Wilson throws for 4 TDs in Utah win over Oregon
EUGENE, Ore. — Travis Wilson returned from a shoulder sprain and threw for 227 yards and four touchdowns in No. 18 Utah’s 62-20 victory over No. 13 Oregon on Saturday night in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.
Wilson completed 18 of 30 passes, hitting nine receivers, and ran for 100 yards and another score for Utah (4-0). The lanky senior sprained his left shoulder two weeks ago against Utah State and sat out the Utes’ victory last weekend over Fresno State.
It was Oregon’s worst loss at home since falling 54-0 to Washington in 1977. Utah’s 62 points were the most scored against a Pac12 opponent since joining the league in 2011, and also the most the Ducks have ever allowed in Eugene.
Vernon Adams Jr. started at quarterback for Oregon (2-2) despite a broken index finger that kept him out of the Ducks’ victory last weekend over Georgia State, but he didn’t last long and was replaced by backup Jeff Lockie in the second quarter.
But it was Oregon’s besieged defense that had no solution for Wilson and the rolling Utes, who amassed 530 yards of total offense.
Andy Phillips put Utah ahead with early field goals from 28 and 44 yards, and Utah’s defense thwarted Oregon’s first three series of the game.
But Byron Marshall’s 77-yard kickoff return and a facemask penalty put Oregon on the Utes 11 at the end of the first quarter, and Adams capped the short drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Royce Freeman. The 2-point conversion failed.
The Utes pulled back in front on Wilson’s 26-yard touchdown pass to wideopen Britain Covey in the end zone, then pushed the lead to 20-16 with Wilson’s 7-yard pass to Kenneth Scott.
Oregon’s defense struggled. The unit went into the game ranked 105th among FBS programs for overall defense, allowing an average of 456.3 yards. The Ducks’ scoring defense was at 104th in the country.
Adams did too. The senior, transferred to Oregon from Eastern Washington for his final season of eligibility, broke his finger in the season opener against his former team. He completed just two of seven pass attempts before he was replaced by Lockie, Marcus Mariota’s backup last season.
Lockie sparked the offense, completing his first three passes of the game and earning a “Lock-ie! Lock-ie!” chant from the Autzen Stadium crowd. His first drive finished with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Bralon Addison.
But the enthusiasm from the crowd was short-lived and Utah answered with Wilson’s 9-yard scoring pass to true freshman Caleb Repp to make it 27-13 going into the half.
Wilson opened the third quarter with a 2-yard scoring run, and the Utes padded the lead with running back Devontae Booker’s 25-yeard scoring pass to Britain.
Oregon suffered a blow early in the third quarter when Marshall appeared to injure his right ankle on a kickoff return. The senior receiver, who ranks 10th on Oregon’s career list with 27 touchdown receptions, had to be carted to the locker room.
Wilson hit Repp with a 16-yeard scoring pass and the Utes went up 48-13, sending fans streaming for the exits. Boobie Hobbs added a touchdown on a scored on a 69-yard punt return when Utah faked out the Ducks by drawing them to a different player.
No. 21 Stanford 42, Oregon
State 24: Kevin Hogan, a game-time decision because of an ankle sprain, threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns as No. 21 Stanford beat Oregon State 42-24 on Friday night.
Christian McCaffrey ran for a career-high 206 yards for Stanford (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12), which held just a 21-17 lead at the half over the Beavers (2-2, 0-1) before a pair of third-quarter touchdowns.
Oregon State true freshman Seth Collins hit Jordan Villamin with a 40-yard scoring pass to open the fourth quarter and the Beavers pulled within 35-24, but Stanford answered with Barry Sanders’ 65-yard touchdown run and Oregon State couldn’t catch up.
Hogan was a question mark for the game after injuring his left ankle in the second half of last week’s upset of then No. 6 USC. He threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns in that one, gritting out a 41-31 win that put Stanford back in the rankings.
He showed no sign of the injury against the Beavers, deftly moving the Cardinal downfield on the opening series of the game. Remound Wright capped the drive with a 1-yard scoring run.
Collins answered for the Beavers with a 1-yard touchdown run after finding Victor Bolden in traffic with a 7-yard pass to get close.
After Hogan hit Austin Hooper with a 42-yard TD pass to make it 14-7, Collins again led Oregon State on a successful drive that ended with redshirt freshman Ryan Nall’s 5-yard scoring run, the first touchdown of his career.
