# 1994 Oregon Ducks football team

The 1994 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Ducks were led by head coach Rich Brooks, who was in his 18th and final season as head coach, and played their home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon was 9–3 in the regular season and won their first ever outright conference championship (7–1); they appeared in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 37 years. After the season, Rich Brooks would accept the coaching job for the recently relocated St. Louis Rams.
Two consecutive non-conference losses in September had many calling for Brooks' resignation.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 1:00 pm | Portland State* | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | | W 58–16 | 30,505 |
| September 10 | 10:00 pm | at Hawaii* | | Aloha StadiumHalawa, HI | OSN | L 16–36 | 37,214 |
| September 17 | 1:00 pm | Utah* | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | | L 16–34 | 25,358 |
| September 24 | 1:00 pm | Iowa* | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | | W 40–18 | 29,287 |
| October 1 | 3:30 pm | at No. 19 USC | | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | Prime | W 22–7 | 44,232 |
| October 8 | 2:00 pm | at No. 17 Washington State | | Martin StadiumPullman, WA | | L 7–21 | 37,600 |
| October 15 | 1:00 pm | California | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | | W 23–7 | 30,678 |
| October 22 | 12:30 pm | No. 9 Washington | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR (rivalry) | ABC | W 31–20 | 44,134 |
| October 29 | 12:30 pm | No. 11 Arizona | | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | ABC | W 10–9 | 36,960 |
| November 5 | 1:00 pm | Arizona State | No. 21 | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | | W 34–10 | 41,693 |
| November 12 | 3:30 pm | at Stanford | No. 15 | Stanford StadiumStanford, CA | Prime | W 55–21 | 43,802 |
| November 19 | 12:30 pm | at Oregon State | No. 12 | Parker StadiumCorvallis, OR (Civil War) | ABC | W 17–13 | 37,010 |
| January 2 | 1:30 pm | vs. No. 2 Penn State* | No. 12 | Rose BowlPasadena, CA (Rose Bowl) | ABC | L 20–38 | 102,247 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Portland State
### Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hawkeyes | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| • Ducks | 7 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 40 |

### Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Huskies | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| • Ducks | 0 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
In previous matchups, Oregon had their share of disappointment: Mark Lee returned a punt 59 yards for touchdown to win the game in 1979. The defense held the #9-ranked Huskies to 109 yards and 3 first downs in 1984, but still fell 17–10. This, combined with Washington's 17–4 record against the Ducks, including a five-game win streak, had many Oregon fans fearing the worst.
In the 1994 edition of the heated rivalry with the University of Washington, the #9-ranked Huskies came into Autzen Stadium with a 5–1 record, including a victory over the University of Miami, snapping a 58-game home winning streak. The game was a tough and close contest, with the Ducks clinging to a 24–20 lead late in the game. Washington quarterback Damon Huard guided the Huskies to a first down on the 9 yard line with plenty of time remaining. Huard dropped back and whipped the ball towards wide receiver Dave Janoski. Ducks freshman cornerback Kenny Wheaton stepped in front of the pass, intercepted it and headed up the sideline for a clinching touchdown, putting Oregon ahead for good 31–20. A replay of the interception—now referred to as "The Pick"—is played at every Ducks home game before the team runs onto the field.

### Rose Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 2 Nittany Lions | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
| No. 12 Ducks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |