The Oregon Ducks football program has built a legacy that’s synonymous with thrilling finishes, high-speed offense, and unforgettable moments that define the modern college football experience. Since its early days at the University of Oregon, Oregon football has captured the hearts of fans nationwide with games that are not only exciting but also historically significant. From buzzer-beating drives to bowl ...

Oregon’s Most Iconic Games in Ducks Football History

2009 season had Arizona, Oregon, OSU, and Stanford still in the Rose Bowl race with two games yet to be played.

The come from behind win against a Nick Foles led Arizona (students jumping out of stands ready to celebrate), Masoli hits Ed Dickson with 8 seconds left, and Ducks win in overtime.

That game sets the table for the Civil War…winner goes to Rose Bowl.

Both of those wins in 2009 were iconic.

I'd probably throw Oregon beating Ohio State in 2024 on that list and potentially 2021.

For 2024 it was a massive moment for the Lanning era.

For 2021 it was a step forward where Oregon finally got a win over Ohio State who were 8-0.

How they're 9-2 ... It's certainly q change in the times.

18 hours ago, Drake said:

Masoli hits Ed Dickson with 8 seconds left

And Nate Costa saves the tying extra point with a great save of the snap.

1. 2006 on side kickoff 'recovery' to beat Oklahoma

   This was the one in my book that pissed off the world that Oregon won. For that, I will always give the number one spot.

2. 2007 beating USC and I think a game later, surged the Ducks to number 2 in the nation. That was really big. New heights.

   This was the era of USC being a national powerhouse. (beat Michigan earlier in season as well)

   This ranking put Oregon in the club of super teams, not just the pretty good who could win an upset.

   From this point until the end of the 2014 season, Oregon was ranked very highly many times.

3. 2010 Blowout win vs Tennessee. Showed the world that Oregon was not just a west coast team that could be other west coast teams. Cliff Harris was on top of his game. A real superstar... while it lasted. Give credit where credit is due.

4. 2019 losing to Az St. Iconic in a bad way. Showed that Cristobal and his team could sink to new lows.

   Made me lose my mind over stuff like this. Ducks should have run the table after the close opening season loss to Auburn.

   Oregon had a supremely talented roster that year including Kayvon Thib, P. Sewell, Holland, Herbert and others,including some future NFL cornerbacks.

   They had a real chance to win its first natty that year except for that loss that knocked them out of the playoffs to a very mediocre pac12 team. A team that was surging lost all the air out of their balloon.

   Just win out and get back to playoffs. But nooooooooooooooooo.

5. 2021 beat Ohio St. Knocked off a super team that was always around championships in that era.

   Got up to #3 shortly after that. Oregon was 'back' to the Chip Kelly glory days... until more classic Cristobal bad performances and I think that was the year Cristobal left the team and took the Miami job.

   But it still was a shot of adrenalin for the team and the fans. It woke up the media, that was for sure.

6. 2022 blowout loss to Georgia - iconic in a bad way. From the lows of 2016, Oregon had been climbing back and several times they were almost making playoffs again. Cristobal out and Lanning in. Dan Lanning 'worked' the portal and brought in a high school 5 star QB in Bo Nix. Oregon should have been competitive, even though this was Georgia's best team ever in history. This was a huge kick to the nuts for Duck fans. Still need more time to regroup. Quite a few Duck fans jumped off the band wagon at this point.

7. 2010 season natty vs Auburn. Even though the team lost, it showed that Oregon could compete for a championship. The team hung in there against a talented Auburn team and could have won it if they got a break or two. It made the fans believe that Oregon could hang with the big boys. Yes, moral victories are important. Don't forget the undefeated regular season!

8. End it with another bad one: 2009 loss to Boise St

   Oregon was surging and Chip just got promoted. This was when Boise St was good. This should have been a great win for the Ducks to kick off the season. Not only was it a loss, but a complete meltdown with espn showing non stop replays of L. Blount losing his mind after the game. The Ducks did rebound that year and make it to the Rose Bowl.

To me, these are the kind of games that write the Oregon football story. I don't care too much about playing the Wisconsins, Washingtons, and Beavers of the world. Iconic to me means games that have a national relationship, not just a local one.

These games tell the story of climbing the ladder, getting knocked down and then redemption. And the cycle continues.

