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 Sunday, October 21, 2001
Oregon's title hopes crushed by punt unit
By Tim Brant
Special to ABC Sports Online
EUGENE, Ore. -- It was unbelievable how this game transpired. Oregon had it won, but Stanford's special teams took over and the Cardinal pulled off the miraculous 49-42 victory in Eugene on Saturday.
I don't think I have ever seen a game where special teams were such a factor or dominated the outcome of a game as much as it did. Both teams had special days on special teams.
|  | | Kerry Carter had four touchdowns during the Cardinal's upset of No. 5 Oregon. |
You have to give Stanford a lot of credit for hanging around and making plays that made a difference. They did that. Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham said on Friday that he puts his best players on special teams, unlike some teams that don't put starters out there. He told them at the end of the game to make some plays and they did.
Stanford was in such bad shape, down by 42-28 and without quarterback Randy Fasani. It all changed when Alex Smith blocked a Duck punt. After the defense held, Amon Gordon blocked another punt. After Kerry Carter scored to cut it to 42-35, the Cardinal had that phenomenal onside kick to get the ball again. Those two blocked punts were as big as any that have ever taken place for Stanford.
Backup QB Chad Lewis was really struggling before the special teams made the big plays. When he came into the game, they were pretty much running the ball. He got them into the end zone on his first possession because they started in the red zone, but after that, he couldn't get into a rhythm. He wasn't setting his feet when he threw. He was getting a lot of pressure and was running to the outside. He never really settled down, so he couldn't find his timing or rhythm.
Offensive coordinator Bill Diedrick or someone on the coaching staff talked to him. Halfway through the fourth quarter, he started planting his back foot, he threw better, completed six passes in a row and the whole game changed around.
There are still a lot of question marks about Oregon's defense. The team came in plus-14 in turnover margin, but they give up more passing yards in the Pac-10 other than Cal. They still have some problems defensively. That came to roost against Stanford.
The Ducks will now likely drop three or four spots in the polls. More importantly, with the BCS coming out on Monday, it's devastating. They likely would have been fourth, but now, they may drop out of the top 10 or at least the bottom half of the top 10.
UCLA and Washington State are still alive in the national championship race. The Bruins will probably be second in the rankings and everyone is still talking about them for the championship. Oregon's national hopes are probably gone now.
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 Stanford's Teyo Johnson outjumps the defender, then wrestles the ball away for a TD.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Oregon's Keenan Howry makes a diving catch in the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.
avi: 1729 k
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Teyo Johnson hauls in a Randy Fasani bomb, setting up a Stanford touchdown.
avi: 1496 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Joey Harrington hits an open Justin Peelle in the end zone.
avi: 1093 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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