Game 12 | 11 - 1 | Ducks rebound with 48-24 win over Beavers

Ducks rebound with 48-24 win over Beavers

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 4 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ducks-rebound-48-24-win-011647972--ncaaf.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- After Oregon's loss to Stanford last weekend, running back Kenjon Barner figured there were three ways for the Ducks to respond in the Civil War against Oregon State.

''You can let it define you, destroy you or strengthen you,'' Barner said. ''With this team, every loss we've taken in the past, it's strengthened us, made us stronger. Looking back on Stanford, it was a loss. We knew what we had to do to get back on the winning track, and we did it.''

Barner ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns - despite leaving the game for a time with what he called a minor injury - and No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 16 Oregon State 48-24 in the Civil War.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) heads down field ahead of a pack of Oregon State defenders during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

The victory initially kept the Ducks (11-1, 8-1) alive for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, but Stanford defeated UCLA 35-17 later Saturday night to clinch the league's northern division.

Stanford's 17-14 overtime victory over the Ducks last Saturday meant that both teams finished the regular season with just one conference loss, but the Cardinal (10-2, 8-1) claimed the head-to-head matchup to advance to the championship game - a rematch with the Bruins - next Friday.

The Civil War ended shortly before the game between Stanford and UCLA started. Barner wasn't planning to watch it.

''I'm going to enjoy this win, have fun with my family that's here and find out tomorrow what the situation is,'' he said. ''I'd rather not watch.''

It was Oregon's fifth straight victory in the 116-game rivalry series with the Beavers.

While the Civil War is normally the season finale for both teams, Oregon State (8-3, 6-3) will host Nicholls State next Saturday in a matchup that was supposed to open the season but was put off when Hurricane Isaac bore down on the Colonels' Thibodaux, La., campus.

The Beavers will have to wait to find out where they're headed for a bowl game, but already their season can be counted a success after they went just 3-9 last year.

Barner appeared to hurt either his abdomen or ribs late in the first half and headed to the locker room. He returned after the break, but much of the work went to De'Anthony Thomas until he returned on a scoring drive that made it 41-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Barner would only describe the injury as minor.

Thomas finished with 122 yards rushing and three scores. Oregon redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota threw for 140 yards and a score, and also ran for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Sean Mannion threw for 311 yards and a late touchdown for the Beavers but was intercepted four times. Storm Woods rushed for 70 yards and two scores.

Mannion started the first four games of the season, throwing seven touchdowns and averaging 339 yards, but injured his left knee and required surgery. Vaz, who hadn't started since high school, took over and helped the Beavers to win in the next two games, and later became the team's starter.

But Vaz sprained his left ankle in the final moments of a loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and sat out last Saturday during Oregon State's 64-14 victory at home over California. Mannion got the nod for the Civil War.

''We have another opponent and we don't have time to pout and feel sorry for ourselves,'' Mannion said. ''Nicholls State is going to come in here and try to beat us, and we have to prepare accordingly. I think it will be a good thing because I know everyone is hurting about this one, especially the seniors.

Attendance was 47,249 fans, a Reser Stadium record.

Oregon put the Stanford loss behind them by striking quickly on their first possession with Mariota's 42-yard keeper. The touchdown drive took just 1:46, but the Ducks' 2-point try to cap it off failed.

The Beavers took a 7-6 lead on Woods' 7-yard touchdown run, but the Ducks answered on the next series with Thomas' 2-yard TD dash. Barner added a 1-yard scoring run before he was hurt.

Stanford held Barner to 66 yards the week before, but he had 141 yards before halftime against the Beavers. With his first 15 yards rushing Saturday, he moved past Derek Loville (1986-89) for second on Oregon's career rushing list.

Trevor Romaine kicked a 36-yard field goal to narrow it to 20-10 at halftime and the Beavers pulled closer with Woods' 2-yard scoring run on their first series of the second half.

It was all Ducks the rest of the way. Thomas scored on a 6-yard run to extend Oregon's lead to 27-17, before the Ducks capitalized on a Beaver fumble that led to Thomas' 29-yard touchdown run. Barner returned with his 1-yard run and Mariota found B.J. Kelley with a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Mannion hit Micah Hatfield with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left for the final margin.

While Barner was spending time with his family, Oregon coach Chip Kelly was going to be watching Saturday night to see what happened elsewhere in the Pac-12 and beyond.

''You got to pay attention,'' Kelly said. ''You got to know if you're practicing tomorrow.''

Even though the Ducks are missing out on the Pac-12 championship game, there is a good chance that at 11-1 they will be an at-large bid for a BCS bowl game.

The Ducks hold a 60-46-10 advantage in the Civil War which began in 1894 and is the seventh-most contested rivalry in the nation.

It was the fourth time that both teams were ranked for the Civil War. The last was in 2009, when Oregon was No. 7 and Oregon State was No. 13. That game was dubbed the ''War of the Roses'' because the winner was guaranteed a Rose Bowl berth. Oregon won 37-33.

Week 13 | Civil War | Oregon looks for Civil War rebound

Oregon looks for Civil War rebound

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 14 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-looks-civil-war-rebound-194524762--ncaaf.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- With so many scenarios for how the season may - or may not - play out, No. 5 Oregon was focused only on Oregon State and the 116th Civil War.

