SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 25, 2014
No. 7 Oregon 59, California 41: Marcus Mariota passed for 326 yards and five touchdowns as the visiting Ducks won the high-scoring affair at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Freshman Royce Freeman produced his third straight 100-yard rushing effort for Oregon, finishing with 112 yards and two touchdowns. Byron Marshall and Dwayne Stanford each went over the century mark in receiving yards as Marshall made four catches for 133 and a TD while Stanford finished with six receptions for 103 and two scores for the Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12).
California's Jared Goff completed 32-of-52 passes for 360 yards and touchdowns to Maurice Harris and Stephen Anderson. Daniel Lasco led the Golden Bears (4-4, 2-4) in both rushing and receiving, finishing with 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground while making eight catches for 101 yards.
The Golden Bears took a 14-7 first-quarter lead before Oregon scored 24 straight points. California made it close again with back-to-back touchdowns to pull within 31-28 with 3:31 left in the first half, but the Golden Bears couldn’t stay within three at the break as Mariota found Stanford for a 24-yard score with 41 seconds remaining as the Ducks were ahead by double digits for good.
Mariota then located Marshall for a 54-yard touchdown connection on the opening drive of the second half and the Ducks tacked on another TD following a failed 47-yard field-goal attempt by California to go ahead 52-28 just past the midway point of the third quarter. Mariota didn't let up following a fumbled punt return by California, throwing his fifth TD pass of the game with just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth to make it 59-35.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mariota was intercepted in the first half, ending a string of 253 straight passes without a pick - the second-longest streak in Pac-12 history behind a string of 353 straight attempts earlier in his career. … Oregon RB Thomas Tyner, third on the team in rushing behind Freeman and Mariota, did not make the trip after injuring his shoulder last week against Washington. … The teams combined for 8.2 yards per play in the opening quarter.