Jimmy Brasoban pitched four flawless innings, looking to be well on his way to pitching the Emeralds to a win. Then the fifth inning happened. Spokane plated five runs in the frame, spelling the end of Brasoban’s night and giving the visiting Indians all the runs they would need en route to a 5-0 victory.

Janluis Castro led off with a line drive single to left field, breaking up Brasoban’s no-hit bid. He quickly came around to score on Jamie Jarmon’s two-run homer, breaking up the scoreless tie. The next two batters would keep the theme running. Eduard Pinto hit a line drive single of his own to left field and was followed by Joe Jackson, of the shoed variety, and he hit a second two-run home run of the inning. Marcus Greene added yet another run with two outs, singling home Evan Van Hoosier.

“We had one bad inning,” manager Jim Gabella said following the loss. “[Brasoban] made a poor pitch to Jarmon … he threw a changeup, he sped his bat up and the guy hit the ball out of the ballpark. He throws him a fastball there and who knows, it could be still nothing-nothing, you never know.”

Brasoban  (2-3) is in the midst of an All-Star season and has been a reliable starter for the Ems for most of the year, but the long ball hurt him tonight and he was pulled after 4.1 innings. Tyler Hale was strong in long relief, tossing 3.2 shutout innings, allowing two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

“He did a great job for us. Kept us in the ballgame even though we didn’t score any runs, kept us in the game and gave us a chance to try to do something and saved the bullpen for us,” Gabella said. “Just a great job by him.”

Hale joined the Ems late in July and has been impressive in six relief appearances, giving up a single run over 9.1 innings, good for a 0.96 ERA.

Eugene’s offense struggled to put much of anything together Monday night, totaling four hits in the game. Indians starter Kelvin Vasquez (1-2) threw 5.2 innings of two-hit ball, walking three and striking out four along the way. The walks gave the Ems some opportunities to make some noise in the run column, but to no avail.

“[Vasquez] had good stuff,” Gabella said of the Spokane starter. “He was 95 [MPH] with life on it … you gotta give him credit … he’s got a good arm.”

The Ems looked like they might start a rally in the ninth when Trae Santos and Ryan Miller led off the inning with back-to-back hits. Indians reliever Travis Dean ultimately shut the door on the game and the series.

With 20 games remaining in the regular season, the pennant race is in full force. Eugene is three games out of first and is no way out of it yet.

“We’re right in it,” Gabella said. “We gotta keep doing what we did here at home … keep getting good pitching and timely hitting. If we do that we’ll be okay.”

In college football, losing players to graduation or the pros is a formality, as is finding replacements for the departed.

In Oregon’s case, four starters from 2012 went on to bigger and better things and need to be replaced. Defensive end Dion Jordan went on to become the third overall pick in April’s NFL draft, leaving a large vacancy on the defensive line. Junior Tony Washington has a great shot at winning the starting job. He’s seen ample playing time in the last two seasons and has the perfect frame to slot in at the end at 6-foot-3-inches, 244 pounds.

Isaac Remington graduated and left another opening along the defensive line. He usually stuffed up the middle and was instrumental in defending the run game.  Sophomore dual athlete Arik Armstead looks like the best candidate to replace Remington. Armstead played in all 13 games as a freshman and takes up even more space in the middle at a gargantuan 6-foot-8-inches, 280 pounds. Armstead has quickness and athleticism and will likely be used as an end as well.

Oregon will be without two of its best defensive players from a season ago. Linebackers Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso led the team in total tackles and were senior leaders who both played huge roles in helping the Ducks win their first Rose Bowl since 1917, with Alonso being named the defensive MVP and Clay recovering a Wisconsin fumble to seal the Oregon win.

Sophomore Tyson Coleman would be a viable replacement at linebacker, playing in all 13 games as a freshman and racking up 34 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Joining Coleman will likely be junior Derrick Malone. Malone has played in all but one game through his first two seasons and has played well, showing versatility and a wealth of football knowledge.

It was a pitching duel at PK Park Thursday night between the Eugene Emeralds and the Spokane Indians. The two teams combined to collect 13 hits, which led to two runs, both for the visiting Indians.

