Dennis Dixon was the Heisman frontrunner at 8-1 and #2 in the country. Then his ACL tore at Arizona. Oregon finished 9-4.
Dennis Dixon was the Heisman frontrunner. Oregon was #2 in the country. Everything was right. Then his knee buckled on a scramble at Arizona, and Oregon's first real shot at a national championship died on the turf in Tucson. Lost 3 straight with backup QBs who never asked for this. Finished 9-4. Watched the championship from a couch. If you were a Duck fan in 2007, you never fully got over this.
Dennis Dixon against Michigan, 2007 season opener
Dennis Dixon destroys Michigan 39-7. The opening act of the greatest what-if season in Oregon history.
Did you know? Dixon still finished 5th in the Heisman voting despite missing the final 3 games. He received 17 first-place votes.
Glory 7
Pain 10
9-4
Record
69% Win Rate
6-3
Pac-10
38.2
PPG Scored
23.6
PPG Allowed
#16
Power Index
49 pts (of 30)
193.8
Pass YPG
218.5
Rush YPG
#8 of 26
412.3
Total Offense
Yards Per Game
358.4
Total Defense
Yards Allowed/Game
28
Sacks
Team Total
15
Takeaways
INTs + Fumbles
+2
Turnover Margin
Season
41.3%
3rd Down %
Conversions
83.1%
Red Zone %
Scoring
54.2
Penalty YPG
Yards Per Game

Postseason

Sun Bowl
W 56-21 vs South Florida

Game-by-Game Results

GameOpponentResult
1HoustonW 48-27
2@ MichiganW 39-7
3Fresno StateW 52-21
4@ StanfordW 55-31
5CaliforniaL 24-31
6Washington StateW 53-7
7@ WashingtonW 55-34
8USCW 24-17
9Arizona StateW 35-23
10@ ArizonaL 24-34
11@ UCLAL 0-16
12Oregon StateL 31-38 2OT
13vs South Florida (Sun Bowl)W 56-21

Key wins

  • 39-7 vs Michigan (opener)
  • 24-17 vs USC

Key losses

  • Dixon ACL at Arizona. Lost 3 straight. Championship dream dies.

Top Players

Heisman frontrunner. 1,728 passing yards, 16 TDs in 10 games before torn ACL vs. Arizona. 5th in Heisman voting.
Jonathan Stewart
RB
1,722 rushing yards, 18 TDs. Sun Bowl record 253 yards vs. South Florida. Bowl MVP.
Jaison Williams
WR
Team receiving leader. 8 TDs. Four 100-yard games.
Patrick Chung
S
117 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 INTs. First-team All-Pac-10. AP second-team All-American.
Justin Roper
QB
Freshman who started Sun Bowl after Dixon's injury. 180 yards, 4 TDs in 56-21 rout of South Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dennis Dixon tore his ACL against Arizona in Week 11 while Oregon was #2 in the country and a legitimate national championship contender. He was the Heisman frontrunner. Oregon lost their final 3 regular season games without him, falling from #2 to unranked. See Oregon's greatest games.

Dixon was the consensus Heisman frontrunner before his ACL injury. He finished 5th in the voting despite missing the final 3 games. In 9 starts, he threw for 1,728 yards and 16 TDs. 2007 remains the biggest what-if in Oregon football history. See the best players in Oregon history.

Jonathan Stewart rushed for 1,722 yards and 18 TDs in 2007, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors. He was drafted #13 overall by the Carolina Panthers. Stewart carried the offense after Dixon's injury. See Oregon players in the NFL.

Yes. Oregon destroyed Michigan 39-7 in the season opener at the Big House, in front of 109,000 fans. Dennis Dixon threw 2 TDs and ran for another. It was a statement win that put the nation on notice. See all Oregon rivalries.

Oregon beat South Florida 56-21 in the Sun Bowl, finishing 9-4. It was a bittersweet end to a season that began with national championship hopes before Dixon's injury. Backup Brady Leaf started the bowl game. See all Oregon postseason history.

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

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