Oregon's Dixon has developed into Heisman candidate

The deft decision making that has helped turn Oregon’s starting quarterback into an emerging Heisman Trophy candidate was first played out on a table in a minor-league baseball clubhouse during the summer.

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There, during a rain delay with the Gulf Coast (Fla.) Braves, Dennis Dixon set sunflower seeds out and diagrammed offensive and defensive formations.

“I did a couple plays that I thought would work in blitz situations, tried to think about how I would check off on things,” Dixon said.

On the football field this fall, Dixon has been treating opposing defenses in the same manner as sunflower seeds — chewing them up and spitting them out. In leading the Ducks to fifth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, Dixon has established himself as the nation’s most dynamic, dangerous QB.

In past seasons, the athleticism and talent were evident in the 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior. But it was not until this season that Dixon has been able to fully unleash his talent, thanks to his own maturity and the tutelage of a new offensive coordinator.

It all adds up to 154 completions in 224 attempts (68.8 percent) for 1,885 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions and 492 yards and eight TDs rushing for Oregon, which is 7-1 heading into a Saturday showdown against Arizona State, No. 4 in the BCS standings.

“I don’t think anybody has defended him,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “We have to try to control him, but he is hard to control because of his ability to run. If you look throughout the country for a guy that should be considered for the Heisman Trophy, it would be him.”

This kind of success seemed a long way off for Dixon during the second half of 2006, when he struggled, with just two TDs and nine interceptions in his last six games. The Ducks lost four of them, and Dixon did not start in the rivalry game against Oregon State or the Las Vegas Bowl against Brigham Young.

In February, coach Mike Bellotti hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Kelly, who had enjoyed a successful eight-year stint at Division I-AA New Hampshire, opened Dixon’s eyes to the possibilities for a QB of Dixon’s abilities in Oregon’s spread offense, then simplified it for him.

“He’s meant a lot to me,” Dixon said of Kelly, whom he praised several times during a 15-minute conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “Watching film one-on-one with him has been so valuable for me, and he’s come up with a game plan that always fits.

“Chip always makes it fun, even in practice. You enjoy doing it, and when the game comes around, it’s easier.”

Easier for Dixon has translated into much harder for opposing defenses. Spy with a linebacker, blitz frequently, sit back — not one approach has worked with consistency, as Dixon can run away from trouble, hit a hot receiver or audible to a safer run play featuring Jonathan Stewart (1,043 yards rushing, nine TDs).

“It’s his fifth year in the program and the third in the system,” Bellotti said. “Chip Kelly has done a lot to make him understand this offense and the corresponding response of the defense. He’s been a better student of the game. He challenges himself and knows that we are doing.

“As a result, his decision making has improved dramatically. He had a good first half of last season, and he didn’t finish that. Now, he’s in the process of finishing that.”

After Dixon — who has already earned a degree in sociology; billiards is his only class this semester — is finished at Oregon, what is next?

Baseball is very much an option for Dixon, who was selected in the fifth round (168th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in the 2006 draft, despite the fact that he had not played since high school. (Oregon has not had a team since 1981 but has reinstated it as a varsity sport for the ’09 season.)

As an outfielder, he hit .176 (13-for-74) with seven RBIs and five stolen bases in 28 games at the rookie level.

“I’ll talk with my family at the end of the season,” Dixon said. “I’ll see what my (NFL draft) forecast is and how I do at the various evaluations and talk to my family. It will be a thorough decision process.”

If Dixon — who Mel Kiper, ESPN’s draft guru, rates as the No. 5 senior QB in the country — applies the decision-making principles to his future as he has on the gridiron this season, he will likely choose wisely.

“I have a lot of options,” Dixon said. “The sky is the limit.”