line for Oregon. The team is now 7-2, 5-1 and still in first place with three games to go. Win-out and the Rose Bowl is still theirs.
“We’re not thinking about who needs to lose,” Masoli said.
Dickson added that this team will bounce back next week at home against Arizona State.
“There’s no panic,” he said. “We’ll come back Monday and win the day.”
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Ducks look to bounce back after loss to Cardinal
Daily Emerald
November 6, 2009
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