(2) Oregon Decimates (7) Arizona in Pac-12 Title

Right from the get go, the No. 2 Oregon Ducks were in control of the Pac-12 Championship Game, and rolled to a dominating 51-13 victory over the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats.

The Ducks had to settle for a field goal on the first drive of the game, and after an Arizona fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Oregon was in the driver’s seat again, but once more settled on three points.

But that would be the last time Arizona’s defense would be able to help bail out the rest of the team.

The Wildcats never got anything going on the offensive side of the ball, managing  just 25 yards in the first half. Oregon scored 23 points in the first half.

For the second time in three weeks, Arizona freshman quarterback Anu Solomon was unable to continue playing after halftime due to an ankle injury. USC transfer Jesse Scroggins was the first guy to get a chance, and he connected on a 69-yard TD pass to Cayleb Jones to put Arizona on the board five minutes into the third quarter. Arizona’s other six points came on a buzzer-beating 25-yard TD run by the third quarterback of the night, LSU transfer Jerrard Randall.

But this night was all about Marcus Mariota, and his ability to wrap up the Heisman Trophy vote. The Ducks’ junior quarterback finished the night 25-38 through the air, with two touchdown strikes and 313 yards passing. But that wasn’t enough. Not one, not two, but three rushing touchdowns for Mariota in Levi’s Stadium  as well.

The dominating win not only cements Mariota’s Heisman case, but locks Oregon into the four-team College Football Playoff field. More than likely, Oregon will be heading to the Rose Bowl, as it seems they’ll be the first or second seed. After Arizona’s win over Oregon earlier in the season, there was a lot of talk amongst Pac-12 coaches that it may actually cost the conference a playoff bid. But Oregon has done their part, and has shown that they fit the bill to represent the conference moving forward.

There was never any drama here, and there weren’t very many people in Santa Clara to witness it, but that’s a discussion for a different day. Oregon needed to make a statement, and Arizona just happened to be the team that statement was made against. There was no way Marcus Mariota and co. would miss out on the opportunity that was in front of them. They just seized the moment a little more strongly than most people expected, including Arizona.

 

*Section Photo credit to Craig Mitchelldyer, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Scott Olmos, USA Today Sports. 

Karlos Williams Out For ACC Championship
Karlos Williams Out For ACC Championship