“I want to play!!”
We wanted you to play as well, Dennis Dixon. And when we heard you, wired for sound on the Rose Bowl sideline, we ached with a growing depression over what could have been. As Oregon piled up 148 yards of offense (105 through the air) in a 16-0 shellacking at UCLA’s hands, the sight of Dixon giving lessons in the spread offense on the fly and signaling from the sideline reminded us why he is truly a Heisman candidate.
Look at the credentials. Three-time Pac-10 Player of the Week. National Scholar-Athlete honoree. Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award finalist. An impressive 2,136 yards passing with a 67.7 percent completion rate. Twenty touchdown passes compared with just four interceptions (a halftime Hail Mary at Washington, the Derrick Jones tipped pass at Arizona, and the late-game mistakes against California). On top of that, 583 yards rushing on 5.8 yards a carry with nine touchdowns.
Even after missing the better part of two games, Dixon’s numbers and intangibles stand out as elite and comparable to the nation’s best. For six weeks, from the Cal game to the Arizona game, Dixon was the best player in the nation, hands down.
After Dixon aggravated an anterior cruciate ligament tear against the Wildcats, the rest of the nation seemingly blew past him. Tim Tebow of Florida, he of the 51 total touchdowns and broken non-throwing hand, is your Heisman front-runner despite three Gator losses. Chase Daniel of Missouri took advantage of a nationally televised game against Kansas to vault himself into the number-two slot. Arkansas running back/quarterback/all-everything Darren McFadden is likely number three. Dixon has become lost in a melee including Pat White, Glenn Dorsey, Todd Reesing, Colt Brennan and Michael Crabtree, among others.
The Heisman trophy is designated to (in theory) the best player on the best team. As the Pac-10/SEC debate caught fire, Dixon worked to separate himself from every player in either conference outside of Tebow, whose gaudy stats never translated into enough wins to merit a BCS bowl for his team.
Even more impressively, Dixon guided the Ducks to a No. 2 ranking and title contention even as the wheels began to fall off. Brian Paysinger, lost to injury. Cameron Colvin, lost to injury. Derrick Jones, lost to suspension. Jeremiah Johnson, lost to injury. Jaison (I GOT YO BACK, BRADY!) Williams, lost in the fog. How did Dixon pull this off?
He pulled it off by turning in consistently outstanding performances as the injuries piled up-and, curiously, as media attention grew. A makeshift campaign was formed, and Oregon students, for the first time in six years, dared to dream.
The national pundits who called Oregon a one-trick pony will figure out that Dixon didn’t go it alone … but that’s a forgivable offense.
Now, a berth to the Sun Bowl seems merciful. Cody Kempt will likely start for the Ducks against a malicious Beavers defense that leads the nation in stopping the run. Oregon hasn’t scored a touchdown in seven quarters of football. And to top it all off … it’s Senior Day.
This Senior Day will be different. Special. Terrence Kelly, the linebacker recruit shot to death before he could don his uniform, will be honored. Twenty players will experience their final collegiate home game. And none will receive a louder ovation than Dixon, our Heisman hopeful.
Saturday is Oregon’s Super Bowl. A win for the home team will keep a 12-year streak alive. A win would be improbable, inconceivable and extremely gratifying. It would be, in more ways than one, a proper sendoff. My fellow students, I hope you haven’t sold your tickets yet. There’s still a lot left to play for.
After all, nothing else matters unless you beat the Beavers.
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