Dennis Dixon: Officially Done for the Season (It's not fair...) :(

[39478]

[h1]Dixon to have surgery on left knee, shelved for season[/h1]

Dennis Dixon will have surgery on the left knee that buckled early in second-ranked Oregon's upset loss to Arizona, spoiling his chance to win the Heisman Trophy.



Dennis Dixon's knee injury Thursday in Oregon's loss to Arizona came after the quarterback had torn his ACL on Nov. 3, Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said.

The quarterback tore his anterior cruciate ligament during Oregon's 35-23 victory over Arizona State on Nov. 3, according to coach Mike Bellotti, but he had rested it and felt as if he was ready to play Thursday night against the Wildcats.

Now Dixon will miss the rest of this season.

"He's a little bit despondent, because he obviously wanted to continue to play," Bellotti said.

The versatile Dixon was one of the front-runners for the Heisman after he put the Ducks in line for the national title. Oregon had started the season unranked and was picked to finish sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference.

Drawing comparisons to Vince Young, Dixon completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,136 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. The senior from San Leandro, Calif., also ran for 583 yards and nine scores.

Thursday night's 34-24 loss to the unranked Wildcats knocked the Ducks (8-2, 5-2) out of the national title picture. Oregon was ranked behind LSU and ahead of Oklahoma and undefeated Kansas.

Dixon's left knee crumbled as he tried to plant on an option carry with about five minutes to go in the first quarter against Arizona (5-6, 4-4).

His recovery after surgery will take some six months, said team physician Bob Crist. The date for the surgery was not yet set.

Dixon first injured his knee at home against Arizona State. While he knew the extent of the injury, he felt he could still play.

"He asked us on behalf of himself and his family to keep that quiet," Bellotti said in a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon.

It was Dixon's intention to delay the surgery until after the season, the coach said.

"While he certainly had some personal goals at stake, anyone who is familiar with Dennis knows that any decisions he made were purely in the interest of his teammates and not motivated by any personal gains," Bellotti said.

He wore a brace Thursday night and said he had no pain or signs of trouble earlier in the game when he ran 38-yards for a touchdown on the Ducks' first possession.

"It shows you've got to play your heart out, because you never know when you're going to get that last play," Dixon told a group of reporters after the game.

Before he left the game against the Wildcats, Dixon completed 5-of-8 passes for 62 yards.

Brady Leaf, who replaced Dixon, completed 22-of-46 passes for 163 yards and threw two interceptions.

As for the Heisman, Dixon said after leaving the game Thursday night that he never really played with it in mind.

"I never did. My teammates know that. I'm playing for them and just having fun in the process in my senior season playing college football," he said.

Unreal. Absolutely, unreal. Dennis Dixon deserves the invite to New York if not the Heisman. There is no other player in the country that does somuch for a team and has so much passion for the game.

 

[tsamshox]

Is Dennis Dixon going to the Show? I know he aint gonna be a NFL QB......

 

[calibeebee]

yeah he's not going to the L. His career is most likely over.

 

[39478]

I'm not sure...I believe he's talented enough to be successful in either baseball or football. Just because he developed a little later doesn'tmean he can't be successful in the NFL. Carson Palmer is a prime example of that. Fortunately for him, he didn't have an injury to hinder hisperception as an potential NFL play caller.

Only Dennis knows what he will do. We'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

 

[doublejs07]

yeah he's not going to the L. His career is most likely over.


He'll be a 1st day pick (assuming he sticks w. football)....kinda in that Brad Smith mold in the L...however, I wonder if he'll go the Jeff Samardzijaroute and stick w. baseball...

that baseball guranteed $ > than what they pay in the NFL....

 

[gunna get it]

that was some of the saddest !*%@ Ive everseen on the football field in my life

I was really hurt for homie last nite. Dude turned his whole game around this yr, and was WELL on his way to the Heisman and a possible Nat'l Title. Dudewas out there playin injured for his squad man.

I was sick when I seen his leg buckle and I feel that !*%@ again just lookin at that picture.

