ARIZONA-UO GAME TRACK

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Nov 21, 2009, Updated Nov 21, 2009

CHRIS WILSON

Oregon tight end Ed Dickson catches the 8-yard touchdown pass that helped Oregon tie Arizona with six seconds left in the fourth quarter Saturday night at Tucson.

TUCSON, Ariz. – A key game in the Pac-10 race featured Oregon (8-2, 6-1 Pac-10) and Arizona (6-3, 4-2) Saturday night.

Here's a quarter-by-quarter game track:

FIRST QUARTER

The Ducks marched 74 yards to lead on its first drive. LaMichael James ran for 22 yards and QB Jeremiah Masoli hit Ed Dickson on a third-down, 11-yard pass and Jeff Maehl for 16 yards on the next play.

After a false start penalty, Masoli made it 7-0 with a 14-yard TD run.

Arizona drove to the Oregon 10, with a big play being Keola Antolin's 41-yard run. But receiver David Douglas tried to cut inside and take on tacklers on a completion, and T.J. Ward and Javes Lewis met him and forced a fumble, with Will Tukuafu recovering in the end zone.

It was a fast quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

The Ducks drove 73 yards to lead 14-0. Masoli hit Lavasier Tuinei on a 37-yard pass play, and James ripped off 21 yards. A key play was a 15-yard Masoli-to-Andre Crenshaw pass play that was first ruled out of bounds but later overturned on review.

The Wildcats forced third down, but a scrambling Masoli hit Jeff Maehl on a short pass and the receiver dove into the end zone for a 9-yard score.

The Oregon defense continued to play well, but the offense didn't help out when Masoli's pass got tipped by Cam Nelson and picked off by Sterling Lewis at the Oregon 44. (Masoli earlier had two fumbles that the Ducks recovered.)

Arizona QB Nick Foles hit William Wright for 19 yards and Greg Nwoko for 28 (run after catch), then threw a fade pass for a 5-yard TD score to Juron Criner, cutting UA's deficit to 14-7.

Arizona ended the first half with a long field goal. Foles hit Delasaun Dean for 18 yards and, on third down, Wright for 19. With three seconds left, Oregon called two timeouts to ice kicker Alex Zendejas, who lined up to try a 47-yard field goal attempt. But Zendejas later nailed it, making it 14-10 Oregon at the half.

Arizona had 206 yards offense to UO's 181 at halftime. Masoli was 9 of 17 for 108 yards, while James had eight carries for 45 yards. Foles was 17 of 22 for 154 yards.

THIRD QUARTER

The Wildcats pinned the Ducks at their 1, and Oregon couldn't muster a first down. A Jackson Rice punt was returned 19 yard by Wright, with potential tackler Garrett Embry getting waxed by a blocker. Nic Grigsby ran for 16 yards and Nwoko 7 and Nick Booth put Arizona ahead 17-14 with an 8-yard TD run.

A short Rice punt, off the side of his foot, gave Arizona the ball at the UO 46. Arizona used nine plays to move to the UO 7, but Zendejas missed a 24-yard field goal attempt.

Arizona dominated the third quarter, as Oregon had to punt all three times it had the ball.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Wildcats culminated a drive to lead 24-14, a drive highlighted by Foles' 34-yard pass to Wright. Nwoko ran 11 yards on a third-down draw play and, a play later, UO's Ward got called for unsportsmanlike conduct upon flexing after making a tackle.

Foles threw a 5-yard TD pass to Wright.

The Ducks responded with a 79-yard drive, led by Masoli. He hit Maehl on a 23-yard play and later scored on a 1-yard run to make it 24-21.

The Ducks got the ball back at their own 45. James broke Jacquizz Rodgers' Pac-10 freshman rushing record on the drive. And, then Oregon tied it 24-24 on Morgan Flint's 43-yard field goal, which bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights with 8:02 left.

Arizona retook the lead, quickly, on Foles' 71-yard TD connection with Criner. Then, the Ducks tried to convert a fourth-and-4, and Maehl got stopped for a one-yard loss after a reception.

Arizona drove into Oregon territory, looking for at least a field goal, which would give the Wildcats a two-possession lead.

The Ducks intercepted a long pass on third-and-16 in the end zone. Talmadge Jackson made the pick,

Masoli threw nine yards to Maehl and then ran for two yards and a first down.

Two more first downs got the Ducks to midfield.

Oregon faced a third-and-11 at the Arizona 46. James ran to the 28.

Then the Ducks had third-and-5 with 31 seconds to go. Incomplete.

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