Led by 12th-year head coach Mike Bellotti, the Ducks compiled an overall record of 7–6 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing fourth in the Pac-10.

The Ducks began the season ranked 21st in the AP Poll,[1] and won their first game against Stanford by a score of 48–10.

Dennis Dixon was the quarterback for the Ducks during the season with Jonathan Stewart as the primary running back.

Following a missed field goal attempt by Stanford, Jeremiah Johnson had a three-yard touchdown run to give the Ducks a 41–10 lead in the fourth quarter.

The scoring was concluded by Oregon's A. J. Tuitele, who picked up a blocked Stanford field goal attempt and ran for a 72-yard touchdown.

At halftime, Oregon held a 17–10 lead, but on its first possession of the second half Fresno State scored a game-tying touchdown.

The kick was blocked by Fresno State's Bear Pascoe, but a Bulldog went to pick up the ball instead of leaving it, which would have resulted in a turnover.

[9] Fresno State responded in the fourth quarter with another game-tying drive, which featured a 40-yard Dwayne Wright rush.

[10] After a botched onside kick attempt which both teams claimed to recover the ruling on the field was to give Oregon the ball.

A squib kick was recovered by Oklahoma's Reggie Smith for 55 yards, setting Garrett Hartley up for a 44-yard field goal attempt.

Following an Arizona State field goal midway through the second quarter, Oregon scored 10 points in the final 3:46 of the first half for a 24–3 halftime lead.

Finally in the fourth, the Ducks scored 17 unanswered points to close the game with a 48–13 margin of victory.

Following an interception of a Dennis Dixon pass by Brandon Hampton during the first possession of the game, the Golden Bears scored a touchdown to take an early 7–0 lead.

Dixon threw two touchdown passes in the final 15:20 of the game, but the Golden Bears finished with a 45–24 win.

Dixon threw three interceptions in the game for Oregon, and Jonathan Stewart was held to 25 yards rushing, though he did score a touchdown.

[17] The leading player for Oregon was Dennis Dixon who scored two touchdowns, completed 10 of the 17 passes, and ran 144 yards.

[17] The game was the first time the Oregon Ducks had played at the Los Angeles Coliseum since the 2000 season when Paul Hackett was still USC's coach.