"All Jeremiah does is win football games," is a refrain head coach Chip Kelly has sounded repeatedly this season. The junior QB did it again Saturday night in a 44-41 two-overtime victory over Arizona.
Clutch teams are borne of clutch players and Oregon had clutch players all over the field Saturday night at Arizona Stadium. Masoli was by no means was alone in providing the heroics of Oregon's rally from the 24-14 deficit they faced in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
The Ducks jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. Masoli took Oregon's first possession 74 yards in eight plays capped by his 14 yard keeper. Along the way he connected with TE Ed Dickson and WR Jeffrey Maehl for a pair of first downs to set the stage.
Arizona wasted an opportunity to tie the game, turning the ball over to the Ducks on a touchback when David Douglas fumbled on the Oregon nine and Blake Ferris fell on the ball in the endzone.
The second scoring drive got off to a frightful start when Masoli fumbled the ball while scrambling away from the Wildcats defense. Maehl was able to recover and a potential game changing turnover was averted.
With everyone - including perhaps the Arizona defense - but Masoli still wondering "what-if", he unloaded a strike to Lavasier Tuinei for 37 yards. Still on their heels, Arizona couldn't wrap up LaMichael James for 21 more yards and Oregon was in business on the Wildcat 18-yardline.
On second and goal from the five, Masoli once again put the ball on the carpet when flushed from the pocket but Oregon's David Paulson was able to recover on the nine. When you get a second chance like that you don't waste it and Masoli didn't, finding Maehl in the back of the end zone on the next play.
Late in the second quarter Arizona quarterback Nick Foles completed six consecutive passes, finding Juron Criner from five yards out to cut the lead in half. Place kicker Alex Zendejas' field goal from 47 yards as the half expired brought the Wildcats within three.
Arizona's punting unit pinned Oregon to their goal line early in the third session and then needed only four plays to turn that field position into a 17-10 lead.
Three Oregon possessions went nowhere then Foles and William Wright combined for a five yard touchdown pass 20 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Needing a response, Masoli misfired on his first attempt, the hit three times for 13, 13, and seven - finding Tuinei, Dickson and D.J. Davis. Thirteen more on a keeper was followed by a 27-yard rocket Maehl pulled down in double coverage on the Arizona six. Two plays later the quarterback brought the Ducks to within a field goal. After a three and out by the Oregon defense, Morgan Flint's 41-yard field goal attempt was a knuckleball that hit the cross bar and bounced up and over to knot the score 24-24.
Hearts skipped another beat or two one play later when Foles found Criner crossing the middle with a quick hit and the Arizona receiver was untouched for 71 yards.
Arizona's defense put Masoli and the Ducks right back on the sideline and the Wildcats had the ball for the game. After scratching out one first down to get to the Oregon 34-yard line, a false start penalty put Foles in a third and 16. Under pressure the quarterback threw into double coverage and was intercepted in the end zone when Talmadge Jackson III gathered in a tipped ball.
On the 20 and with less than three minutes to play Masoli engineered one of the best scoring drives in Oregon history.
They moved the chains once on the ground, again when Jamere Holland's 13-yard reception moved Oregon into Arizona's half of the field.
It was Oregon's turn to be penalized for a false start and on third and 11, LaMichael James dashed through a misdirected Arizona defense for 18 yards and another set of downs
After an incomplete pass on third and five on at the Wildcat 23-yardline with the clock down to 0:23, Oregon's Rose Bowl hopes - as well as Arizona's - were on the brink. Eight yards to Maehl for a new set of downs, then Davis for seven and out of bounds and Oregon is on the eight.
Settling quickly into the pocket after the snap, Masoli finds Dickson crossing the end zone and threads a dart between two defenders and Oregon is only an extra point from sending the game to overtime.
"A game saving play" is how it was described, but it was bigger than that. On the point after attempt a low snap short-hopped holder Nate Costa but a pair of soft hands righted the ball just before Flint struck it through the upright. Overtime.
Oregon had first possession and made quick work of their task. LaMichael James dashed 21 yards to get the Ducks to the doorstep then Maehl hauled in Masoli's rifle to the post and it was up to the defense.
A facemask penalty on Will Tukuafu prolonged a drive that almost ended a play earlier when the Wildcat's recovered their own fumble on the Oregon nine. Foles and Criner sent the game into a second overtime with a 3-yard touchdown pass.
On offense to begin the new session, Arizona was held to a field goal when Oregon forced a pair of incomplete passes then swarmed Criner under after a gain of only a yard.
With the game for the taking Masoli struck immediately, finding Dickson on the sideline at the two. James and Masoli each had a go before Masoli ended as fine a football game as one is likely to see.
Oregon's quarterback played his way right to the top of the Heisman list with his performance. 26/47 passing for 284 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Sixty-one yards on the ground on 16 carries and three more touchdowns. Go ahead and read that stat line once again - it deserves the second look. That is 345 total yards and six scores if you take another moment to do the math.
Jeffrey Maehl caught two of those TD's and his own stat line of a dozen catches for 114 yards was impressive in its own right. Ed Dickson added 63 yards and the third score on five receptions.
Nineteen carries on the evening for LaMichael James netted 117 yards setting the Pac-10 record for yards gained by a freshman running back. His current total of 1,310 eclipsed the record set last season by the counterpart he will face next, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers.
Rodgers - and the Beavers - will be visiting Autzen Stadium on December 3rd with the Rose Bowl and sole possession of the Pac-10 conference championship on the line. When you "win the day" in the way Oregon did this Saturday, Masoli and the rest of his team might just be tempted to flag down the Beaver's team bus in Monroe.
