QUICKIE RECAP
To the victor go the spoils!
It was the marquee matchup in the Pac-12 Saturday where the winner would come away with an inside track to the Pac-12 Championship as well as keeping their hopes alive for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Oregon scored 21 points in the first half and scored 14 in the second half to beat No. 13 Utah 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,586.
More impressively, the Ducks defense only allowed just 6 points in the win which will go a long way in how college football now looks at the 7-1 / 4-1 Ducks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Utah deferred after the opening coin toss, Oregon showed its offensive prowess by driving the length of the field in 6 plays and 75 yards and scored the first points of the game with a Bo Nix 1-yard keeper.
That single drive proved the Ducks didn’t come to Salt Lake City to lose. In the post-game presser head coach Dan Lanning and QB Bo Nix both said they wanted to take the crowd out of the game immediately and they certainly did with that opening drive to take a 7-0 lead at the 12:18 mark.
With less than five minutes left, and after a Bucky Irving fumble, the Utes booted a 32-yard field goal to notch their first points of the game.
On the next possession, Oregon once again found the endzone when Nix found RB Jordan James on an 18-yard wheel route for a touchdown to extend the Ducks lead to 14-3 with 18 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Utah opened the second quarter with a turnover when Bryson Barnes tossed the first of two interceptions – both to Tysheem Johnson.
Oregon took advantage with a 5 play – 30 yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Troy Franklin who caught his 9th scoring pass of the season. The Ducks led 21-3 at the 12:29 mark.
The Utes scored the second of their field goals after the Ducks failed on a 3rd and long with 1:33 left before the break. Utah’s placekicker Cole Becker split the uprights with a 30-yard kick to end the first half.
The Ducks led 21-6 at the half.
In the second half Utah took the opening kick and went a quick three and out.
After the Utah punt, Nix once again went to work using the passing attack and found TE Terrance Ferguson on a 20-yard hookup to get the offense to the Utah 9-yard line.
On the very next play, the Oregon offensive line opened a hole for Bucky Irving who danced into the endzone for a 28-6 lead with 8:44 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
On the ensuing possession Barnes threw his second interception of the game giving the Ducks great field possession at their own 48 yard line.
It didn’t take long to score.
Nix led the Ducks on 5-play 52-yard drive that culminated with a 5-yard rushing score by Traeshon Holden who took a backward pass from Nix and raced around the corner for the score.
Oregon led 35-6 with 6:08 remaining in the 3rd.
And that’s all they would need as the Ducks defense held Utah scoreless for the remainder of the game.
OREGON 35, UTAH 6
MOST VALUABLE PLAY