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28 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, December 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 7, 2004 Dropped pass leaves Ducks’ Allen feeling blue By JAKE CURTIS For the Mail Tribune Oregon wide receiver Keith Allen felt terrible about his critical dropped pass in the closing moments of Saturday’s loss to Cal, but he offered no excuses. "I just dropped it," he said. "I felt like I let the team down." On 4th-and-10 from the Cal 41-yard line with 1:39 left and the Ducks trailing by a point, Kellen Clemens threw a perfect pass to Allen, who was wide open near the left sideline at the Cal 23. "I beat the defensive back real bad so I was thinking about going to the end zone," Allen said. "I think I might have turned my head just before." The ball hit Allen right in the chest, but it bounced off and tumbled out of his arms. Allen lay face down at the 23-yard line for about 10 seconds before finally rising. Advertisement "I don’t want this to affect me for the next game, so I’m just moving on," Allen said. Oregon was without two of its top receivers � Demetrius Williams, sidelined with turf toe, and tight end Tim Day, who sustained a sprained ankle in the third period. Nonetheless, Allen, a fifth-year senior, was a reliable alternative. He had made a 38-yard reception on a fourth down play in the fourth quarter against Stanford that set up the winning score. HERE’S THE KICKER: Had Allen made the catch, and if the Ducks had advanced no further than the 23-yard line, Jared Siegel could have won the game with a 40-yard field goal, and he had made 30 of 35 field goals inside 40 yards in his career. Siegel has hit from as far away as 59 yards so there was some thought he might try a 58-yarder on the fourth-down play that eventually led to Allen’s drop. Coach Mike Bellotti said 55 yards was as far as he was willing to try. CLEMENS UP AND DOWN DAY: Kellen Clemens was spectacular in the first half, completing 15 of 20 passes for 166 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 62 yards. He helped Oregon keep the ball for 19:26 minutes compared with Cal’s 10:34 while staking the Ducks to a 27-21 lead at the half. "I think they were a little shocked by how quickly we came out," Clemens said. In the second half, he was 4-for-13 for 52 yards and no touchdowns as the Ducks got shut out in the final 30 minutes. Clemens was sacked three times in the second half and had minus-9 yards rushing after halftime. "Cal brought more pressure in the second half, and a different kind of pressure with different linebackers blitzing," Clemens said, "and they stepped up their intensity." A major factor was that the Ducks did not have the ball much in the second half, having possession for just 8:40 compared with Cal’s 21:20. "I think we only had one series in the third quarter," Bellotti said. "They controlled the ball and kept it away from us. They controlled the line of scrimmage. That’s probably what gave them the chance to win." THE DIFFERENCE: The margin in the game turned out to be Siegel’s missed extra point after the Ducks’ third touchdown. Siegel had made 170 of 173 extra points during his career before this one bounced off the upright. THE FUTURE: Clemens said this disappointing loss does not change the routine for the coming week. "We’ll watch the tapes same as always," he said. "We’re looking for the sixth win, and we need to focus on the next opponent." Oregon (5-4) has two games left, home against UCLA next week, and on the road Nov. 13 against Oregon State. The Ducks need six wins to be bowl eligible. NOTES: Oregon running back Terrence Whitehead said he didn’t feel great Saturday, and said he vomited just before the opening kickoff. He still managed 91 yards but had none in the fourth quarter. Bellotti took little solace from coming close against the nation’s No. 4 team. "There are no moral victories," he said. "It doesn’t get us where we want to go." The loss ended the Ducks’ seven-game winning streak against Cal, which last beat Oregon in 1993. It also ended the Ducks’ four-game winning streak this season. 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