Stanford went up 21-14 in the second quarter on Wright’s 2-yard scoring run. But Cardinal starting defensive end Aziz Shittu was injured before the half and had to be helped from the field.
Garrett Owens made a 24-yard field goal for Oregon State just before halftime that cut the margin to 21-17.
Collins fumbled on the opening series of the second half and Stanford recovered on the Oregon State 9-yard line, but the Beavers’ defense held and the Cardinal had to settle for a 28-yard field goal attempt— which missed wide left.
Stanford began to pull away midway through the third quarter when Hogan hit Michael Rector with a 49-yard touchdown pass that extended the lead to 28-17. Sanders added an 11-yard scoring run for the Cardinal later in the quarter.
Colorado 48, Nicholls 0: The Colorado Buffaloes head into Pac-12 play riding their first three-game winning streak in seven years following a 48-0 rout of Nicholls State on Saturday.
Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre’s son, Jay, scored his first collegiate touchdown, Nelson Spruce set another school receiving record and Jared Bell picked off two passes in Colorado’s first shutout since a 24-0 whitewash of Wyoming on Sept. 19, 2009.
Even three trips inside the Colonels’ 10-yard line that came up empty couldn’t keep the Buffs (3-1) from romping to their biggest win in six tries over an FCS-level opponent.
With 80 yards on five catches, Spruce eclipsed Michael Westbrook’s mark for most receiving yards in school history. Spruce now has 2,570 yards, 22 more than Westbrook collected from 1991-94.
Jay MacIntyre, a sophomore wide receiver, turned his first career catch into a 38-yard touchdown when he darted into the end zone in the first quarter.
Here’s how lopsided the game was: Colorado took 71 of its 93 snaps in Nicholls’ territory and the Colonels took just three of their 56 snaps in Buffaloes’ territory.
The Buffs led 24-0 at halftime but they also stalled twice just shy of the goal line. Christian Powell fumbled at the 2 following a 12-yard run and linebacker Hezekiah White recovered. And Liufau was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 sneak from the 6.
Those were the only highlights for the Colonels (0-3), who lost for the 21st straight time.
Phillip Lindsay rushed 17 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Donovan Lee posted his first 100-yard game with 103 yards on 10 carries, his biggest a 59-yard burst for a TD that made it 38-0. Powell ran 13 times for 73 yards and a score and Kyle Evans 15 times for 48 yards and a TD.
Diego Gonzalez was good twice from 46 yards out but hit the left upright on a 26-yard field-goal try. California 30, Washington 24: Jared Goff threw for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and California held off Washington’s second-half rally for a 30-24 victory in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both schools.
This time there was no late escape for the Bears thanks to special teams mistakes like last week at Texas. Goff was 24-of-40 passing and had touchdowns of 28 yards to Bryce Treggs and 8 yards to Kenny Lawler. Matt Anderson hit three field goals, including a 37-yarder with 5:34 left to give the Bears a 30-21 lead.
Washington (2-2, 0-1) got a 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Sidney Jones to cut the deficit to 27-21 late in the third quarter but the Huskies fumbled on their next possession in California territory and could not get closer.
Washington freshman Jake Browning didn’t complete a pass until the 5:42 mark of the second quarter but finished 17 of 28 for 152 yards and two interceptions. Dwayne Washington rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but fumbled with about 11 minutes remaining inside California territory one play after he couldn’t haul in Browning’s pass down the sideline that could have gone for a go-ahead touchdown.
Goff completed a 27-yard pass on third down to Treggs on the ensuing drive to the Washington 25 that was initially ruled incomplete before a review. Anderson capped the drive with his third field goal and a nine-point advantage.
Cameron Van Winkle hit a 36-yard field goal for Washington with 3:57 left and Goff was sacked for the fifth time on third down with 3 minutes remaining. Washington got the ball back with two timeouts remaining but Browning was pressured and intercepted by Damariay Drew with 1:57 left. Washington committed five turnovers.
California looked on its way to a blowout after taking a 27-7 lead when Goff hit Lawler for an 8-yard TD on the Bears’ first drive of the second half. That TD pass pulled Goff even with Kyle Boller for California’s career touchdowns passing record with 64.
That’s when the Huskies rally started. Browning hit 6 of 7 passes on Washington’s next drive and Chico McClatcher went the final 2 yards on a fly sweep trimming the deficit to 27-14. That was followed by Jones’ triple play of forcing the fumble, recovering the loose ball and returning it 70 yards for a touchdown to make it a one-score game.