The game was locked in a scoreless tie until the eighth inning when Spokane right fielder Ryan Cordell singled to left, driving in Marcus Greene who led off the inning with a double into the left field corner. Two batters later, Jamie Jarmon bounced a single to left over the head of Eugene third baseman Fernando Perez, who was playing in to defend a possible bunt. Cordell came around to score, giving the Indians the only insurance run they would need.

Emeralds starting pitcher Bryan Verbitsky dominated the three innings he threw, allowing a lone hit while walking one and striking out four. Verbitsky lowered his ERA to 2.77 on the season, the best among Ems starters. Michael Kelly took over and threw three perfect innings in relief, successfully keeping Spokane off the bases and the scoreboard. Erik Cabrera (0-7) ran into trouble in the eighth and allowed what were ultimately the winning runs.

Despite the loss, the Ems as a staff pitched very well. Timely hitting was the deciding factor, and the Indians capitalized with runners in scoring position.

“It was a close game all the way until the end there and you give them credit, they got some hits when they needed them,” said Ems manager Jim Gabella. He had no choice but to protect against the bunt when Jarmon singled home Cordell — two runners on and no outs in a one-run game.

“You have to play for a bunt there,” Gabella said of the scoring play in the eighth inning. “You’ve gotta give [Spokane manager] Tim [Hulett, Sr.] credit for taking the play off and coming through.”

Jarmon showed bunt and pulled his bat back, watching the first pitch of the at-bat whiz by for a ball. The next pitch was chopped over Perez’s head, allowing Cordell to score.

The Ems totaled seven hits in the loss, but never had more than one runner on base in any inning. Spokane’s pitchers didn’t allow a single free pass, helping keep the Emeralds at bay.

Starting pitcher John Niggli tossed five shutout innings, scattering four hits while striking out three along the way. Abel De Los Santos (2-1) and Ricardo Rodriguez shut the door over the final four innings to seal the win for the Indians.

First round pick Hunter Renfroe’s playing days in Eugene are numbered — one to be exact. The Mississippi State product is quickly moving through the ranks of the minor leagues and was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League, where he’ll arrive Saturday. Former third overall pick Donavan Tate joined the Ems Thursday night, hoping to resurrect a promising career that’s been derailed by a drug-related suspension and personal issues.

“Now is Donavan’s chance to come out and play,” Gabella said of his new player. Tate played for Eugene in 2011 and has since bounced around to multiple minor league teams. He made his 2013 debut as a pinch hitter Thursday night, grounding out to shortstop but successfully advancing the runner.

Special teams often include special players, like Oregon’s De’Anthony Thomas. He’s talented at multiple positions and is one of the quickest players in the country, making him an integral part of the Ducks return game. There isn’t any doubt that he’ll be returning kicks again this year, but will a possible expanded role in the offense affect his stamina and limit his returns?

Oregon wasn’t known to kick many field goals under Chip Kelly, but Mark Helfrich will be at the controls this season, and it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks with Alejandro Maldonado or turns to freshman Matt Wogan or an incumbent kicker on the roster.

Kicker/punter:

The battle for starting kicker provides one of the most interesting storylines as far as Oregon roster changes this summer. Senior Alejandro Maldonado’s struggles have been well documented, yet Kelly promoted him midway through last season and stuck with him the rest of the way. Helfrich may kick more field goals, he may kick fewer — that remains to be seen, as does Maldonado’s role as starting kicker.

Freshman kicker Matt Wogan (Courtesy of GoDucks.com)

Freshman Matt Wogan was ranked as the number two kicking prospect in the nation according to Rivals.com and excelled at both kicking and punting in high school, posting a career-best kick of 58 yards en route to a USA Today All-American selection. His high school coach, Blair Hardin, called him “the real deal,” and “a very special young man with a high motor,” in an interview with The Oregonian in January. With the departure of punter Jackson Rice, the door is open for Wogan to not only challenge for the kicking job, but to be the Ducks’ full-time punter as well. Wogan, Maldonado and other kickers on the roster will likely get opportunities to kick and punt during Oregon’s opening game against Nicholls State on Aug. 31.

Other kickers competing for the job are juniors Dylan Ausherman and Eric Solis and redshirt freshman Hayden Crook.

