Sun Bowl
continued from page 1B
freshman receiver Keenan Howry
for a slidinglO-yard touchdown
grab in the right end zone that,
coupled with senior placekicker
Nathan Villegas’ extra point, gave
the Ducks the final margin with
one minute, 32 seconds remain
ing.
But the drama was not yet
complete.
Minnesota, led by quarterback
Billy Cockerham, who would be
named the game’s MVP, drove to
the Oregon 39-yard line. It was
then that senior linebacker Diet
rich Moore, he of the big plays
and little credit, made perhaps
the biggest play of his Oregon ca
reer.
Moore rushed in from the left
side and drilled Cockerham as he
cocked back to throw, causing a
fumble that junior defensive end
Saul Patu pounced on with 41
seconds left to all but ensure a
Ducks’ victory.
“It was a play designed for me
and Matt Smith to come off the
edge,” said Moore, who recorded
two sacks among his six tackles.
“They didn’t have enough guys
to block us all.”
A few moments later, green
and-yellow jubilation covered
the field, as Oregon players and
fans converged to revel in the
glory of the fifth bowl win in
school history.
In addition to guaranteeing the
Ducks a spot in the final top-25
rankings to be released this
week, the victory gave Oregon (9
3 overall) a school-record tying
win total and the best overall
mark in the Pacific-10 Confer
ence this season.
“This is a great feeling to end
this way,” said senior linebacker
Peter Sirmon, whose 16 Sun
Bowl tackles were surpassed
only by Gopher All-American
strong safety Tyrone Carter’s 18.
Head coach Mike Bellotti
praised his defense’s perform
ance and his team’s heart.
“The defense kept us in the
game, and the offense came
through when it had to,” said a
victory-shower drenched and
smiling Bellotti after Oregon’s
fifth win of the season by five
points or less. “Our kids have a
sense of belief that allows us to
win these games.”
The win also saved the conler
ence from being shut out in post
season play, as the other four
Pac-10 teams in bowl games all
lost.
“I hope it brings some respect
to the Pac-10,” Harrington said.
If nothing else, the Ducks as
sured Minnesota’s and the Big
Ten Conference’s respect.
“It was a heckuva college foot
ball game,” Gopher head coach
Glen Mason said. “One of the
best, if not the best, I’ve seen this
year.”
Neither team led by more than
six points in a game that gave
48,757 Sun Bowl Stadium fans
and a national television audi
ence on CBS all they could ask
for.
The first half was dominated
by the defenses as Oregon
proved itself capable of contain
ing Minnesota’s vaunted ground
attack, and the Golden Gophers
flexed their pass defense muscle
against the Ducks’ potent passing
game.
Oregon punted twice and Min
nesota once before the Ducks got
the first break of the afternoon
when senior rover Michael
Fletcher intercepted a Cocker
ham pass at the Gopher 43 mid
way through the first quarter.
The Oregon offense, however,
was unable to pick up a first
down, and Villegas came on for a
52-yard field-goal attempt. But
Minnesota rose to the occasion
and blocked Villegas’ kick to
keep the game scoreless and earn
possession at its own 38.
Taking advantage of the
change in momentum and a 36
yard reception by wide receiver
Luke Leverson, the Gophers then
took the lead on Cockerham’s
one-yard scoring toss to wideout
Ron Johnson. Dan Nystrom’s ex
tra point gave Minnesota a 7-0
lead.
On the ensuing drive, a 16
yard scamper by senior tailback
Reuben Droughns was stopped
only with a touchdown-saving
tackle by Carter, which put the
Ducks at their own 49. But the
It was a heckuva col
lege football game. One
of the best, if not the
best, I've seen this year.
Glen Mason
Minnesota head coach
drive stalled after a 13-yard sack
by defensive tackle Dyron Russ,
who would be named the game’s
outstanding lineman.
After a Minnesota punt was re
turned 15 yards by Fletcher to
the Gopher 48, Oregon finally ap
peared poised to get its offense in
gear early in the second quarter.
On the next play, Droughns took
a handoff and exploded through
the left side of the line before cut
ting back to the right. Searching
for an open alley to the end zone,
Droughns slowed inside the 20
with a few downfield blockers in
front of him. But all-Big Ten de
fensive end Karon Riley made
Droughns pay for his indecisive
ness, jarring the ball loose from
behind, and cornerback Willie
Middlebrooks recovered at the
10.
Minnesota advanced to the
Ducks’ 46 before punting, then
got the ball right back as Oregon
went three and out.
Despite excellent field position
at the Duck 41, the Gophers were
unable to make Oregon’s sturdy,
Sirmon-led defense budge. Sir
mon teamed with fellow senior
linebacker Nathan Naggi to drop
Minnesota tailback Thomas
Hamner for a loss of two on third
down and force yet another punt.
Alas, but the punting was not
done. Oregon junior Kurtis Doerr
was called upon for his fifth punt
of the first half six plays later, as
was Minnesota’s Ryan Rindels
for his sixth three plays after that.
Then, finally, the Ducks got
something going.
On first down from his own
34, Harrington found Hartley,
who hung on for a 37-yard gain
to the Gopher 29 despite a big
hit. An 11-yard completion to
tight end Enyi Nwamuo and a
pair of Droughns’ rushes for 13
yards later, Harrington went five
yards for Oregon’s first points
with 1:11 left in the half. Ville
gas’ extra point made it 7-7,
which would be the halftime
score.
