Marcus Mariota and the Ducks rolled to the Pac-12 title. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The No. 2 Oregon Ducks virtually assured themselves a berth in the four-team national championship playoff by beating the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats 51-13 on Friday in the Pac-12 championship game at Levi’s Stadium.
The Ducks (12-1) dominated the game, outgaining Arizona 640-224 and avenging their only loss of the season — a 31-24 Arizona victory in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 2.
Oregon scored more than 40 points for the eighth consecutive game, and Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota probably improved his Heisman Trophy chances by completing 25 of 38 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for three touchdowns and has accounted for a conference-record 53 touchdowns this season.
Freshman running back Royce Freeman rushed for 114 yards for Oregon.
The only question for the Ducks is whether they will be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. In either case, Oregon likely will play its semifinal game in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Arizona’s postseason destination is less certain, especially after such a one-sided loss.
The Wildcats (10-3) used three quarterbacks on Friday, but none of them had much success against Oregon’s defense, which is not considered the team’s strength.
Oregon dominated the first half, outgaining Arizona 379-25 and taking a 23-0 lead into halftime.
Arizona, which had won its past two games against Oregon by rolling up a lot yardage on the ground, had minus-9 rushing yards in the first half on 13 carries, which included three sacks.
Mariota was 12 for 23 for 102 yards in the first half, and Freeman had 90 yards rushing on 15 carries by halftime.
Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon was 6 of 12 for 34 yards in the first half.
Oregon scored on its opening possession, going 64 yards in nine plays before Aidan Schneider kicked a 34-yard field goal on the 10th play of the drive to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead.
The Ducks scored again after recovering a fumble by Arizona’s Tyrell Johnson at the Arizona 37-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. An apparent 37-yard touchdown run by Freeman was negated by a holding penalty. After being pushed back to the 47, the Ducks drove to the 5-yard line before Schneider kicked his second field goal, this one a 22-yarder that made it 6-0.
Oregon failed to score after getting to the Arizona 2-inch line in the second quarter, but the Ducks scored the game’s first touchdown on their next possession. Mariota’s 7-yard scoring run completed a 39-yard drive that gave the Ducks a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Oregon was aided on that drive by a pass interference call on Arizona safety Williams Parks that gave the Ducks a first down at the 7-yard line.
A 74-yard reception by wide receiver Charles Nelson set of the Ducks’ next touchdown, which was scored on Mariota’s 4-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left in the half to make it a 20-0 game.
Schneider added a 23-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
NOTES: This was the first Pac-12 championship game played at a neutral site. The previous three title games were played on the home field of the team with the better Pac-12 record. … Oregon entered Friday’s game having lost only two of its last 16 games — with both losses coming against Arizona. The Wildcats beat Oregon last year 42-16 in Tucson, and handed the Ducks their only loss this season, 31-24 in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 2. … Oregon C Hroniss Grasu, a three-time all-conference selection, missed his third straight game with a leg injury. … Arizona C Steven Gurrola was ejected for fighting in the second half. He will miss the first half of whatever bowl game the Wildcats play in. … Arizona entered Friday’s game having never won an outright Pac-10 or Pac-12 championship. The Wildcats, who joined the conference in 1978, tied for first place in 1993. … The Pac-12 title game is the only conference championship game this year to feature two top-10 teams.
