Kaelin Clay's mishap turned the game around. (Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY — Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 114 yards and a score to lift the No. 4 Ducks to a 51-27 victory over No. 17 Utah on Saturday night.
Mariota helped Oregon (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) hold off a furious second-half rally by the Utes.
Utah quarterback Travis Wilson passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns a week after throwing for just 57 yards. But Wilson also threw two interceptions — part of four total turnovers for the Utes.
Utah’s normally stout defense wore down against the Ducks in the fourth quarter. The Utes (6-3, 3-3) surrendered 508 yards of total offense and allowed Oregon to accumulate 27 first downs.
Down two touchdowns at halftime, Utah cut the deficit in half heading into the fourth quarter. After trading field goals with Oregon, Booker reeled in a pass in stride and raced 27 yards for the score to cut the Ducks’ lead to 27-20.
Oregon kicker Aidan Schneider answered with a 42-yard field goal to boost the lead back to double digits.
Utah wasn’t done with the comeback. The Utes pulled to within three when Wilson connected with tight end Westlee Tonga on a 13-yard touchdown strike to make it 30-27 with 11:48 left.
The Ducks struck quickly. Mariota connected with receiver Dwayne Stanford on an underneath route and Stanford took it in for a 34-yard touchdown, making it 37-27 for Oregon.
Utah had a chance to respond on its next drive, but Andy Phillips bounced a 48-yard field goal attempt off the right post.
Mariota punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:51 left to seal the win.
After Wilson threw his second interception to linebacker Tyson Coleman, Royce Freeman punched in a 11-yard scoring run a play later to make it 51-27 with 4:24 remaining.
Utah started near midfield on its opening possession after a long kickoff return from receiver Kaelin Clay. The Utes did not waste the favorable field position. Utah marched 51 yards in nine plays, scoring on an 8-yard run by running back Bubba Poole, to go up 7-0.
Oregon did not get on the board until the start of the second quarter when the Ducks scored on one of the wildest plays imaginable.
Wilson found Clay for a 79-yard completion on a third-and-5 from their own 21. As Clay neared the goal line for a potential touchdown that could have put the Utes up by 14 points, Oregon linebacker Joe Walker eventually scooped up the ball and raced 100 yards for the tying score. Walker nearly went untouched on a play that changed the complexion of the game.
Buoyed by the momentum of Walker’s touchdown, Oregon forced a three-and-out on Utah’s next series. The Ducks responded with their first offensive touchdown of the night on a fourth down pass from Mariota to backup receiver Dwayne Stanford.
Oregon increased its lead to 21-7 with 4:51 left in the half on a 6-yard scoring strike from Mariota to receiver Pharaoh Brown. It took the Ducks less than two minutes to drive 80 yards on seven plays for the score.
Schneider tacked on a 39-yard field goal with 2:06 left before halftime to give the Ducks a 24-7. Utah cut into the deficit just before halftime with a 32-yard field goal from Phillips on the final play of the half.
NOTES: Kendal Thompson started the game at quarterback for Utah but was replaced by Wilson after suffering an apparent knee injury on the Utes’ second offensive series. He did not return to the game. …Entering the game, Utah ranked 11th nationally in turnover margin and Oregon ranked fifth in the same category. … The Utes had two first-half fumbles and the Ducks didn’t commit a single turnover in the opening half. … The Utes compiled 243 first-half yards compared with 217 for the Ducks.
