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Dashing
debut
Former
Griz great
lifts Chargers to NFL win
Three
former University of Montana football stars met on the national
stage Aug. 12 when the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco
49ers faced off in an NFL preseason match.
Receiver
Jimmy Farris and lineman Scott Gragg suited up for the Niners,
but San Diego quarterback Dave Dickenson stole the show
— as UM and Canadian Football League fans have seen
him do so many times before — by rallying the Chargers
for a late-game victory.
In
his NFL debut, Dickenson jogged onto the field with 3:59
left to play and his team trailing by seven points. He proceeded
to drive the Chargers 54 yards in 10 memorable plays for
the win. The drive was capped with a 3-yard scoring pass
to DeRonnie Pitts that cut the lead to 24-23. When the Chargers
went for the 2-point conversion, Dickenson dropped back
and, just before getting laid out, fired a winning pass
to Patrick Batteaux.
Gragg, Dickenson’s teammate during 1992-94, knew the
contest wasn’t over when Dickenson came out for the
final drive.
“I
don’t like being on the other side of that,” he
stated in the Missoulian. “I’ve been in the huddle
knowing that we were going to win the game when we were
down a touchdown because he’s in there.”
For
the game, Dickenson completed 17 of 27 passes for 192 yards,
no interceptions and one touchdown. He started slow, gaining
just 5 passing yards in the second quarter, but he finished
by going 10 of 14 for 119 yards in the fourth.
Though
he won the game, Dickenson’s future with the Chargers
isn’t certain. The No. 1 unit with quarterback Doug
Flutie looked sharp, and second-round draft pick Drew Brees
will likely be Flutie’s backup. But after the game
Dickenson said, “This was a good start.”
If
he makes the team, Dickenson will join his brother, Craig,
a Chargers assistant coach who helps with the offense and
special teams. Craig Dickenson was on UM’s coaching
staff during 1993-98.
During
the game Farris caught one pass for the Niners, a 19-yard
strike from backup quarterback Rick Mirer in the second
quarter.
Dave Dickenson didn’t play in the Chargers’ next
preseason game, an Aug. 18 contest against the Miami Dolphins,
but Brees was 15-24 for 194 yards and a touchdown.
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