The 2001 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon as a member of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mike Bellotti, the Ducks compiled an overall record of 11âÂÂ1 with a mark of 7âÂÂ1 in conference play, winning the Pac-10 title. Oregon was invited to the Fiesta Bowl, where the Ducks beat Colorado. The team played home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. The stadium was undergoing its fourth and current renovation and expansion from 41,698 in capacity to 54,000, with standing room for 60,000.
QB Joey Harrington, who went 195âÂÂ375 (comp-att) on 2,694 yards and 20 touchdowns the season before, RB Maurice Morris, who had 1,188 yards on 286 carries, earning 4.3 for average yards/carry, WR Keenan Howry who had 47 receptions for 721 yards, hauling around 15.3 yards/catch, TE Justin Peelle, who, last season, had 20 receptions for 340 yards and 17 yards per catch.
Prior to Wisconsin coming to Autzen, they were 1âÂÂ0 to start the season at number 22 (AP). Oregon was number 7 (AP) when they started the season. It was all Oregon in the first quarter, with 10 points scored, making it 10âÂÂ0 at the start of the 2nd quarter. Wisconsin answered with 7 points of their own in the second quarter to give Oregon a 10âÂÂ7 halftime lead. Entering the third quarter, both the Ducks and the Badgers would score 14 points to make it a 24âÂÂ21 ball game before the fourth. Oregon came out victorious in the final stanza of the game, 31âÂÂ28.
Utah was 1âÂÂ0 to start their season following a win against Utah State. Oregon, ranked No. 7, was rolling high off a victory against No. 22 Wisconsin at home. Oregon scored first to make it a 7âÂÂ0 game with 13 minutes in the 1st quarter left to play. Utah cut Oregon's lead to 4 by the time the first was over, making it 7âÂÂ3. The 2nd quarter saw plenty more action, with Oregon taking a 7-point lead back, 10âÂÂ3. Utah struck back quickly and tied the game at 10âÂÂ10 with 11 minutes and 15 seconds left in the half. Maurice Morris ran in a score to make it 16âÂÂ10, but kicker Jared Seigel missed the PAT, leaving the score 16âÂÂ10 at the half. When the second half commenced, there were no scores between both teams in the 3rd quarter, and in the 4th quarter, Oregon would score, and then complete a 2-point play to make it a 24âÂÂ10 victory.
Oregon started conference play with USC on September 22, 2001. The visiting Trojans were 1âÂÂ1 following a narrow loss to No. 12 Kansas State, 10âÂÂ6. Oregon completed a trick play pass from RB Onterrio Smith to TE Justin Peelle for a 35-yard touchdown to give Oregon a 7âÂÂ0 lead with 4:42 left in the 1st quarter. USC struck back, making it a 7âÂÂ3 game to end the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter saw USC cut Oregon's lead to one point, making it a 7âÂÂ6 game before USC QB Carson Palmer was intercepted by linebacker Steve Smith for a 37-yard interception return, making it a 14âÂÂ6 Oregon lead going into the half. Oregon scored again with 13:50 to go in the 3rd quarter, making it a 21âÂÂ6 ball game. Between that last score and up to 16 seconds left in the 4th quarter, USC scored 14 straight points to give USC a 22âÂÂ21 lead. Kicker Jason Seigel nailed a 32-yard field goal to stab the dagger into USC for a 24âÂÂ22 final score and to move to 3âÂÂ0 on the year.
Ranked No. 6, Oregon would play Utah State for the first time since 1990, and would be the first time they played at Romney Stadium. It was not until the 2nd quarter that Utah State scored first to give the Aggies a 7âÂÂ0 lead, before Oregon scored 17 straight points to give Oregon a 17âÂÂ7 lead entering the half. When the 3rd quarter started, Utah State scored to cut Oregon's lead to 3, 17âÂÂ14. Oregon then scored again to make it a 24âÂÂ14 lead with 11:45 to go in the 3rd. Utah State scored again to end the 3rd quarter to cut Oregon's lead once again to 3, 24âÂÂ21. The 4th quarter saw all Oregon scores, with the Ducks winning the game 38âÂÂ21 and moving 4âÂÂ0 on the season.
