It’s been a couple weeks off from Duckstory, but we’re back at it again. In 1999 the Ducks made their way through the season with only three losses; their season opener against Michigan State, a road game against the Huskies and another road game against the Bruins. Still bowl eligible they made their way to El Paso, TX with their invitation to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Sun Bowl. Minnesota was also coming into this game with an 8 – 3 record and ranked 13th in BCS. The Ducks came into the game unranked.
Let’s see how this one played out…
1st Quarter
It was Minnesota who came out scoring in the 1st quarter. Minnesota’s quarterback Billy Cockerham started things off with a touchdown pass to receiver Ron Johnson. The Ducks wouldn’t be able to score in the 1st and went into the 2nd quarter of play down 7 – 0.
2nd Quarter
Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington answered back with points in the 2nd, rushing for 5 yards into the end zone to tie the game 7 – 7 going into halftime. Harrington had been sharing time with QB A.J. Feeley, but this bowl game was all his and he was proving his worth. Harrington did not buy into the idea that his unranked Ducks would falter to a ranked team.
“Just because we are not No. 12 in the nation doesn’t mean we can’t play a great game,”
From www.usatoday.com (share this quote)
3rd Quarter
Three scores came in the 3rd as Oregon and Minnesota traded off. Cockerham nailed a TD pass to Arland Bruce early in the 3rd, but the PAT failed. The next two scores went to Oregon; another run into the end zone by Harrington and Nathan Villegas kicked the ball through the uprights for three later in the quarter. The Ducks went into the final quarter of play up 17 – 13.
4th Quarter
The final quarter was a wild one. Minnesota quickly struck first with a TD pass from Cockerham to Johnson and that put them ahead of the Ducks 20 – 17. There was 7:28 left on the clock and Harrington started a drive that would kill 5 minutes and 56 seconds and go 87 yards in 12 plays. The drive included an incredible 23 yard bomb to Tony Hartley that kept the offense rolling. It was the Ducks’ longest drive of the season and resulted in a touchdown pass from Harrington to Keenan Howry with 1:32 left on the clock. The PAT was good and the Ducks went up 24 – 20 against the #12 Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In the end the defense stepped up big time with a QB sack by Dietrich Moore and fumble recovery Saul Patu. Time ran off the clock and the Ducks came away with the victory 24 – 20.
1st |
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Oregon
0
7
10
7
24
Minnesota
7
0
6
7
20
SCORING
UM…….R. Johnson 1 pass from B. Cockerham (Nystrom kick), 3:52, 1st
UO…….Joey Harrington 5 run (Nathan Villegas kick), 1:11, 2nd
UM…….Arland Bruce 38 pass from Cockerham (kick failed), 12:42, 3rd
UO…….Harrington 1 run (Villegas kick), 8:04, 3rd
UO…….Villegas 37 FG, 3:11, 3rd
UM…….Johnson 7 pass from Cockerham (Nystrom kick), 14:56, 4th
UO…….Keenan Howry 10 pass from Harrington (Villegas kick), 1:32, 4th
References:
http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=30036