Quarterback Bo Nix’s first career game with three rushing touchdowns and a spirited effort on defense led No. 25 Oregon to a 41-20 victory over No. 12 Brigham Young on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore.
Nix completed 13 of 18 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to go with 35 yards rushing, and Oregon (2-1) outgained BYU (2-1) 439 to 366 in total offense.
Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall was 29 of 41 for 305 yards and two touchdown passes.
The Ducks stopped BYU three times on fourth down while the offense built a big enough lead to hold off the Cougars, who scored two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to make it an 18-point game.
Oregon switched from Nix to Ty Thompson at quarterback in the third quarter after going up 38-7 but turned back to Nix in the fourth quarter as BYU got closer.
Nix led a lengthy drive for a late field goal that iced the Ducks’ 21st straight win at home.
After a fourth-down stop on defense in their own territory, the Ducks scored the game’s first points on Nix’s first touchdown run on their opening drive of the game.
The Ducks made it 10-0 before BYU’s offense got going. A 10-play, 75-yard drive ended on tight end Isaac Rex’s 28-yard touchdown catch from Hall, making it 10-7 one play into the second quarter.
Oregon responded. A 50-yard reception by the Ducks’ Troy Franklin was highlight reel material, setting up Nix’s second touchdown run. Franklin reached behind him while in the air over tight coverage to pull down the pass.
The Cougars missed a field goal — an issue last week for kicker Jake Oldroyd despite his team’s upset of Baylor — and Oregon aggressively marched down the field again. Two fourth-down conversions set up the first of Nix’s two touchdown passes to tight end Terrance Ferguson with 24 seconds left in the first half.
The Ducks took a 24-7 lead to halftime, then got the ball to start the second half and added to their lead. Nix ran for a six-yard touchdown, faking a handoff and going the other direction.
Following another fourth down stop for the Ducks’ defense, Nix connected with Ferguson for another touchdown pass, this one for nine yards.
–Field Level Media
