Seattle, WA – Kenjon Barner ran for three touchdowns and caught another as No. 2 Oregon pounded Washington State, 51-26, on Saturday.
Barner carried the ball 20 times for 195 yards and added 37 yards on three receptions for the Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12).
Marcus Mariota completed 21-of-32 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the victory. He also carried the ball nine times for 56 yards and a score.
Connor Halliday went 33-for-60 through the air for 348 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Washington State (2-3, 0-2).
Marquess Wilson had 182 yards and a score on 12 receptions, while Brett Bartolone also caught a touchdown pass in defeat.
Oregon took over on offense at the 50-yard line after Washington State was held to a three-and-out on the opening possession of the contest and Barner capped a four-play drive with a 22-yard touchdown run for a 6-0 lead following a failed two-point conversion.
The Cougars answered with a 15-play drive that reached as far as the Oregon 2- yard line and featured a pair of defensive pass interference penalties on the Ducks, including one on a 4th-and-4 attempt at the Oregon 13. But Washington State was held out of the end zone and had to settle for Andrew Furney's 19- yard field goal.
The Ducks quickly regained some cushion on their next touch with an 8-play, 76-yard scoring drive. Mariota hit Will Murphy with a 29-yard pass on the second play of the drive to move the ball to midfield before finishing the march by evading a sack and racing 14 yards down the right sideline for a score.
WSU's Teondray Caldwell then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the ball was recovered by Oregon at the Cougars' 15.
Oregon, though, would fail to convert a 4th-and-1 at the WSU 6, turning the ball over on downs.
But Washington State was held to a three-and-out and Michael Bowlin shanked a 29-yard punt to give Oregon the ball back at the WSU 30. On the next play, Mariota found Barner wide open deep down the left sideline to give the Ducks a 20-3 lead.
Caldwell atoned for his previous mistake with a 92-yard kickoff return to give the Cougars the ball at the Oregon 6, and after a Halliday interception was overturned by a roughing the passer penalty, Carl Winston rumbled into the end zone from two yards out.
Furney's extra-point attempt was blocked to make it a 20-9 game with nine seconds left in the first quarter.
Deone Bucannon then stepped in front of a Mariota pass on the final play of the first quarter and returned it 22 yards to the Oregon 20, resulting in Furney's 20-yard field goal.
WSU failed to recover a surprise on-side kick attempt on the kickoff, and the Ducks took advantage with Rob Beard's 34-yard field goal.
The Cougars later took over on offense at their own 33-yard line following a series of punts and Halliday found Wilson for a 29-yard gain before capping the 6-play drive with a 26-yard touchdown strike to Bartolone, bringing Washington State within 23-19 at the half.
Oregon received the ball to start the third quarter and started a streak of 28 straight points with an 18-play, 76-yard drive that ate up over six minutes of game clock.
The Ducks converted three third downs on the march, including De'Anthony Thomas' 4-yard score on a rush up the middle.
Avery Patterson gave Oregon a 37-19 lead three plays later when he intercepted a Halliday pass and took it 34 yards for a touchdown.
After a Washington State three-and-out, a personal foul on WSU's Tyree Toomer during an incomplete pass on a 3rd-and-13 set up Barner's 10-yard rushing score with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars drove down to the Oregon 11 on their next possession, but Halliday was sacked by DeForest Buckner on a 4th-and-7 to end the drive and keep it a 44-19 game heading into the fourth quarter.
Barner's 80-yard touchdown run gave the Ducks a 32-point advantage before Jeff Tuel snapped Oregon's scoring streak with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Wilson.
Game Notes
Oregon leads the all-time series between the teams, 45-38-7 ... Thomas had 26 yards on six carries. He needs 103 more rushing yards to break 1,000 for his career ... Bartolone had nine receptions for 87 yards ... Murphy led all Oregon receivers with 38 yards on two catches ... The Ducks totaled 469 yards of offense, while WSU finished with 402.
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