Projected starters

Punter: Matt Wogan
Kicker: Matt Wogan

Return Men:

Junior runningback DeAnthony Thomas. (Courtesy of GoDucks.com)

De’Anthony Thomas is one of the most explosive players in the nation and excels in the return game. He’s led the Ducks in yards per return (on both kicks and punts) for two seasons and there’s no reason he won’t again in 2013. Thomas returned one punt and one kick for a touchdown last season while averaging 17.08 and 24.31 yards per return in each respective category. With the departure of Kenjon Barner, Thomas’ role will likely expand, though Helfrich has yielded very little in terms of what those expansions will be. He gave a simple answer of “to be determined” in regard to Thomas’ role on the team during Pac-12 Media Day.

Keanon Lowe was Thomas’ partner in the kick return game last season, getting plenty of chances of his own to run back kicks when opponents kicked away from Thomas. Lowe averaged 22.73 yards per kick return and should return to a similar role this season.

Junior wide receiver Keanon Lowe (Courtesy of GoDucks.com)

Bralon Addison and Chad Delaney also contributed in the return department, mostly when the game was well in hand. Addison returned four punts for 19 yards and three kicks for 46 yards, while Delaney returned two punts for 27 yards, often calling for a fair catch.

If teams play it safe and indeed decide to kick away from Thomas, Lowe will be instrumental in the return game. Maybe Helfrich has a few trick plays up his sleeve that will get the ball in DAT’s hands post kick.

Projected starters

Kick returners: De’Anthony Thomas, Keanon Lowe
Punt returner: De’Anthony Thomas

Oregon is known as one of the fastest college football teams in the country. Its players’ ability to perfect the spread offense and run multiple plays before the opposing defense can collect itself has gained them well-deserved recognition and respect. But an aspect of the team that often gets overlooked is the defense.

The Ducks ranked third in the Pac-12 and 25th in the nation defensively last season, holding opponents to 21.6 points per game. In fact, Oregon’s defense hasn’t ranked lower than 52nd nationally in scoring defense since Chip Kelly took over as head coach in 2009. Defensive standouts such as Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger, T.J. Ward and Dion Jordan are among the former Oregon players currently representing the Ducks in the NFL, proving that there’s more to this team than scoring points.

Even though Oregon lost its top defensive threat from last season in Jordan, several key starters are returning to give the Ducks defense a chance to be even better in 2013.

“What people don’t understand is that we have a lot of potential on defense,” said senior linebacker Boseko Lokombo. Lokombo will lead a depleted corps of linebackers, which lost two key members to graduation (Michael Clay, Kiko Alonso), but he’s confident in the abilities of his teammates to step up and fill their shoes.

“We have a lot of talented people who have to prove themselves when the season comes,” Lokombo said. “The freshmen coming in … have a lot of potential, a lot of talent. They just [have] to prove to the coaches and to themselves that they can play at any moment. As far as the guys that came back, Tyson [Coleman], Rahim Cassell, all those guys have a lot of potential.”

The secondary lost a four-year starter in John Boyett, but the unit has played well together and has a cumulative wealth of experience.

“As a secondary, we work together well, and taking that last year of experience … and putting it together with what we know now, it’s just going to be incredible to see what we’re really capable of,” said senior defensive back Brian Jackson, who is part of a veteran secondary group that includes returning starters Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Avery Patterson and Terrance Mitchell.

Also returning are defensive backs Erick Dargan, Troy Hill and Dior Mathis, who all saw significant playing time last season due to Boyett’s season-ending injury suffered in week one of 2012.

So what can we expect from the Oregon defensive unit this season? Improving is always the number one focus, but that’s not always easy. According to Lokombo and Jackson, the potential is definitely there. It’s all about putting all the pieces together.

“We came together last year pretty well, and this year I hope that we’re going to take that, expand it and become an even better team,” Jackson said. “We have lots of potential, but seeing what we’re really capable of over these next couple days … my mind’s going to be blown seeing what we’re capable of doing.”

When Dion Jordan arrived at the University of Oregon, the chances of him being selected third overall in the NFL draft as a defensive player were slim to none. Hailing from Chandler, Arizona, the 6-foot-6-inch defensive player was recruited as a tight end as a big target for Oregon quarterbacks. Jordan was rarely featured on offense during his freshman season and was more effective playing on special teams, and returned the next year sporting a new number, playing an entirely new position.