Arizona played host to No. 6 Oregon for week 5 of college football action. Arizona was 3âÂÂ1 (0âÂÂ1 in the Pac-10 conference) coming off of a brutal 30âÂÂ7 loss to Pac-10 foe Washington State. Oregon remained at No. 6 for the second week straight, at 4âÂÂ0 (1âÂÂ0 Pac-10). Oregon scored on two straight possessions to make it a 14âÂÂ0 game with 4:11 to go in the 1st quarter. Arizona scored to cut Oregon's lead to 7 points, 14âÂÂ7, at the end of the quarter. The second quarter saw Arizona tie the game up at 14âÂÂ14, but this would be the closest Arizona came to overtaking Oregon for the lead. Oregon scored on the next 7 possessions to make it a 63âÂÂ14 lead with 13:06 left in the 4th quarter. Arizona scored twice to make it 63âÂÂ28, but that's all Arizona could muster against Oregon. Oregon moved to 5âÂÂ0 (2âÂÂ0 Pac-10) on the year, and Arizona dropped to 3âÂÂ2 (0âÂÂ2 Pac-10).
California played host to number 5 Oregon in week 6. California was 0âÂÂ4 (0âÂÂ2 Pac-10), having dropped the last four games in embarrassing fashion, and facing Oregon looked like a daunting challenge. Oregon was 5âÂÂ0 (2âÂÂ0 Pac-10) entering the game. Oregon scored on six straight possessions to make it a 42âÂÂ0 game at the start of the 4th quarter. Cal scored one time to make it 42âÂÂ7, but Oregon scored again to make it 48âÂÂ7 at the end, dropping California to 0âÂÂ5 (0âÂÂ3 Pac-10). Oregon moved on to 6âÂÂ0 (3âÂÂ0 Pac-10).
Oregon was ranked No. 5 to begin week 7 of play against Stanford. Stanford was 3âÂÂ1 (2âÂÂ1 Pac-10) entering week 7, and Oregon was 6âÂÂ0 (3âÂÂ0 Pac-10). Stanford struck first to make it 7âÂÂ0 with 14:55 left in the 1st. Oregon would strike back to make it 7âÂÂ7 with 11:23 to go. Stanford would score again to make it a 14âÂÂ7 game with 8:24 left in the 1st. Oregon would then score on 2 possessions to make it a 21âÂÂ14 game going into the 2nd quarter. Stanford scored to open the second quarter, tying the game 21âÂÂ21. Oregon would score again to give Oregon a 28âÂÂ21 lead going into the half. When the 3rd quarter started, Oregon scored again to take a 14-point lead, 35âÂÂ21. Stanford scored again, narrowing Oregon's lead to 7 points, 35âÂÂ28. Oregon scored again, making it a 42âÂÂ28 game, ending the 3rd quarter. Stanford held Oregon to no points in the 4th, and Stanford upset No. 5 Oregon, 49âÂÂ42, marking their first loss of the season, 6âÂÂ1 (3âÂÂ1 Pac-10).
Oregon would drop 8 spots to No. 13 in week 8 against Washington State. Washington State was No. 10 in week 8, with a 7âÂÂ0 (4âÂÂ0 Pac-10) record. Oregon entered Pullman with a 6âÂÂ1 (3âÂÂ1 Pac-10) record. Both teams would go scoreless in the 1st quarter. Washington State would score first on a 34-yard field goal to give them a 3âÂÂ0 lead. Oregon would score a touchdown to make it a 7âÂÂ3 game at halftime. Oregon scored to start the 3rd, making it a 14âÂÂ3 game. Oregon and WSU would score on consecutive possessions, with Oregon coming back on top at the end of the game, 24âÂÂ17, to continue their winning ways. Oregon would do to WSU what Stanford did to them, handing them their first loss of the season. Oregon would advance to 7âÂÂ1 (4âÂÂ1 Pac-10), while Washington State would fall to an identical record.
Oregon would advance to No. 8 after the win against Washington State, with Arizona State coming to Eugene. Oregon was 7âÂÂ1 (4âÂÂ1 Pac-10) entering week 9, and ASU was 4âÂÂ3 (1âÂÂ3 Pac-10). Oregon would win this game to a tune of 42âÂÂ24, improving to 8âÂÂ1 (5âÂÂ1 Pac-10), while ASU fell to 4âÂÂ4 (1âÂÂ4 Pac-10).
