Flint's clutch leg and Costa's steady hand help save day.

Byline: Rob Moseley The Register-Guard

TUCSON, Ariz. - Oregon's 44-41 overtime victory over Arizona on Saturday would not have been possible without an excuse-me field goal by Morgan Flint and a clutch hold by Nate Costa on an extra-point attempt, both in the fourth quarter.

Flint, a senior from Bend known more for his accuracy than his range, matched his week-old career long with a 43-yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter. The kick looked short off his foot but somehow spun through the uprights after hitting the crossbar.

"How far was that?" UO coach Chip Kelly asked postgame.

Upon being told the distance, Kelly said: "Well, that's his limit."

Flint later tied the game again at 31-31 with an extra point with 6 seconds left in regulation. The kick was routine, but only because Costa dug a low snap by Jeff Palmer out of the grass turf and made a perfect placement.

"Jeff's snaps are perfect, that one was just a little low," Costa said. "I got it up and Morgan made a great kick. ...

"That was a clutch kick by Morgan. It was one of those things where, if we don't make that play we're all going to look like a bunch of jackasses. But Morgan made a great kick, and we salvaged it."

Placekicking provided more dramatics earlier in the game when Kelly called consecutive timeouts before a field-goal attempt by Arizona's Alex Zendejas on the final play of the first half. Zendejas converted the career-long 47-yard attempt, then ran toward the UO sideline to taunt the Ducks.

Blount dresses, doesn't play

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount dressed but did not play, for the second straight week since his indefinite suspension was lifted.

Blount spent much of the game on the sideline near running backs coach Gary Campbell, but by the end of the second overtime he was sitting alone on the bench. He left the field almost immediately after play ended.

LaMichael James got 19 of the 21 carries by UO running backs Saturday, with senior Andre Crenshaw getting the other two.

"I think he understands that there wasn't the time," Campbell said. "We had to keep the continuity of the game going. I wanted so badly to get him in the game, and I'm going to talk to him about it and let him know. ...

"He was disappointed, but I think he's going to be fine."

Drama precedes Duck pick

ESPN analyst Lee Corso picked Oregon to beat Arizona to close the network's production of the pregame College GameDay show from outside Arizona Stadium, and he added a bit of his traditional flair in doing so.

Corso typically uses the head of a participating team's mascot when making his pick. He reached behind his desk to reveal a Duck head, acted as if he was going to switch it for the Arizona mascot - a bit of theater Corso has used in the past - then went ahead and donned the UO mascot's head after all.

Earlier this season in Eugene, Corso donned the Duck head and rode away from the set on a motorcycle after picking Oregon to beat USC at Autzen Stadium.

New faces on travel squad

Along with Blount, the two other changes to the travel squad this week were the addition of veteran reserve safety Pono Kam and walk-on linebacker Blake Thompson, of Cottage Grove.

Junior linebacker Bryson Littlejohn, a versatile special teams performer, did not make the trip after missing practice this week with an ankle injury.

Defensive tackle Terrance Montgomery and offensive tackle NaDerris Ward also did not make the trip after making the 64-player travel squad earlier this season.