Jordan made the switch to defensive end during the spring of his sophomore season and made use of his length, emerging as Oregon’s top backup defensive lineman. Eventually Jordan was promoted to starter and progressed toward one of the top defensive threats in the Pac-12 and the nation. And the rest is history. Jordan’s senior season coupled with a brilliant NFL combine resulted in his high draft selection by the Miami Dolphins.

So what now for the Ducks’ defense? Will there be a new Dion Jordan, a relatively unknown player who switches positions and develops into a superstar? Or will an incumbent lineman step up and fill his presumably large shoes?

Jordan’s stat totals in every major defensive category (other than sacks) increased every season, and he led the Ducks in tackles for loss and sacks in 2011, earning him a spot on the All Pac-12 first team. His 121 tackles, 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in his Oregon career will be tough to replace, but the Ducks have the personnel to be just as good defensively in 2013.

Oregon is returning several impact defensive linemen, led by senior Taylor Hart. Hart led the team in sacks last season with eight, and added 11 tackles for loss. The Tualatin native will lead an experienced Oregon defensive line, which will include returning senior starter Wade Keliikipi (4 TFL, 11 sacks). Hart and Keliikipi can plug up the middle, each weighing in at just under 300 pounds and move well, which will create matchup issues for opposing offenses. Hart can also play the end position and pressure opposing quarterbacks with his quickness.

Sophomores Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, junior Tony Washington and senior Ricky Havili-Heimuli will compete for the other two D-line spots, replacing Isaac Remington. All saw significant playing time last season and are highly capable of replicating Jordan’s skill set. Armstead is a tremendous athlete, representing the Ducks on the basketball court as well. He represents the best replacement for Jordan, given his speed and 6-foot-8-inch, 280 lb frame.

Opposing teams won’t have to game plan for Jordan this season, but the arsenal of defensive lineman on the Oregon roster will present coaches with new challenges. Two big, fast bodies on the outside (Hart, Armstead) and road blocks in the middle (Keliikipi, Havili-Heimuli) will allow Oregon’s defensive unit to not only survive, but flourish despite the loss of Dion Jordan.

The Oregon defense isn’t always seen as one of the best in the nation, mostly because the offense usually scores enough points for defense not to matter. But the Ducks’ defense is in fact one of the best in college football, evidenced by its 25th best 21.6 points allowed per game last season. The Pac-12 as a whole isn’t too shabby on defense, either.

Here are the top defensive threats Oregon will face this season.

All stats and info via cfbstats.com and ESPN.com

Stanford

2012: 17.2 ppg allowed, ranked 11th.

The Cardinal defense proved to be the Ducks’ toughest test last season, holding its usually high-flying offense to a measly 14 points in its lone loss of 2012. Stanford lost many stout defenders to graduation, but is returning several players who will give opposing offense problems.

Ed Reynolds: senior DB. 6 INT, 3 returned for a TD

Jordan Richards: junior DB. 3 INT, 68 total tackles, 12 pass deflections

Henry Anderson: senior DL. 12 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 50 total tackles

A.J. Tarpley: senior LB. 7 TFL, 66 total tackles

Incoming 4-star recruits: DE Austin Hooper, LB Peter Kalambayi, LB Sean Barton

Oregon State

2012: 20.6 ppg allowed, ranked 22nd.

Oregon State shut down opposing offenses early in the season, allowing them to win tight, low scoring games. The loss of Jordan Poyer will hurt their secondary, but many young Beavers saw significant playing time last season and will have an impact once again this year.

Rashaad Reynolds: senior DB. 3 INT, 75 total tackles, 13 pass deflections

Michael Doctor: senior LB. 83 total tackles, 11 TFL

Scott Crichton: junior DE. 17.5 TFL, 9 sacks, 44 total tackles

Incoming 4-star recruits: CB Dashon Hunt, CB (transfer) Steven Nelson, DT (transfer) Kyle Peko.

Eric Kendricks, UCLA

The Bruins’ junior linebacker led the Pac-12 in total tackles last season and ranked third in the NCAA with 149. He also recorded six tackles for loss and forced a pair of fumbles and blocked a kick, proving he can truly do it all on defense.