Oregon (8âÂÂ1, 5âÂÂ1 Pac-10) improved to No. 7 moving into week 10, and played guest to the No. 17 UCLA Bruins (6âÂÂ2, 3âÂÂ2 Pac-10). Oregon would score first on a 5-yard Joey Harrington touchdown run to make it 7âÂÂ0. UCLA would score again to make it 7âÂÂ7 to end the 1st quarter. Oregon started the 2nd quarter with a 1-yard Maurice Morris touchdown run, making it 14âÂÂ7. UCLA would nail a 20-yard field goal to make it 14âÂÂ10 to end the half. UCLA would nail another field goal, this time from 37 yards, to make it a 14âÂÂ13 game. The 4th quarter saw UCLA take the lead from Oregon to make it a 20âÂÂ14 UCLA lead. Oregon would score with 10:44 left, making it 21âÂÂ20, and this would be the final score of the game. Oregon would move to 9âÂÂ1 (6âÂÂ1 Pac-10), while UCLA would drop to 6âÂÂ3 (3âÂÂ3 Pac-10).
The 105th meeting of the Civil War pitted Oregon, who was already bowl eligible at this time, and Oregon State needed a win to become bowl eligible with the Ducks still in the BCS conversation. Oregon State scored first, nailing a long 43-yard field goal to give OSU a 3âÂÂ0 lead. Oregon followed up with a 44-yard field goal of their own to tie it 3âÂÂ3 to end the 1st. Oregon State would score on a 28-yard field goal to make it a 6âÂÂ3 game at the half. Going scoreless in the 3rd, Oregon State went 3-and-out to start the 4th quarter, and punter Carl Tobey punted it to Keenan Howry, where he returned it 68 yards for the 10âÂÂ6 lead. Oregon would score again to make it 17âÂÂ6. Oregon State returned the favor by scoring and landing a 2-point play, but it was not enough to defeat the No. 4 Ducks, 17âÂÂ14 the final from Eugene.
Prior to Oregon (10âÂÂ1, 7âÂÂ1 Pac-10) being placed in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl against No. 3 Colorado, many people believed that Oregon, now at No. 2, was going to face off against No. 1 Miami, however, the BCS had named Nebraska as the contender, despite Nebraska not playing in the Big 12 championship game. However, these events transpired since Nebraska's first loss that year to Colorado: No. 2 Florida lost to Tennessee, the Colorado Buffaloes went on to win the Big 12 Championship Game over No. 3 Texas, and in the SEC Championship Game, No. 2 Tennessee was stunned by LSU. This left Miami as the undefeated and undisputed No. 1 team in the country but a host of other teams vying for No. 2. Oregon played against the 2-loss Colorado Buffaloes on January 1, 2002. Colorado scored first, with a 1-yard touchdown to take the lead, 7âÂÂ0. Oregon would score after them, tying the game 7âÂÂ7. Oregon would score on their next 5 possessions, including a 49-yard touchdown run by Maurice Morris, in which Morris sat down on a defender after a failed attempt at a tackle and continued to run, and an 80-yard Joey Harrington pass to WR Samie Parker. Colorado would score twice in the 4th quarter, nailing a field goal and a touchdown with a failed PAT, but Oregon would prevail 38âÂÂ16, earning their first Fiesta Bowl win under HC Mike Bellotti. This game also marked Bellotti's first 11-win season.
Tackles for loss â single season
Passes broken up â single season
Conference
Team
The following members of the 2001 team excelled in the classroom as well as the gridiron and were honored as NCAA Academic All-Americans.
The following members of the 2001 team were honored as All-Pac-10 players.
First team
Second team
Honorable mention
The following members of the 2001 team excelled in the classroom as well as the gridiron and were honored as Academic All-Pac-10 team members.
The following Oregon seniors participated in post-season senior games to audition for NFL scouts.
The following members of the 2001 team were selected in the NFL Draft.
On September 11, 2014, the University of Oregon announced that the 2001 Oregon Ducks football team would be inducted in the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2001 team set school records for wins in a season and featured Heisman Trophy finalist Joey Harrington, who led the Ducks to a 38âÂÂ16 win in the Fiesta Bowl over Big 12 champions (and future Pac-12 member) Colorado. The team finished with a school record second-place ranking in the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. Three players made the all-Pac-10 first team, two were named All-Americans and 14 were eventually selected in the NFL Draft.