Cut off the head, and the body will die.
It's the principle that dictates stopping any defense with a dynamic player, but the mantra holds even more true for stopping a team with more than one threat.
And when Oregon's spread-option offense is rolling, opponents have to pick their poison between Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart.
But when looking at the Ducks, it is clear that Dixon is the one responsible for the well-being of the Pac-10's top offense.
Last year, Dixon floundered and posted more interceptions than touchdowns. The Trojans bottled him up and rendered him ineffective in last season's decisive win.
But something clicked for Dixon this year. As a senior, he's posted numbers gaudier than the Ducks' highlighter uniforms. He's completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and tallied over 2,000 yards of total offense and 23 touchdowns.
Dixon is also the unquestioned leader of the offense. After taking shots from his own coach for trying out professional baseball over the summer instead of working with his team, Dixon has risen to the occasion and led the Ducks to a No. 5 ranking in the major polls.
Dixon hasn't let the team's mounting injuries slow him, either. Despite losing three of his top wide receivers, he has kept the offense rolling.
Stewart is no slouch, but he doesn't pose the same threat that Dixon does. If Stewart was the team's only threat, teams would simply load up against the run all day.
But Dixon poses the ability to both run and pass effectively, giving defensive coordinators fits when they plan to contain him. He's shown the patience to take whatever the defense gives him.
The threat Dixon poses was encompassed by comparisons to Vince Young, or "he who shall not be named" to most Trojans, early in the week. And while the similarities to the former University of Texas star have been rightly eschewed, the mere thought of another quarterback running wild in the open field is a cause for concern.
"You get him in the open situations, they do the same kind of damage," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "You can't catch up with Dennis, either."
Pretty lofty praise from a coach who's seen some talented dual-threat quarterbacks in his day.
Cal laid out the blueprint for how to contain Dixon and beat Oregon.
The Bears held Dixon to 17 yards on eight carries, keeping him in the pocket for much of the game. Dixon was forced to throw the ball 44 times. While he completed 31 of those throws, most were for short gains that limited the Ducks to a season-low 24 points.
For comparison's sake, Stewart rushed for 120 yards in that game. But the Bears were more than willing to give Stewart his yards if it meant containing Dixon - the team's true offensive threat.
"The offense revolves around him," defensive end Kyle Moore said of Dixon.
While Stewart's contributions to Oregon's offense have been important, he has been somewhat of a red herring. His play has always been stellar, but he hasn't made the same quantum leap that Dixon has this season.
Last year, Oregon was one of the most disappointing teams in the Pac-10, and Dixon was just as much of a letdown. At times, he was replaced by Brady Leaf to give the offense a shot in the arm.
This year, however, it's Dixon who has given the offense a spark. With the way
Oregon's offensive players have been succumbing to injuries as of late, Dixon is one of the team's only consistencies.
Acting as the team's point guard, he's able to distribute the ball to stars and walk-ons alike.
And if USC plans on leaving Autzen Stadium with a win, the Trojans will have to make stopping Dixon their top priority.
