The Oregon Ducks are heading to Ann Arbor this week, taking on the reigning National Champion Michigan Wolverines in a game that few expect to be a close game. In the preseason, many favored Oregon to win this game, but rarely by more than a few points. Now, the margin is much wider.
This will, of course, be the first conference matchup between these two teams, but the Ducks and Wolverines have shared the field together five times before. Their first meeting came in 1948, and Oregon was defeated 14-0. Oregon lost their next two games against Michigan, in 1960 and 1973, before beating the Wolverines in 2003 and 2007.
Oregon’s victory over Michigan in 2007 is famous in Oregon football fandom. The Ducks traveled to Ann Arbor early in the season as 8-point underdogs, but ended up winning 39-7, kicking off what would be an — at-first — triumphant season, followed by a feeling of ‘what could’ve been.’
The Ducks began the 2007 season unranked, but they shot into the top 25 after beating Michigan. Oregon climbed as high as No. 2 before star quarterback Dennis Dixon was knocked out by an ACL tear, extinguishing Oregon’s national championship aspirations. It’s one of the biggest ‘What-Ifs’ in Oregon history. The Ducks finished their 2007 season ranked No. 23 with a win in the Sun Bowl.
There were a few plays in the 2007 game against Michigan that make it so famous. Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly first called a Statue-of-Liberty run to Jonathan Stewart, and later on, Dixon faked the Statue-of-Liberty hand-off and kept the ball himself for one of the most quintessential touchdowns in Oregon history.
The 5-3 2024 Wolverines and 2023 National Champion Wolverines are unrecognizable teams, and despite their winning record, Michigan has become one of the bottom teams in the Big Ten this season. And with how well Oregon is playing, we could be primed for another blowout in the Big House. Maybe we’ll even see some Statue of Liberty action.
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