UO seniors honored before last home game
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Dan Brunell Emerald
Senior defensive ends Jason Nikolao (on top) and Saul Patu team up to sack California
quarterback Kyle Boiler in their last game at Autzen Stadium.
■ A pre-game ceremony paid
tribute to 27 seniors before
their final game at Autzen
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
The band and cheerleaders lined
up near Autzen Stadium’s north
tunnel as they usually do before anv
Oregon football game, but before
Saturday’s matchup, they were also
joined by mosTof the football team.
On DuckVision, Kenny
Wheaton’s “pick” faded not into a
group of players getting pumped
up in the tunnel, but of a handful
of focused Ducks who were about
to take the home field for the last
time in an Oregon uniform.
Saturday’s game was the-last
game at Autzen for 27 Ducks. One
by one, they walked into the stadi
um and were greeted by loud
cheers from their fans.
The crowd wildly greeted quar
terback A.J. Feeley, who started for
Oregon last season and led the
Ducks to a triple-overtime home
win against Southern California.
Spectators roared for place-kicker
Josh Frankel, who fought through
a field-goal drought this season to
kick the game-winner against
Washington State. And the sound
of “TU!” echoed through the cold
afternoon air as defensive end Saul
Patu emerged from the tunnel.
“I’m happy to have the game
over, but at the same time, it’s
over,” offensive tackle Lee Gundy
said. “You’ll never get the chance
to play here again, and unfortu
nately, that’s a big loss.”
By the game’s end, the seniors
tasted victory yet again. Several of
the Ducks’ seniors, including de
fensive end Jason Nikolao, played
minutes in all of Oregon’s 20 con
secutive home wins — a winning
streak bested only by Florida State.
“It was a great game to go out of
Autzen,” Nikolao said. “I’ve
played in more closer games here
in Autzen than I'have blowouts,
but this was a close one, and it’s
been the story of my life — close
games at Autzen.
“This is the greatest place to
play in the world. I love the fans, I
love Eugene - I’m going to miss it
very much.”
Although the Ducks beat Califor
nia, they trailed at halftime for
only the second time this season.
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti
didn’t blame Oregon’s slow start to
teammates’ emotions running
high.
“We were as emotionally ready
in the locker room as we’ve ever
been,” Bellotti said. “Sometimes
with the senior deal, some of the
kids get very emotional or too
emotional. But I think we were
ready to play.”
20th win
continued from page 1
be complete until we play a good,
physical football game next week.
“I guarantee you both of these
teams are going to be fired up and
ready to hit somebody. ”
Several Ducks said they had
evening plans to watch the Beavers
play Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., that
night because an Oregon State loss
would have meant a certain Rose
Bowl berth for Oregon.
Turns out that the Beavers routed
the Wildcats, 33-9, and one might
think that if any Oregon State play
ers were watching the Ducks play
California, they may not have been
r
as impressed.
Oregon, perhaps swayed by an
emotional ceremony to honor the
team’s departing seniors minutes
before kickoff, wasn’t in synch dur
ing the first half of play.
Harrington completed just 11 of
25 passes in the opening 30 minutes
of the game, including one intercep
tion, and Oregon committed four
penalties for a loss of 44 yards.
Despite California’s 7-6 halftime
lead, the Ducks’ offense was on the
field for almost six minutes longer
than Cal’s, had 10 first downs to the
Bears’ five, had twice as many rush
ing yards and 33 more passing
yards.
Fortunately for Oregon, its of
fense settled down in the second
half. Harrington was true on his first
eight passes, and dived into the end
zone from two yards out with 10:25
left in the third, giving Oregon a 12
7 lead. He finished with 252 yards
passing.
Following a spectacular, 87-yard
catch-and-run touchdown by Cali
fornia receiver Geoff McArthur, the
Ducks took control of the game for
good in the fourth quarter after Har
rington passed 29 yards to Keenan
Howry in the end zone. Harrington'
rushed one yard for another touch
down with five minutes left to seal
the win.
“i was very pleased that the kids
responded to the challenge from
halftime, and clearly this was a little
bit more pleasurable at the end than
some of the games we’ve had late
ly,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellot
ti said. “Although it was close, I did
expect it would be a hard-fought
_ game.”
The Ducks set the tone for their
dismal first half with a poor open
ing drive. A false^start set Oregon
back to its 23-yard line, tailback
Maurice Morris was stopped for a
loss of tw'o and Harrington was
sacked for a loss of 13. One incom
plete pass later and Kurds Doerr
was punting, but a non-contact in
terference call put Cal’s offense on
Oregon’s 27-yard line.
California quarterback Kyle
Boiler completed a 26-yard pass to
receiver Phillip Pipersburg, and
tailback Joe Igber dived in for the
early touchdown on the second
play of the drive.
The Golden Bears lost to Oregon
State last Saturday, even though
Beaver tailback Ken Simonton
missed most of the second half
with a hamstring injury. After los
ing at Autzen Stadium — the 20th
straight time an opponent has done
so — all but one Golden Bear re
mained indifferent as to which
team in the state of Oregon was
best.
“Oregon State executes way bet
ter than Oregon did today,” Califor
nia punter Nick Harris told The
Register-Guard. “Oregon may have
played better in the past, but right
now Oregon State looks like the
best team in the Pac-10.”
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