Oregon's march toward the national championship game detoured last Saturday with a 17-14 overtime loss to Stanford. Now, even the team's shot at the Pac-12 championship is in jeopardy.

''You have to be mentally tough,'' Oregon running back Kenjon Barner said. ''It's football. You're going to lose some games. It happens.''

Saturday's Civil War at Reser Stadium is a must-win for Oregon (10-1, 7-1) if they want to keep their hopes for a fourth straight Pac-12 title alive. But the Ducks will need UCLA to help with a victory over Stanford in Los Angeles. To be back in the mix for a national championship berth, they'll likely also need USC to topple undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley laughed when asked this if he's worried the Ducks will be doubly motivated against the 16th-ranked Beavers (8-2, 6-2) after the loss.

''I don't know what they're mindset is going to be,'' Riley said. ''But they're a really good, resilient football team. So that's what we expect.''

No matter what happens on Saturday, Oregon State can count this season as a success. The Beavers have staged a stunning turnaround with essentially the same team that went just 3-9 last season.

Oregon State's best weapon against the speedy Ducks may be its defense - much like Stanford's was in its victory over Oregon last weekend.

The Ducks have the fourth-ranked offense in the country, averaging 548.3 yards a game, and the fifth-best rushing offense with 313.5 yards a game. Stanford's stout D was able to hold the Ducks to 198 yards on the ground and 405 yards in total offense.

The Cardinal held Barner, averaging 136 yards rushing going in, to just 66 yards.

Oregon State has the nation's No. 14 rushing defense, allowing opponents only 108.7 yards on the ground per game. The Beavers' overall defense is ranked third in the Pac-12, allowing an average of 345 yards.

On offense, Oregon State will start Sean Mannion at quarterback because quarterback Cody Vaz only returned to practice Wednesday after a left ankle sprain.

Mannion started the first four games of the season, throwing seven touchdowns and averaging 339 yards, but injured his left knee and required surgery. Vaz, who hadn't started since high school, took over and helped the Beavers to win in the next two games, and later became the team's starter.

But Vaz sprained his left ankle in the final moments of a loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and sat out last Saturday during Oregon State's 64-14 victory at home over California.

Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said this week that Oregon State's receiving duo, senior Markus Wheaton and sophomore Brandin Cooks, have the Ducks' attention.

Cook has 1,039 receiving yards with five touchdowns this season, and Wheaton has 986 yards with 10 TD catches. Both are among the top 15 in the nation for average receiving yards.

''I wish I could tell you 'Not many worries, not many concerns,' but we got our work cut out for us because they remind me of an 'SC down-the-field throwing team and last time I checked we didn't do really well in that one,'' Aliotti said. ''We're going to have to cover those receivers.''

For the record, Oregon beat the Trojans 62-51 but Matt Barkley threw for five touchdowns, including two to Marqise Lee.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota spent Sunday mulling over the loss to Stanford then got back to work on Monday. The redshirt freshman threw for 207 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinal.

''There were a lot of times I was trying to force it too much,'' Mariota reflected this week.

Mariota needs three total touchdowns - via pass or keepers - to reach Oregon's single season record of 36 set by Akili Smith in 1998 and matched by Darron Thomas in 2011. He already holds the Pac-12 freshman record with 29 touchdown passes this season.

In what could be his final game at Autzen Stadium, Barner needs two rushing touchdowns to match pal LaMichael James' single season record of 21 at Oregon in 2010. He needs just 15 more rushing yard to move past Derek Loville (1986-89) into second on Oregon career list.

The Ducks hold a 59-46-10 advantage in the Civil War, and they've won the last four games in the series. It is the seventh-longest contested rivalry in the nation, dating back to 1894.

Saturday's game will mark the fourth time that both teams are ranked for the Civil War. The last was in 2009, when Oregon was No. 7 and Oregon State was No. 13. That game was dubbed the ''War of the Roses'' because the winner was guaranteed a Rose Bowl berth. Oregon won 37-33.

Riley has seen his share of Civil Wars, both as coach of the Beavers and as the son of former Oregon State assistant coach Bud Riley, who passed away earlier this year. Growing up in Corvallis, Riley's watched the game from both the stands and the sidelines.

''I feel like this is to be embraced. It's fun to be involved in it, that's one of the things about tradition and history,'' Riley said. ''This game has been played a long time. In the record books when you total them all up it means the same thing, a win or a loss. But for the moment when you're in it, getting to play in a fun game like this, it means a lot to everybody.''

Week 13 | Preview | Civil War | Oregon-Oregon St. Preview

Oregon-Oregon St. Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD (STATS Writer) | The Associated Press – Wed, Nov 21, 2012 1:54 AM EST

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-oregon-st-preview-065405123--ncaaf.html

After losing their chance at a perfect season, fifth-ranked Oregon can't afford to hang its head for very long.

The Ducks, also fifth in the BCS standings, still have an outside chance at reaching the BCS title game - with a whole lot of help.

Oregon first has to secure bragging rights Saturday in Corvallis with a Civil War win over 16th-ranked Oregon State.

With an offense averaging an FBS-leading 54.8 points per game, Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) spent just six days as the nation's top-ranked team before its once-unstoppable offense sputtered in a stunning 17-14 overtime loss to visiting Stanford.

That ended Oregon's 13-game winning streak, which was the longest in the nation. It also snapped the team's NCAA-record streak of 23 games with at least 30 points.

Now, the Ducks need a few things to fall in their favor to play in their second national championship game in three years. A USC win over No. 1 Notre Dame would be a huge help, as would losses by Alabama, Georgia and Florida this weekend.

Additionally, Oregon has to hope Stanford has a bit of a hangover. While UCLA has already clinched the Pac-12 South, Oregon can still represent the North with a win and a Bruins victory over the Cardinal on Saturday.

"It's not going to be easy, but we understand that we have a couple of more games and whatever plays out plays out,'' quarterback Marcus Mariota said. "We just have to control what we can control.''

Mariota has to find a way to get the offense back on track after Oregon was held to a season-low 405 yards against Stanford and converted just 4 of 17 third downs.

Mariota led the team with 89 rushing yards while completing 21 of 37 passes for 207 and a touchdown with one interception. Tailback Kenjon Barner, who was averaging 136.0 yards per game, finished with just 66 against a Cardinal defense that came in as the nation's best against the run.

The Ducks, fifth in the nation on the ground (313.5 yards per game), face another stout run defense in Oregon State, which ranks second in the Pac-12 at 108.7 yards per game.

The Beavers (8-2, 6-2) improved to 5-0 at home last Saturday with one of their best performances of the season, outgaining California 559-322 in a 62-14 victory.

Sean Mannion shined by completing 24 of 34 passes for 325 yards and matching a career-high with four touchdowns while starting in place of Cody Vaz, who had taken the job before getting hurt late in a Nov. 10 loss to Stanford.

Mannion, who threw for 299 yards with three TDs and two interceptions in a 49-21 loss to Oregon last year, will be under center again this week.

"Sean obviously prepared very well,'' coach Mike Riley said. "And he had a look in his eye this week.''

Terron Ward, coming off a 128-yard, two-touchdown effort against Cal, will try to put together another strong performance against a banged-up Oregon defense that allowed 161 yards to Stanford's Stepfan Taylor.

Another big day on the ground likely won't come easy, though. The Ducks have held Oregon State to 2.6 yards per carry during their four-game series winning streak, and allowed only 16 rushing yards while playing the final 38 minutes with the lead in last season's rout.

That, of course, came against a Beavers team that finished 3-9. Now, beating the Ducks for the first time since a 38-31 double-overtime win at Autzen Stadium in 2007 could put Oregon State in a high-profile bowl.

"It's great to be where we are," Riley said. "We try not to be surprised by success, we work for that hard. But I am proud of the turnaround in this team and the work they did in the offseason and what they've accomplished to this point.

"It's much more fun and exciting to be going into the Civil War at 8-2 rather than 3-8."

The Beavers have turned it over a Pac-12 low 14 times this season, but they've given it away eight time in their last two home losses to the Ducks.

Prior to that, Oregon State totaled only three turnovers during a five-game series winning streak in Corvallis.

Game 11 | 10 - 1 | No. 14 Stanford upsets No. 1 Oregon 17-14 in OT

No. 14 Stanford upsets No. 1 Oregon 17-14 in OT

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – Sun, Nov 18, 2012 2:08 AM EST

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/no-14-stanford-upsets-no-044856973--ncaaf.html

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- As Stanford's game-winning field goal tumbled through the goal posts, Oregon running back Kenjon Barner fell to his knees in dejection. With a clear path to the BCS championship game, the speedy Ducks slipped up.

A 17-14 loss in overtime to the No. 14 Stanford denied top-ranked Oregon a chance to clinch the Pac-12 North's spot in the conference championship game. And it put a bid for a national championship nearly out of reach.

''I told those guys that it's tough, things aren't always going to go your way. That's life. That's football'' coach Chip Kelly said after the game. ''I don't fault them for their effort. It hurts so bad because they invested so much as a group. ''

Stanford players rushed the field after Jordan Williamson's 37-yard field goal in overtime to win it.

If both Stanford and Oregon win in their final games next weekend, both will finish with one conference loss, which means Stanford will win the head-to-head matchup and go to the Pac-12 championship for a chance to play in the Rose Bowl.

After winning its fifth straight, Stanford (9-2, 7-1) will play its finale next weekend at No. 17 UCLA, which defeated No. 21 USC 38-28 earlier in the day to claim the Pac-12 South. Oregon (10-1, 7-1) will play Oregon State in the annual Civil War rivalry game in Corvallis.

''As I told our guys, we don't get a trophy for this game,'' Stanford coach David Shaw said. ''All we did was put ourselves in a good position and no we have to go play a really good UCLA team next week.''

If Stanford beats UCLA, the Cardinal and Bruins will play a week later in Northern California for the Pac-12 title. If UCLA wins and Oregon beats Oregon State, the Ducks will host UCLA on Nov. 30.

The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Ducks, which was the longest in the nation coming into Saturday.

Oregon's loss, coupled with No. 2 Kansas State's 52-24 loss to Baylor, means third-ranked Notre Dame is now the lone unbeaten team in the race for the BCS title game. Kansas State and Oregon were the 1-2 teams in the BCS standings.

The Fighting Irish control their national championship run, with No. 4 Alabama and a couple of other Southeastern Conference teams also in the thick of it.