After combining for 11 punts
and just 14 first downs in the
first half, the offenses came to life
early in the third quarter.
First, Minnesota surprised the
Ducks by featuring the pass on
an eight-play, 80-yard drive that
was capped by Cockerham's 38
yard touchdown connection
with receiver Arland Bruce. Nys
trom, however, missed the extra
point to keep the score at 13-7.
Oregon responded with an im
pressive drive of its own, using a
23-yard reception by Hartley and
a 26-yard catch by Howry to get
to the Gopher 5. Three plays lat
er, the Ducks faced fourth-and
goal from the Minnesota 1. Bel
lotti gave the go-ahead, and
Harrington rewarded his coach
with a touchdown dive to cap
the 11-play, 69-yard march.
Villegas’ extra point put Ore
gon on top for the first time, 14
13.
Minnesota then went three
and out, and Fletcher returned
Rindels’ punt 16 yards to-the
Duck 49 to shift momentum
completely in Oregon’s favor. But
three plays later, momentum was
slipping away with a fourth-and
seven looming.
That’s when Bellotti imple
mented one of his season-long
tricks — a fake punt utilizing Do
err’s athleticism. Instead of an
option run between the upback
and Doerr, however, this play
called for Doerr to showcase his
arm.
Impress Doerr did as he fired a
spiral down the right side toward
junior receiver Sonny Cook. Min
nesota’s Middlebrooks was
flagged for pass interference, and
the Ducks had first down at the
Gopher 33.
The drive stalled at the 20, and
Villegas entered to convert a 37
yard field goal and give Oregon a
17-13 edge late in the third quar
ter.
Before the fourth quarter
would even dawn, Minnesota
was well on its way toward re
sponding. Cockerham’s passing
again paved the way — high
lighted by a 34-yard hookup with
Leverson — as the Gophers ad
vanced to a third-and-five at the
Duck 7 on the first play of the
fourth quarter.
There, Cockerham and John
son combined for their second
scoring play on a well-timed and
well-placed fade along the right
side of the end zone. Nystrom
connected this time, and Min
nesota had a 20-17 lead.
With Droughns in the locker
room with leg cramps, the Ducks
turned to sophomore tailback
Herman Ho-Ching, who carried
four straight times for 26 yards to
kick-start Oregon’s next drive.
When Harrington hit junior tight
end LaCorey Collins for a 17
yard gain to the Minnesota 33,
the Ducks looked to be in busi
ness.
Two incompletions and an
eight-yard sack later, Doerr punt
ed yet again.
Sophomore cornerback Steve
Smith got Oregon the ball back
quickly with a leaping intercep
tion along the left sideline at the
Gopher 47.
But the Duck offense was
stymied by the tough Minnesota
defense again, and Doerr punted
for the seventh time.
Once again, Oregon answered
the Gophers with a defensive
stand of its own, and the Ducks
regained possession following a
Rindels punt at their own 13.
With 7:28 remaining, Harring
ton and the Oregon offense went
to work. Ho-Ching’s hard run
ning and two Harrington comple
tions got the Ducks a first down
at the Minnesota 43.
From there, Harrington threw
incomplete, Droughns —
reemerging from the locker room
and into the game — gained a
yard and Harrington’s screen to
Droughns was snubbed by Go
pher safety Jimmy Henry for a
loss of two.
Fourth-and-11. About 3 1/2
minutes to play.
The Ducks went for it. Harring
ton and Hartley coolly delivered,
and the rest, as they say, is histo
ry
“We’ve done that so many
times this year,” Harrington said.
Minnesota 7
Oregon 0
first downs
rushing att.
rushing yards
passes att.
passes comp,
passing yards
total yards
penalties
possession time
third-down con.
fourth-down con.
kickoff returns
interceptions
fumble returns
punts
2 3
0 6
7 10
Minnesota
19
35
123
37
19
257
353
5-58
24:35
9-17
0-0
3-67
0-0
1-0
7-323
4 Final
7 20
7 24
Oregon
22
39
186
43
20
232
388
4-25
35:25
6-19
2-2
4-80
2-2
0-0
8-325
Rushing
Oregon att
Droughns 21
Ho-Ching 9
Tucker 2
Brown 1
Harrington 6
Minnesota
Hamner 20
Cockerham 12
Bruce 2
Passing
Oregon att-comp-int
Harrington 43-20-0
Minnesota
Cockerham 37-19-2
Recieving
Oregon No*
Hartley 7
Howry 3
Droughns 3
Chance 2
Collins 1
Cook 1
Nwamuo 1
Ho-Ching 1
Tucker 1
Minnesota
Johnson 7
Leverson 6
Ariand 2
Jones 2
Hamner 2
yds long avg
95 31 4.5
56 11 6.2
10 7 5.0
4 4 4.0
-9 5 -1.5
64 11 3.2
26 14 2.2
8 10 5.0
yds long td
232 37 1
257 38 3
yds long td
113 37 0
54 26 1
-1 5*0
15 8 0
17 17 0
12 12 0
11 11 0
7 7 0
4 4 0
54 13 2
126 36 0
44 38 1
26 18 0
7 5 0