These are the kind of games that make the big wins actually mean something. If it was easy, who would care?

I am not the kind of guy who yells USA USA USA at my tv during the olympics. America is the best nation at sports and of course they are going to win medals.

THe big losses are just as much part of the path as the big wins for Oregon. It is a journey, not a pleasure cruise.

Ducks have a very talented roster for 2026. I am more excited about this coming season than any other.

My favorite is the 2015 Rose Bowl win over Florida State. The Ducks clobbered them. And that Winston fumble along with what resulted was the icing on the cake.

My ten losses:

10. OHIO STATE (2024 Rose Bowl):  21-41: 34-0 to start then 34-8 at half. Nearly doubled up on offense, 500 yards to 276.

 

9. WASHINGTON II (2023): 31-34: #3 UW versus #5 UO. Since the first game, Oregon has looked improved and the UW has had some clunkers. Oregon was as much as a 9.5 point favorite. After a slow start, Oregon actually takes a 24-20 lead late in the 3rd. The UW scores two straight TDs in the 4th, Oregon gets a late 63 yard TD from Holden but can't get the onsides kick.

 

8. WSU (2003): 16-55: "Rich Cool, 4-0" the previous week, beating #3 Michigan 31-27. The following week, defending Pac-10 and #21 ranked WSU came to Autzen and were up 38-2 at half. After having no interceptions on the season, Clemens throws 4 picks and Fife throws 3 and Oregon fumbles twice for 9 turnovers. Oregon adds 12 penalties. WSU only needs 399 yards of offense to put up 55.

 

7. ARIZONA (2007):  24-34: It started well (39 yard TD run from Dixon). Dixon's knee buckles as does Oregon's possible trip to the National Championship game. UA's Antoine Cason has a punt return for a TD and an interception return for a TD. Oregon goes on to lose 0-16 the next week to UCLA, putting up a total of 148 yards of offense and 4 TOs.

 

6.  CALIFORNIA (2007):  24-31: 4-0 #6 Cal versus 4-0 #11 Oregon. Gameday in Eugene. Expected fireworks don't show up early and UO leads 10-3 at half. Cal behind Longshore and DeSean Jackson (11 catches for 161 and 2 TDs) takes a late 31-24 lead. Oregon roars down the field in 9 plays in 1:17 to the Cal 5. Cam Colvin catches a pass with 0:22 seconds left and reaches for the endzone and the ball comes out, fumbled through the endzone and the game ends. Cal is later headed to the #1 spot in the country when it has to insert back-up QB Kevin Riley against OSU, while late and in position to score, Riley scrambles too long and goes down and Cal, with no timeouts, can't get its FG team to tie.

 

5. USC (2011):  35-38: #2 Oklahoma State had lost earlier in the day and #4 Oregon was in position to move to #3 if it beat #18 USC at Autzen. LeBron was throwing passes to Carmelo on the sidelines in the pregame. Oregon falls behind 21-7 at half on a chilly evening. Oregon gets a late score from David Paulson and a 2 point conversion to Tuinei. USC drives down the field running out the clock and gets to the Oregon 11 with 2:31 left. Marc Tyler fumbles and Oregon recovers and drives 66 yards to about the USC 20. With about 0:20 left Oregon appears to settle for setting up a 37 yard FG to tie. Maldonado misses.

 

4. STANFORD (2001):  42-49: Oregon's only loss in its #2 ranked finish of the 2001 season. Stanford trails 42-28 into the 4th and then outscores Oregon 21-0 by converting one of two blocked punts, an interception, and an onside kick. The interception comes on 3rd and 2 from Oregon's own 30 with 4:20 on the clock with Oregon holding on 42-41. Oregon mounts a late drive to the Stanford 37 but 4 straight incompletions end the game.

 

3. OREGON STATE (2000):  13-23: #5 UO versus #8 OSU. Oregon wins and it returns to the Rose Bowl, a loss and it drops all the way to the Holiday Bowl. Harrington entered the game 13-1 as a starter but throws 5 interceptions (3 to Jake Cookus). Oregon ends up with 6 TOs and 12 penalties for 132 yards. Oregon outgains OSU 471 to 399 but OSU connects on a couple early scores and builds a 17-0 first half lead Oregon can't overcome.