Oregon was the only Pac-12 team that Stanford hadn't defeated over the past two seasons.

Last year, Stanford was ranked No. 3 and looking toward its own national championship bid with quarterback Andrew Luck when then-No. 6 Oregon visited Palo Alto and emerged with a 53-30 victory. Running back LaMichael James, who would join Luck's NFL draft class in the spring, ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns.

The year before, Oregon defeated the Cardinal and Luck 52-31 in an early October hurdle en route to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the BCS title game against Auburn.

''They beat us last year when we were knocking on the door. So it feels kind of good to get that feeling back,'' Stanford tight end Zach Ertz said.

In both seasons, Oregon went on to win the conference titles. The Ducks have won three straight Pac-12 championships.

''It hurts, it really does, but the guys in the locker room have done a good job of helping me keep my head up,'' Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota said. ''It's not an easy one to swallow but there's another game on the horizon.''

Redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan threw for 211 yards and a game-tying fourth-quarter touchdown for Stanford, while Stepfan Taylor rushed for 161 yards on 33 carries.

Down 14-7, Stanford went for it on fourth-and-1 on the Oregon 12 with 2:17 left in regulation and Ryan Hewitt ran two yards for the first down. Hogan hit Ertz with a 10-yard scoring pass to tie it at 14 with 1:35 to go. Ertz fought to gain control of the ball with a defender as he fell to the turf on top of a Ducks player. The play was initially ruled incomplete, but a video review overturned it for the game-tying touchdown.

''I knew I caught it, I just wasn't sure if I was inbounds or not. The ball bounced my way. It was a great play call by the coaches,'' Ertz said.

Despite a pass interference call that gave them a crucial first down, the Ducks were forced to punt on the ensuing series and Stanford took over with 36 seconds to go and the game went to overtime. Alejandro Maldonado missed a 41-yard field goal for the Ducks to open the extra period before Williamson's game winner.

The Cardinal had the nation's best run defense going into the game, allowing an average of just 54.8 yards a game. Oregon, meanwhile, had the country's third-best rushing offense, averaging 325 yards a game.

Stanford held Ducks running back Kenjon Barner, who was averaging 136 yards rushing a game, to just 66 yards. Overall, the Ducks managed only 198 yards on the ground.

Oregon's top rusher was Mariota, who ran for 89 yards. The redshirt freshman who had been getting Heisman buzz, threw for 207 yards and a touchdown.

Stanford stuffed what appeared to be a sure first-quarter Oregon touchdown drive when Mariota took off on a 77-yard keeper to the Stanford 15. But the Ducks couldn't get much closer, and Stanford got the stop when Oregon went for it on fourth-and-2 on the Cardinal 7.

Stanford scored first on Hogan's 1-yard plow into the end zone early in the second quarter, but Oregon answered with Mariota's 28-yard touchdown pass to Keanon Lowe to tie it at 7-all.

Oregon extended its lead to 14-7 on De'Anthony Thomas' 6-yard scoring run in the third quarter, but missed a chance when Maldonado's 42-yard field goal attempt went wide right.

Williamson missed a 43-yard field goal attempt for Stanford early in the fourth quarter.

The Ducks went into the game hurting on defense after a 59-17 victory over California last weekend.

Oregon was without free safety Avery Patterson seriously injured his left knee in the second quarter and is believed to be out for the rest of the season. Patterson had taken over as starter for senior John Boyett, whose career at Oregon ended earlier this season when he needed surgery on both knees. Starting nose guard Wade Keliikipi did not play.

Because the Ducks do not disclose injuries, there was also uncertainty about the secondary, leading to speculation that the team might use Lowe or even multi-purpose sophomore back Thomas on defense. But they did not.

''One thing we take pride in is we don't make excuses,'' Kelly said. ''The No. 1 stuff and the injury stuff everybody else has to deal with, so we don't make excuses. Stanford played better than us tonight and they won the football game.''

Week 12 | K-State, Oregon on course for BCS title game

K-State, Oregon on course for BCS title game

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer) | The Associated Press – 13 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/k-state-oregon-course-bcs-014831160--ncaaf.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- Kansas State and Oregon are now on course to play for the BCS national championship.

After Alabama was upset by Texas A&M, the new BCS standings have the Wildcats (.9674) first and the Ducks (.9497) second.

Notre Dame (.9396) is third, not too far behind, but most likely in need of a loss by Oregon or Kansas State to reach the title game on Jan. 7 in Miami.

''These teams are in their order and the only way that order changes is if somebody gets beat,'' said Jerry Palm, of CBS Sports and collegebcs.com.

As for Alabama's run at three championships in four seasons, and the Southeastern Conference's string of six straight BCS titles, both are in peril.

Five SEC teams follow Alabama in the standings: Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina. But it will take a couple of upsets to give the SEC champion a shot to reach the BCS title game.

Kansas State is second in both BCS polls - the coaches' and Harris - and in the computer rankings. The Wildcats have two games left, at Baylor on Saturday and home against Texas on Dec. 1, the day of most of the conference championship games.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein (7) and teammates celebrates with fans in the stands after the NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in Fort Worth, Texas. Klein ran for two touchdowns and No. 3 Kansas State bolstered its national title hopes with a 23-10 victory at Big 12 newcomer TCU. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Oregon is first in the both polls and fourth in the computer ratings. The Ducks have two more regular-season games left, against Stanford on Saturday and the next week at Oregon State. They can clinch the Pac-12 North and a spot in the conference title game with a win against Stanford. If they get there, the Ducks would play either UCLA or Southern California in the league title game.

Oregon 's Colt Lyerla, at left with ball, celebrates his 14-yard touchdown reception with teammates during the second half of an NCAA college football game against California in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

If the Ducks and Wildcats can avoid the type of upset that dropped Alabama - and there are plenty of good teams left on their schedules - they will play for the national title.

The Fighting Irish are third in the polls and first in the computer ratings.

''Notre Dame is not going to jump (Oregon and Kansas State) without their help,'' Palm said. ''They're way too far behind in the polls. The voters are not on board with Notre Dame.''

The Irish play Wake Forest on Saturday and are at USC two days after Thanksgiving.

Alabama (or Georgia or Florida, which could also both win the SEC with just one loss) needs two of the top three to lose to get to the title game no matter how it finishes.

Week 12 | Oregon is No. 1 in AP Top 25; K-St 2, Notre Dame 3

Oregon is No. 1 in AP Top 25; K-St 2, Notre Dame 3

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer) | The Associated Press – 21 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-no-1-ap-top-171910138--ncaaf.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oregon is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll after Alabama gave up the top spot following a loss to Texas A&M.

The Ducks have 45 of 60 first-place votes. Kansas State is No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. Notre Dame is third and received one first-place vote.

Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff (1) celebrates with teammates after his 10-yard touchdown reception against California during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Crimson Tide, which had been No. 1 for 10 straight weeks, dropped to fourth after a 29-24 loss to the Aggies in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday.

Texas A&M moved up six spots to No. 9.

The Ducks were last No. 1 in 2010. That was the first season in the history of the program that Oregon reached No. 1, and the Ducks spent seven weeks there and reached the BCS championship game, which they lost to Auburn.

No. 25 Kent State is ranked for first time since Nov. 5, 1973.

Game 10 | 10 - 0 | Oregon overcomes injuries to move to No. 1

Oregon overcomes injuries to move to No. 1

By JOSH DUBOW (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 18 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-overcomes-injuries-move-no-202051942--ncaaf.html

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Oregon's defensive line was so depleted that backup tight end Koa Ka'ai and two other freshmen were pressed into emergency duty.

Big-play running back Kenjon Barner was bottled up all night so freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota put the game on his arm.

Oregon overcame numerous hurdles to beat California 59-17 on Saturday night to move into the top spot in The Associated Press poll with just three weeks left in the regular season.

''That's always been our philosophy,'' coach Chip Kelly said of the ''next man up'' mantra. ''We really got tested with it today. Our guys did a nice job. I can't say enough about what that young defensive line did.''

The Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-12) were without four of their top five linemen coming into the game and then lost defensive tackle Taylor Hart in the first quarter to another injury.

While Isi Sofele and the Golden Bears (3-8, 2-6) were able to run the ball effectively for 2 1/2 quarters, freshman Arik Armstead forced the interception that turned the momentum in the third quarter and the banged-up defense kept Cal off the scoreboard for the final 25 minutes of the game.

''Just because they're low on the depth chart doesn't mean they're not going to play,'' safety Brian Jackson said. ''They showed that today. They were able to step in with the big boys. They came in and we didn't see any letdown. I saw different numbers and different names in front of me but I didn't see any difference in the play.''

Oregon wide receiver B.J. Kelley (23) catches an 18-yard pass for a touchdown after it was deflected by teammate Pharaoh Brown (85) next to California defensive back Josh Hill (23) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Ducks survived the litany of injuries to the front four and a possibly season-ending injury to safety Avery Patterson to win their 13th straight game and move into the top spot in the poll following Alabama's 29-23 loss to Texas A&M earlier in the day.

The only other time the Ducks held the top ranking came in 2010, when they were No. 1 for seven weeks before being passed by Auburn late in the final regular season poll in 2010.

Oregon, No. 2 Kansas State and third-ranked Notre Dame are the only undefeated FBS teams left who are eligible for the postseason and are fighting for the two spots in the BCS title game.

But that's not what the Ducks are worried about right now.

''That's what's so good about this team,'' said Josh Huff, who had three TD catches. ''We don't pay attention to the rankings and what's around us. We just play Oregon football. We'll pick our heads up in December and we'll see where we're at.''

Before that happens they need to navigate a treacherous closing stretch of the schedule, starting with a home game next week against No. 14 Stanford. A visit to No. 15 Oregon State and a possible spot in the Pac-12 title game follow, but the big concern now is the Cardinal and their powerful running game behind Stepfan Taylor.

The Bears rushed for 236 yards - the most allowed all season by the Ducks - with most of the damage coming in the first three quarters.

''It was getting a little frustrating,'' Jackson said. ''Stanford is a running team. We know what to expect next week.''

What made those losses on defense easier to overcome was the strong performance by Mariota. Most of the focus on the Ducks offense was on Barner last week after he rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns against Southern California.

But he never got going against a Cal defense focused on shutting down the run and even left the game briefly with a right hand injury that he refused to talk about after the game.