 

[39478]

In no way do i consider myself soft or a sissy...But that picture really draws emotion from me. I am such a fan, and believer, and follower of OregonAthletics, that the loss of Dixon and the loss of the game last night is felt by me more so than most people would take it. I take things like that personal.

Last night on the broadcast, they showed Dixon just sobbing (pictured obviously) but seeing that just hurt.

 

[dlo13]

I didn't even see the injury until late last night...and that !++* was heartbreaking, man.

I feel bad for dude. I hope he can make it back and go on to be successful somewhere. On a personal note, I hope it's as a future OF for the AtlantaBraves.

 

[atljunkie]

Sucks to hear. He seems like a good dude. Wish him the best..
Just like Dlo said: I heard dennis dixon has some sort of deal or arrangement with the atlanta braves? CF needed!

 

[Chester McFloppy]

He turned it around so well this year, too. So many Oregon fans were down on him going into the season, but he made A LOT of people into believers. Will he besuccessful in MLB or the NFL? Who knows. All I know is I wish him luck, wish him a speedy recovery, and give him thanks for making Oregon Football fun to watchonce again.

 

[acidicality]

wish him the best of luck, baseball seems like the more logical decision to gothough..

 

[dman14]

local kid from san leandro high, felt bad for the kid, had a breakout season.

hopefully he could make it to the league, but he also has a great shot with the atlanta braves organization.

 

[kiddin like jason]

I was rooting for Oregon to go down, but not like that, man.

I cringe every time I see a knee buckle the wrong way or get caught up in a tackle after having a small taste of a knee injury. It can happen just like that.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

As everybody else said....Dude did a complete 180 from last year and has been I busting his butt since the summer and it paid off....Too bad his career had toend like this...

 

[715 asterisk]

If Dixon applies himself to baseball like he did to football this last off-season, he might be a servicable player. He does need to get that average up becauselast I heard, it was sub .200 (but with plenty of walks).

 

[downtown43]

this shows him why he needs to play baseball... anything can happen on the football field, and your done like that

 

[raw120]

i am a firm believer that oregon is the best team in the country with a healthy dixon

 

[juan baller]

Originally Posted by raw120

i am a firm believer that oregon is the best team in the country with a healthy dixon

Too bad for Dixon, he deserved to play for a national title. But clearly the rest of the Oregon team does not.

.

 

[langfor5]

Even though Oregon losing helped out our cause I would never wish that on anyone. I hope dude gets better and has a full recovery. Just looking at that picturereminds me how much passion and pride there is in college football.

 

[39478]

Still no official word yet...but I'll let everybody know when the information becomes available.

 

[ooiron manoo]

I was really hurt for homie last nite. Dude turned his whole game around this yr, and was WELL on his way to the Heisman and a possible Nat'l Title. Dude was out there playin injured for his squad man.

I was sick when I seen his leg buckle and I feel that !*%@ again just lookin at that picture.
Seriously, the way Oregon's season went down simply sucked. I was rooting for them to represent the Pac in the National Title game. Then"Deep Dix" knee buckled and *poof* season over.

If you played ball before, I don't care what level, you feel the pain in that pic. A lot of work goes into prepping for the season, it hurts when it'sover.

 

[samanmax]

Any word on Jonathan Stewart? He was gimpy as well...

 

[Chester McFloppy]

This is a long read from the Oregonian today, I know Dr. Funk will appreciate it... it's sad as hell though

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Dixon for Heisman? Injury proves he's worthy[/h1]
Friday, November 16, 2007

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The last on-field move of Dennis Dixon's evening came with a couple of minutes left in the game, and with Arizona fans already spilling over the stadium railing.

Dixon, in black sweats, slipped his hands in his pockets, put his head down, and marched toward the tunnel leading to the visitor's locker room.

He weaved through a sea of media, security and fans. He changed direction without problem. His vision, dodging a group of inebriated fans and avoiding a hoard of media, was remarkable.

It was Arizona 34, Oregon 24. And it was Dixon, shifting, and dodging, and finally, from off his left shoulder, a blonde with a microphone and wearing a pair of heels appeared. She outran him, looped around in front of Dixon, blocking the tunnel, and Dixon's exit.

