By Daniel Dullum

Sports Radio Service

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for two touchdowns, ran for two more, and led the No. 5 Ducks to a lopsided 45-16 win over visiting Stanford Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.

Ducks’ running back Thomas Tyner ran for a pair of touchdowns, helping Oregon (8-1 overall, 5-1 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP) snap a two-game losing streak to Stanford. The 45 points allowed by the Cardinal defense marked the first time Stanford allowed an opponent 30 points or more in 31 games — the longest such streak in the nation.

Mariota, who also rushed nine times for 86 yards, finished with 257 passing yards. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan completed 21 of 29 passes for 237 yards. Hogan was sacked twice and picked off once.

Hogan was also the Cardinal’s top ground gainer, picking up 44 yards on 11 carries.

Stanford (5-4 overall, 3-3 Pac-12) had allowed four rushing touchdowns all season before allowing four by the Ducks. In addition, the Cardinal defense, which had allowed an average of 250.6 total yards per game, surrendered 525 to Oregon.

Stanford shocked the Ducks in 2012 when the Cardinal won 17-14 on a 37-yard field goal by Jordan Williamson in overtime. Last season at Stanford, the Cardinal built a 26-0 lead, then held on for a 26-20 win.

Oregon opened the scoring on Mariota’s 6-yard TD pass to Charles Nelson. The Cardinal responded with a 47-yard field goal by Williamson. The Ducks extended their lead to 14-3 when Mariota faked a handoff and ran untouched for a 22-yard touchdown. Again, the Cardinal countered with a Williamson field goal, this time from 43 yards out.

Tyner, who sat out the Ducks’ win over California last weekend with an undisclosed injury, tallied Oregon’s third touchdown with a 1-yard plunge, giving the Ducks a 21-6 lead.

Aidan Schneider booted a 40-yard field goal to extend the Ducks’ lead. Stanford fullback Patrick Skov scored on a 1-yard run, cutting the Oregon lead to 24-13 at halftime.

Oregon’s Erick Dargan picked off a Kevin Hogan pass at the Duck 1, surfing out the Cardinal’s opening drive of the second half. But Alex Carter of Stanford intercepted a Mariota pass on the Ducks’ ensuing drive, leading to a Williamson 25-yard field goal, cutting the Oregon lead to 24-16.

The Ducks’ offense took over from there. Tyler scored his second touchdown, this time from 21 yards out as the third quarter wound down. Tyner finished with a game-high 63 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Early in the fourth quarter, Mariota scored on a 7-yard quarterback draw, set up by a Hogan fumble recovered by the Ducks.

Mariota’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Darren Carrington closed out the scoring.

Next week, the Cardinal return home to host No. 17 Utah. Kickoff time has yet to be determined.