Oregon QB Dixon to have surgery, will miss rest of season
Dennis Dixon will have surgery on the left knee that buckled early in second-ranked Oregon's upset loss to Arizona, costing the Ducks a shot at the national championship and likely spoiling his chance to win the Heisman Trophy.
The quarterback tore his anterior cruciate ligament during Oregon's Nov. 3 victory over Arizona State, according to coach Mike Bellotti, but he had rested it and felt as if he was ready to play Thursday night against the Wildcats.
Now Dixon will miss the rest of this season.
"He's a little bit despondent, because he obviously wanted to continue to play," Bellotti said.
The versatile Dixon was one of the front-runners for the Heisman after he put the Ducks in line for the national title. Oregon had started the season unranked, and was picked to finish sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Drawing comparisons to Vince Young, Dixon completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,136 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. The senior from San Leandro, Calif., also ran for 583 yards and nine scores.
Thursday night's 34-24 loss to the unranked Wildcats knocked the Ducks (8-2, 5-2) out of the national title picture. Oregon was ranked behind LSU and ahead of Oklahoma and undefeated Kansas.
Dixon's left knee crumbled as he tried to plant on an option carry with about five minutes to go in the first quarter against Arizona (5-6, 4-4).
His recovery after surgery will take some six months, said team physician Bob Crist. The date for the surgery wasn't set.
Dixon was not available for comment.
Dixon first injured his knee in Oregon's 35-23 victory at home over Arizona State on Nov. 3. While he knew the extent of the injury, he felt he could still play.
"He asked us on behalf of himself and his family to keep that quiet," Bellotti said in a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon.
It was Dixon's intention to delay the surgery until after the season, the coach said. He continued with the understanding that any further instability in the knee meant he would have to stop playing, the coach said.
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