Joey Harrington. 6 comeback wins. Fiesta Bowl champions. #2 in the final poll. Oregon arrived.
Captain Comeback. Joey Harrington led 6 games decided by a score or less. 11-1. Beat Colorado 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl. Finished #2 in both polls. Many felt Oregon deserved a shot at the national title over Nebraska.
2002
Oregon vs Colorado - 2002 Fiesta Bowl
Joey Harrington. Captain Comeback. Oregon 38, Colorado 16. Finished #2 in the country.
Via YouTube
Did you know? Oregon put a billboard of Harrington in Times Square during the Heisman campaign. It cost $250,000.
Glory 8
Pain 2
11-1
Record
92% Win Rate
7-1
Pac-10
34.3
PPG Scored
21.3
PPG Allowed
#9 of 30
#2
Final AP Rank
#8
Power Index
67 pts (of 30)
213.5
Pass YPG
208.4
Rush YPG
#10 of 26
421.9
Total Offense
Yards Per Game
308.5
Total Defense
Yards Allowed/Game
#2 All-Time
30
Sacks
Team Total
20
Takeaways
INTs + Fumbles
#3 All-Time
+8
Turnover Margin
Season
#4 All-Time
45.3%
3rd Down %
Conversions
90.2%
Red Zone %
Scoring
44.8
Penalty YPG
Yards Per Game

Postseason

Fiesta Bowl
W 38-16 vs Colorado

Game-by-Game Results

GameOpponentResult
1WisconsinW 31-28
2UtahW 24-10
3USCW 24-22
4@ Utah StateW 38-21
5@ ArizonaW 63-28
6@ CaliforniaW 48-7
7StanfordL 42-49
8@ Washington StateW 24-17
9Arizona StateW 42-24
10@ UCLAW 21-20
11Oregon StateW 17-14
12vs Colorado (Fiesta Bowl)W 38-16

Key wins

  • 38-16 vs Colorado (Fiesta Bowl)

Key losses

  • Stanford (only loss)

Top Players

2,415 passing yards, 23 TDs. 4th in Heisman voting. 350 yards, 4 TDs in Fiesta Bowl win over Colorado.
Onterrio Smith
RB
1,007 rushing yards, 6.3 YPC (led Pac-10). School-record 285 yards vs. Washington State.
Keenan Howry
WR
49 receptions, 649 yards, 8 TDs. Also 2 punt return TDs. First-team All-Pac-10.
Steve Smith
CB
9 INTs (led Pac-10). Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP with 3 INTs vs. Colorado.
Maurice Morris
RB
1,188 rushing yards. Two 1,000-yard rushers in the same backfield.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 2001 team has a strong case. Oregon went 11-1, finished #2 in the AP Poll, and destroyed #3 Colorado 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl. Joey Harrington threw for 2,415 yards and 23 TDs, and the team averaged 34.3 PPG. Only the 2010 and 2024 teams rival this one. See the best games in Oregon history.

Oregon crushed #3 Colorado 38-16 in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. Harrington threw for 350 yards and 4 TDs. It was the biggest bowl win in program history at the time and announced Oregon as a national power. See the greatest games in Oregon history.

Harrington finished 4th in the 2001 Heisman voting behind Eric Crouch, Rex Grossman, and Ken Dorsey. He threw for 2,415 yards and 23 TDs and was considered the face of college football that season. He was drafted #3 overall by the Detroit Lions. See Oregon players in the NFL.

Oregon's only loss was 49-42 at Stanford in overtime. It was a wild shootout that remains one of the most heartbreaking losses in program history. A win would have put Oregon in the BCS Championship Game against Miami. See the Oregon vs Stanford rivalry.

Oregon went 11-1, winning their final 10 games after the Stanford OT loss. The Fiesta Bowl demolition of #3 Colorado (38-16) vaulted them to #2 in the final AP Poll. It was the highest final ranking in program history until 2010. See the full Oregon timeline.

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Stats per Sports Reference. Records cross-referenced with GoDucks.com.

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