Akili Smith arrived. Oregon was about to become must-watch.
8-4. Akili Smith's breakout season at quarterback. He threw for over 3,000 yards and would go #3 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. The program was accelerating.
Did you know? Akili Smith was drafted #3 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999, making him the highest-drafted Oregon player in decades.
8-4
Record
67% Win Rate
5-3
Pac-10
39.4
PPG Scored
#9 of 30
27.3
PPG Allowed
#27
Power Index
26.1 pts (of 30)

Postseason

Aloha Bowl
L 43-51 vs Colorado

Game-by-Game Results

GameOpponentResult
1Michigan StateW 48-14
2@ UTEPW 33-26
3San Jose StateW 58-3
4StanfordW 63-28
5@ Washington StateW 51-29
6@ UCLAL 38-41
7USCW 17-13
8@ ArizonaL 3-38
9WashingtonW 27-22
10Arizona StateW 51-19
11@ Oregon StateL 41-44
12Colorado (Aloha Bowl)L 43-51

Key losses

  • 51-43 vs Colorado (Aloha Bowl)

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Smith threw for over 3,000 yards in 1998 and was selected #3 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the highest-drafted Oregon quarterback until Marcus Mariota went #2 in 2015. See Oregon players in the NFL.

Oregon went 8-4 in 1998 under Mike Bellotti. Akili Smith's emergence at quarterback signaled that Oregon was becoming a legitimate Pac-10 contender. See all coaching eras.

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Stats per Sports Reference. Records cross-referenced with GoDucks.com.
you hear it building...
end of the third quarter...
54,000 on their feet
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