Oregon beats WSU in Pullman, WA
UO release – Ducks Rally Past Washington State, 44-41. trailing by 12 with less than four minutes to play, Oregon scored three times in a span of 2:47 to storm back at Martin Stadium. PULLMAN, Wash. — Games at Washington State rarely lack for drama. On Saturday afternoon, the Oregon football program scripted an epic ending to the latest chapter in the matchup. Trailing by 12 with less than 4 minutes to play, the Ducks scored three times in a span of 2:47 to storm back and win, 44-41, at Martin Stadium. The UO football team has now won three straight, and on Saturday provided head coach Dan Lanning his first win in Pac-12 Conference play. Oregon won its fourth straight over the Cougars, despite only leading for the final 81 seconds of the game. “They came out ready to compete, and they caught us off-guard; in a lot of ways they outperformed us a lot of the day,” UO coach Dan Lanning said. “But there was enough time on the clock. … Our guys got a win. And they earned a win. They battled all the way to the end.” Bo Nix completed 33-of-44 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, overcoming an early pick-six that helped put the Ducks in a 17-9 hole at halftime. But Nix rallied them back in the fourth quarter, completing touchdown passes to Cam McCormick with 3:48 left and Troy Franklin with just 1:21 to play. “To respond the way he responded, and for our team to respond to Bo the way they responded, I think that shows the ultimate confidence our team has in Bo,” Lanning said. Franklin gave the Ducks their first lead of the day with a 50-yard scoring reception, catching the ball around the 25-yard line, stumbling at the 23 but keeping his feet before racing to the end zone. Just 20 seconds later, Mase Funa picked off a WSU pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, putting Oregon up 44-34 — enough cushion to absorb one last Cougar touchdown with 1 second left. “That was just Mase — that was all Mase,” UO linebacker Noah Sewell said of the game-clinching play. “I was like, oh yeah, that’s game. That’s game right there.” The comeback capped a game that saw Oregon struggle to convert in the red area early, and struggle to contain WSU quarterback Cameron Ward in the second half. After the Ducks scored early in the second half, Ward led the Cougars to a 27-15 lead through three quarters, and it was 34-22 after Ward’s third touchdown of the day, with 6:42 left in the game. But Nix ultimately had the better day, with a more explosive and efficient performance, and ultimately with the win. “He did a great job, got us the dub,” Franklin said. “He basically told us this was a situation we work on in practice every week, so we know what to do. And we executed.” The first half was one of frustration for Oregon, particularly offensively. The Ducks made it into the red area four times but those four trips yielded a net of two points — nine for Oregon on three Camden Lewis field goals, and seven for Washington State on a pick-six with 4:36 left in the half. All of that added up to a 17-9 halftime deficit. “Our locker room never wavered,” Lanning said. “They were composed and ready to finish, the entire game. I think we knew that a lot of the issues that we were facing were self-inflicted wounds.” The offense showed immediately after halftime that it had cleaned things up, driving quickly to the Ducks’ first touchdown, a pass from Nix to Bucky Irving. But from there, some self-inflicted wounds on defense threatened to prove critical. Washington State capitalized on two UO penalties on the way to the score that made it 27-15. After the Ducks closed within 27-22 on a touchdown by Jordan James out of Oregon’s new jumbo formation featuring an extra lineman and a fullback, WSU scored again with help from two UO penalties — personal fouls on star defenders DJ Johnson and Brandon Dorlus. But after the defense kept Oregon in the game through the offense’s struggles in the first half, the offense had the defense’s back in the fourth quarter and rallied Oregon into the lead. “That was an incredible team win,” Nix said. “Our defense got us the ball back with plenty of time. And from then on, we just let our players be players.”
Beavs’ Upset Bid Falls Short
OSU release – CORVALLIS, Ore. – Seventh-ranked USC denied Oregon State’s upset bid on Saturday night in Reser Stadium, with the Trojans taking a 17-14 result. The Beavers (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) opened the scoring in the second frame when Deshaun Fenwick punched it the endzone from just four yards out for the 7-0 advantage. Fenwick’s score was set up by a 24-yard reception by Nolan Gould on a crucial fourth down to keep the drive alive. USC (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) responded two drives later after driving down for a field goal after hawking an interception from Chance Nolan before the break. Pinning the Beavers to their own two-yard line after a stalled drive, the Trojans forced Nolan into a tough situation and his second interception of the contest with just over two to play in the third. USC then drove the 26 yards necessary for the touchdown and 10-7 lead just seconds into the fourth. Jam Griffin got the Beavers the lead back with 22 yards on two carries for the score and 14-10 lead late in the contest. Oregon State got the ball back after forcing the Trojans to a three-and-out deep in their own territory. USC regained the momentum and the lead when they went 84 yards in 3:22 for the 17-14 score on a 21-yard pass from Caleb Williams, leaving just 1:13 on the clock. Oregon State’s comeback attempt fell short when Nolan was intercepted at the 32-yard line. A pair of defenders – Ryan Cooper Jr. and Omar Speights – posted new season highs in tackles, tallying five and eight, respectively. Speights’ eight led the Beavers’ defense. Nolan tossed 167 yards on 17 completions on the evening. Griffin led Oregon State with 84 yards on the ground on 12 carries. Oregon State will be back in action on Saturday, October 1st at Utah. Kickoff from Rice-Eccles Stadium is set for 11 a.m. PT.
Pac-12 vb
Oregon improved to 2-0 in the Pac-12 volleyball race with a 3-0 sweep of No 5 Stanford, Sunday, Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene. The Ducks (2-0, 8-2) host Arizona State Friday, Sept. 20, 6p. Oregon State beat visiting California, 3-2, Friday, Gill Coliseum, Corvallis. The Beavers (1-1, 6-6) host Arizona Friday, Sept. 30, Pac-12 Oregon.
Pac-12 sc
Oregon’s women beat visiting Washington 2-0 in a Pac-12 opening soccer match for the 2022 collegiate season Saturday at Eugene. The Ducks (1-0, 3-2-4) are scheduled to host UCLA Thursday, 7p, Pac-12 Insider. Oregon State’s women lost at home to visiting Washington State 1-0 Friday at Corvallis in their Pac-12 opener. The Beavers (0-1-0, 4-3-2) are scheduled to host USC Thursday, Sept. 29, 7p, Pac-12 Los Angeles.
Pac-12 xc
Oregon’s men and women’s cross-country teams won the Dellinger Invitational Friday at the Pine Ridge Gold Club, Springfield. Sierra Atkins, a junior at UC Davis, was the women’s individual champion in 19:53.4 on the 6K (3.73 miles) course. UC Davis was second to Oregon in the eight-team race. Sophomore Harper McClain led Oregon in fourth place (20:07.2). Oregon State’s women had an incomplete team. Sophomore Aleen Golla led the Beavers in 38th (21:29.2). Oregon’s men won the 8K race (4.97 miles) with 39-points, Portland was second (62), followed by UCLA (63). Duck senior Aaron Bienefeld won the race in 23:41.7. Oregon next runs at the Nuttycombe Invitational Oct. 14, Madison, WI. OSU’s women are scheduled to run Friday, Sept. 30, at the Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN.