Quick Hitch...
Posted by Frazier
Wanted to comment quickly on the Oregon-Arizona tilt. I think I learned three things from this game.
1: Antoine Cason is as advertised. He was fantastic, returning a pick and a punt for scores. Great effort by a great player. I know some NFL teams don't love him, but he's a smart player, and he'll be a steal for whoever drafts him.
2: Dennis Dixon deserved to be the Heisman front-runner. Without him, the Ducks looked lost offensively. Oregon would have been better served if Dixon hadn't suited up, because the game-plan would have changed, and they would have played conservative and run Stewart until his legs fell off. The loss of their leader mid-game really shook up the team.
3: Brady Leaf in college looks like Ryan Leaf in the pros. I had a friend comment that he looked like his brother out there, but Oregon would have killed for that. Ryan was an excellent college quarterback, Brady is barely passable. He completely choked when his team desperately needed him to make plays to save their season.
Give lots of credit to Arizona, they pounced on a weakened opponent, and made the plays necessary to win. That being said, if Dixon doesn't get hurt, Oregon rolls 44-24 or something similar.