UA vs. Oregon: Deleted scenes

A double-overtime showdown between Oregon and Arizona wreaked havoc on our paper's deadline. As a result, I had a bunch of opinions from the aftermath of that 44-41 loss that never made it into the paper (especially some on the deplorable behavior of a few fans after the game ended). If Sunday's edition was the DVD, these bullet points could be considered the bonus features.

* I had Sunday's "Open Court" 95 percent written before the final whistle. Throughout the day, I was thoroughly impressed with the crowd's passion and intensity. It felt like a real college atmosphere, instead of the last few games, where the passion was certainly lacking. However, by the time I sent my column in, the fans' behavior turned south in a hurry.

Ugh.

It was the fastest I'd ever wanted to retract a column and rewrite it. Many of the points still stand (it was a memorable day for Tucson sports and the atmosphere was electric for most of the day), but when a few of the fans started hurling projectiles onto the field, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach.

It was shameful. There's really no other word to describe it.

Oregon won, fair and square. A few of Arizona's students weren't too pleased with it, so they reacted in an improper fashion.

Saturday's contest was one of the most exciting and hard-fought games of the Pac-10 season, and a handful of jerks tainted it with some deplorable behavior.

In addition, when thousands of students hugged the sidelines in preparation to rush the field while Jeremiah Masoli drove his squad down the field for the tying score, that was the ultimate example of a crowd that absolutely didn't understand the situation. Rushing the field is a ridiculous endeavor in almost any occasion. A team's fan-base should expect to win on its home field. Rush the field when you topple the No. 1 team in the country, not when you're battling for a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

I'm shaking my head just thinking about it. Arizona has made great strides as a football program in the last couple years, but the aftermath of Saturday's game proves that this town still has a long way to go. Baby steps, I suppose.

* Jeremiah Masoli is incredible.

I always have a soft spot for players with a weirdly specific skill. Masoli might be the best I've ever seen at playfaking in an option offense.

He's a wizard with the football. He must have enormous hands. There's no other explanation for how he's able to keep the ball hidden for so long.

There was one play on the goal line where Masoli faked to the tailback and waltzed in untouched. There wasn't anyone within five yards of him. You'd never seen anyone walk in so easily from a yard out on the goal line.

He likely won't win the Heisman, but few players mean more to their team's success than Masoli.

* Arizona didn't get robbed. The Cats had many chances, but simply didn't capitalize.

This is a squad that just hasn't learned how to play confidently against top-level competition in must-win games. Sure, the Cats have enough talent to beat very good teams (Oregon State, Stanford, etc.), but last night, UA froze up in the last three minutes of regulation.

The defense played its heart out for most of the evening, but ran out of gas just as Masoli and company found their footing. On the other side, Nick Foles, his teammates and the UA staff failed to put together that game-clinching drive, committing penalties to push themselves out of field-goal range, leading to that interception near the goal line (on a pass that bounced off Terrell Turner's hands).

Losses like that are inevitable while a coaching staff builds a winning program. Hopefully, this Oregon defeat will go under the "character building" heading, and not the "emotionally scarring, losing-streak beginning" category.

Much, much more coming on UA football after Mike Stoops' press conference on Wednesday.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747