State of Oregon Civil War with Pac 10 Title and Rose Bowl waiting for the winner..
Jeremiah Masoli tied it with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with six seconds left in regulation, then won it with a 1-yard run in the second overtime as No. 11 Oregon defeated Arizona, 44-41, last night in Tucson and took a big step toward the Pac-10 title.
Masoli threw for three scores and ran for three more as the Ducks rallied from a 24-14 deficit early in the fourth quarter.
The Ducks (9-2, 7-1) will earn the Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl berth with a victory over No. 20 Oregon State in a winner-take-all Civil War Dec. 3 in Eugene. The loss eliminated Arizona (6-4, 4-3) from conference contention, and Stanford’s loss to Cal left the Beavers as the only remaining competition for Oregon.
After Masoli hit Jeff Maehl for a 4-yard score on Oregon’s first overtime possession, Nick Foles (four TDs) hit Juron Criner with a 3-yard strike to tie it at 38-38.
Alex Zendejas kicked a 41-yard field goal to give Arizona a 41-38 lead in the second overtime, but Oregon answered quickly. Masoli hit Dickson for 22 yards, and three plays later the quarterback bulled over from a yard out.
The fact Oregon made it to overtime was a minor miracle.
The Ducks tied the game at 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter on Morgan Flint’s 43-yard, line-drive field goal that hit the crossbar and bounced through the uprights.
Holding a 31-24 lead, Arizona appeared ready to run out the clock, but Oregon’s Talmadge Jackson III picked off a pass in the end zone, giving the Ducks one last shot. Masoli guided the Ducks downfield in 15 plays, scoring with six seconds to spare.
Boston Globe