Barner was held to 65 yards rushing on 20 carries - his lowest output against an FBS team this year - and the Ducks managed a season-low 180 yards on the ground, their lowest total in a conference game since 2010.

But with Mariota throwing for a career-high 377 yards and a school record-tying six touchdowns, the Ducks still managed to set a major college football record by scoring at least 40 points for a 13th straight game.

''At the end of the day we still had a good game,'' Barner said. ''I'm not the type of person that has to be the guy. Josh Huff deserved everything that came his way tonight. Marcus continues to impress, guys just continue to step up and do their job. As far as me having a tough game, I'm not worried about it. We came out with a win. That's the most important thing.''

Game 10 | 10 - 0 | Mariota leads No. 2 Oregon past California 59-17

Mariota leads No. 2 Oregon past California 59-17

By JOSH DUBOW (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 5 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mariota-leads-no-2-oregon-065808407--ncaaf.html

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- In a blink of an eye, Marcus Mariota and Oregon turned a tight game into another blowout that could have the second-ranked Ducks in position to move into the top spot in the country.

Mariota threw the third of his school record-tying six touchdown passes on the first play after an interception to break open what had been a close game and help Oregon make its case for the top ranking in the country by beating California 59-17 on Saturday night.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws against California during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

While the final score was lopsided, the game was tight until midway through the third quarter when Boseko Lokombo intercepted a screen pass from Allan Bridgford. Mariota threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Josh Huff on the next play to give the Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-12) a 31-17 lead.

''That kind of got things going again,'' Mariota said. ''It flipped the momentum. It's really a momentum game. That helped us out.''

The Ducks withstood injuries to its entire starting defensive line and brief absences by Mariota and star running back Kenjon Barner to extend the longest active winning streak in major college football to 13 games.

The win over California (3-8, 2-6) could be enough to move Oregon up to No. 1 after top-ranked Alabama lost earlier in the day 29-23 to No. 15 Texas A&M. Even more importantly, the Crimson Tide loss cleared one potential rival for a spot in the BCS title game, leaving Notre Dame and Kansas State as the only other major undefeated teams eligible for a bowl. The Ducks are currently third in the BCS rankings.

''That's what's so good about this team,'' Huff said. ''We don't pay attention to the rankings and what's around us. We just play Oregon football. We'll pick our heads up in December and we'll see where we're at.''

After struggling for more than a half against a Golden Bears team that was missing quarterback Zach Maynard and star receiver Keenan Allen, the Ducks will have to be more consistent the next few weeks if they want to remain unbeaten. They finish the regular season against No. 16 Stanford and No. 13 Oregon State and also could be in the Pac-12 title game.

Oregon raced past the Bears with their passing game instead of the vaunted running attack that had rushed for at least 400 yards in the previous three games. Cal held Barner to 65 yards on 20 carries - 256 fewer yards than he had last week against USC - and even knocked him out briefly with a hard hit that sent him to the locker room in the first half.

''They did a good job of filling the box,'' Mariota said. ''That gave us and the passing game more opportunity to do what we can do. That's the kind of thing that happens when you have such a good running back like Kenjon. Guys fill the box to stop him.''

Mariota also left the game after a hard fall late in the second quarter but returned the following series. He then helped the Ducks break the game open in the second half with four TD passes, including two to Huff.

Mariota completed 27 of 34 passes for a career-high 377 yards and tied the school TD record last achieved by Darron Thomas last year against Nevada. Huff finished with five catches for 109 yards and three scores as the Ducks set a major college football record by scoring at least 40 points for a 13th straight game.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, left, runs past a California defender during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

''You have to pick your poison really with them,'' Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. ''If you're going to get up in there and try to stop the run, then the play-action, you're covering really fast guys running down the field.''

The biggest moment came midway through the third quarter after the Bears cut Oregon's lead to 24-17 and got a stop on defense to fire up a crowd that has had little to cheer about this season.

Isi Sofele, who rushed for 134 yards, had been gashing Oregon's defense in the second half and started this drive with a 14-yard run. But Cal went away from him and Bridgford threw the interception under heavy pressure from Arik Armstead that turned the tides as Oregon scored the final 35 points.

''From then on it just stockpiled,'' safety Brian Jackson said. ''It was very important to that game.''

That ended the Bears chances in the final home game of the season and perhaps final home game for Tedford at Cal. There have been questions raised about Tedford's status after missing a bowl for the second time in three years. The Bears have lost four straight for the first time ever under Tedford.

Bridgford finished 9 for 21 for 113 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

''We felt like at halftime we were going to win the game,'' Bridgford said. ''The second half they pulled away a little bit, but we had our chances. We beat ourselves.''

Mariota left the game holding his left arm in the second quarter but returned after Vincenzo D'Amato missed a 48-yard field goal late in the half for Cal. Mariota drove the Ducks 69 yards, capped by a 10-yard pass to Huff that made it 24-10 at the half.

Game 10 | Oregon - California Preview

Oregon-California Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON (STATS Writer) | The Associated Press – Wed, Nov 7, 2012 12:39 AM EST

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oregon-california-preview-053936011--ncaaf.html

Kenjon Barner's record-setting night helped Oregon pass one major test and move closer toward a spot in the BCS championship game.

