The Play Time Stood Still For Oregon

What's in an inch?  Not much.  Pretty hard to fit something in such a tight squeeze.  But to Duck fans an inch may as well have represented the distance from here to the moon, that's how significant one inch was.


Of course I'm referring to the play in the Rose Bowl vs. Wisconsin.  


The moment occurred with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter.  Oregon led Wisconsin 45-38.  The Badgers were driving when QB Russell Wilson hit Jared Abbrederis for a long pass.  


With Abbrederis running in open space toward the sideline, Oregon CB #27 Terrence Mitchell came up and poked the ball loose.


A football tends to bounce funny- you never know what direction it's gonna go next.  On this particular moment, it came to a perfect standstill, allowing Oregon LB Michael Clay to pounce on the ball.


The football gods were shinning down on Oregon that night.  Finally, the ball "bounced" their way.

Chip Kelly and Oregon players reacting to the fumble

Official replays confirmed it was Oregon's ball, but they already knew it, as Chip Kelly was famously seen in this photo, jumping for joy.


Football truly is a game of inches.  Years of heartache and going without a Rose Bowl win came down to that one inch.  Oregon got the ball back and was able to bleed off some time.  Wisconsin did get another opportunity, but they ultimately ran out of time.


Oregon won 45-38!