Oregon vs. Fresno State: Let’s Relive That 2005 Thriller

It’s a short history, but the Oregon Ducks have won the last six of eight meetings against Fresno State. On Saturday, they’ll meet for the first time since 2007 when the Ducks dominated 52-21.

September 1, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks DeAnthony Thomas (6) runs the ball for a touchdown in the first half. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

That meeting solidified the downfall the Bulldogs as a “BCS buster.” Back in 2005, they gave USC a run for their money late in the season. Before that, they also gave another then Pac-10 opponent a strong test earlier in the year.

Oregon and Fresno State restarted an annual three-year series at Autzen Stadium beginning September 17th, 2005. Kellen Clemens was under center as starting quarterback for the Ducks, having to out-duel Bulldogs quarterback Paul Pinegar. Both offenses gathered up over a combined 1,000 yards – much of it in the air. Clemens completed 38-48 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns; his counterpart had an even better night going 33-43 for 418 yards, complete with three touchdowns and one interception.

The Bulldogs opened up with a 10-point lead after the first half, then Oregon started dominating the game with three unanswered touchdowns in just under seven minutes in the second quarter. This led to a flurry of back-and-forth scoring in the second half, ending with running back Terrence Whitehead catching a 42-wide pass for a touchdown. His four other catches combined for 18 yards

Oregon won the game 37-34, and broke into the top 25 rankings.

It was near the beginning of the new spread offense for the Ducks, a system that’s mutated to it’s dominating fashion currently run by the mastermind, Chip Kelly, and Marcus (Super) Mariota. Now the Ducks have a little bit better finish to the season in mind than back in 2005.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo. See his banter with other FanSided writers and love for his favorite west coast professional teams by following him on Twitter.

Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.