Oregon Ducks at Arizona State Sun Devils
· NCAA - FootballNix throws for 404 yards, 6 TDs as No. 6 Oregon rolls to 49-13 win over Arizona State
For two glorious quarters on Saturday, the Oregon Ducks achieved football nirvana.
Bo Nix threw for 404 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, Patrick Herbert and Troy Franklin both caught two touchdown passes and No. 6 Oregon rolled to a 49-13 win.
“We talk about playing to our standard,” Lanning said. “I think the first half is the definition of that standard.”
The Ducks buried the Sun Devils with an avalanche of offense on the way to a 42-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on their first six drives and gaining 444 total yards. Nix — a Heisman Trophy candidate — had touchdown passes of 23, 49, 16, 45, 71 and 16 yards.
And then the second half started.
“Feels awesome — it's a complete team win,” Nix said. “We played really good on offense, they protected great, ran the ball great and our receivers do what they do every week.”
The pace slowed considerably after the halftime break, but the Ducks still cruised to victory. Franklin caught eight passes for 128 yards and became the school's single-season leader for yards receiving with 1,221. Nix completed 24 of 29 passes.
Oregon (10-1, 6-2 Pac-12) came into the game with the nation's No. 1 offense, averaging more than 46 points per game.
The Ducks opened with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended when Nix hit Herbert for a 23-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Herbert caught a short pass and rumbled 49 yards down the sideline for another score, escorted by a pair of blockers that kept the tight end untouched.
A few minutes later, Nix threw a perfectly placed 16-yard touchdown to Franklin, splitting two Arizona State defenders for a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. The rout was well underway.
Oregon finished with 603 total yards and averaged nearly nine yards per play. Bucky Irving led the team with 63 yards rushing to go over 1,000 for the season.
It would have been understandable if Oregon had overlooked Arizona State, particularly considering the game's placement on the schedule. The Sun Devils have struggled for a big chunk of the season, the Ducks were coming off an emotional win over USC and now they must prepare for a game against their rival Oregon State.
But it was clear after a couple of minutes that Oregon wasn't going through the motions.
“We don't play down to a level,” Franklin said. “We're a consistent team when it comes to our play.”
Arizona State (3-8, 2-6) looked like it might be ready to give Oregon a good game after an unexpected 17-7 win over UCLA last week, surprising the Bruins with a variety of offensive formations.
The Sun Devils and first-year coach Kenny Dillingham continued that unorthodox approach on Saturday — and even had some success on the first drive — but a missed 43-yard field goal was deflating and Oregon's offense quickly put the game out of reach.
“They're just a really good football team, to be honest,” Dillingham said. “That's a team that could win the national championship. If they run the table, they deserve that opportunity.”
Arizona State got on the scoreboard with Dario Longhetto's 38-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Sun Devils added a late touchdown on Melquan Stovall's 15-yard run.
Arizona State's Trenton Bourguet completed 20 of 37 passes for 142 yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon: The Ducks put on quite an offensive show to win their fifth straight game. Nix has now thrown 35 touchdowns and just two interceptions this year, adding to a sparkling resume in his fifth college season.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils have been much more competitive over the past few weeks with solid wins over Washington State and UCLA, but they're not quite prepared to handle a team that's playing at Oregon's elite level. Give Dillingham a few recruiting classes and that might change.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oregon might not move up in the polls, but it certainly doesn't seem like it'll fall. The Ducks are still in the hunt for a Pac-12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Hosts Oregon State on Friday.
Arizona State: Hosts Arizona on Saturday.
How To Watch
How can I watch Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona State Sun Devils?
- TV Channel: Ducks at Sun Devils 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on FOX.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
TD | 1st Period 11:34 | Patrick Herbert 23 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 1st Period 6:53 | Patrick Herbert 49 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 1st Period 0:27 | Troy Franklin 16 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 9:40 | Troy Franklin 45 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 7:22 | Gary Bryant Jr. 71 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 0:10 | Tez Johnson 16 Yd pass from Bo Nix (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
FG | 3rd Period 5:33 | Dario Longhetto 38 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 4th Period 14:20 | Casey Kelly 19 Yd pass from Ty Thompson (Camden Lewis Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 8:39 | Melquan Stovall 15 Yd Run (Dario Longhetto Kick) | |
FG | 4th Period 5:09 | Dario Longhetto 34 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
ORE | ASU | |
---|---|---|
31 | 1st Downs | 20 |
3-9 | 3rd down efficiency | 3-14 |
3-4 | 4th down efficiency | 4-5 |
603 | Total Yards | 316 |
463 | Passing | 205 |
28-36 | Comp-Att | 25-47 |
12.9 | Yards per pass | 4.4 |
140 | Rushing | 111 |
33 | Rushing Attempts | 18 |
4.2 | Yards per rush | 6.2 |
5-45 | Penalties | 4-37 |
2 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
2 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
32:58 | Possession | 27:02 |
Game Information
Location: Tempe, AZ
Attendance: 44,741 · Capacity:
Big Ten - East
TEAM | OVR | CONF |
---|---|---|
Michigan | 15-0 | 9-0 |
Ohio State | 11-2 | 8-1 |
Penn State | 10-3 | 7-2 |
Maryland | 8-5 | 4-5 |
Rutgers | 7-6 | 3-6 |
Michigan State | 4-8 | 2-7 |
Indiana | 3-9 | 1-8 |
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