Oregon all but ends USC's reign in Pac-10
Oregon defensive back Matthew Harper could sense it. Southern California was trailing by touchdown and on the march in the final moments.
The home fans were on their feet, urging the Ducks to make the one last play they needed to take down the kings of the Pac-10. Harper was confident.
"We knew somebody would make the play, and luckily it was me," he said.
Harper's interception on USC's final drive preserved a 24-17 victory Saturday at Eugene, Ore., and put the No. Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-10) on the short list of national title contenders.
As for No. 9 Southern California (6-2, 3-2), just defending its Pac-10 title could be a longshot at this point.
Jonathan Stewart ran for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Dennis Dixon completed 16 of 25 passes for 157 yards for Oregon, which was fifth in the BCS standings this week. Dixon, who's starting to get some serious Heisman hype, also ran for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The Ducks, who came into the game ranked second nationally in total offense, managed only 339 yards -- more than 200 below their average -- against the Trojans' third-ranked defense. But it was turnovers, including a fumble recovery and a pair of interceptions, that gave Oregon the advantage over USC.
USC came into the season ranked No. 1 and a heavy favorite to play for a national title. Now the Trojans will need lots of help to gain even a share of the Pac-10 crown it's won at least a part of for five straight seasons.
"They have been top dogs," Stewart said. "But this is a different year."
West Virginia 31, Rutgers 3: Steve Slaton ran for 3 touchdowns, and Pat White rushed for 156 yards and a score as No. 6 West Virginia (7-1, 2-1 Big East) beat host No. 25 Rutgers (5-3, 2-2) for the 13th straight time.
Slaton went from sideline to sideline on a spectacular 38-yard run that gave West Virginia the early lead, and he scored on second-half runs of 1 and 6 yards to bury Rutgers
Georgia 42, Florida 30: At Jacksonville, Fla., Knowshon Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and 3 scores, Matthew Stafford threw 3 touchdown passes, and No. 20 Georgia (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) earned a rare victory over No. 9 Florida (5-3, 3-3).
The Bulldogs sacked Tim Tebow six times and contained the Gators' high-scoring offense most of the game. Florida had won 15 of the last 17 at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and eight of nine.