The second-ranked Ducks have a couple more tests on the horizon but first they have to avoid an upset during Saturday night's visit to struggling California, which may not have its starting quarterback available.

Barner rushed for a program-best 321 yards and scored five times on the ground, matching a Pac-12 mark, to lead Oregon to a 62-51 win at then-No. 18 Southern California this past Saturday. Marcus Mariota also threw for four touchdowns and the Ducks gained 730 yards while matching a school record with their 12th straight victory.

Barner's performance surely boosted his Heisman Trophy candidacy, and he'll try to add to his resume Saturday.

"It's a blessing. It's an honor," Barner said. "But I don't really worry about it. I can't worry about that, I can't focus on that right now because there's still a lot of football left and anything can happen."

More importantly, his effort helped the Ducks move past Notre Dame for third in the BCS standings.

Oregon (9-0, 6-0) trails second-place Kansas State by .0152 and could get a boost with wins over No. 16 Stanford and No. 13 Oregon State to wrap up the season. Before they get to those games, the Ducks have to get past Cal (3-7, 2-5).

"I think we're going to get everyone's best shot no matter who we play," linebacker Michael Clay said. "They're going to come out fired up and ready to get at us. So we just have to be ready for that, especially on road games. We have to weather the storm."

Oregon has won three straight over the Golden Bears after losing three in a row, but the Ducks trailed at halftime in last season's meeting before pulling away for a 43-15 win. Oregon erased a one-point deficit by scoring 29 unanswered points on Oct. 6, 2011.

During its previous visit to Berkeley on Nov. 13, 2010, Oregon needed a punt return touchdown and another score early in the fourth quarter for a 15-13 win.

"It was a dogfight," Clay said. "They missed a field goal, but it was a dogfight. It'll be another one down there."

This time, the Ducks will face a Cal team that's lost three straight and might not have starting quarterback Zach Maynard available. Maynard is dealing with an injured left knee and Allan Bridgford could start in his place.

Bridgford has attempted a combined 48 passes for the Bears and hasn't thrown for a touchdown in his six games. He started in the season opener against Nevada on Sept. 1 when Maynard was disciplined for missing a tutoring session but completed only two of nine passes for six yards.

The junior went 2 of 7 for 26 yards after Maynard got hurt against Washington on Nov. 2 and couldn't lead Cal to a tying score in a 21-13 defeat.

"It would be different if it were my first time playing a college football game but it's not," Bridgford said. "I've played a number of games. I've thrown a handful of passes. I'm not overly nervous. I'm just ready to have fun and waiting to have my shot."

Maynard, though, doesn't have ligament damage in his knee and coach Jeff Tedford will likely wait to see how the injury heals before choosing a starter.

"It's totally dependent on how he's moving and what he feels like," Tedford said. "Each day it gets a little bit better. It's kind of out of our control. He'll get as much rehab as he can and it's just how he responds to that."

Along with its three game win-streak in the series, Oregon has taken 11 of the past 15 meetings. Cal, though, holds a 39-33-2 all-time lead and a 26-15-2 edge on home matchups.

Game 9 | Barner's school-record 324 rushing yards lead Oregon over USC

Barner's school-record 324 rushing yards lead Oregon over USC

By The Sports Xchange | The SportsXchange – 8 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/barners-school-record-324-rushing-042012630--ncaaf.html

LOS ANGELES -- Oregon tailback Kenjon Barner put on a Heisman-worthy performance Saturday night, scoring five touchdowns and rushing for a school-record 324 yards as the No. 4 Ducks blew past No. 17 USC 62-51 before 93,607 fans at The Coliseum.

The teams combined for 1,357 yards, but the Ducks were the superior team as Barner's running kept USC off-balance for much of the game.

Barner wasn't the only one to be part of five touchdowns as USC quarterback Matt Barkley threw for five scores and 489 yards in the losing cause.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) scores a touchdown as teammate Rahsaan Vaughn (10) blocks Southern California cornerback Nickell Robey (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman)

"We felt like, if we could hold serve, that was a big deal for us," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "I knew those guys were good."

So were the Ducks. Barner was nearly perfect and quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 20 of 23 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. Barner set an Oregon record for yards in a single game and a USC opponent record.

"It's just a great rivalry and tonight we got the best of them," Barner said.

USC coach Lane Kiffin went to the Oregon locker room after the game to congratulate Barner.

"We felt like it would be a heavyweight championship fight and there would be huge death blows," Kiffin said. "I don't know if there's ever been a game with only two punts combined."

Barner's 5-yard touchdown run with 9:15 left gave the Ducks a 55-38 lead that they did not relinquish.

After three quarters, Barner already had 250 yards, a USC opponent record. The Ducks had 737 yards, far eclipsing the USC opponent record of 623 yards set by Notre Dame in 1946. Oregon's 61 points also were the most the Trojans have allowed in a game.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against the Southern California, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. Oregon won 62-51. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman)

USC tailback Silas Redd cut Oregon's lead to 34-31 on a 2-yard run with 9:59 left in the third quarter, the closest the Trojans got since it was 7-3 in the first quarter. Oregon struck back with a 10-yard run from Barner to make it 41-31, but Marqise Lee returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to the Oregon 16-yard line and Redd scored on a 2-yard run to cut Oregon's lead to 41-38.

