Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcus Mariota wasn't about to let Stanford end Oregon's hopes for a national championship again.
Or a Pac-12 title either.
Mariota threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more as the fifth- ranked Ducks routed Stanford 45-16 on Saturday night.
The Ducks were 10-0 before suffering a 17-14 overtime home loss to the Cardinal in 2012 and ripped off eight straight wins to open the 2013 campaign prior to a 26-20 defeat at Stanford.
The Cardinal went on to win the Pac-12 title in both of those seasons.
This year's matchup was never in doubt.
Kevin Hogan and Mariota traded interceptions to start the third and Stanford turned Mariota's second pick of the year into a 25-yard Jordan Williamson field goal, trimming the deficit to 24-16.
Oregon, though, put up three straight touchdowns against the nation's second- ranked scoring defense to put the game out of reach.
"To get this win was huge and built a lot of momentum heading into the rest of the year," Mariota said.
The Heisman trophy candidate Mariota, who had never beaten Stanford in his career, was 19-of-30 for 258 yards and added 85 rushing yards on nine carries for the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12), who have won four straight since their lone loss to Arizona in Eugene on Oct. 2.
"I told him after the game he was phenomenal. He's tough to contain," Stanford head coach David Shaw said of Mariota. "You put pressure on him and he doesn't feel it, he escapes the pocket and he throws the ball down the field. As a runner and a passer, he's special and we just couldn't contain him."
Oregon could be in line for one of the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday following No. 4 Mississippi's home loss to third- ranked Auburn.
Thomas Tyner carried the ball 10 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns, while Royce Freeman added 98 yards on the ground on 19 totes in the triumph. Oregon ran for 267 yards overall.
Hogan completed 21-of-29 passes for 237 yards and ran for 42 yards on 11 carries for Stanford (5-4, 3-3), which was coming off a 38-14 victory over Oregon State.
Devon Cajuste caught five passes for 116 yards in defeat.
After Williamson's 25-yard boot, Tyner shot through a huge hole up the middle and spun away from Cardinal safety Jordan Richards at the 6 prior to crossing the goal line for a 21-yard TD run in the closing moments of the third.
Ducks defensive back Erick Dargan stripped Hogan on Stanford's ensuing touch and linebacker Tony Washington scooped up the ball and returned it 21 yards to the Cardinal 30. Mariota ran in from seven yards out shortly thereafter.
Following a Stanford three-and-out, Mariota's 25-yard TD pass to Darren Carrington made it 45-16 with 9:20 left.
Mariota led three consecutive 75-yard TD drives to open the game and the Ducks sandwiched their first two scores around a Williamson 47-yard field goal to create immediate separation.
Mariota broke out of an arm tackle from defensive tackle Henry Anderson and scampered for 19 yards on a 4th-and-5 from the Stanford 40 and then capped the drive when he rolled right and hit Charles Nelson in the flat for a 6-yard score.
Facing a 3rd-and-7 from the Stanford 44 on their next drive, Mariota stepped up in the pocket, threw on the run and found Devon Allen, who found a soft spot in the Stanford zone for a gain of 22 yards. Mariota then darted for a 22-yard score on a zone-read keeper a play later to make it 14-3.
Williamson split the uprights from 43 yards away on Stanford's following touch and Tyner capped Oregon's ensuing 13-play trek with a 1-yard TD plunge for a 21-6 advantage early in the second.
Cajuste hauled in a 42-yard pass on a post corner to put the ball at the Oregon 44 on the Cardinal's next march. Oregon safety Derrick Malone tipped a Hogan pass at the line of scrimmage on a 4th-and-2 to give the ball back to the Ducks, who added a 40-yard Aidan Schneider field goal to extend the margin to 24-6 midway through the frame.
Cajuste had receptions of 17 and 20 yards, respectively, on Stanford's next drive before Patrick Skov finished it off with a 1-yard TD plunge to cut the gap to 24-13 with 1:01 to go in the half.
Game Notes
Since 2012 coming in, Oregon averaged 17 points per game against Stanford and 48.9 against everyone else ... The Ducks outgained the Cardinal, 525-428 ... Oregon was 8-of-13 on third down, while Stanford finished 6-of-13.
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