2 UCLA (1998): 38-41 (OT): #2 UCLA (4-0) versus #11 Oregon (5-0). After Oregon's improbable Rose Bowl run in 1994, three seasons had passed and Oregon looked to be prepared to burst back upon the national scene.

Akili Smith, Rueben Droughns, Tony Hartley, Damon Griffin, Jed Weaver lead a dangerous skill position group putting up 50.6 points per game and 540 yards. Droughns himself was averaging 165 yards rushing per game at 7.4 ypc. UCLA was on a 14 game winning streak and lead 24-7 at half. Oregon scored 24 straight to lead 31-24 into the 4th.

 

UCLA went back ahead 38-31 but Oregon tied it 38-38 with a Griffin 2 yard TD pass with 0:22 seconds left. Oregon took consecutive sacks in OT for -12 yards then threw an incompletion then a desperation interception. UCLA won it with a FG. Game is partially remembered for Drougns battling for 172 yards on 25 carries; but, playing late into the game on a broken leg (he misses the rest of the season). He loses 3 fumbles, all which lead to UCLA TDs and Oregon ends up with 5 TOs. UCLA has a FG blocked and missed another from 21. At the end of the game UCLA head coach Bob Toledo comments, "Wow, that should be worth two wins."

1. STANFORD (2012):  14-17 (OT): probably Oregon's best Chip Kelly team, sitting at #2 at 10-0 with a probable National Championship date with ND waiting (tOSU was ineligible due to Tressel investigation). Ertz lands out of bounds in the back of the endzone with 1:35 remaining. The officiating booth decides to reofficiate the play rather than look for conclusive evidence to change the call. Stanford wins in OT. Oregon wins the Fiesta and finishes #2 AP.

HM: TCU (Alamo Bowl 2015) 41-47 (3 OT), Washington (2016) 21-70, Cal (1983) 41-42, Stanford (2013) 20-26, ASU (2002) 42-45, UW I (2023) 33-36, Auburn (2010 NC) 19-22

Ten wins:

10 Michigan 2007 (39-7): 624 yards of offense and 36 unanswered points. 292 yards passing and 3 TDs from Dixon and 111 rushing from Stewart (Michigan, despite starting 0-2, still finishes 9-4 and ranked #18)

9 Stanford 2010 (52-31): #4 Oregon versus #9 Stanford. Oregon puts up 626 yards of offense behind 257 yards and 3 TDs from James. Stanford and Oregon both finish 12-1. Toughest test on the way to the 2010 NC game with Auburn

8 at Ohio State 2021 (35-28): #12 Oregon upsets #3 Ohio State at The Shoe as a 14.5 underdog. 20 for 161 and 2 TDs from CJ Verdell, tOSU's Stroud in his 2nd start 35-54 for 484

7 USC 2007 (24-17): #5 Oregon defeated #12 USC (and its 3rd ranked defense) and moved up to AP#4. A reported 120+ decibels at Autzen after the Harper interception with USC driving late

6 USC 2009 (47-20): #4 USC at #10 Oregon on Halloween night. Oregon puts up 47 points, 613 yards including 391 yards rushing. USC held to 327. The beginning of the end of the Pete Carroll era at USC?

5 Ohio State 2024 ( 32-31):

#3 Oregon versus #2 Ohio State with tOSU a 3.5 point favorite at Autzen

4 Colorado 2001 Fiesta (38-16): Oregon finishes 11-1 and AP #2 after defeating AP #3 Colorado. 350 yards and 4 TDs from Harrington, 3 interceptions by Steve Smith. 500 to 328 yards in total offense, held CU to 49 yards rushing

3 Wisconsin 2011 Rose Bowl (45-38):

Highest scoring Rose Bowl yet at the time, Oregon's first Rose Bowl win since 1917

2 Florida State 2014 Rose (59-20):

25-20 at half, Oregon outscores FSU 34-0 in the second half. 5 FSU TOs. 639 to 528 yards advantage

1 Washington 1994 (31-20):

The Pick. Its been regularly identified as the game that changed everything for Oregon football

HM: Wisconsin (2019 Rose Bowl) 28-27, Texas Tech (2025) 23-0, Kansas State (2012 Fiesta Bowl) 35-17, Washington (2000) 23-16, Texas (2000 Holiday Bowl) 35-30, WSU (2001) 24-17