The Heisman candidate got run down by ESPN's Erin Andrews on Thursday.

Stopped cold.

Sacked.

And there wasn't a more telling moment in the stadium than watching his expression change from a kid who was home free -- paydirt -- to a player who was now going to have to explain to America how he felt about fading out of the Heisman Trophy race.

So how does Dixon feel: "I don't really care about that; I never really cared about it."

Then he talked about being a good teammate, and cheering for his friends.



It was perfect. And succinct. And telling. But after you looked around Tucson, absorbing the evening, there was one clear thought -- is there really a college player worth more to his team anywhere in America?

Consider that Oregon's beautiful offense was turned into a stumbling, sputtering mess on Thursday. Not because Arizona stopped it. But because Dixon left the field in the second quarter.

Proficiency turned into desperation. Third down-and-four felt like third-and-40. And when the game was over, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who has built this machine around Dixon, came out of the coach's elevator looking like a guy who had been locked in a sauna for three hours.

"We're down to bones," Kelly said, "but we'll find a way to get it done."

I'm thinking "Karate Kid." Booster Phil Knight summons Pat Morita today to slap his hands together, rub them until the friction creates obscene heat, and then places them on the most important left knee in Eugene.

If Dixon can return, the Ducks won't lose again. If he can't, Oregon might not win another game. And if you're holding a Heisman vote today, how in the world could you not believe that the player responsible for making that kind of difference isn't worthy of your first-place vote?

Oregon did too many things wrong to win on the road against Arizona. Dixon hit receiver Derrick Jones in the bullseye for what should have been a touchdown, and Jones bobbled it away for a first-quarter interception. There were three interceptions, four sacks, two fumbles, and a ridiculously lousy attempt at an open-field block by Ed Dickson on the Oregon fake punt that should have gone for six points.

In the end, though, the kid capable of winning this game despite all the mistakes was out of uniform in the second quarter. He was ushered into the locker room. His father, Dennis Sr., followed. Inside, there was some shouting, and crying, and later, the father said, "He's really taking it hard."

Yet, in the second half, here was Dixon on the sideline, smiling. Cheering. Clapping on third down. He was rooting for Brady Leaf, the guy who stole Dixon's starting job last season.

When it was done -- and it feels done -- Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said: "When a guy like that goes down, it's very difficult. I feel bad for Dennis."



Then, Bellotti said, ". . . it was fun while it lasted."

Wasn't it?

It was highlight-reel stuff. It was national television audiences. It was fans lining up at 5 a.m., in a dark parking lot, waiting to see if Lee Corso would put on the head of the Ducks mascot. It was Dixon, everywhere you looked. It was Oregon -- the entire state -- recognizing that it could set the bar as high as Ohio State, Louisiana State or anyone else.

Not on a given day, but on a given season.

Investors talk about diversification. But how could anyone blame the Ducks for relying on Dixon so much? How could anyone question the results?

I suppose the consolation is that the country got to see Dixon run 39 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. And what they saw until he left the game was a team capable of competing for a national title. And when he was gone, you had, maybe, a Holiday Bowl team, at best.

Dixon for Heisman?

That campaign was sealed Thursday night.

 

[gunna get it]

To me, Dennis Dixon is still the Heisman front runner.

He was the best player on the basically the best team and he got injured and it showed even more. he's gonna miss 2 games, okay. but his closestcompetitors arent playing in games that coul make or break their candidacy. If Tebow was QBin a one loss squad vs FSU, then I could be swayed. Colt Brennad,just stop it.

I think there's only one person with a leit chance, but he basically has to pull a reggie Bush vs Fresno St, and thats D-Mac.

Dennis Dixon for Heisman!

 

[mjd77]

^^^ great article. I was really rooting for Oregon, and was hoping they would get a shot at the title. I seriously felt like crying after everything thatwent down last night. I feel bad for the entire team, and especially Dennis Dixon. Having a dream season, national title hopes, heisman trophy hopes, endlike that..it just ain't right. I've just had this totally empty feeling all day today. I just can't get it off my mind.