No. 4 Oregon stays in national title hunt

EUGENE, Ore. -- Picked to finish in the middle of the Pac-10, Oregon has thrust itself into the heart of national title race.

Dennis Dixon threw 4 touchdown passes before leaving with an injury and the fourth-ranked Ducks defeated No. 6 Arizona State 35-23 on Saturday, their second consecutive victory over a top 10 team.

When it ended, students poured out of the grandstand and mobbed the Ducks at midfield. Last week, the Ducks beat Southern California to set up the West Coast's biggest game of the season -- Oregon was in fifth-place in the latest BCS standings while Arizona State was fourth.

"We played inspired on both sides of the ball," Dixon said. "And we can enjoy it right now."

Oregon's victory could be costly. Dixon, a Heisman Trophy contender, was hurt on a run early in the fourth quarter and did not return, though he was up and hopping on the sideline late in the game. Dixon completed 13 of 22 passes for 189 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he also ran for 57 yards.

"I kind of twisted my knee," Dixon said. "It's a little bit sore. But I didn't hear a pop, so that's good."

On a clear, crisp afternoon in the Willamette Valley, the largest crowd to attend a football game in the state, 53,379, turned out to watch the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-10) hand the Sun Devils (8-1, 5-1) their first defeat.

Arizona State came into the game as one of five undefeated teams in major college football, with its own hopes for a national title run.

Oregon ended those hopes behind the deft playmaking of Dixon.

The Sun Devils also had trouble stopping tailback Jonathan Stewart, who ran for 99 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown

Meanwhile, the Ducks' oft-maligned defense sacked ASU's Rudy Carpenter eight times.

The Ducks jumped ahead 21-3 and never trailed.