Oregon took only 65 seconds to start the scoring as Mariota coolly took the team 75 yards in five plays, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown pass to De'Anthony Thomas.

USC responded with a 39-yard field goal by Andre Heidari after an apparent 44-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor was ruled incomplete after a video review.

But Oregon ignored that score and went another 75 yards in just more than three minutes, with Mariota throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Josh Huff and a 14-yard advantage.

USC drove inside Oregon's 10-yard line on the next possession, but the Ducks' Ifo Ekpre-Olomu intercepted the pass in the end zone.

The Ducks then toyed again with USC's defense as Barner made a terrific 27-yard touchdown run on third-and-5. Barner zigzagged through the Trojans' defense like no tailback has this season.

Just when it looked like a blowout, Barkley found a wide-open Lee for a 75-yard touchdown pass that made it 21-10 with 14:36 left in the first half.

That did not faze the Ducks, who merely went 87 yards with ease as Barner scored on a 5-yard touchdown.

But Barkley found Robert Woods on an 8-yard touchdown pass and it suddenly was 27-17 with 5:59 left. Oregon then took 50 seconds to score another touchdown before Barkley found Nelson Agholor for a 76-yard touchdown pass.

Notes: Lee set a Pac-12 record with 251 yards in kickoff returns. ... USC had never allowed an opposing team to score 62 points. The previous record was Stanford's 56 last season.

Game 9 | Kenjon Barner and up-tempo Oregon fly by USC, dream matchup vs. Alabama on everyone's mind

Kenjon Barner and up-tempo Oregon fly by USC, dream matchup vs. Alabama on everyone's mind

7 hours ago

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--kenjon-barner-oregon-offense-alabama-defense-dream-matchup.html

LOS ANGELES – LaMichael James, who left Oregon as the best running back the school has ever seen, stood underneath the tunnel at the L.A. Coliseum and talked about the greatest offense he's ever seen.

Kenjon Barner celebrates with teammates after scoring in the first half. (AP)

And really, what else could he say? His former team, the Oregon Ducks, had just dropped 62 points on USC (which scored 51 in a losing effort) in a game that should have Nick Saban's head spinning.

Yeah, we'll get to Saban in a moment.

But back to the Ducks, who showed Tinseltown why they're college football's version of George Clooney. On Saturday, they scored early – touchdown No. 1 came one minute, five seconds into the game – they scored often – five TDs by halftime – and they scored with ease – nine TDs total on 14 offensive possessions.

Five of those came from Kenjon Barner, who racked up 324 yards rushing (a school record) and still wasn't the Ducks’ offensive leader on the night. That award went to freshman Marcus Mariota, who threw for 304 yards and ran for 119 more.

In a nutshell, this is Oregon football: try to score on every single play and if they don't, line up as fast as they can so they can try again.

And this is why it's so enticing to root for Alabama vs. Oregon in what would be the juiciest season finale in years.

It was just last month that Alabama coach Nick Saban cried foul over the hurry-up offense, saying that it doesn't allow defenses to line up, puts them at greater risk of injury and insinuated that it was ruining the game.

"I just think there's got to be some sense of fairness in terms of asking: is this what we want football to be?" he wondered allowed.

This bit of whine came after Saban's Crimson Tide beat up Ole Miss, a Pinto of an offense in comparison to Oregon's Ferrari.

Chip Kelly's full-throttle attack is a sight to behold. There's nothing flashy about it, other than it always seems to move forward. (Barner rushed the ball 38 times against USC; 36 of those went for positive yards.) They run stretch plays to the left, stretch plays to the right, their receivers block downfield really well, and just when you think they're going to run it again, boom, Mariota pops one over the top.

It's a double-barrel attack that can endure even 484 yards and five touchdowns from Matt Barkley.

The "We are SC" crowd is surely wondering now if Lane Kiffin is the future of the program, this after loss No. 3 in a season the Trojans entered ranked No. 1 in the polls. But really, what could Kiffin do? His offense slapped 51 points on the board and never had a chance.

The question now is, does anyone?

Going into Saturday, the obvious answer was Alabama. But after struggling to hold back an LSU team whose offense is as explosive as a golf clap, it's clear the Tide are not the world-beaters we thought they were. (Somewhere, Steve Spurrier is chuckling about that.)

Kenjon Barner scores in the third quarter of Oregon's win over USC. (Getty)

But if there is a team that can slow the Ducks, Alabama is it. And if there is a team that can slice through the stiff 'Bama defense, it's Oregon.

When asked if he would relish the chance to take their hurry-up attack against Alabama, Barner refused to take the bait.

"I'm not thinking about Nick Saban," he said. "I'm just focused on playing Oregon football."

That's what makes the prospect of Oregon vs. Alabama in the BCS title so intriguing.

Yes, there's still a long way to go between now and then, and Kansas State and Notre Dame are still in the championship picture. But this – Oregon vs. Alabama – is the dream matchup to end the 2012 season.

It would be strength vs. strength. Cardiac Kelly vs. Systematic Saban. West Coast flair vs. Southeastern tradition.

Simply, it would be the two best teams in college football playing in a championship game not even a four-team playoff could guarantee.

It'd be so perfect, it would almost make us forget how much we hate the BCS.

Almost.