Oregon's Dixon Named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year

Jonathan Stewart also was an unanimous first-team choice after leading the Pac-10 in rushing (122.4 avg.) and ranking 10th in the country.

Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - University of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon heads the list of five Duck football players named the Pacific-10 Conference’s first-team as he was an unanimous choice as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year despite missing the final two games of the regular season.

The San Leandro, Calif., senior, who is one of three finalists for the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top collegiate player, becomes only the school’s third player in the 33 years the award has been given to earn the league’s top offensive player honors, joining quarterbacks Akili Smith (1998) and Joey Harrington (2001).

Joining Dixon on the first-team all-conference squad are a quartet of junior standouts -- defensive back Patrick Chung, defensive end Nick Reed, running back Jonathan Stewart and offensive lineman Max Unger.

It marks the most first-team all-conference selections the Ducks have secured since they had five players named to the first team in the program’s 1994 Rose Bowl season.

Stewart also was an unanimous first-team choice after leading the Pac-10 in rushing (122.4 avg.) and ranking 10th in the country.

The Ducks’ single-season rushing (1,469 yards) and all-purpose yards (2,199) record-holder also ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards and third in kickoff returns. He also has been selected a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.

Reed stands third in the nation in tackles for loss (1.88 per game avg.) and tied for sixth in quarterback sacks (1.0 avg.) as the conference leader in both categories, while Chung is third in the league in tackles (9.17 avg.) in addition to snagging two interceptions, forcing one fumble and blocking two kicks.

Unger started all 12 games at center in 2007 for an offensive unit that shattered the 52-year-old school record for rushing yards (2,919) while ranking eighth in the country (243.3 avg.). He earned second-team all-conference honors a year ago at left tackle and has extended his string of consecutive starts to 37 games.

Oregon’s five first-team all-conference selections were exceeded only by USC’s eight first-team picks.

In addition, Stewart was named to the second-team all-conference unit as a kick returner, along with senior offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and junior offensive lineman Fenuki Tupou.

Earning honorable mention all-conference acclaim were junior linebacker Jerome Boyd, punter Josh Syria and wide receiver Jaison Williams, as well as sophomore defensive backs Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond, and defensive end Will Tukuafu.

Source: goducks.com

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