Quack Fix: Nate Costa leads team into summer drills, Ducks on preseason watch lists and Track & Field awards

Here’s a good look at Reggie Ogburn, from 1979.

Ogburn was a juco transfer from California (just like Masoli). At College of the Canyons, he was #2 among juco players in total offense in 1977, with about 1500 passing yards and 1000 rushing. He played 4 games in 78 for CotC, but quit the team and hit the books so he could get to a major college.

The infamous John Becker, Oregon’s OC (and the architect of the probation years of suck) brought him up from SoCal with promises that he’d be a starter. This wasn’t an empty promise, as all we had coming back that year at QB was Tim Durando, who was a converted tight end (or linebacker, I forget, I smoked a lot of pot back then), and a bunch of guys who were either coming off injuries (Andrew Page, Mike Kennedy) or just not very good (Kevin Lusk).

UCLA and Arizona wanted Reggie as well, but he’d signed a LoI with Cincinnati early on, and Cincy wouldn’t release the letter to Arizona because AZ coach Tony Mason had bailed on Cincy and they didn’t want him stealing their players. Reggie couldn’t make grades to get into UCLA, so, he came north.

It didn’t hurt that Rich Brooks was committed to running the option. Durando had shown some flashes of ability, but Ogburn was faster, quicker, and had a better arm. Ogburn grabbed the starting job coming out of spring practice in ’79.

Reggie’s first start was memorable. Oregon went to Boulder to take on Colorado, which had just hired Chuck Fairbanks as head coach. Fairbanks had previously coached Oklahoma to a national title and spent six years running the Patriots into the ground in the NFL, but to the Buffs he was seen as some kind of savior. Ogburn came out and tore Colorado to shreds, making several big plays passing and running, and the Ducks — 13 point underdogs — won, 33-19. After the game Fairbanks told the press “I don’t think Oregon is a great football team.” The shock around here was that he even thought it was necessary to say such a thing.

There were ups and downs in ‘79 — the early schedule was brutal; a 41-17 road loss to Michigan State, then a 4th-quarter collapse at Autzen against the Huskies, where Ogburn tweaked his knee, then another trip to the Big 10 and a close loss at Purdue. But they righted the ship, beating Cal for the first time in seven years, and by late October Len Casanova was calling Reggie the best option quarterback he’d ever seen at Oregon.

By November, after beating Stanford to get to 5-4, people in Eugene were even saying the B word. But UCLA came to Autzen and, in one of the most miserable afternoons I ever spent sitting in the middle of a 40-degree rainstorm with a bota bag, whipped up on us 35-0. 6-5 wouldn’t get you into a bowl game back then, but Ogburn went nuts on the Beavs to secure the first winning season since Fouts was at QB.

Things were looking great, lots of talent was coming back, recruiting was going well.. then the grade scandal, and the theft scandals, and the rape scandals hit, the team went on probation, Ogburn had to sit out the first game in ’80 against Stanford along with several other players, and they lost a home game they should have won easily, even against John Elway. The next week, they tied Kansas 7-7, then kicked the shit out of Michigan State at Autzen.

The fourth game was in Seattle, it was the first time I’d gone to a game at Husky Stadium, and all afternoon I heard UW fans flicking us crap about how bad we were going to get our asses kicked. The 4th quarter of that game is something I’ll never forget, because it was a party in the west end zone as Ogburn scored twice after two masterful option drives, and Steve Brown picked off a pass and went the distance. 34-10. Brooks called it his most memorable win for years afterwards.

Ups and downs continued. Ogburn was injured early against Cal, and they lost; he was back at home against USC, and they tied ( at 2-2-2, someone called Oregon the most .500 team in the country). They finished the season going 4-1, including a nice revenge win at UCLA — the 3rd win over a ranked team in ’80. A season-ending loss to ASU was a bummer, but Reggie almost pulled off a huge comeback with 3 4th quarter TDs in a 42-37 loss. He was the real deal.

Even on probation, 6-3-2 seemed like a great season. And Ogburn was the catalyst; without him, it’s unlikely they would have seen four wins with all the injuries and chaos that season.

Reggie shared team MVP honors with Vince Goldsmith that year.

He didn’t get drafted. Too short to be a NFL QB, they said. Nobody runs option in the NFL, they said. He tried, and failed, to land a job with Winnipeg in the CFL, then signed as a free-agent before the ‘81 fall camp with the Raiders as a running back. He didn’t make it.

Not sure where he is now, but nobody who watched him play is likely to forget Reggie Ogburn.