LAS VEGAS -- Oregon quarterback Bo Nix knew the question was coming Friday night ...
Does he plan to play in the Ducks' yet-to-be-announced bowl game or will he opt out to begin preparing for the NFL draft?
"I knew somebody was going to ask this. Can we just enjoy the moment right now, enjoy the season? That's not today, that decision," Nix said playfully. "I have no idea. I'm looking forward to whatever bowl game is chosen for us, and I'm just trying to get over that loss so I'm not really thinking about anything after today."
The ABC cameras honed in on Nix for an extended shot during the final minute of Oregon's 34-31 loss to Washington in the Pac-12 championship game Friday night in Las Vegas, as he sat alone on the end of the bench with his head down and a towel draped over it after Huskies running back Dillon Johnson's first-down run sealed the outcome.
Nix had done his part to lead the Ducks (11-2) back from an early 20-3 deficit, leading them to 21 straight points and a brief 24-20 lead late in the third quarter. And when Oregon went down by 10 with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, Nix led a two-play scoring drive on a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown to Traeshon Holden to make it a 3-point game.
He needed the Oregon defense to make one more stop to give him a chance to add to his Heisman Trophy campaign, but it never came.
Nix finished 21-of-34 passing for 239 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception along with a team-high 69 rushing yards (including a 44-yard scamper to set up a third quarter touchdown) in what could have been his final college game.
If it was, he'd finish the season with a career-high 4,145 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, plus 228 yards and 6 touchdowns rushing. After coming into Friday as the betting favorite for the Heisman, Nix has now been surpassed by LSU QB Jayden Daniels, who is set as an overwhelming favorite.
None of that changes the impact Nix had on the Ducks program in his two years after transferring in from Auburn.
"I think it just speaks to who Bo is," Lanning said of Nix's performance Friday. "He obviously brought us back there to be within one score there at the end. His explosive run showed his legs. I thought the guy ran extremely tough tonight. The opportunities he had to run, he put his head down and did everything he could to get the first [down] or get explosive plays. He made some elite throws -- that last throw in 2-minute was really special. So, Bo did what I've seen him do all season. He competed until the very end. He handled some adversity and when it set in he responded to that. Walking away, three touchdowns, a really long run, I'm impressed with our quarterback."
Nix may not have had anything to say about his status for the bowl game or whether this was indeed his final game in an Oregon uniform, but he had plenty to say in reflecting back on the moment and his career.
"I'm in an interesting position because, you know, I've been flat on my face at times in college football and I've been counted out and just kind of thrown out, and the Lord picked me up and he put me right back on the field with a great team. I know that doesn't always happen. It's just, I think, a testimony to many people out there who are going through difficult times," Nix said. "No matter what happens, I think the Lord has a plan for each one of us and he has a plan for our lives. I'm extremely honored to be in the position that I'm in because I can have influence on a lot of people, and it's an honor to me and I don't take it for granted. At times like this, you can ask why or you can look up and pout, but look where he brought me -- look how far he's brought me. Obviously, he's not done -- the path is still being created and it's just up to us to have faith and follow our hearts wherever we may feel led. I think my college career is a huge testament to that, and a lot of people can learn from it, that even though you may fall flat on your face there's an opportunity to get back up if you really want to keep pushing."
If this is it for Nix, he'd finish his five-year college football career with 14,989 passing yards, 108 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, 1,607 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground.
"I'm going to miss college football," Nix said. "... Right now, I'm just going to enjoy the moments that I have with my teammates, and as crazy as it sounds, I'm going to enjoy this plane ride home with the guys because I've had many of them before but I'm not sure how many of them I'm going to have in front of me. Just a lot of emotions, a lot going on that, man, you wish you could change, you wish you go could go back and do so many different things."
