Before the 1997 the Ducks’ four previous bowl appearances resulted in a loss. The program was definitely looking up with six post-season games in an eight-year span, but the Ducks needed a win. The Ducks had gone 6 – 5 during the ’97 season and found themselves pitted against 21st ranked Air Force Falcons in the Las Vegas Bowl. The ducks would play in front of a crowd of 21,514 as heavy underdogs in Las Vegas on December 20th.
Oregon had tied for 7th place in the Pac-10 that year and barely qualified for post-season play, but head coach Mike Bellotti was determined to come away with a victory in this one. In the end the Ducks crushed the Falcons in a 41 – 13 victory. Let’s take a look at how it all played out…
First Quarter:
The Ducks struck quick to start the game; they scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. In the first play of the game Pat Johnson scored points for the Ducks with a 69-yard touchdown reception from QB Akili Smith. The tone had been set. Saladin McCullough added to that total on the Ducks’ next possession with 76-yard run up the middle of the field. As the first quarter came to an end the Ducks were up 13 – 0 against a stunned Air Force team.
Second Quarter:
Throughout the first quarter the defense came up just as big. The Falcons weren’t able to complete a pass until halfway through the second quarter and held them to just 211 yards of total offense over the entire game. The Oregon offense just kept on rolling; Garrett Sabol blocked a punt that was recovered by Kevin Parker in the end zone. Six more. Towards the end of the second quarter the Ducks went on a 71-yard drive, this time led by Jason Mass, that culminated with another six points. The defense was able to keep Air Force scoreless over the entire first half and so the Ducks went into halftime up 26 – 0.
Third Quarter:
It was Air Force who would score first in the second half, but it would be the Falcons’ only offensive drive resulting in points. Their only other points came from a fumble recovery for a touchdown later in the third. Mass threw for another touchdown in the third quarter, coming off a 71-yard Oregon drive ending in a TD pass to Hartley. The Ducks went into the final quarter of play up 34 – 13.
Fourth Quarter:
The second and third teams were on the field at this point in this game. Oregon would be the clear victor. Oregon scored once more off a touchdown pass from Mass to Johnson and time would expire with Oregon up 41 – 13.
Oregon left Las Vegas with a stunning victory. Air Force had only allowed 12.4 points per game in their regular season – Oregon blew that average out of the water.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Oregon | 13 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 41 |
| Air Force | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
SCORING
UO…….Pat Johnson 69 pass from Akili Smith (Josh Frankel kick), 14:42, 1st
UO…….Saladin McCullough 76 run (kick failed), 12:54, 1st
UO…….Kevin Parker 0 punt return (kick failed), 8:33, 2nd
UO…….Tony Hartley 7 pass from Jason Maas (Joshua Smith kick), :28, 2nd
AF…….Blane Morgan 1 run (Alex Wright kick), 8:29, 3rd
UO…….Hartley 21 pass from Maas (Blake Spence pass), 4:55, 3rd
AF…….Bryce Fisher 45 fumble return (pass failed), :43, 3rd
UO…….Johnson 78 pass from Maas (J. Smith kick), 14:50, 4th
Resources:
http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=30017