Thursday, March 15, 2012

My Worst Losses As An Oregon Fan

I've got the off-season college football blues.  It's all that's on my mind, but what to write about?  I love writing about the good moments in Duck history, and there are many, but what about the bad?  I must be runnin' out of ideas when I thought about this topic, but why not?  I decided to compile a top 10 list of the worst games that I'VE been apart of.

TOP 10 MOST UNFORGETTABLE LOSSES: 




10) 2002 LOSS TO ARIZONA STATE:
There were a few bad one's that year, starting with this one.  The Ducks blew a 21-0 second quarter lead only to lose to ASU 45-42, as #6 Oregon had their 11 game winning streak snapped at home.  


9) 2011 LOSS TO LSU:
In one of the most anticipated games of the early season, a top 5 showdown in Dallas Texas with national championship implications on the line.  The Ducks held their own into the second quarter, holding a 6-3 lead, but their offense never got into rythem, and killed themselves with several turnovers, as Oregon lost 42-27.


8) 2002 LOSS TO WAKE FOREST:
In a game in which more Husky fans showed up just to boo the Ducks, then actual Duck fans, the Ducks got blown out in the now defunct Seattle bowl to non-football powerhouse Wake Forest, 38-17.  A fitting end to a misrable season in which Oregon finished with their worst record since 1997 (7-6).


7) 2000 LOSS TO OREGON STATE IN CIVIL WAR:

It was the most meaningful civil war up until that time.  Both programs came in ranked in the top 10 at the same time, in the series' long history.  In addition, there were Rose Bowl and in state bragging rights at stake, all being nationally televised on ABC.  Now the Ducks have owned the beavers since the mid'70's, but many of those wins came when either just Oregon was good, or both programs were bad.  Had Oregon won, it would've been nice winning a civil war that actually meant so much, but it wasn't meant to be.  Joey Harrington threw 5 interceptions that day, and the Ducks lost to Chad Johnson's Beavers 23-13.

6) 2002 LOSS TO UW:
Husky players celebrating at midfield at Autzen stadium
After jumping out to a 14-0 lead over arch rival Washington, the dawgs scored 42 unanswered points to beat Oregon 42-14.  The loss was one of the worst for Oregon at home under Mike Bellotti.


5) 2003 LOSS TO WASHINGTON STATE:
How do you follow up beating #4 Michigan on national television, and appearing on the cover of SI a week later?  By suffering the programs worst loss ever to the cougs, 55-16, on a day that reached triple digit temperatures at Autzen stadium.

4) 2001 LOSS TO STANFORD:
A loss that eventually cost them a spot in the national championship, #6 Oregon blew TWO 14 point fourth quarter leads in a loss to Stanford, 49-42.  The loss snapped a 23 game home winning streak for the Ducks.


3) 2007 LOSS TO ARIZONA:
With #2 Oregon in perfect position to play for a national championship the Ducks lost 34-24 on a Thursday night game on ESPN.  But that's not all they lost.  In addition, they lost any hopes of playing for a national championship, and they lost Heisman front runner, quarterback Dennis Dixon, for the season.


2) 2004 LOSS TO INDIANA:
There was so much anticipation heading into the season I couldn't wait for the home opener, even though it was against Indiana.  I was so excited in fact, I went despite having the flu and spending the previous night throwing up.  I figured I'd see Oregon get an easy win.  It was Indiana after all.  The Ducks buried themselves with 9 turnovers on a rainy day and lost 30-24.  The game set the tone for a disappointing season, in which Oregon suffered their first losing season (5-6) since 1993.


1) 2011 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS TO AUBURN:
NUFF SAID

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Losses to Boise State(both times), Ohio State('10 Rose Bowl), Cal('07), WA('03), OSU('98), Colorado ('96 Cotton Bowl)


Now let me make it clear, because a friend (and former player from the '94 team) pointed this out to me when he saw this list, but I am not a recent Duck fan, or ignoring what the great classes prior to 2000 accomplished. 

The reason why so many losses since 2000 hurt me more, is because there's continually been more at stake for Oregon since then, as the program continues to get better and better.  With more at stake comes more pain after a loss.

18 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. The Rose Bowl isn't the worst, but it is perhaps the worst what-if game...lots of chances for Oregon (just like in the 1920 Rose Bowl and 1958 Rose Bowl), but couldn't convert. I actually watched that game last weekend, Ducks moved the ball all over their defense, but couldn't convert in the red zone and Matt Belden for whatever reason lost the ability to kick doomed the Ducks.

      Delete
    2. Kurt dont get me startred ...lool..For me this was the worst game , to have your own players not leave it all out on the field and believe they could win...SUCKS....Nuff said..:)

      Delete
  2. It would be tough to get much worse than 2003 Washington state. I was watching on TV in Los Angeles, it remains to this day the only time I can ever recall any national TV broadcast of a sporting event cutoff at halftime and replaced by infomercials. It was so bad ABC didn't want to bother with the WSU fans or even switch to another game, they thought it was better to just air infomercials.

    I kept thinking "wow this is a long commercial break, when is the 3rd quarter going to start?" Eventualy had to listen to the 2nd half radio broadcast on the O-zone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kurt, that's on my list. I was there. To make it worse, it was 100 degrees that day!

      Delete
  3. Worst game I ever personally attended would probably be 2007 Arizona...felt like I had been nut-punched for about 3 quarters, and the Arizona fans gave new meaning to the word "classless," yet somehow topped it in 2009 when they showered me and everyone else wearing green in garbage.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Watching Dennis Dixon go down blowing out his knee

    ReplyDelete
  5. missed field goal against USC as time ran out :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, and I was also at the 2004 Cal game...Keith #@$%#*& Allen in an instant took his place alongside Bill Buckner among the list of quality players with one bad moment they will never live down.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I gotta admit watching the Ducks come back from being down big againts SC this last season and seeing our kicker miss a very make-able kick to LOSE the game and knock us outta the Natty race was pretty horrific.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ‎93 cal is the ultimate heartbreaker...it's in the record books as the largest deficit ever overcome.
    Cristin can tell you all about that day, he even threw a TD pass in that game and the Ducks still lost. Tommy Thompson doinked an extra point and a FG off the goalposts, Derrick Deadwiler was tackled after an 80 yard catch and Ducks were stopped on 4th & goal...
    Oregon was 3-0 heading into that game, finished the year 2-6 after it, domino effect after the devastation of the Cal loss.

    So. Much. Pain. In. 93 Cal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That one I didnt even want to mention it was initially gonna be my response, just couldnt even get into it, this game and the rose bowl game are the only two games i ever cried on the field about...Man horrible day..

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Last second 3pt loss to auburn in the National Championship. So many bad calls. I was in shock.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Even worse for me than the bs at the nc was when Dennis Dixon went down :(

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey, are any of you interested in writing for the blog www.autzenzoo.com? I am the editor of the site and am always looking to add interested staff writers who can contribute two posts per week on the Oregon Ducks. Let me know if you are interested . Go Ducks! autzenzoo@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hі, this weekеnd is nice in suρpoгt of
    me, as thіs timе i am rеadіng this enormous
    еducatіonal pіece of writing hегe at my
    house. click the following document

    ReplyDelete