Morgan Breslin, USC

The Trojans’ senior defensive end was the co-leader in the Pac-12 with 13 sacks last season, tying him for second in the country. He had 19.5 tackles for loss and is returning to USC with a talented group that should be among the nation’s best defensively.

Will Sutton, Arizona State

Sutton recorded a conference-best 23.5 tackles for loss last season, ranked him tied for second in the nation with Jadeveon Clowney. Sutton also sacked opposing QBs 12 times and forced three fumbles to lead what should be an improved Sun Devils D.

Anthony Barr, UCLA

Senior linebacker Anthony Barr and Kendricks will wreak havoc this season. Barr had an excellent all-around season in 2012 and is another reason why UCLA is garnering so much attention in the preseason. He recorded 82 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and forced four fumbles en route to an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game, where the Bruins have a good chance to be again this winter.

There was no shortage of offense Sunday night for the Eugene Emeralds. They pounded out 11 hits which led to six runs, en route to a 6-1 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils. Three Ems players recorded multi-hit games, and five players contributed runs batted in.

Hunter Renfroe achieved both feats in the win, driving in the game’s first run in the fourth inning. Renfroe singled to left allowing Anthony Torres to score all the way from first. The RBI base knock was one of three hits on the night for the 13^th overall pick of the MLB Draft.

Eugene added on in the fifth courtesy of Malquiel Brito’s second homer of the season, a solo shot to right field. The Ems DH added another hit in the sixth, Eugene’s biggest inning. Renfroe singled with one out and advanced to third on Northwest League All-Star Trae Santos’ double, putting runners on second and third with one out. Fernando Perez scored them both on a single to right, putting the Ems in front 4-1. Three batters later, the bases were loaded for Felipe Blanco, who drew a walk to increase the lead to 5-1. Santos’ double was the first of a pair of two-baggers, part of a three-hit night for the Ems first baseman.

Edwin Moreno added an insurance run in the eighth when he singled home Perez, who walked to lead off the inning.

Emeralds starting pitcher Coby Cowgill (1-0) was nearly un-hittable in his second start of the season. He allowed three hits over five innings, yielding one unearned run. He attacked Tri-City hitters with accuracy, totaling eight strikeouts against one walk. Tony Rizzotti and Tyler Hale combined to allow three hits over the final four innings, striking out five and walking none. Strikeouts continue to be a strong suit of the Ems this season — they rank second in the Northwest League with 443 K’s this season.

The Dust Devils scored their lone run of the ballgame in the fourth inning. Following Michael Tauchman’s single, he stole second and advanced to third on an error by Eugene catcher Michael Miller. Tri-City third baseman Michael Benjamin reached safely on an error by Blanco, allowing Tauchman to score.

The Ems finish their five-game series with Tri-City with two wins, putting them at 7-6 for the second half of the season, tied with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes for first place in the South Divison. The team will have three days off to observe the All-Star festivities in Everett, Washington, where four Ems will be representing the home-town team. Santos is an All-Star reserve and will participate in the Home Run Derby as well. He’ll be joined by fellow Emeralds Erik Schoenrock, Jimmy Brasoban and All-Star starter Ronnie Richardson.

The Tri-Cities haven’t been friendly to the Eugene Emeralds. The Dust Devils have won two of the first three games of the five-game series, winning 6-3 Friday night, the third loss in four days for the Ems.

Eugene jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Michael Bass doubled with one out and later scored on Trae Santos’ single. The score would stay 1-0 until the third when the home team’s offense exploded for four runs.

With runners on the corners and one out, Dust Devils third baseman Patrick Hutcheson laid down a suicide squeeze that scored Wilson Soriano from third, but also resulted in the second out of the inning. Eugene starter Tayron Guerrero threw a wild pitch and issued a walk to put runners back on the corners with two outs. Michael Tauchman doubled home both runners, giving the Dust Devils a 3-1 advantage. But the scoring wouldn’t stop there. The next batter was Michael Benjamin; his single scored Tauchman — the fourth run of the inning — putting Tri-City up 4-1.

Eugene would answer in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-3. Malquiel Brito led off the inning with a double and was followed by an Anthony Torres walk. With two on and one out, Edwin Moreno singled to right, scoring Brito from second and advancing Torres to third. Two batters later, Bass grounded out to first base, scoring Torres and advancing Moreno to third after reaching second on a wild pitch. Santos struck out to end the inning, stranding Moreno 90 feet away from home.

Tauchman came through again for the Dust Devils in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, the Tri-City left fielder hit a sac fly to left, deep enough to score Hutcheson from third, increasing the Devils’ lead to 5-3.

The Emeralds had a chance to bounce back in the seventh when Ronnie Richardson reached second with two outs, but there would be no two-out rally.

The bottom of the inning was rocky for the Ems. Tauhcman led off with a single and would advance to second on a passed ball, then trot to third on a balk by Vladimir De La Cruz. Benjamin would double to center, scoring Tauchman and increasing Eugene’s deficit to 6-3.

The Ems had a chance to rally in the ninth with two on and one out, but Wynton Bernard and Richardson were ousted to end the game.

Guerrero (1-3) lasted less than three innings, surrendering four runs on four hits while striking out four batters and walking one.

Dust Devils starter Johendi Jiminian (2-2) tossed six innings, scattering three runs on five hits, fanning three and walking two along the way. Troy Neiman and Trent Daniel were flawless over the final three innings, allowing just one hit.

The series will continue Saturday at 7:15 p.m. and wrap up Sunday, marking the last games before the All-Star break.

Special teams are easy to forget about. Some football fans even think touchdowns are worth seven points. But in reality, special teams can win and lose football games and kickers can be unimportant for the first 47:59 of a game, and be the hero, or the scapegoat in a matter of a second.

Oregon football has had its fair share of special teams drama in recent memory. Field goals have lost them a national championship, and prevented them from playing for others.

Here are the top five special teams plays involving Oregon football over the last decade:

5. September 16, 2006 vs. Oklahoma

Two special teams plays helped Oregon pull the major upset over a perennial powerhouse, the 15th ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The first was an onside kick, which was controversially recovered by the Ducks. Luke Bellotti, son of then coach Mike Bellotti, placed the kick perfectly at Oregon’s own 48-yard line. It was successfully recovered by the Ducks, but Oklahoma disputed the call, saying the ball had touched an Oregon player before traveling 10 yards. After review, the play stood as called. Oregon would score on the ensuing drive, taking a one-point lead with less than a minute left.

4. November 17, 2012 vs. Stanford

It’s a little harsh to bring up the fact that Alejandro Maldonado missed field goals. For one because they bring up painful memories. And two, you have to feel bad for the guy. But his missed field goal in overtime of last year’s game against Stanford ended Oregon’s chances at playing for a national championship. After missing on an earlier field goal chance, Maldonado failed to connect once again on the Ducks’ first overtime possession. When Stanford got the ball, kicker Jordan Williamson capitalized on a 37-yarder to win the game and effectively eliminate Oregon from the national title and Pac-12 championship races.

3. January 3, 2013 vs. Kansas State

This one was all about De’Anthony Thomas doing what he does best. He began the Fiesta Bowl with a 94-yard kickoff return against Kansas State, putting Oregon up early and setting the tone for the remainder of the game. DAT and crew rolled the Wildcats 35-17 for their first Fiesta Bowl win.

2. January 10, 2011 vs. Auburn

A single field goal was the only blemish on Oregon’s otherwise perfect 2010 season. After the Ducks scored to tie the game with two and a half minutes remaining, Auburn drove down the field and set up the easy game-winning 19-yard field goal. Wes Byrum’s kick sailed through the uprights as time expired, giving Auburn their first national championship.

1. November 21, 2009 vs. Arizona

Oregon’s first Rose Bowl berth since 1995 would have never been possible if it weren’t for the leg of Morgan Flint and more importantly, the hands of Nate Costa. In a wild back and forth game with the Arizona Wildcats, the Ducks trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter, until Flint barely knocked through a 43-yard field goal with eight minutes left to tie the game. The ball clanked off the cross-bar and had just enough momentum to clear it and tack on three points. Jeremiah Masoli and Ed Dickson connected for a TD with seconds remaining, and a Flint extra point would tie the score and likely send the contest to OT. The snap was low, but Costa dug it off the turf and balanced it just in time for Flint to successfully kick the extra point and send the game to overtime, where Oregon would eventually win and stay on track to win the Pac-10 title.